UTV & BBC & RTE & TV3

[Nally Stand]

But the bottom line is that you will not accept that the role of a regional broadcaster is to broadcast stories of regional interest.

This "regional interest" argument is total and utter bollocks lads. In the "region" of the six counties, I think it's safe to say most people would have preferred to hear the result of the All-Ireland Final Hurling on the evening it was played, instead of f***ing Go-Karting. "Regional interest"?? ffs 

[T Fearon]

I see a prominent Tyrone MLA complaining in Irish News today about both UTV and BBC's poor/non existent coverage of the Club Championships, and is about to take the matter up formally with both broadcasters. Keep er lit!

[Feckitt]

I see a prominent Tyrone MLA complaining in Irish News today about both UTV and BBC's poor/non existent coverage of the Club Championships, and is about to take the matter up formally with both broadcasters. Keep er lit!

Good, glad to hear this.  I was the poster who first brought up the issue about the 4 in a row chasing Ulster Champions re-starting their campaign in front of over 4000 paying spectators while being ignored by our local media.
It seems to me that some of you are relishing in giving 'Any Craic' a hard time.

ps - Do any of you know if I need to get a ticket in advance for Warrenpoint Town v Ards, or can I pay at the gate.  It's a huge fixture.  Full tv and radio coverage!

[T Fearon]

Once again, like AC, you seem to suffer from the misunderstanding that the BBC should cover the fixture of any sport that attracts the largest attendance. I'd say the Linfield V Rangers friendly in the summer attracted a bigger crowd that any other soccer game here this year, but it wasn't covered. At the end of the day soccer supporters here pay the same licence fee as GAA supporters, and are entitled to coverage as well.

Club championships are well down even the GAA's pecking order (that's why they're played in the worst months of the year) and the BBC cannot cover every competition in any of the three main codes, due to airtime and budgetary constraints.

[Nally Stand]

Once again, like AC, you seem to suffer from the misunderstanding that the BBC should cover the fixture of any sport that attracts the largest attendance. I'd say the Linfield V Rangers friendly in the summer attracted a bigger crowd that any other soccer game here this year, but it wasn't covered. At the end of the day soccer supporters here pay the same licence fee as GAA supporters, and are entitled to coverage as well.

Club championships are well down even the GAA's pecking order (that's why they're played in the worst months of the year) and the BBC cannot cover every competition in any of the three main codes, due to airtime and budgetary constraints.

Again, Tony, when the BBC can't as much as tell us the score of the All-Ireland Hurling Final on the news, but can tell us about how the go-karting went, then there's simply no denying that GAA and it's supporters are not getting fair treatment.

[Feckitt]

Source - http://www.irishleaguesupporters.com/attendances.php

This is for 2013/2014

Team   Total Attendance   No. Attendances Recorded   Average Attendance
Ards                                   280                         1                                           280
Ballinamallard United   562                         1                                           562
Ballymena United           755                         1                                            755
Cliftonville                 1006                         1                                         1006
Coleraine                           778                         1                                           778
Crusaders                 1514                         2                                           757
Dungannon Swifts           246                         1                                           246
Glenavon                         2309                         2                                         1155
Glentoran                         2134                         2                                         1067
Linfield                         2837                         1                                         2837
Portadown                 1473                         1                                         1473
Warrenpoint Town               0                         0                                           N/A
Overall                       13894                       14                                           992

Now which combination of these matches do you think is of more regional interest than Mayobridge v Kilcoo or Cross v Maghery or Dromore v Errigal.

Maybe Glenavon v Cliftonville?  When I was down the pub last night, I couldn't get a word in edgeways with all the lads talking about whether Portadown or Cliftonville could break the dominance of 'The big two'(sic)

The average attendance at these games is approx 992.  However it may be slightly less than this because Warrenpoint were not included.  Where does this alleged regional interest come from?

[Any craic]

Well said Nally Stand & Feckitt but you're wasting your time with these lads. They're full of contradictions. tommygunn wants hurling but goes out of his way to back the BBC even though they completely ignored the Hurling Final. Then they tell me not to take things personally when there's clearly been a series of personal digs by brave anonymous posters, ranging from describing my posts as 'amazing rants' to vicious tirades that had to be removed. They have been making it personal because they can't seem to post without having a go at my arguments. I've tried to get it back to the wider debate but they keep going back to petty point-scoring and slamming everyone who dares challenge them. As I said before, let others speak and be reasonable.

[Feckitt]

According to wikipedia, for the IFA 2012/2013 season, the highest attendance was 5,458 Linfield 2–1 Glentoran (26 December 2012)
The Lowest attendance   39, yes 39 for Donegal Celtic 2–1 Dungannon Swifts (16 April 2013) . The Average attendance for the entire league is 823.

Now it has always been the way, that these matches get radio coverage and goals highlights etc, and fair play to them.  However what I cannot stand is other people on this board saying that these matches are of more regional interest than big GAA matches because it is not true.

[T Fearon]

I am not pushing any regional arguments or anything else, other than the personal opinion that the GAA gets a fair crack at the whip from the BBC these days (as recently as 1989 all you got was Ulster Final highlights and live coverage of the Ulster Champions getting duffed in the All Ireland semi final), with its main competitions (ie Provincial/ All Ireland Championship in the summer on tv, and National League in the winter on radio) all comprehensively covered.

Who knows why karting got a mention and the AI Hurling Final result didn't? Did a local win a World/European Karting event? Did the BBC assume that anyone on the island of Ireland remotely interested in hurling would have known the result at that stage? I don't know. The Steel and Sons Cup Final, a Christmas Day junior soccer event regularly attracts four or five thouand spectators but gets no mention on the Xmas bulletins whatsover.

I would also assume that the BBC meets regularly with the Ulster Council and at such meetings the output and the games/ competitions to be covered would be mutually agreed.

I will conclude with my core point that the BBC now gives GAA a comprehensive and fair airtime allocation, in my opinion.

[imtommygunn]

Well said Nally Stand & Feckitt but you're wasting your time with these lads. They're full of contradictions. tommygunn wants hurling but goes out of his way to back the BBC even though they completely ignored the Hurling Final. Then they tell me not to take things personally when there's clearly been a series of personal digs by brave anonymous posters, ranging from describing my posts as 'amazing rants' to vicious tirades that had to be removed. They have been making it personal because they can't seem to post without having a go at my arguments. I've tried to get it back to the wider debate but they keep going back to petty point-scoring and slamming everyone who dares challenge them. As I said before, let others speak and be reasonable.

Do you not see any irony in your last two points with reference to other people? If you are challenged on an opinion you just rubbish what the other person says through talk about personalising, listen to what the majority say, talking about slamming everyone who challenges them etc. Again in your last post you've done it.

We all want more coverage so right let's forget flaws in arguments etc etc as you're obviously looking for validation and not debate.

Line drawn
-------------------

What can be done by the general to get more GAA covered by the BBC? If the BBC for example don't have the cameramen at matches do they outsource?

Take an example - are all the Irish league matches covered at the weekend by BBC cameramen or do the Irish league cover it and send it to the BBC??

[Zulu]

Who knows why karting got a mention and the AI Hurling Final result didn't? Did a local win a World/European Karting event? Did the BBC assume that anyone on the island of Ireland remotely interested in hurling would have known the result at that stage?

Hope you're not in charge of a TV station Tony - No need to run with those planes crashing into the twin towers Sean, sure everyone knows about that now, lets lead with the story about the cat stuck in a tree in Omagh!!

[T Fearon]

Totally irrelevant argument. No comparison between juggling sports stories to world landmark and history changing events.

[Feckitt]

Juggling?, there's another sport which might get covered instead of the club championship.

[Any craic]

I can tell you from years of experience that the Steel & Sons Final always gets lots of mentions/coverage across the output and even sometimes a camera on xmas morning.

[T Fearon]

Funny, I search for the result each Christmas  Day (I know, that's sad, probably because I had a mate that won a medal over 30 years ago) and can never find it, not even on the BBC NI website, nor previously on the now defunct Ceefax service (which carried a full local results service including GAA).