Do not write ITV off, They do great coverage of other sports these days. They may even get people like me watching if something becomes a event. Probably the Grand National mind as that never felt like a event since it left the BBC.
Horse Racing on Terrestrial TV
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Originally Posted by Tony Yeboah:
“Jim McGrath http://www.racinguk.com/news/article...y-comes-to-an-”
“Jim McGrath http://www.racinguk.com/news/article...y-comes-to-an-”
Have to say as much as i didnt really enjoy his output that is a very decent write up on his behalf....full credit to him.
All these articles state the same thing. C4 Racing was great fun. That all changed a few years ago when they got new production team. The loss of Fat Al, Greatest Jockey, Catt, Thommo and Big Mac ruined it. Lost its friendly approach and became too polished. The man in the bookies was forgotten about in favour of the man at the gallops. Whilst I hate to see anybody lose their job C4 have created this themselves. Let's hope ITV can bring back the fun element. I believe they will
To me it seemed as if the changes a few years back alienated and loss them some of their core racing fan audience but they never gained the casual viewers the BBC had. Was the type of person who watches sport because it's on BBC1, but as soon as it moved to C4 never followed it there as never really watched the channel and don't go looking for racing.
You see the same with F1 where the move to C4 has lost audience but of course they look the big stack of cash from Sky to move to them exclusively.
You see the same with F1 where the move to C4 has lost audience but of course they look the big stack of cash from Sky to move to them exclusively.
Originally Posted by casinoman13:
“Have to say as much as i didnt really enjoy his output that is a very decent write up on his behalf....full credit to him.”
“Have to say as much as i didnt really enjoy his output that is a very decent write up on his behalf....full credit to him.”
I think he is a fine broadcaster and of all the changes made by IMG in 2013, the decision to split McGrath and Francome was the most ill-judged.
ITV's failure to include McGrath in their line-up - and to try to tempt Francombe back - is equally inexplicable (presuming they didn't make either an offer), especially given some of the personnel choices that have been made.
Luck, Persad, Cunningham, Harding, Stevenson and Holt are all at Kempton today. Hoiles and Fitzgerald are at Chepstow. Ian Bartlett is commentating at Chepstow with Holies on presenting duties.
Sad to see C4 racing go, you feel for those who arent making the switchover to ITV. Particularly Holt.
Sad to see C4 racing go, you feel for those who arent making the switchover to ITV. Particularly Holt.
Surprised we didn't get the old classic Channel 4 racing theme played at start of yesterday's morning line and start of today's racing
Originally Posted by 4-Tel:
“ITV's failure to include McGrath in their line-up - and to try to tempt Francombe back - is equally inexplicable (presuming they didn't make either an offer), especially given some of the personnel choices that have been made.”
“ITV's failure to include McGrath in their line-up - and to try to tempt Francombe back - is equally inexplicable (presuming they didn't make either an offer), especially given some of the personnel choices that have been made.”
Francombe has said that ITV made repeated approaches to him, but he rejected them all.
Originally Posted by mightymillie:
“Francombe has said that ITV made repeated approaches to him, but he rejected them all.”
“Francombe has said that ITV made repeated approaches to him, but he rejected them all.”
I wasn't aware of that - at least they tried to get him back on board. I wonder, then, if McGrath was offered anything, but decided against it.
Just watched the last race.
I don't watch much racing now so appreciate I'm not the best person to judge but it still seems inexplicable to me that Holt should go.
Just watching that last race - the whole commentary just has that authority of an absolute A league number 1 sports commentator - in particular the bit after the winner crosses the line where he goes into analysis / review mode - it's everything you could want.
Good sports commentators describe very well what's going on - the very best then take the whole thing up to another level.
I don't watch much racing now so appreciate I'm not the best person to judge but it still seems inexplicable to me that Holt should go.
Just watching that last race - the whole commentary just has that authority of an absolute A league number 1 sports commentator - in particular the bit after the winner crosses the line where he goes into analysis / review mode - it's everything you could want.
Good sports commentators describe very well what's going on - the very best then take the whole thing up to another level.
Originally Posted by 4-Tel:
“I wasn't aware of that - at least they tried to get him back on board. I wonder, then, if McGrath was offered anything, but decided against it.”
“I wasn't aware of that - at least they tried to get him back on board. I wonder, then, if McGrath was offered anything, but decided against it.”
I very much doubt it. ITV want to get away from the C4 style of coverage now. C4 coverage wasn't succeeding at the end so why copy that ? They have gone for their own team ( mainly ) with just a sprinkling from 4. Those they have from 4 aren't ones who have been there for donkeys years like McGrath, Holt, Stevenson etc
Shame it appears it's just going to be a backslapping session of the IMG era considering that was a mere footnote of the 32 years c4 coverage.
Originally Posted by Psycho_Ned:
“Shame it appears it's just going to be a backslapping session of the IMG era considering that was a mere footnote of the 32 years c4 coverage.”
“Shame it appears it's just going to be a backslapping session of the IMG era considering that was a mere footnote of the 32 years c4 coverage.”
Problem is it's the IMG era that helped Ch4 lose the contract.
Originally Posted by nathan69:
“Problem is it's the IMG era that helped Ch4 lose the contract.”
“Problem is it's the IMG era that helped Ch4 lose the contract.”
They showing the old era in the montage.
Originally Posted by hyperstarsponge:
“They showing the old era in the montage.”
“They showing the old era in the montage.”
Some of it but not enough really.
The ending montage was good, but it could have been done a bit better and the final studio segment wasnt great. A real shame to see Holt go, but im sure Hoiles will do a good job on ITV. Will be interesting to see what ITV bring to the table.
Originally Posted by clever3000:
“Some of it but not enough really.
The ending montage was good, but it could have been done a bit better and the final studio segment wasnt great. A real shame to see Holt go, but im sure Hoiles will do a good job on ITV. Will be interesting to see what ITV bring to the table.”
“Some of it but not enough really.
The ending montage was good, but it could have been done a bit better and the final studio segment wasnt great. A real shame to see Holt go, but im sure Hoiles will do a good job on ITV. Will be interesting to see what ITV bring to the table.”
are you kidding me, that last montage was magnificent and I thoroughly enjoyed their memories, I hope someone puts it onto youtube soon, and I was nearly in tears watching it
Personally I think they got the tone wrong with the last 30 mins but there you go.
As nice as it was to see some old clips Channel 4 racing is ending not horse racing in general! You'd have watched that closing montage and thought it was the end of racing itself it had little to do with channel 4 racing. It should have for me covered the people who made channel 4 racing what it was for 32 years but it seemed the current production team wanted to forget anything prior to 2012 existed on that front.
As nice as it was to see some old clips Channel 4 racing is ending not horse racing in general! You'd have watched that closing montage and thought it was the end of racing itself it had little to do with channel 4 racing. It should have for me covered the people who made channel 4 racing what it was for 32 years but it seemed the current production team wanted to forget anything prior to 2012 existed on that front.
Originally Posted by Psycho_Ned:
“Personally I think they got the tone wrong with the last 30 mins but there you go.
As nice as it was to see some old clips Channel 4 racing is ending not horse racing in general! You'd have watched that closing montage and thought it was the end of racing itself it had little to do with channel 4 racing. It should have for me covered the people who made channel 4 racing what it was for 32 years but it seemed the current production team wanted to forget anything prior to 2012 existed on that front.”
“Personally I think they got the tone wrong with the last 30 mins but there you go.
As nice as it was to see some old clips Channel 4 racing is ending not horse racing in general! You'd have watched that closing montage and thought it was the end of racing itself it had little to do with channel 4 racing. It should have for me covered the people who made channel 4 racing what it was for 32 years but it seemed the current production team wanted to forget anything prior to 2012 existed on that front.”
Indeed. No mention of the people who made C4 popular only those who didn't
Originally Posted by mlt11:
“Just watched the last race.
I don't watch much racing now so appreciate I'm not the best person to judge but it still seems inexplicable to me that Holt should go.
Just watching that last race - the whole commentary just has that authority of an absolute A league number 1 sports commentator - in particular the bit after the winner crosses the line where he goes into analysis / review mode - it's everything you could want.
Good sports commentators describe very well what's going on - the very best then take the whole thing up to another level.”
“Just watched the last race.
I don't watch much racing now so appreciate I'm not the best person to judge but it still seems inexplicable to me that Holt should go.
Just watching that last race - the whole commentary just has that authority of an absolute A league number 1 sports commentator - in particular the bit after the winner crosses the line where he goes into analysis / review mode - it's everything you could want.
Good sports commentators describe very well what's going on - the very best then take the whole thing up to another level.”
One thing for sure is Simon Holt will never be short of work, i'm sure he will be heard on courses and would not be surprised if ATR and Racing UK may even make full use of him.
Im sure that further down the line Holt will appear on ITV when they start taking course commentaries.
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