Channel 4 to replace BBC as F1 broadcaster

James1978 · Post by **James1978** » 20 Dec 2015, 09:40

East Londoner wrote:It could be plausible that the BBC decide to go back to the system they used in the 1980s up to about 1993, where Murray Walker and James Hunt usually commentated on races from a room situated somewhere in the Television Centre in London. I imagine MediaCity:UK has ample space for such a system to be implemented again. That would save a lot of money in regards to logistics for the flyaways, whereas races like Britain, Belgium, Monaco and Germany get commentary from the track as usual.

It was definitely still in place in 1993, as when I read about James Hunt's death, he had cycled the BBC studios in London to meet Murray Walker to do the commentary for the Canadian GP there, the day before he died.

andrew · Post by **andrew** » 21 Dec 2015, 11:22

Just been announced, BBC no longer have f1. Free coverage belongs to Channel4 who will show races advert free.

IceG · Post by **IceG** » 21 Dec 2015, 11:24

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-35149963

CoopsII · Post by **CoopsII** » 21 Dec 2015, 11:27

Hoofrackingray.

I've bigged C4 up for ages. Watch it be a bag of bobbins now

Post by **DemocalypseNow** » 21 Dec 2015, 11:50

Channel 4 to run Formula 1 under the banner "Gazzetta Corsa Italia", James Richardson hosting.

What do you suppose Mr E's favourite slice of cake is?

AustralianStig · Post by **AustralianStig** » 21 Dec 2015, 12:14

Is Channel 4 going to broadcast all races live? Or just a selection and the rest as highlights? Only asking as in Australia we seemed to get BBC's coverage this year, so it's likely we'll now get Channel 4's.

Would love to see every race on free to air with qualifying too.

andrew · Post by **andrew** » 21 Dec 2015, 12:17

It's the same deal as BBC had, channel 4 have 10 races live all sessions, the rest are highlights

Post by **mario** » 21 Dec 2015, 12:49

AustralianStig wrote:Is Channel 4 going to broadcast all races live? Or just a selection and the rest as highlights? Only asking as in Australia we seemed to get BBC's coverage this year, so it's likely we'll now get Channel 4's.

Would love to see every race on free to air with qualifying too.

As Andrew states, Channel 4 has the same deal as the BBC - some of the races live in full, with the rest being highlight reels. They will, however, provide coverage of the practise sessions and qualifying as part of the deal, with the races being shown without any commercial breaks.
http://www.channel4.com/info/press/news ... 6f68a35e34

That would suggest the possibility of ad breaks during the qualifying sessions, but that might not be too bad - after all, if they slotted them in the gaps between the qualifying sessions, that could work quite well.

In some ways, this might turn out to be something of a blessing in disguise - if Channel 4 can deliver on the 10 point plan they had put together in the past (such as more use of archived material), they could potentially put together a fairly decent program.

Post by **Londoner** » 21 Dec 2015, 12:53

Biscione wrote:Channel 4 to run Formula 1 under the banner "Gazzetta Corsa Italia", James Richardson hosting.

This.

What is interesting is that the F1 coverage has been shifted from one public broadcaster to another. That being said, the Tories have been making hints that they may privatise C4...

Post by **Bobby Doorknobs** » 21 Dec 2015, 13:05

mario wrote:That would suggest the possibility of ad breaks during the qualifying sessions, but that might not be too bad - after all, if they slotted them in the gaps between the qualifying sessions, that could work quite well.

Setanta Sports already shows ad breaks in between qualifying sessions (though sometimes it overlaps with on-track action, typical Irish incompetance

), so it is something that is being practiced and hopefully an example to follow.

Also, I'm glad to see F1 is going to a station that I still have access to

rachel1990 · Post by **rachel1990** » 21 Dec 2015, 16:20

Can't see it as totally bad for coverage. At least the bbc coverage has been put out of its misery. They clearly couldn't give a toss since 2012 in my opinion.

Wonder who will front it.

CoopsII · Post by **CoopsII** » 21 Dec 2015, 16:34

mario wrote:In some ways, this might turn out to be something of a blessing in disguise - if Channel 4 can deliver on the 10 point plan they had put together in the past (such as more use of archived material), they could potentially put together a fairly decent program.

The only thing causing choppy seas could be the quick turnround, assuming C4 haven't known about this for months, 12 or so weeks to put together the sort of polished sports programming C4 have a reputation for could be quite challenging.

Barbazza · Post by **Barbazza** » 21 Dec 2015, 16:42

I'm actually quite excited to see how they do it. Even though I pay for Sky Sports I may tune in to C4 for whichever their first race happens to be.

I think this is a good thing. The BBC have completely lost the plot when it comes to covering sport - the TV coverage was pretty average, with the website coverage (as with most of the BBC website these days) an absolute joke given that Andrew 'can't really give a toss' Benson was in charge of the whole thing.

Others have mentioned archive stuff - this year, that was treated with contempt by the Beeb. It was publicised so poorly that I happened to come across the 'F1 Classics' (or whatever it was called) show completely by accident. I then watched amazed as rather than Suzi Perry just asking Murray to give a bit of background to the season and the race in question - good idea - Murray then did that AND described more or less everything that we were about to see in the highlights! What's the bloody point of that?
Oh, and covering 3 races in an hour doesn't leave enough time for decent highlights, obviously.

So good luck C4 - if you're good enough then given that Sky need to buck their ideas up as well, I might end up saving some money!!

Spectoremg · Post by **Spectoremg** » 21 Dec 2015, 16:49

Blimey, I didn't see that coming. I certainly like their cricket highlight packages (I know - a different world).
Please, please, please C4 form your own team of presenters and don't just take the BBC lot lock, stock etc.
Brundle tempted back to terrestrial?

sswishbone · Post by **sswishbone** » 21 Dec 2015, 17:14

Both Sky and BBC have cocked it up so why not let Channel 4 shine? Sounds good to me

IceG · Post by **IceG** » 21 Dec 2015, 18:36

I cannot see how you can say that Sky have cocked up their F1 coverage. They provide live coverage of all of the weekend events (press conferences, practice sessions, qualy and the race) with multiple repeats. They have good commentators (Brundle is clearly the best out there at the moment, informed and unhyperbolic with good access to personalities within the sport) as well as "less good". And they have the multiple camera angle facility on the red button. What is not to like?

I receive it for free because of my Sky subscription; I would NOT pay for it as a supplementary because the "show" is not good enough - that is F1's problem, not Sky's.

The key problem here is that BE tries to maximise short-term financial benefit from the broadcast rights. If that drives out the nationals and FTA broadcasters making F1 a subscription-only sport it will lead to a massive loss of viewers so the sport dies in the mid/long term. Manufacturers want as many people as possible watch their cars win and then go and buy the street vehicles - they do not want the audience to shrink.

Good luck to Channel 4 - I hope they make a good job of it because one day Sky will unilaterally change my subscription and, like when BT took MotoGP subscription only, I will stop watching.

Barbazza · Post by **Barbazza** » 21 Dec 2015, 18:48

IceG wrote:I cannot see how you can say that Sky have cocked up their F1 coverage. They provide live coverage of all of the weekend events (press conferences, practice sessions, qualy and the race) with multiple repeats. They have good commentators (Brundle is clearly the best out there at the moment, informed and unhyperbolic with good access to personalities within the sport) as well as "less good". And they have the multiple camera angle facility on the red button. What is not to like?

The fact that Simon Lazenby - a presenter who is not terrible, but certainly not great either - presents as if the whole thing is like an 'old boys club'.

Damon Hill - he adds nothing.

The obsession with talking to Lewis / Toto Wolff / Christian Horner constantly even if there is nothing new to talk about, while not really bothering much with anyone else (this is even more the case if Ferrari have just won)

The ability to try to create conspiracy theories out of any small piece of evidence whatsoever, especially where Lewis is concerned.

It's not all bad, of course. Johnny Herbert and Anthony Davidson are great pundits, Brundle and Crofty are (mostly) very good, and being able to see all live races is great, although I DO pay for it thanks to Sky taking away my free F1 HD. Which is a story in itself......

dr-baker · Post by **dr-baker** » 21 Dec 2015, 19:31

Biscione wrote:Channel 4 to run Formula 1 under the banner "Gazzetta Corsa Italia", James Richardson hosting.

I've not heard of James Richardson before? What can people tell me about him? Is he any good?

Post by **Bobby Doorknobs** » 21 Dec 2015, 19:36

dr-baker wrote:
Biscione wrote:Channel 4 to run Formula 1 under the banner "Gazzetta Corsa Italia", James Richardson hosting.

I've not heard of James Richardson before? What can people tell me about him? Is he any good?

I thought Biscione being an avid follower of Serie A would be a pretty strong hint

Paul Hayes · Post by **Paul Hayes** » 21 Dec 2015, 19:52

Interesting that after all the years of rumours, Channel 4 do finally go for it after all.

dr-baker · Post by **dr-baker** » 21 Dec 2015, 19:53

Simtek wrote:
dr-baker wrote:
Biscione wrote:Channel 4 to run Formula 1 under the banner "Gazzetta Corsa Italia", James Richardson hosting.

I've not heard of James Richardson before? What can people tell me about him? Is he any good?

I thought Biscione being an avid follower of Serie A would be a pretty strong hint

Maybe, but that doesn't tell me whether Biscione thinks Richardson is any good or not...

Paul Hayes · Post by **Paul Hayes** » 21 Dec 2015, 19:55

dr-baker wrote:
Biscione wrote:Channel 4 to run Formula 1 under the banner "Gazzetta Corsa Italia", James Richardson hosting.

I've not heard of James Richardson before? What can people tell me about him? Is he any good?

He's excellent, but this post is just a gag referring to Richardson's 1990s Italian football show on Channel 4.

dr-baker · Post by **dr-baker** » 21 Dec 2015, 20:37

Paul Hayes wrote:
dr-baker wrote:
Biscione wrote:Channel 4 to run Formula 1 under the banner "Gazzetta Corsa Italia", James Richardson hosting.

I've not heard of James Richardson before? What can people tell me about him? Is he any good?

He's excellent, but this post is just a gag referring to Richardson's 1990s Italian football show on Channel 4.

Fair enough. All this just highlights how little I know and care about football, doesn't it?

Post by **mario** » 21 Dec 2015, 20:43

CoopsII wrote:
mario wrote:In some ways, this might turn out to be something of a blessing in disguise - if Channel 4 can deliver on the 10 point plan they had put together in the past (such as more use of archived material), they could potentially put together a fairly decent program.

The only thing causing choppy seas could be the quick turnround, assuming C4 haven't known about this for months, 12 or so weeks to put together the sort of polished sports programming C4 have a reputation for could be quite challenging.

It is true that the short turnaround period will certainly make it difficult for them, even if we assume that the deal has probably been in the works for some time. In the short term, I wouldn't be surprised if they call on most of those who formerly worked for the BBC as a bridge between the two seasons i.e. using 2016 as a season to learn the ropes, as it were, with the main focus being on 2017 when they can start afresh.

Spectoremg · Post by **Spectoremg** » 21 Dec 2015, 22:23

http://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/d ... 4-bbc-deal
'In August, Channel 4 took a minority stake in Whisper Films, the sports production company part-owned by Coulthard and BT presenter Jake Humphrey.'
OMG, I'd just about forgotten that buffoon Humphrey, please don't let this be a way back for him.

Post by **Ataxia** » 21 Dec 2015, 23:08

Spectoremg wrote:OMG, I'd just about forgotten that buffoon Humphrey, please don't let this be a way back for him.

I liked Jake Humphrey, he did a very good job in the lead presenter role despite not having the experience in the first year of BBC coverage. Even Sky copied the formula by bringing in Lazers to do the same thing.

Regardless, to ease your...ahem, worries, I think Jake's tied up with BT Sport at the moment.

Collieafc · Post by **Collieafc** » 22 Dec 2015, 10:06

Ataxia wrote:
Spectoremg wrote:OMG, I'd just about forgotten that buffoon Humphrey, please don't let this be a way back for him.

I liked Jake Humphrey, he did a very good job in the lead presenter role despite not having the experience in the first year of BBC coverage. Even Sky copied the formula by bringing in Lazers to do the same thing.

Regardless, to ease your...ahem, worries, I think Jake's tied up with BT Sport at the moment.

I agree with Ataxia, theres worse than Jake Humphrey. I thought he was good for F1 newcomers who had only just starting watching the sport as a whole and wanted to find out more. His questions may have been fairly simple and obvious to us people here but for those who havent watched the sport for the last 20 years I thought he was a good introduction for new fans without getting too technical or assuming knowledge.

Ideally you would pair him with somebody who DOES have a wealth of F1 knowledge and experience to cover all audiences. Thats why I think the BBC coverage worked so well to begin with. (Certainly compared to now)

Barbazza · Post by **Barbazza** » 22 Dec 2015, 15:45

I thought Jake Humphrey was bloody awful. He presented as if he was still on kids TV (where he was perfectly fine, actually!) and very quickly became full of his own self-importance. Witness the most unnecessary autobiography of all time that he brought out a few years back and which The Works still can't give away.

Mind you, this seems to be the way that things are these days - presenters with no discernible personality. As Ataxia said, Lazenby's not that dissimilar, and there are loads more of them on the BBC in different sports such as Dan Walker. I have a name for them - 'personality voids'. How I yearn for a return to the days when we had Murray, Des Lynam, Richie Benaud, Dan Maskell and the like.

CoopsII · Post by **CoopsII** » 22 Dec 2015, 18:00

Barbazza wrote:IWitness the most unnecessary autobiography of all time that he brought out a few years back and which The Works still can't give away.

Hey! I picked up a copy of a Heinz-Harald Frentzen biography from The Works for 50p once! Sometimes literary careers just don't pan out the way the authors envisaged.

Post by **Ataxia** » 23 Dec 2015, 00:07

Eddie Jordan is talking a lot of sense.

CoopsII · Post by **CoopsII** » 23 Dec 2015, 07:39

Ataxia wrote:Eddie Jordan is talking a lot of sense.

He certainly makes a good point about those backroom staff members who had to move up north to Media City but he also not-so-subtly throws his hat into the ring for any roles at Channel 4.

Faustus · Post by **Faustus** » 23 Dec 2015, 12:49

Ataxia wrote:Eddie Jordan is talking a lot of sense.

This does make sense. Must have been ghost-written.

sswishbone · Post by **sswishbone** » 23 Dec 2015, 13:34

To rub salt in the wound they are still showing F1 as part of their 'BBC sport' montage

CoopsII · Post by **CoopsII** » 23 Dec 2015, 15:46

I feel I need to defend the BBC a little through all this. Being annoyed at them for not having the money to do F1 at all, never mind how we used to enjoy it in the 80s and 90s, is a bit like being annoyed at COTA for probably losing the US Grand Prix. Essentially, the BBC is a consumer and consumers don't generally get to choose the price of the goods they buy, the prices are set elsewhere. Also, the Chancellor of the Exchequer is taking at least 650 million quid from their budget because Austerity.

Whilst I think the BBC probably isn't the most efficient organisation in the world all this appears out of their hands to an extent.

Mind you, it does annoy me that CBBC, a channel for school age kids, is on all day everyday. I mean, during school holidays it's fine and I know not all schools finish at the same time but even so the rest of the year it must be on just for kids that are sick or who have bunked off. And everyone knows when you bunk off you daren't go home in case someone spots you!

andrew · Post by **andrew** » 23 Dec 2015, 16:28

CBBC is on from 7 till 7. The pointless money wasting channel in my view is BBC ALBA. why waste money on things like that? In addition to this the BBC could make some cutbacks in the radio department, as there are many pointless radio channels

Spectoremg · Post by **Spectoremg** » 23 Dec 2015, 16:37

Advice to the BBC about cutbacks is a waste of breath; this is an organisation that considers Eastenders a flagship program.

CoopsII · Post by **CoopsII** » 23 Dec 2015, 18:09

Spectoremg wrote: this is an organisation that considers Eastenders a flagship program.

SPECTOREMG DOESN'T LIKE EASTENDERS! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1iMJNYHe1I

andrew · Post by **andrew** » 23 Dec 2015, 18:11

CoopsII wrote:
Spectoremg wrote: this is an organisation that considers Eastenders a flagship program.

SPECTOREMG DOESN'T LIKE EASTENDERS! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1iMJNYHe1I

That may be my post of the year

UncreativeUsername37 · Post by **UncreativeUsername37** » 23 Dec 2015, 19:17

CoopsII wrote:
Spectoremg wrote: this is an organisation that considers Eastenders a flagship program.

SPECTOREMG DOESN'T LIKE EASTENDERS! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1iMJNYHe1I

What has he mentioned liking anyway?

Salamander · Post by **Salamander** » 23 Dec 2015, 19:24

UgncreativeUsergname wrote:
CoopsII wrote:
Spectoremg wrote: this is an organisation that considers Eastenders a flagship program.

SPECTOREMG DOESN'T LIKE EASTENDERS! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1iMJNYHe1I

What has he mentioned liking anyway?

Complaining?