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According to today’s RP, Eddie Fremantle has parted company with the Observer after they reportedly refused to meet his wage demands…
Eddie is one of the few racing journalists who it is worth listening to and I think this is a worrying sign for Racing in general.
I reckon a lot of newspapers have long since resented the amount of space the sport takes up on their pages and this recession could be the excuse they have all been waiting for to ditch it.
The broadsheets especially are certainly cutting back racing coverage. Not long till we get one meeting a day midweek and the odd write-up in the "other sports" column.
Racing definitely needs to ensure it gets a fair crack of the whip – with 2 or 3 pages of RU, cricket etc and 12 pages of football I think it’s not unfair to expect at least the publishing of all cards in the dailys.
Thats a shame. As far as newspaper coverage of horseracing goes The Guardian / Observer coverage is second to none imo.
It is a shame. Fremantle is often worth reading. However there’s a huge crisis on its way in the paid-for print media and it’s nothing to do with the recession.Or horse racing. As a nation, we don’t buy newspapers in the same quantities as we used to.
I read a brilliant article a while back from a Lecturer in Journalism who asked a theatre full of aspiring journalists, each with ambitions toward careers in the paid-for print media, how many purchased a daily paper. Hardly anyone raised their hands! I laughed out loud, in a dark way.
Several recent commentaries from literary agents mention aspiring writers who hardly ever read; something which comes across in their submissions.
So we all agree buying newspapers on a daily basis is dieing on its feet , personally I have not bought one for at least 5 yrs and that goes for the Racing post as well
Which begs the question , how long will the RP last when it starts charging for its online services ??
Not long is my guess
cheers
Ricky
Which begs the question , how long will the RP last when it starts charging for its online services ??
Not long is my guess
Betfair/Timeform and At The Races have certainly upped the ante. If the RP don’t include a good value media package they could find themselves with a disaster on their hands when subscription time comes around.
Tjhat is bad news for me; I always back whatever he choses for the Grand National..his tips for other places are very run of the mill but his track record for the National is superb…we were going to get the paper on Sunday and go straight to the bookies..does he give his tips anywhere else? [have often meant to complain to the Observer about their coverage of racing..it is my Sunday paper of choice and always has been, but sometimes I’ve had to go through the sport section several times to even find the racing bit, miniscule as it usually is].
There is too much racing for newspapers to put in every card. Racing should not have as many race meetings on the big days.
Whenever racing has a big day, National, Derby, Royal Ascot etc. newspapers should not cover any other card and concentrate on the big day. Anyone wanting other racing can go to the Racing Post. On show piece days where racing is the centre of attension we should make the most of it, to attract more people to our sport.
I like Eddie Freemantle, think along with Steve Mellish, C4 Jim McGrath and Graham Cunningham they are the best racing brains around. Can’t remember the last time I bought a newspaper (other than the Racing Post). Don’t like the sensationalist journalism prevelent these days. Something that seems to be getting in to ITV news coverage too.
Mark
Value Is EverythingHopefully the Observer’s loss will be RUK’s gain as Eddie Freemantle is one of the best pundits on their team and was insightful during the Cheltenham week alongside Lydia.
I find newspapers in general have very little interest in racing my local paper the edinburgh evening news recently stopped the last edition to save money
so now they put the undeclared cards in at lunchtime utterly pointless as you have no idea what is going to be running when i complained was told racing played little part in sales of paper.Oh, thank goodness; that’s made my day! I’ve never before studied the form for the National as much as this year and I desperately wanted to see if he chose the same ones…..phew…..
"The Shoe" affixed to name is off putting for me, has a whiff of self-promotion even if he didn’t put it there.
If you want to read Eddie’s thoughts go to http://www.wbx.com/ and click the insight tab. Of all the contributors his column seems no better or worse than the others for picking out winners, much of a muchness
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I have never purchased a copy of The Observer so can’t comment on Eddie Freemantle’s literary ability, but I rarely find his RUK appearances to be anything other than mundane. Whether he struggles to put into words what he would normally put down in print, I don’t know, but compared to the likes of Steve Mellish (who, for all that he talks exceedingly quickly, at least offers a constructive insight into a race) I can do without him.
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