The End of the Sporting road is in sight

[fallen-archie]

Sports fans will no doubt be elated to learn that from 2024 the BBC will lose it's rights to screen the Summer Olympics (winter goes in 2022) Eurosport have paid a billion for the right which equates to 20% of the Beebs annual budget. In what represents further erosion on terrestrial TV of National/international events, are we yet again submitting to the power of the markets and in the process disenfranchising millions from enjoying these major events. We may of course be able to listen to coverage on the wireless so perhaps all is not lost but are we happy that this is the right way to go.

[upthecreekyetagain]

Doesn't really bother me to be fair - Athletics are now, like football, cycling, rugby, cricket etc. a professional sport - as such I expect to pay to watch them and would much rather the BBC used their available finance to put on and make programmes that a commercial station wouldn't find profitable.

[fallen-archie]

I agree but wonder whether the marginal sports and paralympics will gain the exposure they deserve after all The 100m Mens final is as professional as it gets but small bore rifle shooting, table tennis etc don't have the same financial attraction.

[cee-dee]

Eventually it'll all go down the pan. Although some people are happy to "pay up", more casual watchers will shrug their shoulders and watch something else.

It's all another part of the more, more, MORE syndrome.

[upthecreekyetagain]

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@fallen-archie wrote:

I agree but wonder whether the marginal sports and paralympics will gain the exposure they deserve after all The 100m Mens final is as professional as it gets but small bore rifle shooting, table tennis etc don't have the same financial attraction.

---

But isn't that the point - the smaller the demand then the cheaper the TV rights, the lower the financial support and the more they fall into the realms of a public service broadcaster such as the BBC.

I accept that the sports you mention are part of the Olympics and as such will be included in the overall TV rights package and will not get the same coverage during that competition as other events such as the 100m.  That's always been the case.

The 'smaller' sports need to market their non-Olympic events.

[electric*mayhem*band]

Personally I wouldn't give a damn if I never saw another sporting event on TV ever again. Delighted to learn however, that the sports obsessed Beeb will (eventually) lose out on at least one sporting orientated 'extravaganza', even if it won't happen until the year dot..

*does a little jig*

[fallen-archie]

EMBs old man, you really ought to get your priorities right, loss of sporting programmes which I accept you dislike will force Claire Balding onto everything else or at leat the few programmes she does not already haunt. There will be no Muppets, Too expensive, No antiques roadshow or Bargain Hunt. Flog it will move to Dave leaving just David Dickinson to carry the collectors flag on terrestrial Channels. In a bid for audience share Songs of Praise will be dropped and replaced by Live from Mecca sponsored by Mullah Yoghurt,

Benefit Hunt will be a new daily show aimed at those looking for financial support. David Attenborough will finally retire to be replace by up and coming wildlife expert Claire Balding. 

[malacandran]

The thing is, the BBC isn't really bothered about Sport as such.

What the Beeb wants is to get more women Sports commentators

This is evident to anyone who listens to cricket on the radio. Especially to Test Match Special.  In past years, TMS used to have only good masculine commentators. Like Aggers, Blowers, CMJ, Tuffers, and many worthy others.  Their low manly voices were characterful, and a pleasure to listen to.  Quite in tune with the man's game of cricket.

But this has come to end.  Now TMS is bringing in more and more women commentators, with monotonous high-pitched female voices.

They seem quite out of place, and seriously disturb my listening pleasure.  In fact when a woman commentator starts on TMS, I turn the volume knob down, until she's done her stint and gone.

And it's not just cricket. The same thing is happening in football. Would you believe it, we now have women commenting on football matches!

I'd have thought that women were far too sensible,  to be concerned with a bunch of  men ludricously chasing and kicking a ball around a field.   Because in my experience,  the female mind is very powerful, and superior in one important respect -  Women can "cut to the quick", and sense the reality of a situation, better than men.  This must lead women to realise that "Sport" is just a waste of time.

In view of that,  I find it hard to believe that any woman really and truly wants to comment on cricket, or football. 

Surely, they're only doing it, because the BBC has got to meet an "Equality" target - ie 50% of sports commentators must be female?

[cee-dee]

The Beeb needs a good shake up because if there's some minor bit of news surrounding politics, sport or art/films you can guarantee they'll make a mountain out of a molehill.

If something happens to some hardly-heard-about minor wanna-be "celebrity", again you're guaranteed a long, boring waffle about them too.

[fallen-archie]

That scenario applies to most of the News broadcasters, what I do agree with, as Sir A used to say is the ongoing dumbing down of every programme to the point that Cbeebies by comparison is an adult chanel.

Last night on the evening news they rolled out Robert Peston to gift a few words of political wisdom, omg his delivery is just appalling. As for the Weather it's like the UN.

[upthecreekyetagain]

Just switched on the TV and tyhe BBC is showing tennis on both BBC1 & BBC2!

I don't believe the BBC doesn't broadcast enough sport!

[malacandran]

Could the BBC expect, that if you make millions of people watch a tennis-ball being whacked from one side to the other, for hours on end, that will help stop the people thinking about other things 

[upthecreekyetagain]

Probably aiming to up the suicide rate!

[cee-dee]

Robert Peston? Ugh, I've mentioned his style of delivery before on here, the gaps, the long gaps, the silly emphasis on certain words.......... YUK

[malacandran]

Good return volley, Creeky. You clearly know how to deal with balls.

[malacandran]

---

@cee-dee wrote:

Robert Peston? Ugh, I've mentioned his style of delivery before on here, the gaps, the long gaps, the silly emphasis on certain words.......... YUK

---

Yes, his style of speech distracts anyone from attending to the actual content of what he's saying. 

One just listens, fascinated,  to the weird delivery.

[electric*mayhem*band]

upthecreekyyetagain wrote:

Just switched on the TV and tyhe BBC is showing tennis on both BBC1 & BBC2!

I don't believe the BBC doesn't broadcast enough sport!

____________________________________________________________________________

Exactly what I said at post #6, Creeky. The BBC's all consuming addiction to sport, is bordering on the neurotic.

____________________________________________________________________________

fallen-archie wrote:

EMBs old man, you really ought to get your priorities right, loss of sporting programmes which I accept you dislike will force Claire Balding onto everything else or at leat the few programmes she does not already haunt. There will be no Muppets, Too expensive, No antiques roadshow or Bargain Hunt. Flog it will move to Dave leaving just David Dickinson to carry the collectors flag on terrestrial Channels. In a bid for audience share Songs of Praise will be dropped and replaced by Live from Mecca sponsored by Mullah Yoghurt,

Benefit Hunt will be a new daily show aimed at those looking for financial support. David Attenborough will finally retire to be replace by up and coming wildlife expert Claire Balding. 

_____________________________________________________________________

Yes Archie, what is the attraction of that Balding woman ? How did she attain the status of 'celebrity' ? What is her background, her credentials ? Was she a jockey, did she breed horses, or perhaps she was a blacksmith ? It seems all of a sudden she simply appeared, like the plague. I wouldn't be at all surprised if suddenly the Beeb took Moira Stuart out of cold storage, and had them both reading the news, or they ousted the homely Mary Berry and Mr Hollywood from the 'Great British Bake Off', and fronted the programme with her, along with Terry Wogan as co-host. God help the day when 'The Flowerpot Men' make a comeback, and there she is taking the part of Little Weed, with Little and Large playing Bill & Ben.

High time the politicians stepped, in before it's too late

[upthecreekyetagain]

---

@electric*mayhem*band wrote:

@upthecreekyyetagain wrote:

Just switched on the TV and tyhe BBC is showing tennis on both BBC1 & BBC2!

I don't believe the BBC doesn't broadcast enough sport!

____________________________________________________________________________

Exactly what I said at post #6, Creeky. The BBC's all consuming addiction to sport, is bordering on the neurotic.

____________________________________________________________________________

@fallen-archie wrote:

EMBs old man, you really ought to get your priorities right, loss of sporting programmes which I accept you dislike will force Claire Balding onto everything else or at leat the few programmes she does not already haunt. There will be no Muppets, Too expensive, No antiques roadshow or Bargain Hunt. Flog it will move to Dave leaving just David Dickinson to carry the collectors flag on terrestrial Channels. In a bid for audience share Songs of Praise will be dropped and replaced by Live from Mecca sponsored by Mullah Yoghurt,

Benefit Hunt will be a new daily show aimed at those looking for financial support. David Attenborough will finally retire to be replace by up and coming wildlife expert Claire Balding. 

_____________________________________________________________________

Yes Archie, what is the attraction of that Balding woman ? How did she attain the status of 'celebrity' ? What is her background, her credentials ? Was she a jockey, did she breed horses, or perhaps she was a blacksmith ? It seems all of a sudden she simply appeared, like the plague. I wouldn't be at all surprised if suddenly the Beeb took Moira Stuart out of cold storage, and had them both reading the news, or they ousted the homely Mary Berry and Mr Hollywood from the 'Great British Bake Off', and fronted the programme with her, along with Terry Wogan as co-host. God help the day when 'The Flowerpot Men' make a comeback, and there she is taking the part of Little Weed, with Little and Large playing Bill & Ben.

High time the politicians stepped, in before it's too late

---

Can't stand the woman but yes, she was jockey - Champion Lady rider in the 90s

[fallen-archie]

Stop Press

BBC Announce our song for Europe 2016

The Ballad of Badgers Chough
Will be performed by
Martina Navratilova & Claire Balding
AKA
The Dive Crew!

[soppysofty]

We really have only ourslves to blame.

No body said we had to have SKY or Virgin but we fell for their marketing hype and paid in to the dream - for what?

We do not have either SKY or Virgin and watch all our TV on Freeview or catch up.

And if there is nothing on TV we go out to visit friends and family or go down the pub for a drink or go for a walk.

Result - We are healthier, have a good family life and social circle and our monthly bill is less than £35.00 including our broadband and all phone calls.

Just to get what we have now on SKY or Virgin would cost more.  Then add the sports, movies etc.

And people complain they have no money?