"Crown Jewels of Sport"

[Steve P]

Guardian article

I've been following this stroy for a while now. Tommorrow is the day when the review of the events that have to be made free-to-air will be announced. I've heard a few interviews with Hugh Robertson now and it sounds to me like events will be taken off the list rather than added to it. It's all in the effort to ensure the government can cut what they give to sport by allowing TV revenues to go up. I think this really will signal the beginning of the end of major live sport on the bbc and itv.

Typical short term Tory policy. Since the world cup finished we've seen lots of blame pointed at various people, but very little in the direction of one of the biggest culprets - dear old Mrs Thatcher. She happily let schools and coucils sell their sports fields and now most kids struggle to find places to play sport. We hear regularly that our kids are getting increasingly obeese and what a problem this is. Well what a sodding surprise that is if there are fewer places to play. Now add on the effects of kids not being able to see the kind of sporting events that would inspire them to try those sport out in the first place and I see a very fat future for our future generations.

Makes me mad :angry:

[oafc0000]

What he said

[Cardboard Box City]

When England won the Ashes in 2005 there was a national interest because it was on Channel 4, in 2009 it was on Sky and went by unnoticed by the majority.

Still can't see things like Wimbledon or the horse racing being taken off the list.

[ampersand]

what sports fields do the brazilians have to play on? that's just a cop out for us being shit.

[The Nal]

Guardian article

I've been following this stroy for a while now. Tommorrow is the day when the review of the events that have to be made free-to-air will be announced. I've heard a few interviews with Hugh Robertson now and it sounds to me like events will be taken off the list rather than added to it. It's all in the effort to ensure the government can cut what they give to sport by allowing TV revenues to go up. I think this really will signal the beginning of the end of major live sport on the bbc and itv.

Typical short term Tory policy. Since the world cup finished we've seen lots of blame pointed at various people, but very little in the direction of one of the biggest culprets - dear old Mrs Thatcher. She happily let schools and coucils sell their sports fields and now most kids struggle to find places to play sport. We hear regularly that our kids are getting increasingly obeese and what a problem this is. Well what a sodding surprise that is if there are fewer places to play. Now add on the effects of kids not being able to see the kind of sporting events that would inspire them to try those sport out in the first place and I see a very fat future for our future generations.

Makes me mad :angry:

Edited July 21, 2010 by The Nal

[Steve P]

not sure why 'we' think 'we' should be better than any other country at any given sport...

it's only a game

[philipsteak]

Our ex Prime Minister Bertie Ahern (or Prime Minister Ay-hern as Dubbya called him ), planned to build a national sports centre and national stadium, dubbed the "Bertie Bowl", which I thought was a great idea but he was ridiculed by everyone and never happened. So that’s the other side of it. All politicians are too blame really, opposing stuff just for the sake of it.

Sky are losing rights to football to ESPN and *spit* Setanta anyway and the market is opening up. This seems like a step backwards.

Thatcher was a c**t though yeah.

Brazil has 3.2 million square miles of land, great weather year round and nearly 5 thousand miles of coastline/beach.

Id play more football and swim more in that weather.

[The Nal]

So you're saying Brazil has more of a beach culture than Ireland?

[Alcatraz]

Sport will no doubt be the first thing cut if there is to be a licence fee reduction. It's frightening, the sway the Murdoch's have on Jeremy Hunt

[ampersand]

Brazil has 3.2 million square miles of land, great weather year round and nearly 5 thousand miles of coastline/beach.

Id play more football and swim more in that weather.

[t8yman]

Really dont care, can you imagine how much it cost the BBC to cover the world cup in HD? thats not what the BBC are for.

Let sky have the lot as far as I'm concerned. plenty of people have sky anyway.

The BBC will save gazillions. and maybe spend some of it on decent programming output.

[Alcatraz]

Really dont care, can you imagine how much it cost the BBC to cover the world cup in HD? thats not what the BBC are for.

Let sky have the lot as far as I'm concerned. plenty of people have sky anyway.

The BBC will save gazillions. and maybe spend some of it on decent programming output.

Edited July 21, 2010 by Alcatraz

[sifi]

I won't and never will pay for Sky. I've even stopped reading the Times in protest. See the documentary "Outfoxed" for further details.

[t8yman]

I won't and never will pay for Sky. I've even stopped reading the Times in protest. See the documentary "Outfoxed" for further details.

[Snufflebutt]

Guardian article

I've been following this stroy for a while now. Tommorrow is the day when the review of the events that have to be made free-to-air will be announced. I've heard a few interviews with Hugh Robertson now and it sounds to me like events will be taken off the list rather than added to it. It's all in the effort to ensure the government can cut what they give to sport by allowing TV revenues to go up. I think this really will signal the beginning of the end of major live sport on the bbc and itv.

[eFestivals]

It's all in the effort to ensure the government can cut what they give to sport by allowing TV revenues to go up.

That's what they'd like you to believe, anyway. The reality is: that's simply pure spin.

The real reason? Dave Moron did a deal with evil Rupert - if you give me your paper's support at the election, I'll give Sky the sporting crown jewels.

Given that Rupert got his invite to Downing Street before many ministers got to meet the PM they'd be working under and be given the brief for their ministerial tasks, there isn't the slightest doubt in my mind that there was a corrupt deal between Moron and Murdoch.

[Steve P]

Really dont care, can you imagine how much it cost the BBC to cover the world cup in HD? thats not what the BBC are for.

Let sky have the lot as far as I'm concerned. plenty of people have sky anyway.

The BBC will save gazillions. and maybe spend some of it on decent programming output.

[t8yman]

as much as I hate conspiracy theories and tinfoil hat wackjobs, I happen to believe what Neil said.

[The Nal]

completely agree with you si, and outfoxed is a great documentary.

I dont and wont pay for sky, but then I dont like sport (apart from moto gp).

I do still read the times occasionally.

Edited July 21, 2010 by The Nal

[t8yman]

I can see why a lot of people would be annoyed by the blanket sports coverage you get on the BBC some weekends. However all it's replacing is shows about moving house and old war movies. The general quality of most tv now is so poor that if sport were to leave the BBC for good as T8yman suggests then I just wouldn't see the value in my license fee any more. Bar the natural history output and various documentaries then there's almost nothing i regularly watch on the BBC (which is still better than the other channels).

[Steve P]

Not sure it will, necessarily. The Champions League and Formula 1 will always have a live presence on terrestrial TV - as UEFA and the FIA couldnt charge sponsors/car manufacturers as much without it.

The organising committees of Wimbledon and the Masters have acknowledged that, whilst they could get more selling the rights to satellite (only Wimbledon Finals Days are protected at the moment), they like the prestige that the tournament being on the BBC brings.

There is plenty of unprotected sport on the BBC and ITV anyway. Off the top of my head - the French and Australian Open in tennis, the last 2 days of most European Tour golf held in the UK, the major events in snooker (in spite of an increasing snooker presence on Sky Sports) plus Moto GP.

[ampersand]

My only gripe with the BBC is their staggeringly over the top pay structure.

[Cardboard Box City]

the major events in snooker (in spite of an increasing snooker presence on Sky Sports)

[Cardboard Box City]

Sky already has most of the champs league coverage.

[Steve P]

Just imagine the prospect of more programmes of the quality of "The Blue Planet" etc etc. Anyone can watch anything online if you know where to look. Losing the "crown jewels" is no biggie.

The BBC costs you roughly a third what sky would cost you, and you dont have to suffer adverts either. Try watching sky or itv news, and barring the recent ridiculous coverage of Raoul Moat on the bbc, you can see the value in just one channel IMHO. Thats without the radio, the new comedy, the occasional great drama, and of course their documentary output.

The way people consume TV is vastly different to the way they consumed it even 2 years ago - iPlayer is amazing, and many set top boxes can access iPlayer now, the BBC are at the forefront of broadcasting today, as always.

My only gripe with the BBC is their staggeringly over the top pay structure.