Lack of support for Equestrian sport by the BBC

[magic104]

Is as follows:
Thank you for your e-mail to BBC Information.

I understand that you would like more equestrian sports to be broadcast.

It is true that major Sports such as football, rugby, tennis, snooker and golf
form a key part of the Sport's Division's strategy to provide output of interest
and value to broad audiences. However we do recognise our role in both
supporting minority and providing content for niche audiences.

However, if viewing figures for any sporting event is no longer supported by the
viewing public we look carefully at whether it should command such a high
priority in our schedules. This is the reason, rather than the other way round,
that our equestrian coverage has been reduced in recent years. We still believe
we provide a good balance of sports coverage which caters for the diversity of
interests among the British audiences.

Nevertheless, I appreciate that you feel there should be more coverage and I can
assure you that your comments have been fully registered on our daily logs.
These are internal documents which will be made available to the relevant BBC
Sports departments along with senior BBC management. We welcome all feedback
from our viewers and your comments will play a part in future programming
decisions.

You may wish to visit the BBC Sport website for details if equestrian events:

news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/equestrian/default.stm

I hope that you will continue to watch BBC programmes and may I thank you, once
again, for taking the time to contact us with your views.

Regards

Amy Bennet
BBC Information
___________________________________________
http://www.bbc.co.uk/ - World Wide Wonderland

IT SEEMS WE ARE TO BLAME AS WHEN THEY DO SHOW ANY EQUESTRIAN SPORT WE ARE NOT THERE TO WATCH IT!!! COME ON NO POINT IN GRIPING IF WE OUTNUMBER DART PLAYERS THEN LETS SHOW IT!

 

[Nic]

Are Hickstead and (2/3rds) of Badminton not the only standard equestrian coverage given?

I know Blair was broadcast last year for about 1/2 an hour at midnight on a monday, and they wonder why people don't tune in then?!

 

[katelarge]

Hmmm, well I think they need reminding that they have a public service remit as well as a commitment to ratings/viewing figures!

And what about the days when broadcasters took risks: Who else on here remembers the "minority" Asian sport of Kabaddi (sort of like tig) that was broadcast - I think on C4? And remember Sumo and American Football in the 80s? All on terrestrial and - I think I'm right - on C4? And if I remember rightly Football Italia, which went on to be massive, started as a niche one-hour on C4?

 

[katelarge]

BTW here is a good article charting sport on C4, etc, during the 80s. Interesting stuff!

http://www.offthetelly.co.uk/features/c4/sport1.htm

 

[kick_On]

i would like to know the viewing figures for only fools on horses!!!

 

[sunflower]

And Blair is only shown in Scotland as far as I'm aware. I remember a few years ago when the BBC showed the final of the european eventing championships it got higher tv ratings then the Grand Prix which had been on ITV just before it AND the golf which it directly followed on the BBC. It doesn't help that equestrian sports tend to be advertised in small print as part of 'Grandstand' etc but other sports are much more clearly listed and run more or less on time whereas equestrianism often runs so late that people get fed up waiting for it.

 

[RachelB]

[ QUOTE ]
It doesn't help that equestrian sports tend to be advertised in small print as part of 'Grandstand' etc but other sports are much more clearly listed and run more or less on time whereas equestrianism often runs so late that people get fed up waiting for it.

[/ QUOTE ]
Exactly!
Do the 'viewing figures' include those of us who are forced to video any coverage of our sport due to having to be at work/ at the yard/ asleep? I don't know but I would imagine not!
I'm asking my parents for Sky for christmas!
I hope the BBC pull their finger out for the London Olympics!!

 

[jinglejoys]

I'm waiting for The Horse Channel before I splash out on Digital !

 

[The Voice]

A month ago showjumping was on every night all be it with 'celebrities' on it, and everyone talking about it, good and bad. With the World Equestrian Games following on a few weeks later, you would have thought the PR momentum would have been carried forward on a crest of a wave to support our equestrian teams in the WEG. Has it? Errr no.

We cannot blame the BBC for not supporting equestrian sports when we, collectively including the associations, cannot do it ourselves. As an example, how many people had England flags on cars etc and took them down after the world cup and threw them away instead of reusing them to show support for our teams abroad in an equestrian comparision to the world cup? Simple things like that get noticed and would generate interest. Equestrian activities are one of the largest particpating sports in the UK so we should not be so far down the pecking order like we are.

 

[matthew]

I have just emailed them as well- and i suggested they try advertising the coverage a bit more- as someone else said-not hiding it in small print on BBC2 sunday grandstand!!! it really is appaling and i think i will keep bugging them until i get a satisfactory response! maybe everyone should email them and get everyone you know to-make it clear !!!

 

[Faithkat]

I had exactly the same reply from the Beeb, and there I was thinking they had replied to me personally!!!!!

 

[Lobelia_Overhill]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm waiting for The Horse Channel before I splash out on Digital !

[/ QUOTE ]

Oy so am I! Well I already have digital - I keep scanning the thing for this Equi Channel but never find it

I remember back in the day when HOYS and RIHS were one the telly 5 nights a week prime time (8-10pm) then for some reason someone decided it was cheaper to show soccer and that was the beginning of the end for showjumping...

RTE used to show Dublin Horse Show 5 days for about 5 hours, now we get a couple of hours for 3 days