Originally Posted by PJMillar:
“Oh, don't be so wet, I don't understand what the massive problem with ITV was apart from the adverts.”
- bias towards Hamilton
- boring pre-show with Rider and Blundell which sent viewers to sleep
- the worst motor racing commentator to date covering Formula 1
- adverts [as you mention]
- lack of post-race "Coronation Street follows this show".
There are others as well.
Originally Posted by PJMillar:
“They won a BAFTA after all DMN, they must've done something right.”
Not really, depends who was on the judging panel. I will be absolutely shocked if BBC F1 does not get the Sports Bafta at next year's ceremony.
Originally Posted by PJMillar:
“With the F1, ITV made it very special & played a part in transforming the sport's popularity.”
I agree with that, however, ITV as mentioned above in the last few years had an incredible amount of bias towards Hamilton. In my view though, the coverage absolutely divebombed from 2006 onwards.
There was also the absolutely crap scheduling, any Formula 1 fan that watched on ITV will know about the sub-standard scheduling for Asian Qualifying sessions, with GMTV getting priority, or not showing American Qualifying sessions until the late-hours. If a typical fan tried to complain to ITV about scheduling they would get a bogstandard response.
Originally Posted by PJMillar:
“DMN must have a very short memory, because the BBC treated the sport like shit.”
I don't think BBC Red Button was around in 1996, was it? Besides, I was only four then. As with ITV last year, BBC's coverage improved in 1996.
BBC have already stepped up coverage of the sport from last year though, with non-bias Hamilton/Button coverage; free-practice on Red Button; post-race Interactive Forum on Red Button and trying out nice inventions during pre-race: "walk down pitlane"; "walk through paddock" etc and interviewing people who ITV never [or very rarely] interviewed. The only problem I have is the commentary (although that has been debated to death; and IMO it will improve).
BBC over a weekend dedicate:
- 4 hours of Free Practice Coverage on Red Button
- 2 hours of Qualifying on BBC One
- 3 hours of Race on BBC One
- 1 hour of Interactive Forum on BBC One
= 10 hours of coverage x 17 races = 170 hours of coverage
ITV last year dedicated:
- 3 hours of Free Practice Coverage on ITV website
- 2 hours 30 minutes of Qualifying on ITV1
- 3 hours of Race on ITV1
= 8 hours 30 minutes of coverage x 17 races = 144 hours, 30 minutes of coverage.
So, BBC are dedicating 25 hours, 30 minutes more than ITV, equating to about three more "full race weekends" than ITV.
Also, ITV last year
had archive rights (
source: ariusuk on thread last year) to any 10 years previously to screen any ITV F1 race they wanted, i.e. on March 25th, 2008 they would have rights to anything after March 26th, 1998 and after. They could have screened old races back from 1998 on ITV4 (as many people suggested on the F1 Coverage thread last year), like what they do with the footie over there. But no, they did nothing with the rights. Nothing.
And, um, the Beeb have had archive rights back to 1981, and
look what they are doing.
):
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