Oswin's Observations - televising of matches

[Doctor]

NBN, as the primary source of rugby league coverage from the Hunter to the Gold Coast and as far west as Tamworth, used to pride itself on its league coverage. It can be argued it still does pride itself on this aspect of their service.

Perhaps three or four seasons ago, NBN manifested this commitment to rugby league, especially the Knights, by providing full coverage of Knights matches.
Like many Knights fans, I greatly appreciated the chance to see all Knights matches free-to-air. In many cases this meant staying up to watch the 11pm replay, but at least it was available.

But three to four years later, NBN maintain they are providing excellent coverage. Paul Harragon has appeared in NBN advertisements proclaiming that it is their best coverage ever. Few can doubt their commitment to news reports of the Knights' every movements. But the main difference four years later is that most Knights games go untelevised.

It is estimated that perhaps 20% of households in Australia have pay television. Clearly having access to pay t.v means being able to watch every game - but what about those without pay t.v?

On the surface, clearly NBN's "commitment" to the Knights' doesn't stretch to providing "every game, every week" as they used to say just a few seasons ago.
I suspect NBN's tumultuous relationship with Fox Sports is hindering rugby league viewers' right to free access to Knights games. NBN's push to televise matches is compromised, it seems, by Fox and their own agenda.

The Brisbane Broncos receive access to their matches on Sunday afternoons, ahead of Channel 9's own scheduled match if need be. Why then can Newcastle not receive a similar level of coverage? Why is the most supportive rugby league region being given second rate coverage?

It's time for the parties to sort out who is to blame for the shoddy coverage.

~Oswin

 

[Simplycheeky]

Here here!
Exactly!
I now do not watch NBN as a result! In protest :evil:
Hmmpph.

 

[Risa]

I remember when I didn't have fox, how good it was on NBN. Then, all of a sudden they decide not to cover Knights matches. It's a tragedy for the people of Newcastle & the Coast who can't get fox and can't for some reason make it to the game.

Time to get your act together NBN.

 

[Kaz]

The Brisbane Broncos receive access to their matches on Sunday afternoons, ahead of Channel 9's own scheduled match if need be. Why then can Newcastle not receive a similar level of coverage? Why is the most supportive rugby league region being given second rate coverage?

It is probably the ratings.

The Broncos game is Live on Fox at 7.30pm on Saturday.

Then Channel 9 are showing it at 10.40pm Saturday.

 

[Danish Moo Cow]

The campaign is a shambles on what we know to be the truth about the last few seasons of coverage. The last Fox game we got was the Canberra game toward the end of last year, and that was a one off from memory.

I couldn't stop shaking my head afterwards. Surely the ACCC should step in have NBN admit that its not as good as it has been and that this 'best ever coverage' is just a fancy cover for the aging commentary team we have to put up with every week and every year.

Get a Knights' game on and get Mike Rabbitt out to do a local game each week and watch the interest in the competition skyrocket.

 

[antonius]

Hit the nail on the head when you said

"I suspect NBN's tumultuous relationship with Fox Sports is hindering rugby league viewers' right to free access to Knights games. NBN's push to televise matches is compromised, it seems, by Fox and their own agenda."

That's it in a nutshell, it's all to do with Fox signing up us resistors LOL. The thing is though, that I for one wont get Fox purely for the league coverage, (and I'm a huge fan) There is enough rubbish on Tele these days without another zillion channels of it, and repeat rubbish at that. I can remeber years ago when we had Saturday games on ABC, Monday night games, and the local comp match of the round on the local TV network, sadly people it's all about the dollar, it was years ago as well, but with the advance in technology, and the smart men that own the industry, you get what we have, uncontrolled monopolys, that dictate what we watch and when and how, forget the ACCC they are toothless tigers.

 

[Mr Angry]

The Brisbane Broncos receive access to their matches on Sunday afternoons, ahead of Channel 9's own scheduled match if need be. Why then can Newcastle not receive a similar level of coverage? Why is the most supportive rugby league region being given second rate coverage?

It is probably the ratings.

The Broncos game is Live on Fox at 7.30pm on Saturday.

Then Channel 9 are showing it at 10.40pm Saturday.

But for mine that is an even more telling factor.
When Brisbane are not in the Friday or Sunday match, 3 matches will be shown in Brisbane on FTA.
Every single Broncos game is broadcast FTA in Brisbane. Even if it clashes with the match of the round. Again I will say this is a CH9 thing not a Broncos thing.
QRL is also broadcast on the ABC 2pm every Saturday.
How 'bout the Cowboys and NZ, my guess is they get FTA cover in their local areas. Can anyone confirm,

 

[IanG]

Oswin you're baiscally echoing what I've been saying since last year.

I was also very disappointed about the fact that NBN are no longer broadcasting all Knights games like they have done in the past. I'm just starting to wonder if it's a case of FOX not allowing it or is it a case of FOX wanting too much for it.

 

[Doctor]

I noticed that NBN have toned down their promos from the old "every game, every week, on NBN" to a statement about having excellent league coverage.

The bottom line is that people in the Hunter, Central Coast and to the north want to see the Knights games. There are a significant number of viewers on the mid-north coast and further north, and as far west as Scone and Tamworth that clearly cannot make it to the Knights games. It is ridiculous to think they should just grab the esky and tarp and drive 3 to 4 hours to get to EAS every second week.

Furthermore it is ridiculous to think people in Newcastle can and will fork out money to get to Canberra or even south of Sydney to watch games.

If Brisbane is receiving such good coverage, why not Newcastle? Someone is being caught with their dacks around their ankles on this one. What happened to "every game" - why can't Fox just put their wallets away and give a reasonable deal to NBN to cover matches?

The dollar is driving this greedy farce, and it is damaging the game's popularity in rural and regional areas. Clearly Sydney residents can and will travel to the other side of Sydney to watch a game - I would too if I was in Sydney. But people in regional areas like Newcastle are unable to travel that far for financial and logistical reasons.

It's time for the Free to Air rights to include compulsary coverage in regional and rural areas - what better way to make the game popular in "the bush" than to give them a slice of action from their team - I know many Knights fans in the upper Hunter who want to see the games for free. They can't afford Pay t.v when they're struggling as it is with the drought.

Get your act together Fox and NBN - sort it out, for the benefit of the game*.

Notes:

* I hate this cliche, but it is used here to emphasise a point.

 

[IanG]

Your Observations are all correct there Oswin. Just out of curiosity is this just a one off for you or are you gonna do one weekly like I am?

 

[Doctor]

Your Observations are all correct there Oswin. Just out of curiosity is this just a one off for you or are you gonna do one weekly like I am?

Sporadic.

I have no intention of usurping your position as self-appointed forum columnist. ;-)

When are we going to get some sensationalist tabloid dirt in your insights Ian? Just make up some stories, attribute them to "a source close to player x" and you're away. It seems to work for the professionals, so perhaps its time to give it a go.

The trend these days is that informed comment is not in as much demand as opinion pieces that appeal to the lowest common denominator. Scandal is all the rage - just fudge the story a bit to achieve maximum "exclusivity". :lol:

Can we expect some juicy material soon Ian, or are you like me and want detailed comment on serious matters.

 

[Jedda]

The only FTA coverage we get here in NZ is the Warriors game of the round.

We have Prime TV which appears to be an affiliate of Channel 9 and as far as I know Prime is not available in all areas of New Zealand.

While the Warriors games are on FTA there is no guarantee of live coverage and the veiwing of the game spoilt by coverage littered with advertising.

Unfortunately for the majority of footy supporters in NZ it's "All Pay or No Play". My one major treat for the year is the connection of my Digital Sky service at the beginning of the footy season so that I stand a fair chance of watching not only Knights games but the majority of NRL coverage during the season.

Who knows, if I was a Warriors supporter I may be happy to have the FTA coverage but until League knocks Union off its perch in terms of popularity, the people of NZ will just have to suffer with what they already get.

 

[Mr Angry]

Thanks Jedda.
I suspected as much.

and niether Ian or Oswin play forum 7's

 

[Doctor]

Thanks Jedda.
I suspected as much.

and niether Ian or Oswin play forum 7's

No Knights team - I made attempts to drum up support in this forum but to no avail. There was only enough for one full team without reserves. It seems the remainder of interested Knights forum members sold their services to other teams.

Maybe next year.......

 

[IanG]

I have no intention of usurping your position as self-appointed forum columnist. ;-)

When are we going to get some sensationalist tabloid dirt in your insights Ian? Just make up some stories, attribute them to "a source close to player x" and you're away. It seems to work for the professionals, so perhaps its time to give it a go.

The trend these days is that informed comment is not in as much demand as opinion pieces that appeal to the lowest common denominator. Scandal is all the rage - just fudge the story a bit to achieve maximum "exclusivity". :lol:

Can we expect some juicy material soon Ian, or are you like me and want detailed comment on serious matters.

Well never say never. Thing is hasn't the internet forums already been in the shit as it is for publishing untruths? The last thing I want is to end up on a defimation charge for publishing something that I've heard on the grapevine that has turned out to be complete and utter bullshit.

Anyway that isn't really what Ian's Insight is all about BTW this weeks edition is up now. As I've said a couple of times it wont necessarily be footy related. I may write a story about a footy moment form when I was a kid or even what happeing in in my life generally. When it comes Grand Final week I already have an idea of what I'll be writing then. I know it's jumping the gun a bit but it never hurts to plan ahead.

But tell me Oswin do you think that one week's edition should be about where I get the idea for doing this?

 

[antonius]

When you really look at it the Knights flavour is starting to disappear from most of the local media outlets. NBN televise less Knights games, 2HD relinquished their exclusive Knights promos, and since Aaron Carneys afternoon show finished we get very little info from 2HD on what's happening with the club and the team, Then we come to the Herald, today there was a 30 line piece on Hall, and that was it, plenty about the rest of the comp, but the Herald and 2HD in particular seem to have dropped well and truely off the Knights bandwagon this year. Why that is I have no idea. In the case of 2HD maybe the club wanted to much money for the exclusive rights, which is how I understand the set up was.

 

[Doctor]

But tell me Oswin do you think that one week's edition should be about where I get the idea for doing this?

What was the idea for doing the Insights? I take it there is a story you wish to tell......
Please, the floor is all yours.

the Herald and 2HD in particular seem to have dropped well and truely off the Knights bandwagon this year

Could it be the loss of Johns that has caused this reduction in coverage? The media have an unusual obsession for Johns - perhaps his loss is sufficient for them to lose interest.

We have had fairly good coverage generally speaking. The Herald know that they sell more papers with a Knights-related story on the front and back pages. But, from an observers point of view, it seems the Herald is downsizing a bit. They've got sports reporters covering sports they're unfamiliar with. Cricket coverage is completely AAP supplied, they're stretching their league writers to cover local basketball, cricket and just about anything else that springs out of nowhere. Then they have less inches, it seems, given to actual reportage and more space given to comment. The Thursday liftout is nothing more than match details, one Brett Keeble report and two columns, one from Peter Sterling and the other from a no-name journo who is rarely even seen writing for Herald sport.

Anyway, they probably have eased off the coverage - overall they dedicate a lot of space to the Knights.

 

[IanG]

What was the idea for doing the Insights? I take it there is a story you wish to tell......
Please, the floor is all yours.

Ok then Oswin I'll do than in the next few weeks or so.
As far as the Insights go I appreciate the feedback I get from them too ppl.

 

[IanG]

The only FTA coverage we get here in NZ is the Warriors game of the round.

We have Prime TV which appears to be an affiliate of Channel 9 and as far as I know Prime is not available in all areas of New Zealand.

While the Warriors games are on FTA there is no guarantee of live coverage and the veiwing of the game spoilt by coverage littered with advertising.

Unfortunately for the majority of footy supporters in NZ it's "All Pay or No Play". My one major treat for the year is the connection of my Digital Sky service at the beginning of the footy season so that I stand a fair chance of watching not only Knights games but the majority of NRL coverage during the season.

Who knows, if I was a Warriors supporter I may be happy to have the FTA coverage but until League knocks Union off its perch in terms of popularity, the people of NZ will just have to suffer with what they already get.

Tell me something Jedda. Does Sky over there have the wood on sport or do you still get a bit of FTA there cuz I've noticed that They also have Rugby and Cricket on sky there. Is any of that on FTA Telly or is it all Pay TV material?