Channel Nine's scheduled coverage for Grand Final Day is nothing short of pathetic. I guess we should be thankful it's not being shown at midnight, but let's look at the facts.
Ten & One set the standard last week airing live AFL Grand Final coverage nationally from 8am to 8.30pm (the post match party from 6pm-8.30 exclusively on One Digital). Pre match analysis, previews, features, entertainment, the game, presentation, post match interviews, player party etc - the works).
But what are Nine serving up to Melbourne (home city of one of the contesting teams) on Sunday? Half an hour of pre match entertainment at 4.30, the actual game at 5.00 then are crossing straight to the news at 7.00pm.
That's right, they plan not to show the actual presentation of the premiership trophy - as soon as the siren sounds, they will cut straight to Jo Hall with National Nine News. Meaning if the Storm win the thing, Victorians will be deprived of watching their team celebrate while those in NSW and QLD get another 30 minutes of post match coverage.
How is this supposed to promote the game in Melbourne when over 500,000 people will tune in to see their team contest the ultimate, and should they win, stuff letting them see Cameron Smith and Craig Bellamy accept the trophy, it's straight off to news headlines.
The very least Nine could do would be to continue post match coverage on GO! while the News plays on the main channel.
To rub salt into the wound, Melbourne Storm's Under 20 team are playing in the Toyota Cup Grand Final at 2pm. But will Victorians get to watch it? No, instead Nine are rerunning the 1953 movie "Mogambo" starring Clark Gable and Grace Kelly. The very same movie that they aired less than four weeks ago instead of showing live coverage of the St George v Parramatta qualifying final!!!! Are Nine's programmers deliberately cruel to RL fans or just brain dead?
If the NRL wants to be taken seriously as a national sport, David Gallop better do something about ensuring Grand Final Day coverage is live from start to finish everywhere from Hobart to Cairns to Perth.
Ten & One set the standard last week airing live AFL Grand Final coverage nationally from 8am to 8.30pm (the post match party from 6pm-8.30 exclusively on One Digital). Pre match analysis, previews, features, entertainment, the game, presentation, post match interviews, player party etc - the works).
But what are Nine serving up to Melbourne (home city of one of the contesting teams) on Sunday? Half an hour of pre match entertainment at 4.30, the actual game at 5.00 then are crossing straight to the news at 7.00pm.
That's right, they plan not to show the actual presentation of the premiership trophy - as soon as the siren sounds, they will cut straight to Jo Hall with National Nine News. Meaning if the Storm win the thing, Victorians will be deprived of watching their team celebrate while those in NSW and QLD get another 30 minutes of post match coverage.
How is this supposed to promote the game in Melbourne when over 500,000 people will tune in to see their team contest the ultimate, and should they win, stuff letting them see Cameron Smith and Craig Bellamy accept the trophy, it's straight off to news headlines.
The very least Nine could do would be to continue post match coverage on GO! while the News plays on the main channel.
To rub salt into the wound, Melbourne Storm's Under 20 team are playing in the Toyota Cup Grand Final at 2pm. But will Victorians get to watch it? No, instead Nine are rerunning the 1953 movie "Mogambo" starring Clark Gable and Grace Kelly. The very same movie that they aired less than four weeks ago instead of showing live coverage of the St George v Parramatta qualifying final!!!! Are Nine's programmers deliberately cruel to RL fans or just brain dead?
If the NRL wants to be taken seriously as a national sport, David Gallop better do something about ensuring Grand Final Day coverage is live from start to finish everywhere from Hobart to Cairns to Perth.
