F1 on Sky and Channel 4 next year...

[Blatman]

I wonder if the loss of the "original" Top Gear has something to do with this?

 

https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/formula-1--bbc-scraps-tv-coverage-with-immediate-effect-to-help-save-%C2%A335m-113208859.html

 

 

 

 

[XTR2Turbo]

I thought this years team were doing a great job.

 

I hope they move to C4 although I won't loose too much sleep as I watch F1 much less than I did 10 years ago.

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

Sadly I'd agree with you David, I like the current BBC presenting team, and have largely enjoyed the races I've watched, but long gone are the days of sitting, glued to the dye of my seat for qualy, let alone the race itself.

[CraigHew]

stopped watching F1 a few years ago, but never miss a BTCC round these days.  ITV4 cover all 30 rounds over the season and the action is phenomenal...

[corsechris]

I do still watch it, although often wonder why I bothered come the end, but find the Sky coverage way too OTT and 'American' in presentation style for my liking. I really don't need a corner by corner diagnosis with some character drawing arrows on a screen. I hope C4 can do a similar style to the BBC and not go overboard.

[jeff oakley]

The bigger issue is how a broadcaster with so much money coming in is unable to keep this sport. The situation is the BBC do make world class programs and yet they have become bloated, PC driven, and out of touch with ordinary people. The salaries they pay for "talent" is stupid and if you look at the radio coverage, the DJ's do three hours max, compare with the commercial stations who do longer in the main.

The F1 coverage is complicated, but as a commentator elsewhere remarked, it was an easy target to cut, seen to promote speed, seen to be the main preserve of wealthy white males and finally a huge contributor to elevating the car to something it should not be, fun.

F1 is boring if you don't understand the technical side, BTCC and MotoGP delivers more action in one race than a whole season of F1 and needs to shake Bernie out of the control so some common sense can make it affordable and what it should be action packed

[corsechris]

For me, the main big ticket item the BBC needs to cut back on is news. Absurd amounts of the budget are pushed their way and have been for many years. A clear decision was made back when channels started to proliferate to try to persuade/impress the movers and shakers that the BBC still matters. News is what they watch, typically in 5 minutes bites. Pretty much all the rest is there to placate the masses.

Be interesting to see an honest financial accounting for all the main broadcasters and to see where their money comes from and where it goes. I get that the BBC will always be the big target for complaints about costs simply because of the argument around licence vs. subscription. I still believe that the presence of the BBC keeps the rest 'honest' and helps to keep standards up somewhat. If you want US style TV, just drop the licence fee and wait 6 months.

[Rory's Dad]

The BBC news set is a load of pretentious nonsense - all that space, all those people, all those screens.  The cameras pointing at the presenters are fully automatic and could do anything but they run through the same format every single day.  Scripts are all the same - "Thanks John, that was John Smith at the House of Commons".  

[davidgh]

--  DRS  --  silly, and artificial

--  cardboard tyres  --  silly and artificial

--  "that is an instruction!"  --  artificial

--  engines that only super-corporations can afford to develop  --  silly

--  limited in-season development  --  artificial

--  hardly any testing  --  artificial

--  pricing Monza (almost) and Nürburgring out of the market in favour of Sochi et al.  --  stupid

--  fans need to take out another mortgage to go to a race  --  silly

 

All in all, a pantomime which used to be a good sport, and completely out of touch with its supporters.

 

So, who on earth cares any more whether it is on telly?

[tisme]

The root of the problem lies with Bernie and the FIA - Eccelstone (and the parent shareholders CVC) are just too greedy and have to feed their corporate debt and the FIA have introduced so many absurd "politically correct" changes that it's killed the sport - I didn't watch even half of the live races on the BBC this year as it was so predictably boring - almost back to the days of Schumacher and then Vettel.

 

The move to Channel 4 won't change that unfortunately though I do hope the presenting team move over as well.

 

Bring back the days of simple V8's (Cosworth DFV's type engines for example) and ban most of the electronic controls and computer wizardry and you may get back to something aspiring constructors would fight for - otherwise it simply money money money......boring boring boring

[DamperMan]

F1, to be honest in a few years if it keeps going there won't be enough people watcing it to even put it on the TV...   Now the BBC has to be a bit more commercial in its use of time we don't have to endure a lot of uninteresting sports anymore ..   I'm afraid few people can associate with it even people like us who are car NUTS.   

[Terry Everall]

Am I bovvered?

Do I sound Bovvered 

Its not great viewing is it ??

[Blatman]

Bring back the days of simple V8's (Cosworth DFV's type engines for example) and ban most of the electronic controls and computer wizardry

Nope. Aerodynamics are what need banning. It is *impossible* to have racing when the only thing the drivers and teams are looking for is clean air. Have all the electro-technical gimmickery you want, just get rid of the wings.

 

 

the DJ's do three hours max,

Ignoring production meetings, PA's, show development and any number of other things that have to be managed. DJ's do a LOT more than just what they do on air. Same goes for news readers and reporters. 

 

 

 

The cameras pointing at the presenters are fully automatic

 

As I understand it they are controlled remotely from the gallery but there is still a human on the controls. I don't think they are fully automatic. 

[Olliebeak]

Boring racing with the most equally boring presenters, seems to be all about tyres with all the talk about options, primes , p1,t1 etc etc . Give me motoGP anytime. 

[Nick Mace]

They should bring back televised rally cross!