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Horse Racing on Terrestrial TV
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Armagideon Time
25-10-2012
Originally Posted by Armagideon Time:
“Time to give this thread a bump, as a trailer was shown during C4's Paralympic coverage - during the evening session which was co-fronted by Clare Balding - of all the big horse race meetings which will be covered by C4 from 2013 onwards, including the Grand National, The Derby, Royal Ascot and British Champions Day, which they have wrested from the BBC, to go alongside the Cheltenham Festival, the Guineas' meeting at Newmarket, the St Leger meeting at Doncaster, plus summer festivals at Glorious Goodwood and York; also added to the fact that an announcement will be made very shortly as regards the make-up of the new racing team, now that the Paralympics are over.

It has already been announced that the coverage will be produced by IMG and Clare Balding will be the main presenter, especially for all the meetings mentioned above. So who will join her on the all-new C4 racing team? Well it looks like it could be a total clearout of the old guard, especially as John Francome has said he wants nothing to do with the new set-up, out of loyalty to outgoing production company Highflyer; John McCririck's appearances are few and far between these days and it remains to be seen if Jim McGrath would be part of the team if asked.

So here's my predictions for the new C4 Racing Team:

Presenters:

Clare Balding
Nick Luck


Paddock Commentary/Analysis:

Graham Cunningham
Mick Fitzgerald
(Jumps)
Jason Weaver (Flat)

Commentators:

Simon Holt
Richard Hoiles

John Hunt

Pre/Post-Race interviews/Features:

Alice Plunkett (Jumps)
Emma Spencer (Flat)

Betting Ring/Exchanges:

Tom Lee
Whoever currently does the betting for At the Races (don't watch it regularly) or Racing UK (don't subscribe to it)

The one name from that list who is not part of a current TV racing team is John Hunt; I've included him as history tells us that whenever there is a new TV contract for a sport, the person who commentates on that sport for BBC Radio moves into TV; witness David Croft and friends going from Five Live to Sky for Formula One and preceding that, former R5L boxing commentator John Rawling moved to ITV to commentate on the sport there when they started showing boxing again (albeit briefly); in the mid-1980's Alan Parry and Peter Matthews moved from BBC radio, where they used to commentate on the athletics, to ITV, as they then had the rights to all the top meetings in Britain and in 1997, Simon Taylor, who was previously Five Live's F1 commentator, moved to ITV when they started their F1 coverage.”

Originally Posted by Armagideon Time:
“As I mentioned in post #123, IMG will take over the production of C4's racing coverage, so they will have their own ideas of on-screen personnel they would like to enlist and whether Alastair Down or any of the current C4 on-screen team will continue under the new production remains to be seen (it must be noted that all of the production companies who battled for the C4 racing contract had Clare Balding down for the No.1 presenter in their tender documents they presented).

Besides Balding, the only other ex-BBC racing team member who I could see go to C4 for definite is Mick Fitzgerald. Richard Dunwoody and Rishi Persad are possibles at best.”

The names in bold have today been confirmed as members of the Channel 4 Racing team from 1st January 2013. Not a bad shout eh?
crofter
26-10-2012
Yep Lesley Graham is out ...

Gotta laugh at Big Mac doing his nut in about being sacked - he is 72 years old and well past his sell by date for live in yer face tv - not sure how "the female" has managed to keep her pitch on Ch4 as she has always been one of the weak links.

Mike Cattermole being torn from Miss Spencer is a bit harsh.
Armagideon Time
26-10-2012
Originally Posted by crofter:
“Yep Lesley Graham is out ...

Gotta laugh at Big Mac doing his nut in about being sacked - he is 72 years old and well past his sell by date for live in yer face tv - not sure how "the female" has managed to keep her pitch on Ch4 as she has always been one of the weak links.

Mike Cattermole being torn from Miss Spencer is a bit harsh.”

Sorry for being a pedant but unless she's fully divorced from erstwhile husband Jamie - they split in November 2009 - she "Ms" (or even "Mrs") Spencer.
Mrs Cee Jay
26-10-2012
I would have preferred JP, to that Tanya woman. I can see the Aussie jungle beckoning for that awful 'sexist pig', then again he wouldn't cope with the 'delicacies'. He would want out ASAP and live the high life in the 'Versace'
Martin Phillp
26-10-2012
Emma Spencer has confirmed on Twitter that she is leaving C4 tomorrow.
Tony Yeboah
26-10-2012
Emma Spencer tweeted that is her last day with 'Channel 4 as it is now,' because it's the end of the flat season.

She'll be with new Channel 4 team next year.
mr williams
26-10-2012
Not bad predictions at all, I'll give you that!!

The main fallout of the C4 team announcement will be the dropping of John McCririck, but as I read it there are several other notable casualties in Alastair Down, Mike Cattermole, John Francombe and Derek Thompson.

ps: don't the BBC still have one meeting left? The Welsh Grand National at Chepstow on December 27th?
mylord
26-10-2012
Bit of a posh gorls and boys club. Really not sure they will have a feel for the traditional Channel 4 audience . Actually think racing missed chance to be come truly popular sport with this line up.

Balding not as popular and currently portrayed and too many other TV commitments grait. Cattermoil big loss Luck too posh boy . Oh well bring it on.
Darren Lethem
26-10-2012
Originally Posted by Tony Yeboah:
“Emma Spencer tweeted that is her last day with 'Channel 4 as it is now,' because it's the end of the flat season.

She'll be with new Channel 4 team next year.”

It isn't actually the end of the flat season until The November Handicap Day on 10th November but I am guessing Channel 4 will have Alice and Fat Al ( perhaps ) presenting then.
angarrack
26-10-2012
I can't believe that Channel 4 is taking on Balding, Persaud and Fitzgerald.

Balding is far too gushing and over the top. Persaud is inane ("tell us what was going through your mind as you passed the 5 furlong post") and far too self-regarding. Fitzgerald seems to insist on playing the stereotype Irishman with a thick accent. (I'm not against regional accents but you would have thought that by now, for the benefit of television, he could pronounce the word 'horse' instead of saying 'oss all the time).

This trio has replaced the excellent John Francome, Mike Cattermole and Alasdair Down. All knowledgeable and likeable presenters with a relaxed style.
Their replacements seem to think that verbosity and hype, however inane, is what viewers expect. I beg to differ and I anticipate I will be watching much less racing from Channel 4 in the future as a result.
dazb
26-10-2012
Glad McCririck has gone no place on Tv for someone who calls his co presenter female. Shame Francome didnt stay i think he will be a big loss i enjoyed the banter with him and Jimbo.
adams66
26-10-2012
Originally Posted by THOMO:
“In the Media Guardian John McCririck is very outspoken about not having his contract renewed with Channel 4.
Ian.”

McCririck seems to think it's Ageism rearing it's ugly head again. Nothing to do with his outdated and frankly unpleasant opinions of women then?
Darren Lethem
26-10-2012
Originally Posted by adams66:
“McCririck seems to think it's Ageism rearing it's ugly head again. Nothing to do with his outdated and frankly unpleasant opinions of women then?”

Well obviously no it isnt or they would have got rid of him a long time ago. Regardless of what you think about him racing fans up and down the country, male and female, love him
Jason C
26-10-2012
Originally Posted by Darren Lethem:
“...with Rishi Persad also re-joining the channel.”

I always got the feeling that he never really cared for the other sports he fronted on the BBC and I guess this proves it.
acker
26-10-2012
Im fed up to see Channel 4 racing turn into BBC racing .
F1Ken
26-10-2012
FAT AL!!! NO

They can't get rid off him. C4 racing is now BBC racing watered down.

Who are going to be the other commentators at The national?

Ken
Sue_Aitch
26-10-2012
I'm curious. I watched the Olympics on the BBC and the Paralympics on Channel 4. What would I need to do to become a member of theTraditional Channel 4 Club?
Alex2606
26-10-2012
Originally Posted by Sue_Aitch:
“I'm curious. I watched the Olympics on the BBC and the Paralympics on Channel 4. What would I need to do to become a member of theTraditional Channel 4 Club?”

I think they were referring to people who currently watch Channel 4 racing, not the channel in general
Sue_Aitch
26-10-2012
Aah, I see!
Dancc
26-10-2012
Top jockey Neil Callan wasn't too impressed with the decision to drop Cattermole:

neil callan @neilcallan78
Can't believe @mikecattermole has being left out of C4 racing, natural & classic in front of camera.... #baddecisions
https://twitter.com/neilcallan78/sta...76696174637057

I agree with him. Nick Luck is a very knowledgeable replacement of course, and I don't doubt his professionalism, but I'm not convinced the C4 audience is going to warm to him in the main presenting role. Cattermole is a friendlier on screen presence that has built up a good rapport with the audience over the years. There's a danger the programme could become inaccessible now to those who don't follow horse racing closely, and that casual viewers may turn off.

There really was no need for such drastic changes to a largely winning lineup.
pakokelso93
26-10-2012
Nick Luck has 'main co-presented' etc for a while now on channel 4 and has been on Racing UK for years. I find him a bit dull but can see their logic.
Dancc
26-10-2012
I know he does The Morning Line and that suits him well (his tips are very good!) but again, not convinced about him doing the main programme.

Racing UK is a specialist channel only watched by 'hardcore' racing fans. C4 shouldn't be aiming to replicate that if they want to reach maximum audience.
sporter92
26-10-2012
Does anyone know if Rishi Persad is exclusive to Channel 4 or is he doing a Clare Balding and will still continue to host Bowls & Snooker on the BBC?
steveh31
26-10-2012
McCririck, Cattermole and Thompson will increase there coverage on At The Races I should think especially Cattermole. He does all the Ascot coverage anyway for them. Keeping boring Simon Holt was a big mistake in my opinion.
Dancc
26-10-2012
Richard Hoiles is a better commentator than Simon Holt IMO.
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