F1 goes PPV.

[DAZZD88]

I just fired off a tweet to Jake Humphrey, Lee McKenzie and Martin Brundle suggesting they ask the drivers what they think of the move. Most drivers enjoy driving for the entertainment of the fans (as well as the huge wads of cash they get). I think this decision is possibly the worst decision made in history. F1 will lose a boat load of fans because of this. I just wonder if the likes of Bernie Ecclestone care or whether he's just in it for the money because he's always said that he tries to get the best deals for the fans and drivers.

[localzuk]

The problem is that we can't have it both ways - on one side the BBC have the government and the people saying 'stop spending so much money, that isn't what the BBC is for', and on the other side we have a subset of TV viewers (yes, it is a subset) who want to watch F1.

 

The BBC has basically been told to slim down and not expect funding increases. What are they supposed to do, other than look at the cost of various events they are involved in?

[featured_spectre]

Get rid of crap tv and over paid actors - wipe out eastenders and they will save enough money to pay for the F1

[DAZZD88]

What are they supposed to do, other than look at the cost of various events they are involved in?

They could look at some of the other tripe they show and fund, rather than something that brings in millions of viewers each episode/show. How's about axing BBC4? I still have no idea what that channel does as it's never got anything on worth showing> Why not combine BBC3 and BBC4 into one channel and have it air all day?

[36Degrees]

+1 to both of the above!

[jinnantonnixx]

They could look at some of the other tripe they show and fund, rather than something that brings in millions of viewers each episode/show. How's about axing BBC4? I still have no idea what that channel does as it's never got anything on worth showing> Why not combine BBC3 and BBC4 into one channel and have it air all day?

 

Whaaaat!!!! BBC4 is one of my favourites! How dare you!

 

Seriously, goes to show you can't make everyone happy.

 

Agree with the Eastenders, though - utter junk. Not even enjoyable on an ironic level.

[localzuk]

They could look at some of the other tripe they show and fund, rather than something that brings in millions of viewers each episode/show. How's about axing BBC4? I still have no idea what that channel does as it's never got anything on worth showing> Why not combine BBC3 and BBC4 into one channel and have it air all day?

 

You don't understand what the BBC is there for then... The BBC is there to provide access to shows that would not usually be on commercial channels due to them not being profitable. ie. it is the masses subsidising the minority.

 

Ok, they do show *some* mass appeal shows (Eastenders, Dr Who, Top Gear etc...) but the goal is to provide a full, wide range of shows which some may call 'tripe'. For example, the pompous and ridiculous shows often on some of the BBC radio stations (eg. much of the content of Radio 4 for example) make no sense to me - they would be a 'waste of money', but no-one else will cater to that minority market. What about BBC Radio 6 Music? That was slated to be closed due to poor listener numbers, but has been saved because it fulfils a goal.

 

ie. it is a public service broadcaster, not a commercial broadcaster.

Edited July 29, 2011 by localzuk

[bmdixon]

Why couldn't the bbc and itv split them 50-50. all races fta but splits the cost. Or even go to channel 4/5 if it must.

I'm not paying £600 a year to watch f1.

[jinnantonnixx]

Agreed. I like Radio 6, and dislike Radio 1, but wouldn't want to see either of them go for any reason.

 

Eastenders wouldn't be missed, though.

Edited July 29, 2011 by jinnantonnixx

[localzuk]

Why couldn't the bbc and itv split them 50-50. all races fta but splits the cost. Or even go to channel 4/5 if it must.

I'm not paying £600 a year to watch f1.

 

You just answered that yourself; because people definitely wouldn't pay £600 to watch 50% of the F1...

[john]

Blinking Joke this is, F1 lives on teh Beeb, Sky will fill it wtih adverts and you'll never get to see the excitment it will be like ITV was, you'll come back from 3 minutes of junk to a oh well Schumacher just crashed and the race red flagged but we were learning about some insurance or car selling thing so you missed it and FOM TV has shown the replays whilst you were being bored by adverts thus you missed it sorry etc...

 

They should shut BBC4 that was the option they had it was F1 or BBC4, close BBC4, shift a load of the junk off BBC3 and make the two into one.

[jinnantonnixx]

How is Sky so good at making people part with money?

 

I haven't got Sky (Freesat does me fine) but this is how I understand it:

 

You subscribe to Sky.

You buy extra packages to see the stuff you really want to see.

You pay more indirectly (advertising)

You buy pay-per-view events on top of everything.

 

Is this right?

[penfold_99]

This is just like cricket going to sky, england won the ashes in the Aussies backyard not done since god know when and as very few people could watch it the nation didn't care, compare it to when we won the ashes in 2005 when the nation was really in to tit.

SKY = MURDOCH = THE MAN = BAD

[localzuk]

Blinking Joke this is, F1 lives on teh Beeb, Sky will fill it wtih adverts and you'll never get to see the excitment it will be like ITV was, you'll come back from 3 minutes of junk to a oh well Schumacher just crashed and the race red flagged but we were learning about some insurance or car selling thing so you missed it and FOM TV has shown the replays whilst you were being bored by adverts thus you missed it sorry etc...

 

They should shut BBC4 that was the option they had it was F1 or BBC4, close BBC4, shift a load of the junk off BBC3 and make the two into one.

 

So an *entire channel* catering to different segments of the country should be scrapped to appease a single market? The entire budget of BBC4 is around £54m a year. If that is the sort of money that is being spent on F1 coverage, I'm glad they have come to this new agreement!

[DAZZD88]

@localzuk if that's the case, then where do they stop with axing the 'mass appeal shows' (as you termed it)?

 

but the goal is to provide a full, wide range of shows which some may call 'tripe'. For example, the pompous and ridiculous shows often on some of the BBC radio shows (eg. much of the content of Radio 4 for example) make no sense to me - they would be a 'waste of money', but no-one else will cater to that minority market.

If these shows are watched by a minority market and therefore most likely losing money then why not axe them to save money rather than axing things that make money? You're probably gonna say that it's because the BBC's goal is to broadcast shows that otherwise wouldn't get broadcast (unless you were referring this point to my argument over axing BBC4, maybe?). I would think that although F1 costs a lot of money to produce, it would think it cancels that out by the revenue it brings in.

[localzuk]

@localzuk if that's the case, then where do they stop with axing the 'mass appeal shows' (as you termed it)?

 

If these shows are watched by a minority market and therefore most likely losing money then why not axe them to save money rather than axing things that make money? You're probably gonna say that it's because the BBC's goal is to broadcast shows that otherwise wouldn't get broadcast (unless you were referring this point to my argument over axing BBC4, maybe?). I would think that although F1 costs a lot of money to produce, it would think it cancels that out by the revenue it brings in.

 

The BBC doesn't make money from broadcasting shows! That's the point. The BBC makes no revenue from broadcasting F1, how could it? It doesn't show adverts.

 

Yes, you're right, I am saying what you said there - because the BBC is a public service broadcaster, not a mass appeal broadcaster. Not to make money.

Edited July 29, 2011 by localzuk
fix sentence - the BBC does make income from global sale of shows, but not UK broadcast

[jinnantonnixx]

I'm with localzuk on this. BBC is a service. Look what happens when the lowest common denominator is catered for. ITV1. Yes, it has its place. I can't think where, but I'm being kind.

[jinnantonnixx]

The BBC doesn't make money from shows! That's the point. The BBC makes no revenue from broadcasting F1, how could it? It doesn't show adverts.

 

Yes, you're right, I am saying what you said there - because the BBC is a public service broadcaster, not a mass appeal broadcaster. Not to make money.

 

Actually, Top Gear (and quite a few other shows) bring in a big pile of cash from around the world.

[localzuk]

Actually, Top Gear (and quite a few other shows) bring in a big pile of cash from around the world.

 

I amended the post to clarify - I added 'broadcasting'. Ie. in the UK (The BBC's primary market), they make no money broadcasting shows.

[MYK-IT]

Very disappointed to hear the news that $ky have F1 from next year.

 

I've really enjoyed this F1 Season so far in glorious HD (Freesat not $ky, not forgetting the extra viewers benefiting from Freeview HD).

 

I'll have to see what Foreign Satellite Channels are showing it FTA and adjust my portable satellite dish in the garden

[sted]

Get rid of crap tv and over paid actors - wipe out eastenders and they will save enough money to pay for the F1

just get rid of the gold/wimbledon thats like watching paint dry and esp wimbledon coverage 3 channels at once at point was way overkill

 

They could look at some of the other tripe they show and fund, rather than something that brings in millions of viewers each episode/show. How's about axing BBC4? I still have no idea what that channel does as it's never got anything on worth showing> Why not combine BBC3 and BBC4 into one channel and have it air all day?

I'm with localzuk on this. BBC is a service. Look what happens when the lowest common denominator is catered for. ITV1. Yes, it has its place. I can't think where, but I'm being kind.

BBC is going to end up like itv a waste of space there are 2 programs on all itv channels i watch btcc and tv burp thats it. get rid of f1 and what do i watch on bbc dr who odd documentaries and torchwood.

 

Making the lottery pay something/more for their prime time tv coverage would be a good start

 

i refuse to give phone hackers inc any money to watch yv its a lot of money for on average one event every 3 weeks as i dont want football/rugby/cricket

[dayzd]

I'm sure I heard some comment at one point about Bernie wanting to keep F1 free to air. I guess this is the best compromise they could come up with.

 

If this is how it's going to be, I think I'm going to start watching BBC3's highlights shows on a Sunday evening, as well as the races, just to get myself used to it!

[mattx]

Then they wonder why Movie / Game / TV piracy is ripe on the internet.......Duuuuuuuuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrr.

 

Then they wonder why apps for mobile phones and such took off - because they cost a few quid. People don't mind paying that. I bet if they charged say £3 to watch the race people would pay it - I would and I'm a real tight ar5e.

[DAZZD88]

I bet if they charged say £3 to watch the race people would pay it - I would and I'm a real tight ar5e.

 

I wouldn't but then again I don't pay for Sky Box Office movies. I refuse to pay (my mother pays it but let's not split hairs here) anything other than basic subscription costs and TBH I think some of the crap that's on Sky, I don't even think that the basic costs are really worth it anymore. When I move into my own house, I very much doubt I'll actually bother with a TV anymore, except for using it for DVDs and as a huge computer monitor.

[featured_spectre]

Thing is why should we pay for something that was on free to air TV for the last however long (as long as I remember).

 

Initially it was on BBC but Bernie didn't like that he was not making much from advertisement revenue*

He then switched to ITV and after millions** of fans complained because of the adverts he switched it back to BBC

He is now switching to sky to get more money in advertising revenue

 

* He takes a 40% cut of all advertising fees broadcast during qualifying and the race

** 3.8 million fans in the UK alone complained to the FIA and ITV about the race having adverts

 

Edit - I have access to German Satellite TV and as such don't have to worry about adverts as they are not shown during the program - however when they do show adverts they last like 10 minutes!