As a passionate sports fan, I am a big critique of how television channels broadcast sport. Television sports coverage should include the following basics:
The sport is shown in it’s entirety. That is, the entire match including every play, pass, goal, bowl, pitch, hit is shown from start to finish including extra-time. Just like if you were actually at the game.
The sport should be shown live if possible.
The commentators should be an expert in that sport and also have the media training and skills to deliver this expert knowledge to the audience. The commentary should add to the viewers experience.
I don’t think this is too much to ask, do you?
Well, when it comes to Channel 7’s coverage of the Australian Open every summer, it apparently is too much to ask.
Their coverage is absolutely awful. It is so frustrating to watch and at times cringe-worthy. It is not enjoyable, which is a shame because some of the best athletes in the world are on show in Australia.
So without further ado, let me list the crimes that channel 7’s Australian Open coverage is guilty of.
1. The night-session coverage is not shown live in some Australian states
This one personally affects me the most. During Australia’s summer, the eastern states adopt daylight saving except for Queensland. TV programming in Queensland is affected by this if certain programs are to be shown live. The coverage of the Australian Open is advertised as “LIVE”. But, when it come to the night session, Queensland’s coverage is delayed by 1 hour because of daylight saving.
The reason behind this is that channel 7 refuses to move the nightly news at 6pm and their “hard-hitting” and “full of integrity” current affairs program at 6.30pm. Not only in Queensland, but also in South Australia, Northern Territory and Western Australia where they are discriminated against by being in a different time zone anyway, regardless of daylight saving. Remarkably, Western Australia has a 3 hour delay for their night session!!!
What a joke!!!
For those not on Australian Eastern Daylight Saving Time, if we don’t want to accidentally find out what the score is, we need to go into hibernation mode. We can’t turn on the radio. We can’t go onto a sports or news website. We can’t use twitter or facebook. We can’t even use channel 7’s Australian Open website that they advertise during the delayed tennis coverage!
Don’t channel 7 know that we live in this technology age where we can get information at the press of a button. It’s not the 1970’s. Wake up to yourself channel 7!
Channel 7 is basically giving a big “fuck you” to anyone not on the same time-zone as Sydney and Melbourne.
Also, I feel somewhat deflated and disconnected from the sports contest when I know it’s not live. Though I have not seen the contest before and I don’t know what’s going to happen, I feel that I’m not watching the same event as someone who is watching it live. Part of watching a big, live sports coverage is the fact that there are thousands or even millions of other people right around the country and the world watching the exact same thing that you are, at the same time. It makes you feel part of something much bigger than just watching something on TV. This is a big part of watching sport at home that I don’t think TV channel executives understand.
2. Some matches during the daytime session are not shown live anyway
Again, channel 7 must think people stop their lives and have no access to internet or radio when their coverage is on. The other day I was watching Tomic play Lopez. Half-way through this match, Alicia Molik’s match started on another court. They advertised throughout Tomic’s match that they will show the Molik match straight after Tomic’s is finished. However, at the conclusion of Tomic’s match I was surprised to see Molik and her opponent walk out of the locker room and down to the courts to begin the match. This is because I had seen on facebook that Molik had lost the first set.
I appreciate that channel 7 are trying to show as much of the Australian players as possible. But there is little point showing the full, delayed match when the score is easily accessible on radio and the internet. Either pick up the match live at the point where it currently is or, even better, use one of the other digital channels channel 7 owns to show both matches, concurrently live. Yes, let’s actually use this technology called digital television for what it was designed to do! But god forbid we replace reruns of Full House with live grand slam tennis!!!
3. Missing the first point of a new game because of advertising
There is nothing more annoying as a sports fan watching a match on TV and missing the first ball, first play or first point because the commercial break went too long. I think most sports fans can put up with commercials during a match as long as it is during the “break” in the sport.
However, channel 7’s ability to miss the first point of a game is remarkably high. Not only do the commercials sometimes run overtime, they’ve come up with a number of other ways to miss the action and annoy the viewer. For starters they have this “sounds of the game” segment which is sponsored by telecommunications company Optus. Basically, its 30 seconds of listening to a game of tennis played days ago (and sometimes it’s not even tennis). This segment clearly adds nothing to the coverage and is a thinly veiled extra commercial that runs into showing the actual tennis. Another annoyance is crossing to the host in the main studio to talk about what’s coming up. Again, no point to showing the host as channel 7 frequently tells us what’s coming up in between games anyway.
But to top that all off, the other day lead commentator Bruce McAvaney said it was “the perfect time to rejoin us”... after an ace had been served... not the perfect time at all!!!
4. Cringe-worthy self-promotional advertising
During games when the players don’t need to change ends (and hence channel 7 can’t throw to a regular commercial break), channel 7 often throws in a 10-15 second advertising promoting a television show that will begin in the weeks following the tennis. This ad often incorporates a tennis theme which just makes it sound corny. Then the commentators get in on the act after the ad is over and it just makes for horrible and awkward television. It really takes away for the authenticity of watching high class sport when these unashamed, cringe-worthy self-promotion advertisements continually pop up during the coverage and take away from what the real event is.
5. Commentators not on the same wave-length
When I was watching the Tomic match the other day, one commentator in the booth asked the commentator in the grandstand (again pointless because they have to whisper and they are just going to get sunburnt too) a question specific to the state of the game. Something like, how should Tomic approach playing this type of opponent in the second set after just winning the first set? The grandstand commentator then proceeded to not answer the question at all and rambled about Tomic’s general attributes that had nothing to do with a strategy or approach to beating this specific opponent in this specific situation. It wasn’t even like the commentator just used old sport cliches to answer the question. He just didn’t answer the question at all! This happens all the time during channel 7’s coverage. Commentators ask each other questions and half the time the answers they give have little or no resemblance to the original question proposed. It’s either they are not actually experts in their field, or they don’t have the media skills and training to formulate questions and answers that are insightful, relevant and add to the pictures being shown.
In my opinion, channel 7 needs to lift their game immeasurably. As the main broadcaster in Australia of 1 of the 4 grand slams in tennis, you would think they would aim to provide a top quality broadcast. The Australian Open is very popular to Australians so it’s a perfect opportunity to showcase how serious and how good channel 7 is at broadcasting these big events.
But it is far from good. It’s awful to watch. Just like serving a double-fault on match point.
The sport is shown in it’s entirety. That is, the entire match including every play, pass, goal, bowl, pitch, hit is shown from start to finish including extra-time. Just like if you were actually at the game.
The sport should be shown live if possible.
The commentators should be an expert in that sport and also have the media training and skills to deliver this expert knowledge to the audience. The commentary should add to the viewers experience.
I don’t think this is too much to ask, do you?
Well, when it comes to Channel 7’s coverage of the Australian Open every summer, it apparently is too much to ask.
Their coverage is absolutely awful. It is so frustrating to watch and at times cringe-worthy. It is not enjoyable, which is a shame because some of the best athletes in the world are on show in Australia.
So without further ado, let me list the crimes that channel 7’s Australian Open coverage is guilty of.
1. The night-session coverage is not shown live in some Australian states
This one personally affects me the most. During Australia’s summer, the eastern states adopt daylight saving except for Queensland. TV programming in Queensland is affected by this if certain programs are to be shown live. The coverage of the Australian Open is advertised as “LIVE”. But, when it come to the night session, Queensland’s coverage is delayed by 1 hour because of daylight saving.
The reason behind this is that channel 7 refuses to move the nightly news at 6pm and their “hard-hitting” and “full of integrity” current affairs program at 6.30pm. Not only in Queensland, but also in South Australia, Northern Territory and Western Australia where they are discriminated against by being in a different time zone anyway, regardless of daylight saving. Remarkably, Western Australia has a 3 hour delay for their night session!!!
What a joke!!!
For those not on Australian Eastern Daylight Saving Time, if we don’t want to accidentally find out what the score is, we need to go into hibernation mode. We can’t turn on the radio. We can’t go onto a sports or news website. We can’t use twitter or facebook. We can’t even use channel 7’s Australian Open website that they advertise during the delayed tennis coverage!
Don’t channel 7 know that we live in this technology age where we can get information at the press of a button. It’s not the 1970’s. Wake up to yourself channel 7!
Channel 7 is basically giving a big “fuck you” to anyone not on the same time-zone as Sydney and Melbourne.
Also, I feel somewhat deflated and disconnected from the sports contest when I know it’s not live. Though I have not seen the contest before and I don’t know what’s going to happen, I feel that I’m not watching the same event as someone who is watching it live. Part of watching a big, live sports coverage is the fact that there are thousands or even millions of other people right around the country and the world watching the exact same thing that you are, at the same time. It makes you feel part of something much bigger than just watching something on TV. This is a big part of watching sport at home that I don’t think TV channel executives understand.
2. Some matches during the daytime session are not shown live anyway
Again, channel 7 must think people stop their lives and have no access to internet or radio when their coverage is on. The other day I was watching Tomic play Lopez. Half-way through this match, Alicia Molik’s match started on another court. They advertised throughout Tomic’s match that they will show the Molik match straight after Tomic’s is finished. However, at the conclusion of Tomic’s match I was surprised to see Molik and her opponent walk out of the locker room and down to the courts to begin the match. This is because I had seen on facebook that Molik had lost the first set.
I appreciate that channel 7 are trying to show as much of the Australian players as possible. But there is little point showing the full, delayed match when the score is easily accessible on radio and the internet. Either pick up the match live at the point where it currently is or, even better, use one of the other digital channels channel 7 owns to show both matches, concurrently live. Yes, let’s actually use this technology called digital television for what it was designed to do! But god forbid we replace reruns of Full House with live grand slam tennis!!!
3. Missing the first point of a new game because of advertising
There is nothing more annoying as a sports fan watching a match on TV and missing the first ball, first play or first point because the commercial break went too long. I think most sports fans can put up with commercials during a match as long as it is during the “break” in the sport.
However, channel 7’s ability to miss the first point of a game is remarkably high. Not only do the commercials sometimes run overtime, they’ve come up with a number of other ways to miss the action and annoy the viewer. For starters they have this “sounds of the game” segment which is sponsored by telecommunications company Optus. Basically, its 30 seconds of listening to a game of tennis played days ago (and sometimes it’s not even tennis). This segment clearly adds nothing to the coverage and is a thinly veiled extra commercial that runs into showing the actual tennis. Another annoyance is crossing to the host in the main studio to talk about what’s coming up. Again, no point to showing the host as channel 7 frequently tells us what’s coming up in between games anyway.
But to top that all off, the other day lead commentator Bruce McAvaney said it was “the perfect time to rejoin us”... after an ace had been served... not the perfect time at all!!!
4. Cringe-worthy self-promotional advertising
During games when the players don’t need to change ends (and hence channel 7 can’t throw to a regular commercial break), channel 7 often throws in a 10-15 second advertising promoting a television show that will begin in the weeks following the tennis. This ad often incorporates a tennis theme which just makes it sound corny. Then the commentators get in on the act after the ad is over and it just makes for horrible and awkward television. It really takes away for the authenticity of watching high class sport when these unashamed, cringe-worthy self-promotion advertisements continually pop up during the coverage and take away from what the real event is.
5. Commentators not on the same wave-length
When I was watching the Tomic match the other day, one commentator in the booth asked the commentator in the grandstand (again pointless because they have to whisper and they are just going to get sunburnt too) a question specific to the state of the game. Something like, how should Tomic approach playing this type of opponent in the second set after just winning the first set? The grandstand commentator then proceeded to not answer the question at all and rambled about Tomic’s general attributes that had nothing to do with a strategy or approach to beating this specific opponent in this specific situation. It wasn’t even like the commentator just used old sport cliches to answer the question. He just didn’t answer the question at all! This happens all the time during channel 7’s coverage. Commentators ask each other questions and half the time the answers they give have little or no resemblance to the original question proposed. It’s either they are not actually experts in their field, or they don’t have the media skills and training to formulate questions and answers that are insightful, relevant and add to the pictures being shown.
In my opinion, channel 7 needs to lift their game immeasurably. As the main broadcaster in Australia of 1 of the 4 grand slams in tennis, you would think they would aim to provide a top quality broadcast. The Australian Open is very popular to Australians so it’s a perfect opportunity to showcase how serious and how good channel 7 is at broadcasting these big events.
But it is far from good. It’s awful to watch. Just like serving a double-fault on match point.
Same with the cricket and Nine's inability to show the full event. They're trying to appeal to as many viewers as possible, and it's purely quantity over quality.
ReplyDeleteBring on the National Broadband Network and online-only "tv" channels.
A rebuttal - For most people's viewing pleasure
ReplyDelete1) No doubt the delay in coverage is to maximize ratings. The TV broadcaster will show the games at the time that the maximum number of people will watch it. Peek time does not change depending on your timezone, it is dictated by the daily running of people’s lives. Usually, this takes place after work, when people are eating their dinner and sitting around with nothing better to do. They call this “Prime Time”. By showing the games on delay, more people can watch them. That’s right, more people can enjoy the sport on TV – not just the sports tragics. Keep in mind not everybody has the luxurious flexibility of the post-graduate student life-style. They can’t just finish work early to get home to watch the game live, they can’t take the day off to couch-it all day, they can’t leave their children’s weekend sporting event. Delaying live coverage, to conform to the timezone allows these people – the apparent majority to enjoy their tennis.
2) Again a ratings maximizer, and you are in the minority. Just like the Olympics, Australian audiences want to watch Australian players.
3) Agreed. Utter bullshit. But see 4.
4) Agreed. Utter bullshit. But would you prefer to pay money for your sport. Advertising makes it free to air. Sometimes you just have to cop it.
5) Commentators are retarded. Actually, pretty much every person on TV is a moron. To generalize, many commentators are ex-professional athletes. Unfortunately, there is no intelligence quotient to become a professional athlete, which means the brain-retardation flows on to commentating. So too with the “skills” of having a clear voice, or the ability to scream and get the folks at home excited.
Hi Steve
ReplyDeleteSome good points you raise there.
1) I'm all for TV showing the game at a time when families are home and have the TV on. It looks like cricket will go that way by playing day/night tests. However, I don't think this is their intention. If they were serious about showing the tennis 'prime time' then why do they must show Home and Away at 'prime time' i.e. 7pm? Furthermore, the nightly men's match may not start until after 9pm if the women's match beforehand goes for an hour or half or more. So not exactly 'prime time'. Though that's hard to do when you are trying to show 2 matches a night. I've heard a few years ago channel 7 has defended showing Home and Away at 7pm in all states as apparently it gets more viewers at that time for that show. So in a business sense why would they give this up to show tennis? The people running the Australian Open have a responsibility that those not in NSW, VIC and TAS are not discriminated against.
2) I agree, I'd rather see Australian players 8 or 9 times out of 10. But we have digital tv and all these extra channels. Why can't we have both? The BBC for their coverage of the Commonwealth Games had about 5 channels completely dedicated to the coverage of the Commonwealth Games. I know the laws regarding the amount of channels and what you can show are probably different here but I think we need to embrace technology a bit more and not be stuck 10-15 years behind the rest of the world.
4) No problems with ads. It's not the worst I've seen in terms of mass advertising - see the IPL for that. But at least in the IPL you see every ball. You don't miss a piece of the action which is the whole point of it. Channel 7 fails this and so that's the issue. I think that's their minimum obligation on purchasing the rights. Show it in full or give it to someone else that will.
5) Absolutely spot on!!! Very rarely do ex-players make good commentators. Often the best commentators are those that may have played a little but never made it to the top level.
Hope you enjoy the blog.