14.11.09

RED BUTTON LATEST

You'll recall I posted last month about the scrapping of channel 302 on Freeview and what impact this may have on the BBC's snooker coverage.

For the last few years, they have been showing both tables all day long on the red button.

Well, the BBC's Matt Millington has had this to say: "The two-table offering from major snooker events will be a difficult one for us. Where possible, we will aim to offer the alternative table to that being shown on the network channel, so two tables will be on offer for at least some of the time."

In the afternoons this means a choice for viewers but the BBC shows just an hour of live coverage in the evenings - from 7-8pm - before returning some four hours later for highlights, so clearly Freeview viewers will miss out.

However, viewers with Sky and cable and those watching on the BBC website will be unaffected.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

ta for the update dave

it wont affect me as i have what it takes to view both.

had i not already had what i needed to view all, id purchase what was needed.

:)

RichP said...

Can't see what the problem is to be honest. People who hardly pay anything shouldn't expect to receive anything. If they upgrade to Sky or Virgin then they'll get the channels. People expect something for nothing.

Anonymous said...

I am disgusted at this. I bought freeview some years ago in order to watch the snooker!
It seems as though the bbc cares as much about this as it does about spectators and viewers watching the conclusion of tournaments as they start final sessions at the ridiculous 8pm. I am surprised sponsors dont object to there showcase final being sidelined to such a late start.

Anonymous said...

It is a free channel and it is a minority sport, so what do you expect?

Anonymous said...

'People expect something for nothing'

No, people expect a public service broadcaster - who they pay to receive - to provide coverage of sporting events for everyone, not just those who can afford to pay for them

Why would the BBC push people towards Sky? Ridiculous

Anonymous said...

for those of us who survive on 60 pound a week sky is not an option.

stuartfanning said...

Presumeably even Freeview viewers have Broadband! With that they can get both tables on the BBC sports site.

Anonymous said...

if you got freeview so you could watch the snooker and arent happy now you should have checked it came with a guarantee to always show all snooker matches that are on bbc. if you did that youd find it didnt come with that guarantee!!

Anonymous said...

RichP's point is nonsensical

These are BBC tournaments paid for by the licence fee so why should people pay Sky to watch them?

Anonymous said...

the bbc arent obliged to transmit every possible match in every sport it covers

they have done more than they "need to" by showing snooker on the red button for a long time

its now become the norm and some babies are crying that they are not getting it, rather than be thankful to the bbc that they got snooker on 2 tables on red button for so long.

the bbc has a limited resource and has to best judge what their channels should output

this time snooker is losing a small bit, but it was snookers gain for some time.

its not all lost, its available through sky or on bbc website, yet some still seem to think snooker should be on tv and on the red button no matter what other sports or events are on in the world. sadly the world doesnt revolve around snooker and that cant happen.

very short sighted some people who just expect to get what they are "into" to be on and fully covered 24/7. some sad and thoughtless folk imo

Greg said...

Nice to see people defending our beloved BBC.

Without them, who would spend squillions of our license fee money a Formula One contract that doesn't even attract half the number of viewers that an episode of Top Gear does?

Anonymous said...

The BBC is a public service broadcaster. It doesn't charge for what it produces, but making sure you can view it for free is not, and never has been, its responsibility. They don't give away HD TVs, they don't pay for your broadband connection. This is no different.

You don't even have to subscribe to Sky/Virgin - freesat carries all of the BBC digital channels.

Anonymous said...

I thought people writing on here would be pro snooker -obviously some are employed by the bbc!

Anonymous said...

i dont work for the bbc
i say it as i see it
i can have an unbiased view even tho id love it to be shown on both tables on the red button
i just cant bear the folk on here who in the past go on as if its their right to have both tables shown, when other sports get bugger all
these folk think the world revolves around them and or snooker

Dave H said...

They are showing it on the red button, just not on Freeview.

And this isn't because of 'other events in the world.' It's because the channel has been axed to start an HD trial in London and Manchester.

Anonymous said...

that is what i meant

theyre under no obligation to keep that channel, the same way they arent obliged to cover all other sports, and every table/court/whatever at the events

theres other things in life that the bbc do and cater for, but some seem to think its their right as a license payer to get all that they want to

if every person who liked "their sport" was like us then thered be no room for any on freeview

selfish thinking by some

Anonymous said...

RichP, I think you're overlooking something. We do pay for the BBC: it's called a licence fee. For the BBC to downgrade the snooker coverage on a whim without asking the people who pay their wages what they think really gets on my tits.