V8 Homebush Interview on Stateline

[Downoz]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/video/2009/11/13/2742676.htm


Well worth watching.

[TSR]

What a pearler of a interview. The truth coming out or just some anti V8 people getting to the TV channels.

Time will tell I guess

[peckstar]

what was the truth, that came out?

[STEALTHY]

The was some truth to it, but moreso misleading facts.

Specifically, claiming the F1 in melb has cost 80 mil for the last 2 years. Well, every year in Adelaide the GP made money, every year since its been in Vic its lost money. Thats an organisation problem, not the motorsport part of it.


I didn't really pay attention after that, i hate misleading 'stats'. Likewise abit of mumbo about years ago.

[cavvy]

Originally Posted by STEALTHY

The was some truth to it, but moreso misleading facts.

Specifically, claiming the F1 in melb has cost 80 mil for the last 2 years. Well, every year in Adelaide the GP made money, every year since its been in Vic its lost money. Thats an organisation problem, not the motorsport part of it.


I didn't really pay attention after that, i hate misleading 'stats'. Likewise abit of mumbo about years ago.

Didnt the Victorian Government buy the GP & perhaps they are now simply paying for it.

[peckstar]

i think the other misleading thing was that they still need to sell 100,000 plus tickets. Not quite,

[Matthew Ronke]

Rees has just sacked the minister (Ian McDonald)

[Oldtony]

Politics is about perceptions, not facts.
When the bloke from VESA says can't answer, that's commercial in confidence, that's the end of favourable perception. He pulled the rug out from under the Minister with that one line.

[1200Datto27]

The way that the GP corp. is funded in Victoria is different to SA as well, with the "loss" figures that are bandied about being the yearly budget provided to the corp. to run the event each year. This comes out of general revenue, however, the GPC retains no direct income from the event itself, as that is paid directly to the state government.

[bortall]

Originally Posted by peckstar

what was the truth, that came out?

That all politicians & VE$A employees are full of ****!!

[Steve Carter]

Macdonald was dumped today from the ministry (Agriculture minister) absolutely useless never did a thing for us in the bush - Tripodi went also - Rees if nothing else is getting rid of the crap. Personally I think this event will be well underdone - what did Chisel cost to reform for one gig - possibly a couple of million its not like they need it. Ive always been happy with the creek and been lucky enough to be driven around it in an Elfin MS7 at speed - good circuit.

[Casper]

No wonder Rees gave Ian McDonald the flick, he is a moron, I bet TC regretted that interview. Who was the clown from V8 supercars, I would give him the boot as well on that performance. Whether the facts are right or wrong, as a publicity promotion rated from 1 to 10 it got -5. Motor sport in NSW just got shafted big time, thanks TC we needed that like a hole in the head. I predict it (Homebush) won't get the gig next year and that means TC is running out of venues in NSW. He has now P****D off QLD, ACT and probably NSW if it falls short of the hype, we shall see. Invest the money in EC and run the event on a proper circuit where it belongs.

[RotorFan]

Pretty sure that clown is the CEO of V8 SUpercars!

[Average Punter]

And you could almost see Mr Howard cringing as Mr Macdonald gave his "answers"

Shane couldn't wait to hop in and give his opinion.......


And he needed to. The Minister was being made to look a first rate goose.

[Oldtony]

Agreed Punter, the minister was looking a first rate goose, but Howard jumping in then using the "commercial in confidence" line just wrung the gooses neck.
Just in time for thanksgiving?
As an excercise in media management they both scored zero.

[GTRMagic]

Is it just me or does the interview look like a refugee from the 'Frontline' show? It had the 'noddies' and all.. Where is Tiriel Mora or Rob Sitch or Jane Kennedy when you need them?

The ABC made Mr Howard out to be a goose, and he was nothing but full and frank. In Mr Howard's words, sales include 8,000 in the stands, 25-30,000 in General Admission, 6,500 corporates. Or 44,500 by my maths.

The different types of attendee were ignored by ABC's 'Frontline' reporter, certainly the revenue is different from general admission, grandstand and corporate, as is the class of patron, and the money they bring into the event, beyond just the ticket price.

The reporter called it specifically at under 50,000 tickets sold, to which Mr Howard concurred. Last time I looked, 44,500 was under 50,000 wasnt it?

Quite how the reporter can suggest to the attendees that there were a little under 50,000 tickets sold, then choose to sling off at V8Supercar for the outright accuracy of that number is interesting...

How many people attend Bathurst with a ticket already in hand? Not as many as might be thought, or the queue at the front of the entry gate would not be round the corner every day of the event.... with people buying their entry

Meantime, Mr McDonald looked completely useless..... rabbit, headlights, dark night

[Oldtony]

Absoloutly right GTR. What i'm trying to say is that in politics, and in particular in media presentation of politics, perception is everything.
And the perception given was that McDonald was poorly briefed, not across his portfolio and looking like a goose with the axe about to fall. We now know it was.
The unforgivable part of the Howard contribution was that he made the Minister look as if he hadn't been briefed, presented facts in a way that made it appear he was making them up on the spot and then used the "commercial in confidence" line when asked about the contract.
The "perception" was that he was a pushy operator getting at the public purse through an incompetent Minister.
But the again "perception" is in the eye of the beholder.
By the way I agree about the Frontline bit. There are a half dozen episodes of that series that should be a compulsory part of the school citizenship curriculum. Certainly they should be part of the VESA media training manual.

[chavez]

The reporter was under the mistaken belief that 160,000 tickets had to be sold to get 160,000 spectators.

He completely ignored, or did not understand, that many tickets are 3 days passes.

[chavez]

I decided to e-mail a complaint about the story to the ABC as follows -


I am no fan of Homebush Event even though I am a V8 Supercar fan. But running a story about rubbery figures by using rubbery figures is perhaps more suited to Frontline than Stateline.

During the segement of the V8 Supercar event the reporter stated that the event needed to sell 160,000 tickets to get the required 160,000 spectators.

This statement completely ignores the fact that many of the tickets are 3 day passes. This means a single ticket equals three spectators over the 3 day event.

Either the reporter did very little research or choose to mislead his audience - the choice is yours.

[D.R.T.]

Originally Posted by chavez

The reporter was under the mistaken belief that 160,000 tickets had to be sold to get 160,000 spectators.

He completely ignored, or did not understand, that many tickets are 3 days passes.

Who says that V8SA when announcing 44,000 thousand tickets had been sold didn't already triple count those sales. Its not like them to miss an opportunity?

I am finding 25,000 - 30,000 GA tickets a worrying proposition aswell. The venue isnt exactly kind for general admin - unless they just turn for the chisel.

The most telling part of this story is the lack of support of the event in NSW. There is opposition from within the Labor Government, from within Events NSW and from SOPA. The only people who backed the event was Nathan Rees and Ian McDonald who coincidently has links to Mr Cochrane. And now he is gone............................

[bazil]

Originally Posted by D.R.T.

Who says that V8SA when announcing 44,000 thousand tickets had been sold didn't already triple count those sales. Its not like them to miss an opportunity?

From what I hear the 44,000 tickets is the average for each day, or a three day crowd of already 130,000+ and still 3 weeks out. Corporate has apparently got less than 200 seats of 8,500 per day left. A Ticketek search of what’s left tells a pretty good story about the impending success this event will enjoy

It’s also a generally accepted fact that up to 50% or more of motor racing crowds in Australia buy their ticket, the week before or are walk ups...

. The venue isnt exactly kind for general admin

Rubbish. Based on your previous expertise as a spectator at The Supercar Event at Homebush?? Perhaps you’re confusing a past experience as a spectator at The Creek...

The most telling part of this story is the lack of support of the event in NSW. There is opposition from within the Labor Government, from within Events NSW and from SOPA........

Oh please... it was a sad shot after the horse had bolted by the ARDC provided by a typical ABC slant on anything that don’t support or for the nearest bleeding heart. Your mate Peter McFool, would have loved it, he the other 10 people who watch the ABC would have been riveted.

[D.R.T.]

Originally Posted by bazil

From what I hear the 44,000 tickets is the average for each day, or a three day crowd of already 130,000+ and still 3 weeks out. Corporate has apparently got less than 200 seats of 8,500 per day left.

Please let us know where you have been 'hearing' this? As up untill now, V8SA always work on 3 day crowds and ticket sales not individual day sales.

Does anyone have a figure of the total number of grandstand seats available? Just seems strange that with platinum stands sold out and the other stands all but "exhausted" to have only 8,000 tickets sold tells us not to expect to much of the overall predicted attendance to be from grand stands.

Originally Posted by bazil

Rubbish. Based on your previous expertise as a spectator at The Supercar Event at Homebush?? Perhaps you’re confusing a past experience as a spectator at The Creek...

Judged on walking the track over the last 6 months, especially in the last 3 weeks with all the barriers, fencing etc being put up. Its not a pretty sight for those forking out for GA.

Bazil, I know you love to make big calls. Are you willing to stand up and say that Homebush will provide superior viewing of the race track than at Eastern Creek Raceway?

At the launch V8SA were telling those in attendance that 'The Overflow' would be good place to view from as it could hold 10,000 people. For those familiar with SOP know that the overflow actually sits below the level of the road creating zero vision.

Originally Posted by bazil

Oh please... it was a sad shot after the horse had bolted by the ARDC provided by a typical ABC slant on anything that don’t support or for the nearest bleeding heart. Your mate Peter McFool, would have loved it, he the other 10 people who watch the ABC would have been riveted.

Write these programs off at your peril Bazil, they have more of a following then you know. This is just the tip of the ice berg and without V8SA having someone inside the Labor Government anymore the next months following this years event will be very interesting.

[Belly13]

Originally Posted by Casper

No wonder Rees gave Ian McDonald the flick, he is a moron, I bet TC regretted that interview. Who was the clown from V8 supercars, I would give him the boot as well on that performance. Whether the facts are right or wrong, as a publicity promotion rated from 1 to 10 it got -5. Motor sport in NSW just got shafted big time, thanks TC we needed that like a hole in the head. I predict it (Homebush) won't get the gig next year and that means TC is running out of venues in NSW. He has now P****D off QLD, ACT and probably NSW if it falls short of the hype, we shall see. Invest the money in EC and run the event on a proper circuit where it belongs.

Couldn't agree with you more Casper. Eastern Creek is a top venue, I don't care what anyone says.
By the way, isn't Ian McDonald the bloke that the Bathurst Regional Council was pressing for a feasability study of a 2nd circuit at Mount Panorama? Amaroo, Oran, what's next?
Politicians and V8SA need to invest in the future of the sport (particularly in NSW) for grass-roots and club-level racers which in-turn create champion drivers like Skaife, Seton and Lowndes. Forget about your top pockets for a minute and put the $$$ where it truly belongs.

[Casper]

Originally Posted by RotorFan

Pretty sure that clown is the CEO of V8 SUpercars!

You can't be serious. Someone should spend some money on him and teach him all about personal presentation, how to talk to a camera and give him some idea of what happens when you open your mouth to change feet. Image is everything and his was not good.

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by chavez

I decided to e-mail a complaint about the story to the ABC as follows -


I am no fan of Homebush Event even though I am a V8 Supercar fan. But running a story about rubbery figures by using rubbery figures is perhaps more suited to Frontline than Stateline.

During the segement of the V8 Supercar event the reporter stated that the event needed to sell 160,000 tickets to get the required 160,000 spectators.

This statement completely ignores the fact that many of the tickets are 3 day passes. This means a single ticket equals three spectators over the 3 day event.

Either the reporter did very little research or choose to mislead his audience - the choice is yours.

Did you get a response?