Golf & the BBC

[Richuk123]

Once again it is that time of year where yet again the BBC lose 2 days coverage of a golf event. It pains me to think that now, if i want to watch Golf, i have to have SKY and then pay £60 a month or so for the option.

I can remember when there was a Ton of golf, all four days and live. The creation of the "red button" should have been the catalyst but instead, they cut the sports programme and spend nearly £7million a year to Run BBC Three, which in essence is a ton of repeats and reality tosh.

It won't be long before the Masters is gone completly and then it is just highlights. The only saving grace is that BBC Radio 5 golf coverage is very good. Chris Evans is very articulate and having the completly un-biased Jay Townsend is great, just a shame he has vanished from Twitter.

It seems sport is taking a back seat and more "houses under hammer" and similar programmes are cropping up. Just another nail in the FTA Coffin.

 

[chrisd]

I generally agree with all you say except

Chris Evans gets on my manboobs

Never used twitter

I like Homes under the Hammer

But your right about the rest

 

[MegaSteve]

Almost certainly won't make a blind bit of difference...

But its relatively easy to let the beeb know of your dismay with regard their programming...

After all we are more than just mere customers... We [as taxpayers] actually own it!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

The BBC dont care about sport anymore. It isn't just golf. Grand national has gone to C4 and reckon F1 will go again when this cotract goes. Cricket hasnt been seen for god knows how long and WImbledon will surely go sooner or later. It is just the way they are run and want to focus on "yoof" cheap to make shows like Cash in the attic and mass appeal dross like The Voice.

I personally think Sky (forget the argument for one second about Roe, Critchley and other presenters) have done loads for the coverage of golf and to be honest do it so much better. Take the Open, have you noticed how their cameramen struggle to follow the ball a lot of the time especially off the tee and yet you rarely see that on Sky.

 

[BLAM]

At one time I thought Bruce Critchley would take over Allis' mantle as the "voice" of Beeb golf and that he'd consequently made a mistake going to Sky but if anything aunty's coverage is going to be more or less gone by the time Allis hangs up his mike.

Trouble is I just don't think the Beeb do it that well anymore. Perhaps its rose tinted glasses and they never did it that great in the past but I do remember many a day in the summer spent watching test match cricket ebb and flow and enjoying some ding dong TV moments in the big UK golfing events.

One of my golfing buddies happens to be an ex Morecombe and Wise cameraman and he tells (no doubt partially tall) tales of yesteryear where shows were put on for a pittance but rollicking good fun they were. Nowadays costs have soared but quality doesn't seem seem to have followed in their wake.

 

[Mary]

I think the fact that they didn't start transmitting on Saturday until 35 mins after the leaders had teed off shows how much the Beeb value having the golf coverage. Sad, because I think that some golf coverage needs to be accessible to everybody in order to make sure that the maximum number of youngsters get interested in having a go themselves.

 

[Swinger]

I like Family Guy.

I also have Sky Sports though.

 

[moogie]

The BBC are a DISGRACE as far as sport coverage goes :angry:
Is the BMW not portrayed as the European Tour Flagship event.........??
Yet, it is treated not 2nd rate, but 3rd or 4th rate...!!
As has been said previously, with the introduction of the Red Button facility, surely they could have given is far better coverage than they have shown thus far............PATHETIC

 

[MegaSteve]

Take the Open, have you noticed how their cameramen struggle to follow the ball a lot of the time especially off the tee and yet you rarely see that on Sky.

Eeerrrm... Its almost certainly the same pool of camerapersons [being politically correct] that cover golf whatever channel its transmitted on...

 

[matriga]

I live in belgium, and trust me, forget to EVER EVER see aney golf on our channels. Insted we have to pay for 6 extra sports channels, none of them being a 100% golf channel. Good thing about America is numerous golf channels or coveragers on TV!

 

[moogie]

Today, leaders tee off 1340pm
BBC coverage starts at 1400pm
Surely they could have shown leaders, at very least on red button option
Oh NO, I forgot, they are showing Rowing, Gym, & Triathlon.....................!!!!!!
Great Stuff BBC

 

[RGDave]

I generally agree with all you say except

Chris Evans gets on my manboobs

Never used twitter

I like Homes under the Hammer

But your right about the rest

Evans is a not my favourite. Rich and successful and talented, but somehow too annoying.
I hate twitter with a vengeance.
Homer under the Hammer is a bit harsh - give the lad a break.

 

[Mary]

Today, leaders tee off 1340pm
BBC coverage starts at 1400pm
Surely they could have shown leaders, at very least on red button option
Oh NO, I forgot, they are showing Rowing, Gym, & Triathlon.....................!!!!!!
Great Stuff BBC

Exactly - unbelievable isn't it! :sbox:

Happiness is finding an unseen episode of Homes Under the Hammer! :clap:

 

[RGDave]

May I comment and raise a possibly ridiculous idea?

I have no problem with the BBC and think £ for £ they do ok. Moaning about filler programs is not going to get us anywhere, most of the daytime tosh is cheap and cheerful enough for the terminally stupid, the unemployed, students and stay-at-home mums and dads.
I think it's a pity that long-term sky will take over all sports at all times and then we are faced with the ultimate dilema. I'm not anti-sky, I'm anti subscription. Why should it cost £300 a year to watch 3 golf events if that's all I'm interested in. Bring on p-p-v internet golf broadcasts and I'll be first in the queue.
People wonder why golf clubs are going under and young people aren't getting into it? Maybe the millions of people who can't afford sky packages or simply aren't interested enough to subscribe are actually gradually losing exposure to golf, tennis, football and in 20 years from now, only certain socio-economic groups will ever see sports and develop enthusiasm to try them.

I can't speak for the country but around here the wealthy have sky regardless of cost and the poorer (often benefit supported) families also have sky. Look down my street, and there are virtually NO sky dishes to be seen. The middle class kids of the middle income professional families (who should be the target group for sports such as golf and tennis, to join clubs) have no interest in either. Is this coincidence or a reality of removing sport from terrestrial TV.

Just a thought, and probably a bit muddled.

 

[wrighty1874]

give me Sky any day.Can't stand watching that nerd Ken Brown!!

 

[MegaSteve]

People wonder why golf clubs are going under and young people aren't getting into it? Maybe the millions of people who can't afford sky packages or simply aren't interested enough to subscribe are actually gradually losing exposure to golf, tennis, football and in 20 years from now, only certain socio-economic groups will ever see sports and develop enthusiasm to try them.

I have expressed similiar thoughts previously on other threads relating to this......

Don't believe its just coincidence the rise in popularity of golf was at a time of BBC pushing golf as part of its sports coverage... Along with other golf related programming such as pro-celebrity golf...

Also, tournament sponsors are getting concerned at the loss of terrestial TV coverage... As they believe they don't get the same 'bang for their bucks' via other broadcasting channels...

 

[MegaSteve]

give me Sky any day.Can't stand watching that nerd Ken Brown!!

And Simon Holmes/Mark Roe are better? No accounting for taste ...

 

[mcbroon]

give me Sky any day.Can't stand watching that nerd Ken Brown!!

Ken Brown's the best thing about the BBC golf.

Sadly, he can't make up for Allis and the God-awful Hazel Irvine.

 

[Val]

Who covered this for the BBC? I watched the final round on the Golf Channel and it was covered by Dougie Donnely, Sam Torrance and various other BBC favourites and the coverage was decent enough and wondered if the GC took the bees coverage!?

 

[MegaSteve]

Who covered this for the BBC? I watched the final round on the Golf Channel and it was covered by Dougie Donnely, Sam Torrance and various other BBC favourites and the coverage was decent enough and wondered if the GC took the bees coverage!?

Mostly Alliss and Brown...

Peter Alliss was a bit tearful at the end... Think he loves the game more than some give him credit for...