UTV & BBC & RTE & TV3

[johnneycool]

I think the 'big' coverage of the BBC is often excellent. The 'small' mentions seem uneven. I suspect this may at least in part reflect a view of GAA as of great interest to some people, but of little general interest.

I was at a Louth senior championship game this evening. It won't get a mention on RTE tomorrow. Should I complain?

Yeah you should do if they decide to tell you how the Cork C of I mens hockey team did against Hermes when there was only one man and his dog watching it.

My only concern with the lack of GAA coverage by the BBC and UTV is how the GAA is perceived by the unionist majority hugging the east coast of the wee six. I'd regularly discuss GAA in work in front of all my work colleagues if there's another person in my company who's similarly interested. The odd time I'd be asked about it by some who've never had any exposure to GAA and they'd be surprised by the number of people who'd go and watch or even where there are club teams.

Just last week a lad from Holywood who knew I'd played a bit of hurling and who's wife's from Cork talked about the AI final and the atmosphere at it, some of the others in our company were shocked to hear that 80,000 people were at the game.
I joked that he could send his young fellas to play a bit of hurling in Holywood if they'd Cork blood in them, he didn't know there was any hurling in Holywood.

That perception within Unionist circles that somehow the GAA is a minority sport even within nationalist circles, played by hardline republicans needs to be broken, both by the GAA in Ulster and also our broadcaster who I pay taxes and license fee for.

[T Fearon]

This argument was valid 25 years ago, but I don't think it holds water today. BBC and UTV have a few minutes in their bulletins to cover a range of sports, so they can't include everything, and actual attendances at certain fixtures are irrelevant as there is a balancing act to be performed.

In terms of live sports coverage on the BBC, local bike, rugby and GAA enthusiasts are well looked after, and indeed the local soccer fraternity (with only one live match covered every year), have to make do with on online highlights package. Argument redundant.

[Any craic]

Are you sure of those facts? I take it the soccer game you are referring to the Irish Cup Final. Do the BBC not also broadcast Live coverage of some internationals & Milk Cup games? Maybe you're not counting this as local but it's still soccer. Plus, you say they have to 'make do' with online highlights, but sure there is a programme every Saturday at 5pm dedicated to showing as much local soccer as they can get in it, 40 weeks of the year. The goals are repeated online and on Newsline, not to mention midweek games in cups and league. They used to have a 50-50 arrangement with UTV for covering the Premier League but I gather UTV pulled out so BBC cover all PL games for the whole season.

[johnneycool]

This argument was valid 25 years ago, but I don't think it holds water today. BBC and UTV have a few minutes in their bulletins to cover a range of sports, so they can't include everything, and actual attendances at certain fixtures are irrelevant as there is a balancing act to be performed.

In terms of live sports coverage on the BBC, local bike, rugby and GAA gaelic football enthusiasts are well looked after, and indeed the local soccer fraternity (with only one live match covered every year), have to make do with on online highlights package. Argument redundant.

fixed that for you.

One live match? Are you sure, I thought most home Norn Iron games were shown on BBC2, Ulster rugby have quite a few Rabo-direct games on live.

There's also the results round ups on saturday evening on TV, could we not have a similar thing on a sunday evening for national league games, club championships, snippets optional. Is that too much to ask?

[T Fearon]

Johnny

I said or mean't fans of local football.Also Sky have the contract for live coverage of Norn Irn games. In terms of a results progamme for GAA Club games on Sunday evening, I'm sure the logistics of this are insurmountanble (ie gathering data from 6 or 9 counties, then putting it altogether, the time required to read them all out, also do you stop at the Senior Clubs etc?). Simply not practical, sure you can't even get the local results on most county websites on Sunday evening.

As I said before, I dont think any reasonable person could complain about the coverage given to GAA at both BBC particularly/UTV nowadays.

[Any craic]

Congrats on the new post in the BBC Press Office T!

[thewobbler]

Johnny

I said or mean't fans of local football.Also Sky have the contract for live coverage of Norn Irn games. In terms of a results progamme for GAA Club games on Sunday evening, I'm sure the logistics of this are insurmountanble (ie gathering data from 6 or 9 counties, then putting it altogether, the time required to read them all out, also do you stop at the Senior Clubs etc?). Simply not practical, sure you can't even get the local results on most county websites on Sunday evening.

As I said before, I dont think any reasonable person could complain about the coverage given to GAA at both BBC particularly/UTV nowadays.

Well said Tony. I'm also at a loss to understand why anyone would regard GAA league results in Tyrone to be of general interest to anyone apart from GAA fans in that county. The same people, by the way, who by virtue of living in an information age, will get those results by text, by word of mouth or by checking a website or two, long in advance of BBC NI's bulletin.

Personally I'd love it if BBC NI would do a TG4-style Sunday game, and cover a club game every week in one of the six counties. But back in the real world, there's not enough demand for the outlay involved.

[T Fearon]

Exactly. I would also presume there's rules regarding local output v network output etc. I dont think currently any sport could say it get's more coverage by BBC NI than GAA,particularly at the peak of the summer's Championship season.

[johnneycool]

Johnny

I said or mean't fans of local football.Also Sky have the contract for live coverage of Norn Irn games. In terms of a results progamme for GAA Club games on Sunday evening, I'm sure the logistics of this are insurmountanble (ie gathering data from 6 or 9 counties, then putting it altogether, the time required to read them all out, also do you stop at the Senior Clubs etc?). Simply not practical, sure you can't even get the local results on most county websites on Sunday evening.

As I said before, I dont think any reasonable person could complain about the coverage given to GAA at both BBC particularly/UTV nowadays.

Well said Tony. I'm also at a loss to understand why anyone would regard GAA league results in Tyrone to be of general interest to anyone apart from GAA fans in that county. The same people, by the way, who by virtue of living in an information age, will get those results by text, by word of mouth or by checking a website or two, long in advance of BBC NI's bulletin.

Personally I'd love it if BBC NI would do a TG4-style Sunday game, and cover a club game every week in one of the six counties. But back in the real world, there's not enough demand for the outlay involved.

Yet we're led to believe there's great interest in two teams from North Belfast having a soccer game whilst only a couple of hundred hardy souls bother to turn up to watch them?
How come there's a demand for that?

Cliftonville fans can get their results via text, web or word of mouth as well, but the BBC still have a highlights show and extended news bulletins tonight?

[thewobbler]

Johnny

I said or mean't fans of local football.Also Sky have the contract for live coverage of Norn Irn games. In terms of a results progamme for GAA Club games on Sunday evening, I'm sure the logistics of this are insurmountanble (ie gathering data from 6 or 9 counties, then putting it altogether, the time required to read them all out, also do you stop at the Senior Clubs etc?). Simply not practical, sure you can't even get the local results on most county websites on Sunday evening.

As I said before, I dont think any reasonable person could complain about the coverage given to GAA at both BBC particularly/UTV nowadays.

Well said Tony. I'm also at a loss to understand why anyone would regard GAA league results in Tyrone to be of general interest to anyone apart from GAA fans in that county. The same people, by the way, who by virtue of living in an information age, will get those results by text, by word of mouth or by checking a website or two, long in advance of BBC NI's bulletin.

Personally I'd love it if BBC NI would do a TG4-style Sunday game, and cover a club game every week in one of the six counties. But back in the real world, there's not enough demand for the outlay involved.

Yet we're led to believe there's great interest in two teams from North Belfast having a soccer game whilst only a couple of hundred hardy souls bother to turn up to watch them?
How come there's a demand for that?

Cliftonville fans can get their results via text, web or word of mouth as well, but the BBC still have a highlights show and extended news bulletins tonight?

Right Jonny, so all you actually want is parity (or maybe the removal of soccer footage). Assuming the former, please explain parity.

Please pick from this list, and add to it if needs be.

Note, this is football only - we can do hurling later

• All National League games involving Ulster teams have a camera crew sent to them.
• All National League games involving DIVISION 1 Ulster teams have a camera crew sent to them.
• All McKenna Cup games have a camera crew sent to them.
• All Ulster Championship matches are covered live.
• All AI qualifiers involving Ulster teams have a camera crew sent to them.
• All AI series matches involving Ulster teams have a camera crew sent to them.
• All Railway Cup matches involving Ulster have a camera crew sent to them.
• All Club Championship matches across Ulster get a mention.
• All SENIOR ONLY Club Championship matches across Ulster get a mention.
• At least 1 SFC in every Ulster County is covered every week.
• All Club League matches across Ulster get a mention.
• All SENIOR ONLY Club League matches across Ulster get a mention.
• An elongated Saturday Sportsround to cover off Gaelic football.
• A dedicated new GAA show of 30/45/60 minutes on Sundays.

[johnneycool]

A brief highlights of each game in a similar manner to what the soccer lads have on a saturday night, on a sunday though, this could include the below depending on the time of year;

Ulster counties in the NFL/NHL,
Club senior county finals, Ulster club championships
Inter provincial games
Ulster Championship highlights, qualifier highlights involving ulster counties etc, etc.
A results only service where the Div1 club results, intermediate, junior championship results from each county are read out or shown on a graphic on said highlights slot.

Something along those lines.

[Zulu]

BBC wouldn't have to have cameras or reporters at all the games as there would be plenty of reporters at the games anyway and RTE cameras at some of them.

[johnneycool]

BBC wouldn't have to have cameras or reporters at all the games as there would be plenty of reporters at the games anyway and RTE cameras at some of them.

If they can get a camera to Ballinamallard, they can get a camera to Brewster park. 

[All of a Sludden]

BBC wouldn't have to have cameras or reporters at all the games as there would be plenty of reporters at the games anyway and RTE cameras at some of them.

Could be an opportunity for someone to do a bit of freelance work for Auntie Beeb, someone who could be in Omagh on a Saturday evening and Enniskillen on a Sunday.

[T Fearon]

BBC N.I. has no local tv output for local sport on Sunday apart from GAA in the summertime, and in wintertime don't they have a radio programme at tea time on Sunday for results, and they also cover live on radio most (certainly the final) if not all the Ulster Club Championship ties.

Added to the radio programme each Sunday afternoon for the National League and the unprecedented coverage of the Championship on both radio and tv on the summer, I don't think anyone could argue that GAA coverage doesn't consume a significant portion of BBC NI's Sporting budget.

Wasn't this proven, with hard evidence (in terms of coverage hours and comparisons with other sports) by the BBC's Defence lawyers during JQ's Tribunal Case?