[LM24] Complaints to the BBC about Le Mans coverage

[JAG]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/front_page/2827331.stm

Complain about the BBCs lack of Le Mans coverage and they may start covering it again as they did in 1999 as channel 4s rights to the event end this year.

[Piglet]

Even mentioning Bentley's first win for 70 odd years on the news seemed to be beyond them.

[JAG]

Originally posted by Piglet
Even mentioning Bentley's first win for 70 odd years on the news seemed to be beyond them.

They even mentioned World Superbikes which is dieing on its feet in the face of Moto GP.

At least it was top sports story on there website.

I think we have to accept every mototrsport outside of F1 is ignored by TV news, including WRC, Moto GP and the BTCC when it was attracting 30-40,000 every meeting in the mid 90s.

At least I've seen a big increae in press coverage of Le Mans and believe it or not ALMS (Sebring and PLM).

Hopefully the new Le Mans Endurance Series will increase the profile of sportscars in Europe.

[Rob29]

Since when did C4 have the rights for Le Mans? The BBC currently shows no motor racing at all.They were better in 1950s when there was only one channel in UK.If you buy the rights to a programme or event then do not show it does this invalidate the deal?
I watched more motor racing yesterday,than I can ever recall before. Several hours from LM(including the Legends race) + CART on Eurosport.Montreal on ITV.Pikes Peak on Sky.German F3/DTC/etc on DSF.
Maybe all race fans should get together to mount a campain to abolish the TV licence-I watch almost nothing on the BBC nowdays.

[kdr]

c4 has had the rights since 2001. although they didn't show anything this year i bumped into a c4 film crew on friday. maybe they film and sell the footage on.

[paulzinho]

C4 are muppets! They could show some fantastic night time coverage with Radio Le Mans commentary like they did a couple of years back.

Also can't believe the lack of news coverage given to Bentleys win, an absolute disgrace considering its probably the 2nd largest motorsport event in Britain.... despite being in France!

[rdjones]

I must agree with you there Paul, when we stop at the services on the way back to day I looked at all the papers, the boradsheets had the news of the Le Mans victory on the front pages, as for the tablonds, just a few lines next to the GP report.

As for TV, I didn't see any news boradcast last night, but I watched the local news on both ITV and BBC tonight and Le Mans got a mention and they shown race footage too, mainly due to the fact that Guy Smith is from Hull...

[pirenzo]

What really winds me up about C4 having the rights is that when they don't show anything, they stop anyone else doing so. Really drives me up the wall (and that's putting it politely)

BBC ought to do highlights at least.

As Hindhaugh said, the race attracts more British visitors than the British Grand Prix gets in total, and with BENTLEY winning, and half the podium Brits too.

[FG1]

Fab told me that one French official was quoting the British presence this year at 100K. Others quote 60-70K. Why this doesn't translate into a commercial TV audience is beyond me.

FG

[TuscanR]

I know what you mean Pirenzo, it really annoys me when you hear of TV companies buying the rights to certain formula or races (Channel 4's purchace of the Rallying, Ascar british GT and Le Mans) they either don't show them at all or only show them about a month after they have happened and then at 03:30 AM. If I remember rightly when Channel 4 did show there Le Mans weekend the other year, if you were diligent enough to watch channel 4 all day and watch their Le mans coverage they repeated most of the interviews all day!!! and the race coverage and commentary was p**s poor. It really did feel like Le Mans was intruding on their saturday night schedule. Sorry to rant but being an underling in the TV world it really does boil my blood when these over paid morons buy the rights to a event and then make a total hash of it!

[PaulSands]

with the the depth of passion for our sport I really am amazed that somebody hasn't established a 100% bespoke racing channel..not one that shares its time with other stuff but full on racing all the time.
There must be enough going on around the world to fill a schedule and there's more than enough archive stuff around to fill any lulls

[TuscanR]

I would dearly love to see that happen. I would buy a dish and digibox just for that! However to start a new TV channel costs about ten million quid!!!! And thats for a small channel with not a lot on, the trouble with motorsport is that once a formula gets popular you get knob heads like the men from Channel 4 waving their cheque book about splashing the cash and then not showing it at a time when people can watch it without the aid of matchsticks under their eyes! (i dont mind so much as my job involves lots of nght-shifts just check out the motorsport line up on channel 5 last night, not the best but watchable) once again im ranting on but then again i am just about to finish a 12 hour night-shift sorry!

[Rob29]

Originally posted by PaulSands
with the the depth of passion for our sport I really am amazed that somebody hasn't established a 100% bespoke racing channel..not one that shares its time with other stuff but full on racing all the time.
There must be enough going on around the world to fill a schedule and there's more than enough archive stuff around to fill any lulls

Doesn't Motors TV fill this function? They have live DTM & BTCC next Sunday for 6 hours.I know they fill in with non sporting motoring matters,ad mags,& even old trains.But they show NASCAR,Trans Am,Aus & German series,etc.

[JAG]

Originally posted by PaulSands
with the the depth of passion for our sport I really am amazed that somebody hasn't established a 100% bespoke racing channel..not one that shares its time with other stuff but full on racing all the time.
There must be enough going on around the world to fill a schedule and there's more than enough archive stuff around to fill any lulls

I think it needs to be pointed out that its not just LM that recieves little coverage on TV news in the UK, all motorsport does apart from F1.

At least, from what I've seen the LM race did recieve pretty good coverage in the newspapers, and theres been lots of coverage in the specialist press.

in fact pre Le Mans there was a 10 minute feature on North west news covering the TVR press day.

As for TV news, the BBC and ITV never show any motorsport news apart from F1. For instance Rally GB, attracting a million spectators over the event is lucky to get a 2 minute TV news spot, while the BBC has only just cottoned onto the fact that World Superbikes attracts huge crowds in the UK, which it has done for at least the last 7 or 8 years. The UK Champ Cars round and BTCC/DTM events also recieve zero TV news coverage.

Terrestrial TV is on its last legs and TV is becoming more specialised. It won'y be long before every major sporting event has is shown completlylive on dedicated channels such as Eurosport adn motors TV.

[Dave Brand]

Originally posted by JAG
They even mentioned World Superbikes which is dieing on its feet in the face of Moto GP.

Dying on its feet? Did you actually watch the Silverstone races on Sunday? At the end of the season I think we'll be looking back at the first race as the best race in any form of motor sport anywhere this season. Coupled with Suzuki's increasingly better performances & the prospect of Honda & Yamaha returning with fours next year, I think any reports of WSB's death are premature.

[JAG]

I'm not saying that the racing isn't great but all manufactuers major programs, including Ducatis is in the 4 stroke 1000cc Moto GP now.

A few years ago WSB was competing toe to toe with Moto GP. Now however Moto GP has gone onto another level while WSB has gone down a level.

I mentioned WSB because a few years ago when it was at the top of its form, with interest in the UK at a high with Fogerty the BBC completly ignored it and it was left to Sky/eurosport to cover the racing. Its only now the BBC has caught onto the popularity of WSB. The BBC even let the BTCC go to ITV just as it was starting to get back on its feet, another missed opportunity.

They'd rather broadcast 6 hours straight of snooker/bowls or minor tennis tournamnets.

[woodyracing]

there was about a minute coverage of the Bentley win on North West news last night. It said something about they were built or prepared (i didnt hear it properly) in the region.

I am dissapointed with the lack of motor racing events on terrestrial TV. We get loads of rubbish and coverage of boring sports and not even anything on Lemans (apart from that mentioned above).

[JAG]

Heh, Bentley were on BBC North West Tonight again, tonight, showing a parade of the car through Paris. The car will make its way to London now and go on display at, I believe, the Savoy Hotel.

[rdjones]

just to add a foot note to the coverage - Guy Smith was interviewed on our local ITV News up here in Yorkshire tonight......

[pirenzo]

I'd love to see a bespoke Motorsport channel, but it would more than likely be a sports in general channel, which would in turn become a predominantly football channel, with only very rarely motorsport

[o_keeler]

Originally posted by TuscanR
I know what you mean Pirenzo, it really annoys me when you hear of TV companies buying the rights to certain formula or races (Channel 4's purchace of the Rallying, Ascar british GT and Le Mans) they either don't show them at all or only show them about a month after they have happened and then at 03:30 AM. If I remember rightly when Channel 4 did show there Le Mans weekend the other year, if you were diligent enough to watch channel 4 all day and watch their Le mans coverage they repeated most of the interviews all day!!! and the race coverage and commentary was p**s poor. It really did feel like Le Mans was intruding on their saturday night schedule. Sorry to rant but being an underling in the TV world it really does boil my blood when these over paid morons buy the rights to a event and then make a total hash of it!

The commentary was not p**s poor!!! Thats Radio Le Mans you're slaggin off, the only realtime coverage that most of us deprived UK fans get! Those guys do a great job and i'm sure that everyone except you is grateful.

[Adam43]

I didn't realise Ch4 used Radio Le Mans commentary. I thought they did it themselves.

The Radio Le Mans stuff is excellent.

[pirenzo]

C4 used mainly RLM coverage, with small interludes from Penny Mallory and some other guy (can't remember who) every so often. The pictures were also Eurosport

[JAG]

A good report on Bentleys win at LM, and an interview with Guy Smith in the Sunday Mirror this weekend. Also a large picture of the Bentley.