BBC the axe to fall on F1 coverage?

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grober

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The BBC bean counters are in hyper-mode it would appear to make savings for the coming year. Certain areas have been earmarked for savings including Sports Coverage rights at £35 million . This might include future FI coverage which would be a pity.:(
Red Button 'at risk' from £150m BBC cuts - BBC News

Still not all bad- all the more room for repeats of Last of the Summer Wine and Open all Hours and endless endless quiz shows hosted by "personalities" ------------------------sorry I slipped into a coma there for a few seconds but I'm fine again now. :thumb:
 
This might include future FI coverage which would be a pity

It would be a pity but TBH since they switched to highlights for half the races (initially much to my dismay) I've realised I'd be happy enough if they dropped the live races and just do late night Sunday 90 minute programme on BBC2 or BBC4 after every race.
 
Personally I'd get rid of the BBC altogether,
As u say nothing but repeats and endless game shows!
BBC has had its day and its not moved with the times
Pay all that money for what??.....cr@p!
 
Personally I'd get rid of the BBC altogether,

I keep thinking that.

OTOH I realise every so often that it's their documentaries and dramas like Wolf Hall that I *notice* that I'm watching and looking out for. With other channels it tends to be bought in foreign imports that I end up noticing.

So I think the BBC actually creates a lot of decent programming.

I think the BBC should be slimmed down a bit - and I'd dump things like News24.
 
It would be a pity but TBH since they switched to highlights for half the races (initially much to my dismay) I've realised I'd be happy enough if they dropped the live races and just do late night Sunday 90 minute programme on BBC2 or BBC4 after every race.

I'm not sure if there would any BBC F1 coverage at all under the new cutbacks? We would then be left with Sky SPORTS coverage with its "pundit saturation bombing " approach beloved of the American Sports channels.
I rather like the current BBCs F1 team. I for one would miss them.:(
 
Personally I'd get rid of the BBC altogether


Or at least limit the licence fee to paying for core services such as news and current affairs and let the rest be purchased on an ad hoc basis by those that want to view them.
 
Personally I'd get rid of the BBC altogether,
As u say nothing but repeats and endless game shows!
BBC has had its day and its not moved with the times
Pay all that money for what??.....cr@p!

I'd pay the license fee just for the BBC radio stations alone.

And you don't have to pay it, you do know that?
 
I rather like the current BBCs F1 team. I for one would miss them.:(

Just give me the race - quite happy with Edwards + Coulthard. (Not bothered if it was Brundle and whoever either - not even bothered if it was Jonathan Legard or James Allen by themselves).

Start programme - 5 minutes to cover what happened in qualy - move to red lights about to go out - race - sum-up for 5 minutes - end of programme. Job done.

Personally I have nothing against Suzi Perry or Eddie Jordan - but I can't be bothered with the pre/post race segments. So they're dispensible because that part of the programme is dispensible.
 
Do away with F1 coverage - and watch the youth of the nation aspire to be....cake bakers.

At the weekend when Lewis Hamilton spoke of 'watching Ayrton Senna race here' did the BBC think he had a strategically placed mirror to achieve that?
 
I suspect that there's several "minimum spend" criteria to met here for core programme functionality. First there's the unfeasably large bunch of used tenners to be thrust into Bernie's hands for starters to cover access rights. While this can be negotiated a bit there will be a bottom line somewhere. Then if you are going to cover the race at all then presumably you need a minimum production team- camera and sound men and commentators and pit reporters and if you have to transport them half way round the world or across Europe then you may as well make a full programme out of it for little more than an absolute "pared to the bone " type coverage. Again personally speaking its the glam the glitz the personalities, the politics , the plotting the technology the money that's a huge part of the F1 circus that gives it its fascination . In contrast this year the races themselves with a few welcome exceptions have sadly been a predictable procession from start to finish. Starting 5minutes before the red lights and ending with the victory podium would surely kill it stone dead?
 
Starting 5minutes before the red lights and ending with the victory podium would surely kill it stone dead?

No it would just put it in its place - and save money.

It wasn't unusual in the early 80s that races were commentated from the studio back in the UK. F1 controls the feed of images - and the timings and other stuff are all easily transmitted.

I suspect most fans get the non-race stuff from the web anyway.
 
I suspect that there's several "minimum spend" criteria to met here for core programme functionality. First there's the unfeasably large bunch of used tenners to be thrust into Bernie's hands for starters to cover access rights. While this can be negotiated a bit there will be a bottom line somewhere. Then if you are going to cover the race at all then presumably you need a minimum production team- camera and sound men and commentators and pit reporters and if you have to transport them half way round the world or across Europe then you may as well make a full programme out of it for little more than an absolute "pared to the bone " type coverage.

The pared down approach is what I have in the past advocated, but as you say, once there...
(Dont yell it out loud, but that may be an example of a view expressed on a forum changing the thinking of another...)

Again personally speaking its the glam the glitz the personalities, the politics , the plotting the technology the money that's a huge part of the F1 circus that gives it its fascination .

The global viewing figures are in freefall and BE has to recognise that and price the viewing rights accordingly or with the departure of the broadcasters the sponsorship money will soon dry up. When that happens, all that you allude to will be gone for good.

In contrast this year the races themselves with a few welcome exceptions have sadly been a predictable procession from start to finish. Starting 5minutes before the red lights and ending with the victory podium would surely kill it stone dead?

Brazil's race was a bore. Even I can say that. LH tried, and credit to him, called afterward for rule changes to enable closer racing.
Whether what he called for was technical in nature or otherwise I don't know but given his radio comms mid-race were all about not being able to be too close to the car in front without losing downforce, isn't it time those rear wings were clipped? Better still, banned - or reduced to a 'trim' function only and downforce garnered by properly harnessing ground effect again. The argument to retain wings as billboards sounds somewhat shrill if the sponsors are for leaving.
 
SPX said:
I'd pay the license fee just for the BBC radio stations alone. And you don't have to pay it, you do know that?
I have heard about that but never really looked into it, would I be right in saying u just can't watch live BBC programs?? And if so how would I prove this??
 
I have heard about that but never really looked into it, would I be right in saying u just can't watch live BBC programs?? And if so how would I prove this??

You don't need a licence to watch iPlayer - although the govt has promised to close the 'loophole'.
 
Putting to one side the fact that F1 is maybe not strictly speaking a sport, I think it's an absolute disgrace that the BBC now shows virtually no motorsport whatsoever and is now considering axing what little it actually does show.

In years gone by I remember watching saloon car racing, sports car racing, rallycross, rallying, F1, motorcycle scrambling, motorcycle circuit racing and even powerboat racing all on the BBC. We have a thriving motorsport industry in this country and it's totally neglected by our national broadcaster :mad:
 
Earlier this year the BBC paid £204 million to renew the rights for Premier League highlights on Match of the Day for three years. That's just a fraction of the £5.1 billion that Sky and BT paid to show games live for the next three seasons. Of course that's just what they all pay to the Premier League, they have their own massive costs to add on for the likes of Lineker and co. plus all the production crew and facilities. I know the silly ball kicking game is popular, but why do we all have to contribute so much to it?
 
bolide said:
Yeah - what has the BBC ever done for us?
Porridge, Fawlty Towers, Have I Got News For You, Pointless, Strictly, MasterChef, Apprentice, Question Time, Wimbledon, Mastermind, QI, Saturday Kitchen, Only Connect, Newsnight, numerous quality documentaries covering a wide range of interests, high quality dramas, .... Worth every penny in my opinion, not just because we don't have to put up with so many advertisements at a higher volume than the programmes they interrupt.
 
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Start programme - 5 minutes to cover what happened in qualy - move to red lights about to go out - race - sum-up for 5 minutes - end of programme. Job done.


Tbh I really enjoy the pre race details. Wether it be on SkyF1 or the Beeb. I love the information they give and interviews with the people that are F1. And even pieces where the likes of Brundle gets to drive an F1 car or tour around one of the factories.

I only like the post race parts for the views of any parts of the race the drivers want to talk about.

As regards to the commentary being done in a UK studio years ago. Well, I think it's better done on site at each race. In the days of ITV and Jim Rosenthal the coverage was very dull and lifeless because they used an indoor studio.

I think the duo of Brundle & Coulthard were the best. They know everything about the sport. I detest commenters that increase their pitch to ear piercing levels in any sport, not just F1. James Allen, Jonathan Legard & Crofty to name just a few.


Ant
 

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