The Australian open wont be broadcast on the BBC
- Thread starter TenTan
- Start date
T-ennis 888
Rookie
What makes you say such a thing?
Bartelby
Bionic Poster
Let me put it another way - due to the fiscal crisis of the British State, from whatever cause, the Conservative Party has taken the course of reducing expenditure, whether justified or not, and the BBC has suffered large budget cuts, whether due to necessity or ideological hatred, as a consequence. I think that's clear.
instead of reducing their own salaries, bbc fatcats have passed the cuts on to the licence payer
West Coast Ace
G.O.A.T.
Socialized television doesn't work. Sell it off and let private enterprise run it.
To all the British tennis fans, that's too bad.
Federerkblade
Hall of Fame
really surprised bbc did this
Bartelby
Bionic Poster
Public television has worked far better than any commercial operation until right wing governments decided to corrupt it and then de-fund it.
Araxen
Rookie
Doesn't your TV tax errrr..license directly fund the BBC? Did they cut your tax too?
Mustard
Bionic Poster
The condem government with their disgusting cuts as they try to appease the bloodthirsty wolves of the capitalist markets. Eurosport alone will have to do this year for the Australian Open. The BBC have also sold their coverage of the French Open to ITV.
The condem government have frozen the licence fee, so the BBC are thus condemned to make cuts to their service. As far as their tennis coverage is concerned, they've decided to drastically cut their Australian Open coverage and sell off their French Open coverage while keeping things running normally during the grass-court season. There were even rumours that they were going to cut a lot of Wimbledon coverage late last year.
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batz
G.O.A.T.
Therby maintaining the UK's AAA credit rating and stopping us having to face real austerity like the poor sods in Eire and Greece.
Feña14
G.O.A.T.
Maybe it's a good thing the BBC aren't showing much of the Australian Open, so people might give Eurosport a try instead. Adverts aside, the commentators who know what they're talking about makes it a far better product imo. Hearing Frew McMillan's stories and the others take on the game is much more interesting that Andrew Castle talking to you like you're his 5 year old.
No but they froze it for several years, which means the BBC has to find cuts somewhere.
This is true, and I have to say I always enjoyed ES coverage, although I guess I resent having to shell out for it. Might not have a choice next week though.
T-ennis 888
Rookie
Over the past few years the standard of Eurosport commentators has generally been very good bar this one sycophantic fart they always wheeled out for Henman’s and now for Muzza's matches. Said fart speaks as if any British player on Court has the combined tennis prowess of Borg, McEnroe, Sampras, Lendl, Agassi and Federer and his commentary is incredibly off-putting. He is however the exception that proves the rule, as Eurosport commentators generally seem a lot more tuned into the modern game, its demands and the actual players on Tour than the BBC crew for the Aus and French Open's in previous years (not including Wimbledon here as the BBC coverage of that is usually pretty good) of Lloyd, Castle et al. who seem detatched, unengaging and very out of their depth.
It is a shame though that the BBC have so drastically reduced their coverage of the Aus Open. It was one of the few bits of their programming that actually held any interest for me and its scheduling in former years made me felt a little less annoyed when it was time to pay the annual license fee.
It is a shame though that the BBC have so drastically reduced their coverage of the Aus Open. It was one of the few bits of their programming that actually held any interest for me and its scheduling in former years made me felt a little less annoyed when it was time to pay the annual license fee.
Feña14
G.O.A.T.
Ahh, do you have to pay for it? I assumed it was available of Freeview for some reason. That's not so good.
1. The bbc is having to make lots of cuts everywhere. If losing most of the AO saves wimbledon then I think it is worth it. Whilst I support the continuing existence of the bbc to deliver original, quality content the license fee was spiralling out of control.
2. Frew McMillan is my all time favourite commentator.
2. Frew McMillan is my all time favourite commentator.
DennisK
Semi-Pro
The loss of Aussie Open tennis coverage on the BBC is nothing compared to what they've done with the Formula 1. The combination of last years royal wedding and this years London Olmypics has meant that every other sport has been slashed.
Its the F1 debacle which has really annoyed me though.
Its the F1 debacle which has really annoyed me though.
Outside of Wimbledon, tennis doesn't seem to attract much of a mainstream TV audience in England particularly for tournaments with such a big time difference.
Am surprised though that they're not covering Andy Murray's progress through the rounds, even as a highlights package. Maybe AUSO weren't prepared to sell rights only to a part package.
EPSN / EuroSport / Sky seems to be the way to go.
Am surprised though that they're not covering Andy Murray's progress through the rounds, even as a highlights package. Maybe AUSO weren't prepared to sell rights only to a part package.
EPSN / EuroSport / Sky seems to be the way to go.
L
Laurie
Guest
Eurosport International still transmits for free on Astra satellite analogue, I've kept my analogue receiver to get access. Apparently the service was supposed to shut down by now but its part of the German platform, in Germany there are still a lot of analogue channels available on satellite.
Very disappointing about the BBC's decision but not surprising, it is an excuse to make cuts but as usual they target the wrong areas. As Behappy already pointed out, salaries to executives and stars are the bigger issue to tackle.
BBC drastically cut the BBC World Service in 2010 which was also bad.
Very disappointing about the BBC's decision but not surprising, it is an excuse to make cuts but as usual they target the wrong areas. As Behappy already pointed out, salaries to executives and stars are the bigger issue to tackle.
BBC drastically cut the BBC World Service in 2010 which was also bad.
Feña14
G.O.A.T.
Ahh ok, Eurosport HD is a great channel for tennis I think. I've heard the rest of Europe get Eurosport 2 HD, not sure if that's true.
Same here, him and Peter Fleming are the best. They both have some great old school stories to tell, and the way they see the game and talk about it makes the BBC look amature.
batz
G.O.A.T.
Hardly. We're complaining because we're not getting wall to wall coverage from 2 TV companies rather than 1. Eurosport are still providing coverage.
ITV and Eurosport will cover RG, BBC will cover SW 19 and Sky will cover USO, every Masters Series, WTF plus a bunch of 250s/500s.
We do OK for tennis on TV.
For those who only have terrestrial/freeview though, it's not that much other than Wimbledon, Queen's and some of the WTF.
Didn't know that ITV were going to cover RG. Seriously? The only "tennis player" I've ever seen on ITV is Andrew Castle (and believe me, I don't watch/listen to him if I can ever avoid it).
batz
G.O.A.T.
Bold is fair comment.
Seriously; ITV to cover RG. Doesn't look like it will be anything like the BBC coverage though.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/oct/28/itv-french-open-tennis-tv-rights
Mustard
Bionic Poster
Break with capitalism altogether and stop appeasing the super-rich wolves and vultures inflicting misery on the rest of society. The credit agencies care about the 1% at the top. It's amazing what the BBC can actually find money for, like Royal Weddings, and are cutting things like sport and drama like there's no tomorrow. It's unprecedented gluttony.
batz
G.O.A.T.
Yep - let's do that; it's gone so well before.
It doesn't work. Capitalism is the least bad system we've come up with - and it's not likely to be rejected anytime soon by any electorate.
That's the reason that hard left parties fare so poorly in elections.
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batz
G.O.A.T.
That'll be the proposal that a new yacht should be built without using a penny of public money? Even the leaked letter said so explicitly.
Bartelby
Bionic Poster
Yes, that's the normal excuse, but really their proposal for how the yacht will make money - by selling sailing trips - is fanciful.
And how many knighthoods will they sell/hand out for the donors?
And how many knighthoods will they sell/hand out for the donors?
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