Racing and Sports now moderates the Talkback forum to ensure posting guidelines are adhered to.
The views expressed on Talkback are those of the writer and not necessarily those of Racing and Sports. You must be a registered user to write postings or send messages to other users. Click here to register.
The TVN concept is perfect - the execution ordinary.
The TVN production is amateur hour in Sydney. Callendar Jnr and Searcy are, well jeesch, fair dinkin, schimply terrible.
And Melbourne, with a good on air team, often don't have enough time to showcase a race properly.
WTF are they doing on a Saturday Group racing card cutting to a Brisbane race - and providing the same Cheeseburger service as SKY - whilst the Melbourne horses are in the yard at the same time.
They are simply devaluing their own superior product!
Why not just show the best 15 or so races every day? From Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Hobart, Mt Isa, Belmont, Darwin or Murray Bridge.
The best ones in the country - that can generate maximum betting investment by showcasing a fair dinkum 15 - 20 minute preview.
A la....
Opening betting - two minutes.
Recent race videos and barrier trial recaps - five minutes.
Mounting yard preview - eight minutes.
Trainer interviews - three minutes.
Late betting wrap and cross to gates - two minutes.
Hardly rocket science.
Show the other wallpaper races on SKY.
Bruce Clarke should anchor Saturdays from a studio in Frankston - far away from the live action in a Freedman-proof booth.
Steve Moran would be the Melbourne form and prices man at the track - and maybe get Dr Turf to do the interviews for a bit of a laugh. Especially if Shinzig keeeps winning WFA G1's.
In Sydney Tony Brassel should be head-hunted for the Moran expert role. That bloke (Richard) who used to be Gai's racing manager can do the mike gig.
In those days racing didn’t have to compete with the internet, other sports on pay-tv, video games and millions of other activities for the entertainment dollar.
Whilst racing existed pre-pay tv, there’s no doubt that in this day and age pay tv is integral to racing’s survival. And the best racing deserves to be showcased. Not sandwiched in between a maiden from Colac and a Ouyen harness race.
Whether TVN are doing a good enough job/have the right people to do this showcase right is another story.
Message: Alf Matthews is terrible.How he gets a gig every week is beyond me.The other week he asks Blake Shinn his opinion on Jim Cassidys riding ability!
Any conjecture over TVN's future will be driven by an AJC agenda via a well known Sunday journalist.
You have to remember that the prior management and Committee of the AJC were publicly pro TVN. Current management and Committee are on a charter to wipe any memory of previous management off the face of the earth.
Ask anybody of repute at the AJC or STC how much TVN costs them per year. The answer is zero.
Sure TVN and SKY are heavy on duplication; can things be done more efficiently? Sure and it's happening.
I just hope it is quick enough to prevent the 'kill it off' agenda coming to realisation.
Message: James78 that's a post that made me laugh into my ice cream. Alf Matthews remains nothing but a glorified jockey sympathiser and mug punter. He offers little else. I like Racing Retro, but Racing Review is on a par. On Saturdays I couldn't imagine not being able to flick between both channels.
People knocking TVN for promoting itself and the tipping feats of staff (albeit minimal) obviously aren't exposed to the term 'marketing'. Every commercial media outlet self promotes, if you don't like it please switch off.
Message: I think it is a disgrace how the constant mention of the same trainers by Bruce Clarke everytime he opens his mouth is a disgrace, is he getting kick backs from these trainers to keep putting there names out there every 10 minutes on a Saturday afternoon? And what about Richie Calendar and his non stop talk about his best mate Chris Waller? The constant talk of the same people drives me to drink! As a journalist one should be unbiased in there presentation to the public, but what some of these "journos" (or probably just frustrated punters) do I think is a joke, the industry is alot bigger than just the top 5 trainers in each state and they should convey that to the audience. If you ever watch Racing Retro on SKY you will notice that Richard Freedman will never go on and on when asked about one of Lees horses? If he is asked a question he will answer it, and not go on promoting his brother, which as a member of the public, expects to see. I just wish SKY would offer a punting racing channel, and another that would decrease the meetings shown and concentrtae more on the horses than price fluctuations. Its amazing that a couple of years ago people used to pay out on Alf Matthews about his role in the media, well he is head and shoulders above any commentator on TVN. So Maybe there were resignations because some of there employees actually sat at home on a Saturday and listened to the dribble that us as the public have to hear......
At the very beginning of Sky home service, Adelaide was not shown, but soon after the start and WELL before the split, Dogs and Trots infiltrated the channel, chasing the turnover dollar.
The home service was nothing like PUBTABS, but certainly is now.
As for your caller comment, dont they have the same callers now?
I dont care one way or another about Sky Channel, but am tired of people knocking TVN. Like everybody else, I am sick of the tired old ads, but obviously they are trying to cut costs as well. Don't forget, Best Bets and Winning Post are owned by TVN, so they are only promoting their own products.
I dont see any different on other Pay TV stations where I pay a hell of a lot more for those stations than TVN.
A lot of owners love to see their horses on the TV, either in races they can't get to, trials, or re-runs. Remember, no owners, no racing.
Message: Did anyone see the article he wrote a couple of weeks ago regarding sending yearlings purchased by NSW buyers at Karaka back to Australia and the exhorbitant costs that would be involved?
Tara Madgwick said that no such costs would be incurred and then he did a hatchet job on her stating that her husband was NZ Bloodstock's representative in Australia and the NZ Bloodstock advertised on her website.
Tara admitted that NZB did advertise on her site and so did Inglis and MM. She was proved correct as NZ Bloodstock announced that all yearlings would come into Australia via Melbourne and NZB would meet the costs of transporting them to NSW after vaccination or alternatively they would agist them in NZ free of charge until such time as NSW is declared EI Free.
I note he has not mentioned this since.
I have also heard that he is employed in some way by TABCORP. Surprise.
This site is maintained by Racing and Sports (®) Pty Ltd (ABN 093 360 108) ("R&S").
Copyright in all R&S materials is owned by Racing and Sports Pty Ltd (R&S).
Racing and Sports is a Registered Trademark.
R&S takes all care in the preparation of information appearing on the site, but accepts no responsibility nor warrants the accuracy of the information displayed.
This information is provided for entertainment purposes only. All information including race fields and TAB numbers should be checked with an official source.
(RAS-WWW01)
(ADS1)
Post a reply to this message.
