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Big blow for Channel 4 Racing as Derby only pulls in 1.5m

Home Forums Horse Racing Big blow for Channel 4 Racing as Derby only pulls in 1.5m

Viewing 16 posts - 188 through 203 (of 203 total)
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  • #492874
    moehat
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    • Total Posts 9301

    Felt a bit awkward when Clare Balding commented that Kingman had been retired ‘with a breathing problem’; I know it was explained later that it was an ‘infection’ but it wouldn’t have gone down well with Juddmonte Farms.

    #493184
    Avatar photoCrepello1957
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    • Total Posts 784

    Maybe she heard something on the grape vine, after all her brother is a trainer. Maybe Kingman does actually have a breathing problem.

    I too was astonished there were no paddock shots (apart from the first two races). It was disappointing, close up of jockeys, lots off quipco guff and lots of interviews and analysis.
    It is beginning to remind me of Match of the Day.

    #493185
    Avatar photoTonge
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    • Total Posts 2990

    on the plus side, you can get stuff done and know you’re missing nowt if you just get back to the telly in time for the race!

    #505084
    steveh31
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    • Total Posts 1927

    The Derby is being moved to 4.30pm to try to increase Channel 4 racing’s ratings.

    #505102
    Avatar photoricky lake
    Blocked
    • Total Posts 3003

    It will make not a jot off difference …if anything ..less casual once a year viewers will bother , as they will be out shopping or something like that :mrgreen:

    Its an idiotic move

    But then again …are we surprised

    #505109
    Avatar photoBurroughhill
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    • Total Posts 1635

    I can’t see what difference it’s going to make either. If you want to watch it, you will anyway. If you don’t, you won’t. Simples :mrgreen:

    Also I’d guess that’d make it the last race covered, and if there’s any sort of delay, the coverage is going to be a bit panicky and rushed on the part of the presenters and production team.

    #505114
    Avatar photostevecaution
    Blocked
    • Total Posts 8241

    It’s a load of garbage moving the race back by half an hour. In what way will that make people more likely to tune in?

    Quotes such as:-

    Ed Havard, Channel 4’s head of TV events and sport, said: "We welcome the later start times for the Investec Oaks and Investec Derby, which will enable these blue riband events to be accessible to the widest afternoon audience possible."

    and

    JCR’s London regional director Rupert Trevelyan said: "We have consulted all stakeholders in this process and consider this change will enhance our customers’ experience of the [Derby] festival and the greatest Flat race in the world.

    are nothing but waffle. Where is the actual reasoning on why a 30 minute shift will be of benefit?

    Ed Havard came to Channel 4 as a "Young Gun" with the following resume :-

    Havard ran BBC One’s flagship political programme, Question Time, from 2006 when he became the youngest editor in the programme’s 30-year history. He oversaw Question Time’s coverage of the 2010 General Election and the controversial appearance of Nick Griffin on the programme. He also ran all of BBC Three’s Election programming with Dermot O’Leary and launched Young Voters’ Question Time for the Channel.

    Before joining Question Time he worked across BBC News and Current Affairs including Newsnight and the Six O’Clock News. He was also a senior producer on a series of live political specials for the BBC, including the 2005 General Election programme. Previously he worked on the Great Britons series for BBC Arts and on Test The Nation.

    Most recently he led the BBC team which, in partnership with the Arts Council, developed a digital arts service for the 2012 Cultural Olympiad.

    As my old Mother would have said:-

    "Aye, very good son, but I reckon you know as much about Derbies as a Coo kens aboot takin’ a half-holiday"

    Thanks for the good crack. Time for me to move on. Be lucky.

    #505117
    Avatar photopatriot1
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    • Total Posts 960

    The Derby is being moved to 4.30pm to try to increase Channel 4 racing’s ratings.

    Rupert Trevelyan’s statement says that this move is for the benefit of "sponsors and hospitality guests" and thanks C4 for their cooperation in agreeing to this move so it wasn’t a change designed to boost C4’s ratings.

    Let’s face it a half hour from 4 to half 4.30 would make no difference to viewers.

    #505123
    steveh31
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    • Total Posts 1927

    The Derby is being moved to 4.30pm to try to increase Channel 4 racing’s ratings.

    Rupert Trevelyan’s statement says that this move is for the benefit of "sponsors and hospitality guests" and thanks C4 for their cooperation in agreeing to this move so it wasn’t a change designed to boost C4’s ratings.

    Let’s face it a half hour from 4 to half 4.30 would make no difference to viewers.

    I wrote it after it was announced on At The Races by Mike Cattermole who said it was being done to boost ratings for Channel 4.

    "THE 2015 Investec Derby will take place 30 minutes later than last year, a move Channel 4 bosses hope will assist in reaching a larger television audience."

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/horse-racing/31412693

    The Derby and Oaks races at Epsom will start 30 minutes later this year at 16:30 BST in an attempt to improve TV viewing figures.
    Just 1.5 million people tuned in for Channel 4’s coverage of the 2014 race, down from 3.3m for the BBC’s final broadcast in 2012.

    #505137
    Avatar photophil walker
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    Can only agree with other comments this will make absolutely no change. Personally I’d run it at something like 6.30 which is what Ireland does for races like the Champion Stakes and the national hunt festival at Punchestown.

    My other suggestion is that there should be no other racing apart from Epsom. Its crazy having half a dozen fixtures that day however as the bookmakers are in charge of racing that will never happen.

    #505151
    Avatar photoJimsun
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    • Total Posts 101

    My other suggestion is that there should be no other racing apart from Epsom. Its crazy having half a dozen fixtures that day however as the bookmakers are in charge of racing that will never happen.

    In the years gone by, there was just the one meeting competing with the Epsom Derby on the Wednesday – or should that be supplementing it? – the good old Vaux Gold Tankard at Teeside Park.

    Those were the days, eh?! Does anyone else recall it?

    #505152
    Avatar photostevecaution
    Blocked
    • Total Posts 8241

    I wrote it after it was announced on At The Races by Mike Cattermole who said it was being done to boost ratings for Channel 4.

    I don’t think anyone is questioning your intentions steveh31, it is more the fact that Ed Havard is simply talking bollocks when he says it will help more people to watch the race on Channel 4.

    It doesn’t matter how good a TV career you have behind you, or how qualified you are, or aren’t, to assess the logistics of selling The Derby to viewers as something they will want to tune into.

    There will be no substitute for the ability to make a statement and sound convincing, when you know that everyone who hears it is going to know it’s crap and, you know yourself it is crap before you start saying it.

    Complete tosh and little wonder Channel 4 can’t pull an audience for their Horse Racing broadcasts.

    Thanks for the good crack. Time for me to move on. Be lucky.

    #505153
    Avatar photostevecaution
    Blocked
    • Total Posts 8241

    My other suggestion is that there should be no other racing apart from Epsom. Its crazy having half a dozen fixtures that day however as the bookmakers are in charge of racing that will never happen.

    In the years gone by, there was just the one meeting competing with the Epsom Derby on the Wednesday – or should that be supplementing it? – the good old Vaux Gold Tankard at Teeside Park.

    Those were the days, eh?! Does anyone else recall it?

    My memory of The Vaux Gold Tankard is solely based on Sea Pigeon and that he won at Redcar?

    Thanks for the good crack. Time for me to move on. Be lucky.

    #505169
    Avatar photopatriot1
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    • Total Posts 960

    Why would moving the race from 4 to 4.30 make any difference to the TV ratings and why thank C4 for their cooperation with the move if it is happening for their benefit?

    #505172
    Avatar photoJimsun
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    • Total Posts 101

    My memory of The Vaux Gold Tankard is solely based on Sea Pigeon and that he won at Redcar?

    If my memory serves me right, the Vaux Gold Tankard was initiated at Teeside Park but after that course closed in the early ’70’s the race was transferred to its neighbouring course at Redcar, and that was just before the era of Sea Pigeon.

    Mind you, I could be totally wrong of course, in which case someone will correct me on this, I’m sure.

    For what it’s worth, I agree with a lot of the comments on the rescheduling of the Derby. Running it half an hour later at 4:30 won’t make a darn bit of difference to TV viewing figures. However, if the Derby were to run quite a bit later than that, like the Irish Derby now, say between 6:30 and 7:30pm (crucially after tea), then this might help boost viewing figures.

    An added bonus is there won’t be that many meetings competing with it at that time of the day either.

    Sorry, Steve, re your reply below (you beat me to it!) but I’ve had to make slight changes to my badly constructed sentences! :oops:

    #505177
    Avatar photostevecaution
    Blocked
    • Total Posts 8241

    My memory of The Vaux Gold Tankard is solely based on Sea Pigeon and that he won at Redcar?

    If my memory serves me right, the Vaux Gold Tankard was initiated at Teeside Park but after that course closed in the ’70’s the race was transferred to its neighbouring course at Redcar, and that was just before the era of Sea Pigeon.

    Mind you, I could be totally wrong of course but am sure someone will correct me on this.

    For what it’s worth, I agree with a lot of the comments on the rescheduling of the Derby. Running it half an hour later at 4:30 won’t make a darn bit of difference to TV viewing figures, but having it run a bit later than that, like the Irish Derby now, between 6:30 and 7:00pm (after tea) might help viewing figures more.

    An added bonus is there won’t be that many meetings competing with it at that time of day either.

    Wasn’t trying to say you were wrong Jimsun. Sea Pigeon is the only winner of the race I could name.

    I did a quick search and found this Internet post:-

    Most horse races are always run on the same course year after year. One of the few that didn’t was the Vaux Gold Tankard sponsored as the name would suggest by the Sunderland based brewing company. Most years this race was run at Redcar but it was run on other courses and in 1970 it was the turn of Stockton. Which that year was called Teesside Park in a short lived name change.

    Another look around suggests that the date of the race varied somewhat, because a list of winners, from Redcar only, showed it being held anywhere from May, June, July and August :shock:

    As for a 4.30 Derby making any difference, I believe the only way to make it happen is a heavy advertising campaign with the jingle:-

    "A million housewives, every day, pick up The Daily Star and say "Oh, The Derby’s on half an hour later this year, I’ll be watching it"

    Only two problems. The second half of the jingle doesn’t fit with the cadence of the first and Heinz’s lawyers may be on the blower regarding copyright.

    Thanks for the good crack. Time for me to move on. Be lucky.

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