Jerome Ousted?

[seafoid]

What was the trigger that set Jerome Quinn complaining about GAA coverage? Was it the same as the force that pushed logie out of his job?  Do the BBC and UTV cover less GAA now than say 5 years ago?  If so what explains this? 

[Eamonnca1]

What is driving this attitude to the GAA in the north?

Use your imagination.

[Maguire01]

Since UTV is a commercial station, would it not be possible for advertisers to pressure them into giving more GAA coverage? There's plenty of businesses out there which sponsor GAA teams and competitions, there's bound to be some of them that advertise on UTV as well.  Surely they're getting poor value for their investment when big crowds show up at Gaelic games and escape the attention of cameras, while the three men and a dog at soccer matches get the undivided attention of the producers. Nothing motivates a broadcaster quite like the words "we're going to stop advertising with you unless..."

If it made commercial sense, UTV would be showing gaelic games. The fact is that you have to pay for the rights to broadcast GAA and even where BBC or UTV have shown matches, most people still tune in to RTÉ! Now that doesn't matter so much to the BBC who don't need viewing figures to justify their coverage (of any sport), but it's exactly what matters to a commercial boradcaster.

[Minder]

What was the trigger that set Jerome Quinn complaining about GAA coverage? Was it the same as the force that pushed logie out of his job?  Do the BBC and UTV cover less GAA now than say 5 years ago?  If so what explains this?

I would say the coverage exceeds what was on offer five years ago, every Ulster Championship bar one (and there was deferred coverage of it) have been live the last two years and Down and Tyrones QF, Downs Semi and final were all shown live by the BBC. People don't seem to be letting that get in the way of a good story though.

[Maguire01]

It is hard to imagine say Michael Lyster and Marty Morrissey being sacked from
RTE.  What is driving this attitude to the GAA in the north?

If they slagged off their bosses on a public website they'd get the boot quickly enough I'd imagine.

gerry ryan used to give out about rte steady (not anonymously though).

I am not convinced that quoting attendance figures is that relevant either tbh, that realy says nothing about tv viewership - surely ratings as collected by the agencies that do that are much more important, certainly to advertisers and also to the BBC in letting them know what the public think of their programming.

BBC programming isn't driven purely by ratings though. They have obligations to cover minority interests as well.

[Maguire01]

Is GAA coverage being sidelined in the occupied territories? it seems strange that both Logan and Quinn both were let go.
I always found them to be very decent journalists with a deep love for the games especially fuball.

I don't watch UTV news, but iro the BBC, Quinn was replaced with other GAA journalists, so the argument that he was sacked because he was a GAA reporter doesn't hold much water.

[ck]

I don't watch UTV news, but iro the BBC, Quinn was replaced with other GAA journalists, so the argument that he was sacked because he was a GAA reporter doesn't hold much water.
[/quote]

Yea ok, but look at it this way. If he was the main GAA presenter and the GAA were perceived have been sidelined... then the main GAA presenter is taken off the main GAA programme (the c/ship). The main GAA presenter then goes on the offensive regarding reduced coverage. He is then sacked for this offensive. It could be argued that he was sacked indirectly due to his GAA status. Admittedly much of this was due to his own doing, but he simply gave the BBC (with a little help from Thomas Kane) the rope to hang him, and they duly obliged!

[imtommygunn]

What's your problem with Thomas Kane? Don't know anyone else who has a problem with him.

[Maguire01]

I don't watch UTV news, but iro the BBC, Quinn was replaced with other GAA journalists, so the argument that he was sacked because he was a GAA reporter doesn't hold much water.

Yea ok, but look at it this way. If he was the main GAA presenter and the GAA were perceived have been sidelined... then the main GAA presenter is taken off the main GAA programme (the c/ship). The main GAA presenter then goes on the offensive regarding reduced coverage. He is then sacked for this offensive. It could be argued that he was sacked indirectly due to his GAA status. Admittedly much of this was due to his own doing, but he simply gave the BBC (with a little help from Thomas Kane) the rope to hang him, and they duly obliged!

So if he only went on the offensive after he had been (in his eyes) demoted, was that offensive credible? Or sour grapes? Or was the level of GAA coverage not that big of an issue as long as he was top (GAA) dog?

Also, if he was sacked due to his GAA status, how/why have the likes of Austin O'Callaghan and Thomas Kane been allowed to flourish?

[ck]

What's your problem with Thomas Kane? Don't know anyone else who has a problem with him.

He's a snake in the grass. It's well documented in previous posts.

[ck]

I don't watch UTV news, but iro the BBC, Quinn was replaced with other GAA journalists, so the argument that he was sacked because he was a GAA reporter doesn't hold much water.

Yea ok, but look at it this way. If he was the main GAA presenter and the GAA were perceived have been sidelined... then the main GAA presenter is taken off the main GAA programme (the c/ship). The main GAA presenter then goes on the offensive regarding reduced coverage. He is then sacked for this offensive. It could be argued that he was sacked indirectly due to his GAA status. Admittedly much of this was due to his own doing, but he simply gave the BBC (with a little help from Thomas Kane) the rope to hang him, and they duly obliged!

So if he only went on the offensive after he had been (in his eyes) demoted, was that offensive credible? Or sour grapes? Or was the level of GAA coverage not that big of an issue as long as he was top (GAA) dog?

Also, if he was sacked due to his GAA status, how/why have the likes of Austin O'Callaghan and Thomas Kane been allowed to flourish?

He had issues with BBC coverage well before his demotion according to Quinn but only went on the offensive post his relegation. I think it was all slightly more than just sour grapes. He faught a genuine issue in a very poor way IMO.
As for O'Callaghan and Kane flourishing? Maybe a slight embellishment there. O'Callaghan is a decent presenter. Kane is a bit part player really.

[Any craic]

do us a favour and give this a rest while the Harte situation is unfolding?

[Trout]

surely ratings as collected by the agencies that do that are much more important, certainly to advertisers and also to the BBC in letting them know what the public think of their programming.

Not sure what way the figures are collected up here. I have requested them from BBCNI before and they've refused to hand them over on the grounds that they were not the owners of the data and at the same time have refused to say who gave them the data in the first place.

You must be busy.

[ck]

do us a favour and give this a rest while the Harte situation is unfolding?

Yeah fair enough. Was trying to get my head away from it to be honest.

[Eamonnca1]

Since UTV is a commercial station, would it not be possible for advertisers to pressure them into giving more GAA coverage? There's plenty of businesses out there which sponsor GAA teams and competitions, there's bound to be some of them that advertise on UTV as well.  Surely they're getting poor value for their investment when big crowds show up at Gaelic games and escape the attention of cameras, while the three men and a dog at soccer matches get the undivided attention of the producers. Nothing motivates a broadcaster quite like the words "we're going to stop advertising with you unless..."

If it made commercial sense, UTV would be showing gaelic games. The fact is that you have to pay for the rights to broadcast GAA and even where BBC or UTV have shown matches, most people still tune in to RTÉ! Now that doesn't matter so much to the BBC who don't need viewing figures to justify their coverage (of any sport), but it's exactly what matters to a commercial boradcaster.

Live broadcasting rights have to be paid for, but what about footage to show later in the sports segment of a regular news show? That's what gets on my wick, the wall to wall coverage of Irish League soccer matches attended by two-men-and-a-dog and the omission of GAA matches that have far bigger crowds. I've seen a complete non-story about some upcoming boxing match weeks into the future taking precedence over an historic All-Ireland win. I'm usually the last man to play the 'discrimination' card, but in this case I honestly think there's something to it.