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This interview with Rishi and Nick Luck is worth a watch – you get their perspective on much of the criticism
Found this on my Twitter feed today and it’s a good watch.
I particularly like Richie’s comment along the lines of ‘look at the product itself’ before knocking the broadcaster
They do make some very valid points
Came up on my feed aswell and was just about to post it. I agree they make some very valid points.
Rishi “pass the buck” Persad – He criticised the “product” but failed to give any detail of what’s wrong with the “product”.
It is horse racing, what can you expect from it? They got the best of it but failed to deliver, it’s not horse racing’s fault C4 choose not show much of the horse’s and Rishi asks inane questions of jockeys after the race.
Carl Hicks has failed to produce the goods both at the BBC & C4It’s not a few people on twitter or forums who are responsible for C4 Racing getting sacked is it Rishi?
Good luck to anyone who managed the full 15 minutes. I was checking my pulse after 3. Who was the stooge?
Alan King mentioned how bored he was with Channel 4 racing in today’s Weekender column. If racing insiders are falling asleep what hope is there for everyone else?
alan king should be on course not watching c4 racing
He’s just texted me, he says he records it and watches at his leisure, like me.
Although they have some valid points, I have to disagree with Rishi and Nick, there is nothing wrong with the product.
It’s true the presenting team doesn’t really matter, the only reason you’re going to watch is the racing. However, the way the racing is covered does have an effect on it’s enjoyment as a television programme.
For me it all started to go downhill around 2004/05. Up until then I would watch everything I possibly could on terrestrial tv. Then the gimmmicks started to creep in that detracted from the races themselves –
– Turftrax Graphics – Who wanted to see the first half of the horses names jumping up and down at the side of the screen? Oh and the horses are travelling at 37mph, no 38 mph, no back to 37mph. Get this rubbish off the screen (thankfully they eventually did).
– Jockeycams – Waste of time, just show me the racing. If you want to show something interesting after the race, fine, but NOT during the race.
– Superimposed Turf Graphics – Come on, when did you ever watch a race and say to yourself I wonder how far they still have to race? With the possible exception of Newmarket, the furlong markers are clearly in view during a race. Most people with a couple of brain cells will be able to count back from 5. Has anyone seriously not realised that a race is reaching a conclusion. Do we really need the OTT shaded finishing line graphic. Only very occasionally is a finishing line not entirely obvious.
– Switching to a close up shot of the winner as soon as the first 3 or 4 horses have passed the post – The finish is quite important. If you are seeking to retain the casual viewer who may have placed a bet, or maybe just picked a horse to follow during the race, what they would quite like to see is their horse finish. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve heard the phrase “where did mine finish?” What is the purpose of immediately focusing on the winning jockey pulling up? Aside from Frankie, there is hardly ever a reaction, you wouldn’t even guess most had actually won anyway.
Showing previous runnings of important races adds a bit of history to the event, but they have even managed to screw that up. A few seconds of manufactured grainy film is worthless – just show the closing stages of old races as they were originally broadcast – simple.
It’s sad really, I just can’t bring myself to watch Ch4 live.
....and you've got to look a long way back for anything else.
Agree with the vast majority of the above except that the presenters do matter. If they didn’t why so many posts about them? Unfortunately, for many their impact is negative rather than positive.
The most important point is the last one. Nothing more infuriating than the close up of the leaders and just ignoring the other runners.
Regardless of which channel is showing the racing, never forget that the priority for the people behind the cameras is to win an award, which can they add to their CV.
Note how much importance is placed on this by the C4 head honcho quoted in the Life yesterday, who talks about his company providing ‘award winning coverage’.
Awards don’t mean “Jack.”
I am a viewer and if I don’t like your coverage I won’t watch and the fact you got a gong at some self indulgent luvvie media awards ceremony isn’t going to change my mind.
Ditto the rest of the viewers, I suspect.
Most watch for the racing – same as most only buy the Racing Post for the cards and form.
Some people in the print and broadcast media are so up their own arses they have no grip on reality.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"Interesting take on things from James Willoughby, who can always be relied on to put his own spin on things.
Unfortunately James may have fallen victim to the very phenomenon he cites (which is actually the false-consensus effect or bias rather than the spotlight effect, which is similar and related but slightly different) in as much as he is an analyst proposing more analytics as the answer to the question of what viewers want.
I think he
s right that we care about the losers but doesnt seem to say an awful lot more in umpteen paragraphs that forum members haven`t covered much more succinctlyThat’s a very lily-livered defense of the realm by the two blokes on your video link, Joe.
Couldn’t disagree more with their premise that viewers tune in to the action, not the broadcasters, and the problem is Racing’s not theirs. Not much self flagellation with that pair!
Despite my huge interest in racing, I’ve almost totally disengaged from Racing UK because of their presenters. Robotic, mediocre, deferential, staid, sloppy, repetitive. Run of the mill, going through the motions broadcasting.
I’m more annoyed by it than entertained by it at this stage.
And in contrast presented well its compelling. Hislop and Mellish doing a Newmarket backender. Expert, prepared, interested, passionate, thoughtful, intelligent. Sports broadcasting at it finest. Anywhere. Unmissable. I’d pay double.
Personally I thought C4 Racing under IMG was decent, better than Highflyer, but the viewing figures cannot be ignored.
I’d like to see Saturday afternoon terrestrial broadcasting aimed back at the masses. The pissed up bricklayers and call-center girls…a cheap thrill on their day off. Football does it and thrives.
Matt Chapman, your time has come.
I’m sure I saw a wee twinkle in matts eye when the itv job was mentioned on on the line. I hope he doesn’t get it as I so enjoy watching him on atr and I’m not sure if he will be allowed to be himself on itv.
Mickey I’m sure he will still work for ATR if he gets itv job. Itv will only be Saturday’s and occasional other days
Cav, thanks for that. Most interesting. I’ll make sure my wife reads it when she gets home from work…
…at the call centre.
;)
Only kidding!
I’d like to see Saturday afternoon terrestrial broadcasting aimed back at the masses. The pissed up bricklayers and call-center girls…a cheap thrill on their day off. Football does it and thrives.
Back when the brickies and telephone-exchange ladies watched racing in their droves they had the likes of Peter Dimmock, Peter O’Sullevan, Julian Wilson, John Oaksey and John Rickman introducing the programmes; and yer grimy-collared plebs didn’t seem to be concerned about these starch-collared toffs
Racing has always been the passion of Dukes and Dustmen, not the chattering classes; and that’s one of its unique and peculiar joys, particularly on-course: all are equal there but some more equal than others
Trouble is, now the former have to refer to the latter as Refuse Disposal Executives and the latter make a point of referring to the former as Posh Wankers
I remain sirs, your humble and obedient servant
Drone of that Ilk (grimy-collared, chattering class)
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