F1

Australian F1 viewers: a call to arms

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  • #131287
    Oblong_Cheese
    Participant

    Following Channel 10’s announcement that they are effective this weekend going to downgrade their F1 coverage, I would like Australian F1 viewers to help me gather what information and support we can in order to try and reverse this decision.

    Channel 10 announced on their Facebook page a few days ago (link: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=209160422520832&set=a.118759851560890.12404.113049405465268&type=3) that F1 broadcasts are moving from the HD channel “OneHD” to the SD channel 10. Channel 10 have stated this is to allow a “wider audience” of F1 fans to view the broadcast. In addition to the channel swap, the programming itself will start from 9.30PM in all time zones – this effectively means that viewers in SA and NT will be delayed by half an hour, and viewers in WA delayed by up to two hours. This is apparently also an attempt to get F1 viewers to a “wider audience”.

    How cynical you are will determine the kind of theories you have about the true motives behind these decisions. Channel 10 have stated they want F1 to be part of their “Super Sunday” broadcast – effectively a marketing push to collect several hours of popular programming into a prime-time slot of Sunday afternoon through evening. This was first done for the broadcast of the Australian GP due to its convenient broadcast time smack-bang in the middle of “Super Sunday”. My guess is that the “success” of the Australian GP broadcast has prompted this move to shoehorn all other F1 broadcasts into this time slot. Not only were more ad breaks than ever before seen on the Australian GP broadcast, more vapid talking heads than ever before seen were also present, thus making the broadcast “family friendly” and apparently helping it to appeal to a wider audience.

    As you can see if you have clicked the link to Facebook above, nobody is happy about this decision. Approximately 150 negative comments were made on their post in the first day. Channel 10 seemingly doesn’t care, they posted this message in response:

    “We are wanting to bring F1 to the widest audience possible, which is why it is on Ten. This allows all Australians to access the Formula One coverage in a consistent time slot every Sunday night. Sorry, guys. This is locked in.”

    Since that post, several hundred more comments have been posted. The most poignant of which states “your schedule might be locked in, but your viewers aren’t” with several people posting references and links to online streaming of the F1 coverage.

    What I want to do is send a message to Channel 10 to let them known this is simply unacceptable behaviour. I am annoyed personally because I am losing HD broadcast, most certainly gaining many more ads, and for some races throughout year will also be delayed. I live on the East coast of Australia, but it’s worse for the people on the West coast: all of the above, plus a two hour delay! What is the point of F1 live timing, F1 twitter accounts, and following each team’s respective ‘live postings’ on websites etc if there is no live coverage?

    F1 broadcasting in Australia has always been terrible due to the structure of our commercial television networks and the timezone difference between here and where F1 happens. For a short while (2010, 2011 and the first three races of 2012), OneHD for the most part did a good job of broadcasting – all races live, almost all qualifying sessions live, and contrary to many complaints, I do feel they took minimal ad breaks.

    We were given a bone, and now they’ve taken it away.

    I would like all Australians to help me boycott Channel 10 and their sponsors. The following is a list of sponsors of the F1 on CH10/OneHD:

    – Mercedes Benz
    – Ashley & Martin
    – TAGHeuer
    – Swisse
    – Harvey Norman
    – Pedders
    – Shannon’s Insurance
    – Colli Hardware

    I will provide contact details for these companies later.

    Here are Channel 10’s contact details: http://ten.com.au/contact-us.htm
    Sydney
    1 Saunders Street
    Pyrmont, NSW 2009
    GPO BOX 10, Sydney, NSW 2001
    Ph: 02 9650 1010
    Fax: 02 9650 1111

    Melbourne
    Como Centre
    Level 4, 620 Chapel Street
    South Yarra, VIC 3141
    Private Bag 5000, South Yarra, VIC 3141
    Ph: 03 9275 1010
    Fax: 03 9275 1011

    Brisbane
    Sir Samuel Griffith Drive
    Mt Coot-tha, QLD 4066
    GPO BOX 751, Brisbane, QLD 4001
    Ph: 07 3214 1010
    Fax: 07 3369 3786

    Adelaide
    80 Hutt Street
    Adelaide, SA 5000
    Locked Bag 10, Adelaide, SA 5001
    Ph: 08 8225 1010
    Fax: 08 8225 1011

    Perth
    Cottonwood Crescent
    Perth, WA 6062
    PO BOX 10, Mirrabooka, WA 6941
    Ph: 08 9345 1010
    Fax: 08 9344 8076

    A list of their Twitter accounts:
    One HD: @onehd (https://twitter.com/#!/onehd)
    Ten Sport: @tensporttv (https://twitter.com/#!/tensporttv)
    Craig Baird: @cbairdo (https://twitter.com/#!/cbairdo)
    Greg Rust: @Thrusta1 (https://twitter.com/#!/Thrusta1)
    Darryl Beattie: @Hanginfive (https://twitter.com/#!/Hanginfive)

    Their Facebook page:
    http://www.facebook.com/TENsportTV

    And a link to a discussion on Ten’s own forums about this very topic:
    http://community.ten.com.au/community/other-ten-tv-shows/f/69/t/26774.aspx

    Please can you all make every effort possible to contact Ten and let them know your displeasure at this move. Australians and non-Australians alike, please descend upon Channel 10’s contact points and overwhelm them with negative feedback. I would encourage people not to be vulgar or aggressive, merely state your displeasure and suggest you will be using alternative ways of watching the F1 coverage in the future.

    #199790
    Prisoner Monkeys
    Participant

    The reasons for the move to Ten were obvious – there are two Australian drivers competing this season, so domestic interest in the sport will be higher than ever before.

    And while The Idiots will have a presence in the coverage, I do believe the commentary will still be the Sky feed.

    #199791
    SouthAussie94
    Participant

    My understanding of it is that the telecast will still remain live on ONE in all states as they currently do now and that instead of having a delayed telecast on 10 later Sunday night, they will instead show the race at 9.30pm on 10.

    For those who normally watch ONE there will be no change in the normal broadcast and it will still be show live.

    I could be wrong though…

    #199792
    damonsmedley
    Participant

    No HD? This is ridiculous. The precise reason I bought an HD TV was to watch F1 in HD. I cannot go back to watching F1 in SD. It is unbearable. But it looks like I have no choice as it’s impossible to stream in HD.

    #199793
    damonsmedley
    Participant

    @MPJ1994 I hope you’re right.

    #199794
    SouthAussie94
    Participant

    @damonsmedley I just re-read the link posted above and I was wrong. The race will be shown at 9.30pm in all states and WILL NOT be shown on ONE AT ALL.

    That means a non-HD telecast in all states and a delayed telecast for the central and western states/territories…

    http://www.theaustralian.com.au/media/ten-causes-outrage-with-f1-move/story-e6frg996-1226332816613

    Not happy ch 10… Just as well that we have just upgraded out internet. I think I’ll be watching a stream from now on…

    #199795

    I’m in the west and I would cope with the ten website streaming the race as per normal live. Then they could do what they want with the tv coverage, but I am UNABLE to ignore the live timing/twitter feeds/facebook updates that flood my phone, that is part and parcel of being a fanatic. Please leave it HD and live ten, delayed coverage is not an option for us who cannot ignore, we have a problem and there is no Live Timing Anonymous group to help.

    #199796
    Thecollaroyboys
    Participant

    It’ll be live on the east coast though, won’t it? What will they do with Canada? And what happens when we get back to Singapore? The story in The Australian was written by a friend of mine so I’ll ask him for any inside goss.

    #199797
    Prisoner Monkeys
    Participant

    I don’t mind loing HD broadcasts. And I don’t mind it being on Ten. Just so long as they keep the Sky commentary.

    #199798
    Stretch
    Participant

    And they’re doing the same for MotoGP!?!

    #199799
    Silverkeg
    Participant

    I did NOT realise they were removing it from OneHD aswell. This is absolutely ridiculous.

    Motorsport gets the short straw when it comes to Aus TV everytime.

    Surely keeping it live on OneHD in combination with the new Channel Ten coverage is a better strategic decision. It’s not like anything else they put on One will get any significant ratings. GAH!!

    #199800
    Dan
    Participant

    Hey guys,

    We’ve created a site that outlines pretty much everything mentioned here in a way that hopefully conveys why this is an issue for so many people. Please have a read, let me know what you think and if you agree with it, sign the petition and spread the word.

    http://bit.ly/JeSz1k

    Cheers.

    #199801
    mrjlr93
    Participant

    well looks like i will be watching all races on monday now thanks alot 10 no good for nothing

    #199802
    mrjlr93
    Participant

    i now see the benefit of paytv people in the uk have it better than us now i would happily pay for it to be on foxtel like motogp use to be i loved it oh well will just have to wait until 2015 when they have to renew there contract they will definitely not be getting it again especially if Bernie has his way

    #199803
    @HoHum
    Participant

    Chanel 10 is a failing network, its management couldn’t arrange a drink in a brewery, like a failing restaurant that decides it will be profitable if it doubles its prices and reduces the cost of the ingredients in each meal, you cannot expect to influence them they are spiraling out of control, only a change of board and management can bring them back, in the meantime they will probably sell the crown jewels to the circling vultures, ie F1 to Foxtel, sorry but that is the way it is.

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