Comments on: Free to Air TV still ruining live sport

By: Chris

Chris — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 05:35:13 +0000

I cannot afford to buy a new car as I am a uni student and do not have that sort of money, so why should I be penalised and prevented from driving in a new car?

Oh right… because I can’t afford it. This isn’t Cuba.

Without Foxtel the Super 14 and A-League would not exist. The NRL and AFL would exist but most of their clubs would be under extreme financial pressure and a few would certainly not be around anymore.

By: donald

donald — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 05:11:45 +0000

I cannot afford over $100 to Foxtel to see Cricket as I am a Pensioner and do not have that sort of money so why should I be penalised and prevented from seeing the games Australia play overseas. It isd all very well for your site to gripe but all the free to air stations have 3 channels each so what is the problem they can show all sports freely and in full.

donald.wells
Seaford Vic 3198

By: sam a

sam a — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 23:11:56 +0000

Well said. If it can be avoided, FTA sport should be at all costs. I’m sure many of you, like me, got up at sparrowfart or stayed up till the wee small ones to watch the Wallaby spring tour, only to be greeted by Dumb & Dumber in the studio here (Memo Ben Tune – great players do not automatically make great expert commentators) before watching the worst rugby telecast in memory. A break in play does not mean we go to an ad, Channel Ten. In 5 games I don’t remember seeing a single restart; promos for Neighbours seemed much more important at 3 in the morning.

Its a travesty that if we want to watch live sport, they’ve got us by the short and curlys.

By: Ian Jessup

Ian Jessup — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 10:12:00 +0000

I cannot bear listening to Channel 7 commentators on anything but AFL.
Sandy Roberts and Pat Welch are gibbering twits – they have covered sport for 30-odd years but have no idea about the games themselves.
Same goes for Matty Johns.
Try this – record the golf or tennis or league – either on video or just audio – then play it back slowly and transcribe what Roberts, Welch and Johns actually say.
You’ll find there is no information, no analysis, not even any colour.
Whereas you can easily listen to the cricket or footy on ABC without watching, you have to watch the tennis or golf on TV but with the sound down.
It’s why Channel 9 changed their delay from 1 second to about 6 seconds – so people can no longer watch the TV on mute with the radio on ABC.
Given the appalling cricket Australia is playing at the moment, Channel 9 should be very careful about alienating viewers – esp re those demeaning promos that former Test captains are forced to read out at gunpoint.
I do my own commentary. My wife, a tolerant type who expresses a mild, occasional interest in sport, is constantly amazed that my analysis and insight gained from playing sport for 40 years – and reporting on it for 12 years – is often repeated a few seconds later by the TV commentators.
So how about it 7 and 9 – I’ll take $100,000 in the first year – dump the overpaid nongs now!

By: Pauly Walnuts

Pauly Walnuts — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 07:41:01 +0000

AR – cheers for that clip. Got goosebumps watching/listening to it.

By: Dave

Dave — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 06:48:07 +0000

The Womans Open final last night rated 1.2m viewers…compared to 2.3m Tuesday when Dokic last played.
Mens will no doubt do a lot better than 1.2m.

By: Guy Smiley

Guy Smiley — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 05:15:01 +0000

It does but it doesn’t rate much for conversation around the water cooler, not that kind of sport!

By: Albert Ross

Albert Ross — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 02:45:53 +0000

Thanks for the heads up PW. And whilst one is at Yoot you can listen to Peter Wilkins’ ABC radio commentary which somebody has kindly dubbed onto vid (search for Australia v Uraguay (Radio Commentary) if not in the list } to fully relive the moment…

Does the Open rate that well? I don’t know anyone who bothers watching. Gone are the days when you could walk down the street and hear “Forehand cross court by Rosewall… volley by Stolle straight down the line for a winner… forty thirty…” wafting out of every window or keep with things as the commentary came over the back fence from the neighbour’s trannie whilst their Dad did some running repairs to the hoist…

By: Guy Smiley

Guy Smiley — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 01:39:50 +0000

That is a classic clip but it really isn’t that far from the truth. While 10 are bad and 9 are awful Channel 7 really take the prize for treating their audience like pre-schoolers. The worst is when they cut to an ad break during live action as they do as policy during rugby.

I would be interested in an American’s opinion of our sports coverage – are we worse or better than the US in terms of adverts ruining the spectacle?

But until ratings drop nothing will change.

By: Robert B

Robert B — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 01:37:37 +0000

Absolutely spot on Adrian. Don’t channel 7 have a digital and HD channel, so therefore why not show the tennis live on the HD channel and continue with their regular programs on the digital one?

By: Forgetmenot

Forgetmenot — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 01:33:11 +0000

With digital tv coming of age, hopefully most of these problems will be solved.

However i still find it annoying that we have to pester tv stations to get sport on at all sometimes.

At bigfooty they had to email in to the ABC in order to get the Crows vs Indigenous All Stars match shown in Adelaide. They listened, and now the match is being shown nation wide.

By: Pauly Walnuts

Pauly Walnuts — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 00:14:38 +0000

Alright still can’t get it to work.
Youtube: “Aloisi’s penalty if covered by Channel Seven”

By: Pauly Walnuts

Pauly Walnuts — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 00:12:09 +0000

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=OcWVLmCmhto

By: Adrian Musolino

Adrian Musolino — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 00:07:29 +0000

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=OcWVLmCmhto

By: Pauly Walnuts

Pauly Walnuts — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 00:05:34 +0000

And everytime I try to post the link to that clip, my comment doesn’t come up….

By: Pauly Walnuts

Pauly Walnuts — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 00:04:54 +0000

I was just saying that it’s incredible that with the improvements in technology and access to coverage (as mentioned via the internet) that the networks aren’t being responsive to the changing landscape. Channel 10 appear to be making some steps in the right direction, becoming the first mover (on free to air tv) in relation to increased sports coverage. Whether it will show games live is a different matter. Someone posted in one of your articles a while back a very good youtube clip.

By: Pauly Walnuts

Pauly Walnuts — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 00:04:13 +0000

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=OcWVLmCmhto

Very appropriate, different sport however.

By: Pauly Walnuts

Pauly Walnuts — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 00:00:04 +0000

Hmm, thought I posted a comment…. Gone to moderation?

By: Pauly Walnuts

Pauly Walnuts — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 23:55:23 +0000

It’s funny that ch 7 are notorious for this. In one of your articles a while back someone posted this link.
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=OcWVLmCmhto rather appropriate given this article, different sport however.

By: Kazama

Kazama — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 22:19:25 +0000

Adrian, obviously being from Adelaide I am going to agree with you. I am a big tennis fan and I’m disappointed that I can’t see the games live. I haven’t watched too many full games in the night sessions, largely because I know I can always go on the net or Fox Sports News and get the live scores.

Probably the all-time douche FTA moment was when Channel 7 missed a goal during a Socceroos game (against the FIFA All-Stars) because they cut to a commercial break.

Good point about Seven shamelessly using the tennis to advertise its new shows. Channel 9 does the same with the cricket. I know they see it as a way of getting new viewers but honestly the commentators are there to call the game, not to be network pimps. Does anyone honestly think Jim Courier gives a damn about Channel 7′s line up given he won’t be in the country after next week?