P.S. I'm still with you guys. Just been very busy. Do not lose your faith in these actions, they are going to count in the long-run. I suggest that the more one feels one is being ignored, the louder one should shout. Do not allow yourselves to become what the British government expects you to become. We have all been conditioned in this country to get what we're given and like it or lump it. Now is the time to show that enough is enough. This whole affair is a total disgrace.
Department for Culture, Media and Sport 2-4 Cockspur Street Tel 0207 6000 Ministerial Support Team London SW1Y 5DH Fax www.culture.gov.uk Our Ref: 182733/em/05 [email protected] 5 August 2011 Dear Mr Thank you for your email of 29 July 2011 about the new deal signed between the BBC and BSkyB to show coverage of Formula 1 motorsport from next year. I have been asked to reply. The Government understands your concerns and it has always been our policy to ensure that key sporting events can be made available to as many television viewers as possible on free-to-air television. This is why some events are protected by law as âlisted eventsâ for being of âmajor importance to societyâ. However, outside of the listed events regime, sports bodies are free to sell their rights to whomever they please, subject to competition law. This includes highlights coverage. BSkyB are therefore subject to the same regulatory framework as all other broadcasters. Furthermore, Formula 1 (F1) management (who hold the commercial rights for F1) are completely within the rights in accordance with the Concorde Agreement to sell broadcasting rights to pay TV so long as coverage is still being made available to terrestrial users, which it is. The BBC entered into a similar arrangement recently with coverage of the US Masters Golf, with BSkyB showing coverage for all four days and the BBC simultaneously covering the final two rounds of play on the Saturday and Sunday. The BBC reported a ten year high for their coverage, peaking at 4 million viewers. I hope you will appreciate that, while we have noted your concerns, the BBC is independent of Government, and responsibility for what is broadcast on television rests with the broadcasters and the organisations which regulate broadcasting. The BBC's governing instruments, the Royal Charter and Agreement, place broad obligations on the Corporation in respect of its television and radio services, objectives, programme content and standards. Within this framework detailed decisions are matters for the BBC, reflecting its editorial independence. The Government has no remit to intervene in the decisions made by the BBC regarding how it chooses to reduce its costs in the current Ministerial Support Team economic climate. Whilst there will be many F1 fans that will be disappointed to see many races disappearing from terrestrial TV viewing, the sport will still continue to receive good coverage. The BBC has also reaffirmed its commitment to showcasing the sport. For a full explanation of this and the decision taken please write to Barbara Slater, Head of Sport at the BBC at Broadcasting House, Portland Place, London, W1A 1AA. I hope this information is of help to you. Yours Sincerely Elizabeth Martins Ministerial Support
Credit to them for answering, but they have basically just passed the issue onto someone else's desk.
Ok, I presume Sky won't be using 'The Chain' for their "stars in their cars" coverage, so I thought this would fit the 'bill' perfectly: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ll3uipTO-4A Oh, that bass line...
lol being Australian i'm not actually affected by this whole sky deal but it does sound pretty **** so for your sakes I hope you guys get Clarkson, Hammond and May as your commentators. won't happen but i reckon that'd be pretty epic.
This is copied from Murreys blog on the BBC webite: "17.At 11:28 8th Aug 2011, F1 is Dead wrote: Hello to Martin Gough. It is very nice to hear from someone at the BBC who is not on holiday. I am very sorry to Murrey for commenting on your blog but the BBC keeps making it very hard to contact them. Probably due to the entire sports department being on holiday! Martin as you are watching this blog, please could you help us F1 fans who do not fully understand the BBC/Sky deal and why it had to be done. There are many questions that have been raised on other Blogs that have now been closed and ignored. Will the BBC be answering any of the points in any of these blogs or will they just be ignored as the whole subject has been ignored by the BBC in general? We are you paymasters. We pay your wages. Surely it is not too much to ask that the BBC at least take some time to go through its blogs and respond to posters. Closing them is paramount to sticking two fingers up at anyone who might have the audacity to comment on a subject that might not be conducive to the BBCs viewpoint. Complain about this comment (Comment number 17) Comment number 18.At 11:36 8th Aug 2011, Martin Gough - BBC Sport wrote: Here's the blog from the BBC's Head of F1 Ben Gallop, explaining the issue: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/sporteditors/2011/07/f1_coverage_to_be_shared_betwe.html We don't have any more to add to that at the moment." With Martin Goughs reply this shows that the BBC have no concerns for its F1 viewing public. He is the only person to reply but spouts again the same old article. The BBC cannot even reply to simple questions. This old dinosaur needs to go the way of all the others extinct. The whole BBC needs to cease.
Stufiley: Thankyou for raising this point once again. The arrogance of this particular extension of our arrogant government is quite unbelievable. One wonders: perhaps if we were all foreigners they might take more notice? The British government couldn't care less about what it perceives to be a minority who are interested in an 'anti-establishment' sport. We are not threatening Sue Barker or the intensely irritating 'Lord' Seb Coe are we? Perhaps if we had a 'Lord' Damon Hill it might balance the books a bit? This whole thing is a total disgrace and it is symptomatic of a government who ignores its mandate to its electorate. This is supposed to be a democracy. But it clearly is not. The government are in league with people who make illegal payments to the Police. This is plainly evident as a result of the Murdoch saga, which they will continue to play down wherever possible. And then, whilst putting their BBC arm around him, they go and hand him our baby! It is beyond a joke. It is a sickening belly-punch to the disregarded 'rabble' they seem to think the public are.
I have just posted the following comment to Murray Walker's BBC blog. It is a re-wording (in order to be slightly less politically challenging) of my previous comment. I wonder if it will see the light of day?
I like the way your rollin' there Cosi and I hope you get a response beyond the automated drivel thus far. Now, on the same subject, but slightly askew - it's been mentioned before that the great Mr Brundle frequents these pages, I'd be intrigued to know if he has any thoughts or, more interestingly, whether he's already given us some
Complaint about F1 going to Sky and again being silenced by the top ****ers at the BBC? The same rich ****s who would rather sit at Wimbledon stuffing tennis balls and strawberry's up their asses to see some curly haired Scot choke every year. Here's the link for the next blog invasion... http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/murraywalker/2011/08/your_f1_questions_answered_-_p.html Got to be quick and rack up the complaints, the BBC start to shut down the blogs when they get over a 1,000 posts. Keep going F1 fans, don't give up... Also sign the petition!
Has anyone written to Channel 4 for their point of view on negotiations? It would be good to get an official line that points towards them offering a comparable deal to Sky and in fact, any further thoughts they have on the travesty. Surely they'd be chomping at the bit to get back at the BBC...
Write to him. Nothing to lose and it may open another avenue. They cannot simply pass the buck forever.
what do they mean by: I thought the BBC is a public company funded by us so under the freedom of infomation act they should tell me the details? If not I am to presume that they are hiding something
The most popular show on BBC2, Top Gear, has been massively chopped down to 6 odd episodes a season. Add to this a sport that attracts 6 Million viewer being half dropped. The BBC clearly couldn't care less what the viewers want, its not like the viewers pay for the whole BBC anyway.... No, wait?
Ever get the impression that the BBC's letter response department are from birmingham? It's the only way to explain why they are so rude.
Blame the director general. He hates cars, so he's doing his level best to make sure we can't see anything to do with vehicles. The motogp will be next to go, mark my words.
Maybe if F1 re branded itself "F1 in the country with auctions and mindless chat" the BBC would be more interested.
