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We are all entitled to our opinions but i do sometimes wonder what people want to see from the ITV broadcast. Overall, i think they do a good job and we as racing fans have live racing every week and with Royal Ascot and other meetings, we have midweek racing as well on terrestrial. The comments around “having a Royal winner”, what’s the problem? it is after all Royal Ascot. I bet if we trawl back through the television archives, we might have someone saying “to top the meeting off it would be good if Henry Cecil/Michael Stoute/Geoff Wragg (insert your own trainer) had a winner”. ITV must be doing something right though, as people on here must be watching the whole show for them to be giving negative comments. If you don’t like the coverage, you can either do a Chezza and put the mute button on or as racing fans you know when each race is off, so just tune in then, watch the race and then switch off.
It is quite surprising that racing has a mainstream platform although to be fair it’s filling a gap left by sports (that people (especially children) can far more readily associate with) that have moved behind a paywall. I am not sure just having an attitude of ‘this is as good as it gets’ helps anything.
I have less than zero interest in the majority of flat racing. 6f point and shoots over a flat, straight track. It’s the epitome of boredom to me! I do occasionally enjoy a stayers race. And in the summer months I don’t mind a Chester/Ripon/Bath for a social event.
But overall I think it’s far harder for mainstream TV to promote flat racing because it’s nearly always over and done within 90 seconds tops.
So using a different angle to help sell the sport is the next best thing. Royalists, fashion/a human sob story is how Ed and the team seek to engage the casual fan.
That said, I personally find that stuff nearly as tedious. The alternative of watching on SSR is a non runner as well due to the amount of time dedicated to adverts for Bet365 or ladbrokes every 3 or 4 minutes.
Ed’s sob stories are what really put me off him amongst other things that I tolerate. A horse wins the next thing we have Ed, the owner’s, brother’s, neighbour’s friend’s, sister sadly lost a gold fish so this will mean a lot to them. Though very sad Christian Williams’ daughter’s illness was overplayed and at times even Christian looked uncomfortable with it.
The more I know the less I understand.
Oil “Just try and put into words what this means to you” Bellend.
It’s probably worth pointing out that these are production decisions about the narrative they want to portray. But the presenters will be in these production meetings and must surely be having an input into the style of show they’re looking to produce.
Like it or not, the ‘human interest story’ is broadcasting 2024, and has been for quite a few years. The viewer is supposed to feel part of a journey, just an extension of pressing a button to vote for someone on a reality show. We had Captain Tom and then Rob Burrow. If you don’t feel wrapped up in it you almost start questioning yourself as an individual.
They do overplay the human interest story, and I do wish they weren’t so ott. Maybe spend more time on the stories around the horses. Like kyprioss remarkable recovery. It wasn’t guaranteed he would make it never mind win the gold cup. Or isle of jura and calum shepherd. Loads of feel good stories out there. Make it more about the amazing horses and you’ll get the viewers. IMHO, of course.
“Like it or not, the ‘human interest story’ is broadcasting 2024, and has been for quite a few years.”
Nail on head, stilvi.
It’s not just in racing but everywhere in the media; instead of looking at issues and general topics, every story has to be brought down to a personal story so that the audience can find it more “relatable”.
It’s dumbing down in action.
The other morning I just happened to catch Sally Nugent interviewing Rob Burrow’s widow. To me it was an uneasy watch as at times you could see the distress, but you can imagine the producer going ‘keep going Sally, great tv’.
Everyone wearing those silly dressing-up costumes is the biggest no-no for me. Just how important do they think they are?
Just put a suit on if you really have to, no need for the hats and flowers. Anyone in a top hat just looks a pathetic wannabee royal.
To me, nothing says ‘this sport is all about rich people and not common oiks like you’ more than that.
I would defend people dressing up, but obviously, not in a Peaky Blinders ‘jack the lad’ type way. Most in racing can’t do casual anyway. The classic is wearing a jumper over a tie – Richard Hoiles take a bow.
Angus McNae also wears a jumper over a tie. Looks like he’s still dressed by his mum.
Deborah James mum said on tv the other day how much it meant to her daughter to be able to dress up and go to Royal Ascot in 2022 even though it was logistically quite difficult as she was so ill at the time. It was also good publicity for her campaign to encourage people to go for bowel screening.
Article on viewing figures, and for anyone who missed Harvey’s antics:-
I am reminded of the famous Barry Davies commentary: ‘just look at his face’.
McNae rocking the jumper and tie look again, on one of the hottest days of the year.
Lucky at Carlisle for the bell and Lydia at Salisbury for the Bilbury cup.
RTV rolling out the premier presenting goliaths for midweek meetings at flesh pots like these seems a tad odd. Don’t they have much in their weekend schedule?
Hmmm. A quick glance confirms this. Cartmel and Newmarket twice each with some Irish fodder thrown in as cursory.
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