MotoGP on the BBC.

I thought I'd drop them a note asking if there were any plans to
either offer any iplayer coverage of the Official Testing that's just
gone, or the night session in Quatar next month, or even offer a
report on the website.

Short answer, no.

Longer answer:

"Thank you for your e-mail to the BBC Sport website.

We tend not to cover testing - whether it be MotoGP or Formula One
-unless there is an obvious news story that has come out of it. This
is because, as we're sure you know, it is so difficult to read
anything definitive into the lists of times, not knowing what spec
each of the teams is running its bike/car in at any moment.

At the same time, please bear in mind that we are a general sports
website, not a MotoGP specialist site, and we have to weigh
ourpriorities at all times. Given the need to be across all the major
stories/events in international sport, it should not surprise you that
apre-season motorsport test session might not get on to the BBC radar
-you would not expect to see it in a national newspaper either, for
example.

We are not a catch-all site for all sports around the world. We
havedifficult decisions to make about what we can and cannot cover,
and they are led by our need to serve the majority of our audience as
best we canat all times. We know there are lots of ardent bike racing
fans outthere - hopefully you will be watching our coverage of MotoGP
thisseason. But it is not our role to cover the sport in all its
minutiae.There are plenty of perfectly good websites out there where
you can getthis information and we simply cannot stretch our already
limited resources to simply duplicate that information.

You can rest assured, though, that as one of the BBC's major
livesports, there will be plenty of MotoGP coverage on our website
thisyear. Kind regards, BBC Sports Interactive"

So there you have it, not as good as Eurosport, and no aim of plugging
the gaps. But hardly a surprise.

FWIW, I don't blame the beeb, but Dorna, for reducing our viewing
choice.

 

So long as there's still the excellent motogpnews.com, I'm happy.

 

I didn't know about that place. ta.

 

Did you expect any different?

Like you, I blame Dorna, not the Beeb, and I totally understand that
they've a totally different remit than Eurosport.

However, on that subject, I don't recall Eurosport covering the general
test sessions either. Except perhaps a small clip on their motorsport
round-up programme. The only one they did was the last test of the off-
season at Jerez, which had the car as a prize and Toby Moody nic-named GP-
zero.

So so far, we're no worse off.

 

They did used to cover it, I rememebr the Quatar testing being live,
and the pre-season testing getting a couple of hours of highlights.

 

What makes you think that the Beeb would, or even should, cover such a
minority interest part of what is, a minority sport?

 

The fact it would cost them next to nothing to do. They've won the
rights, Dorna already provides the footage, and Iplayer is there for
the taking. It's hardly rocket-surgery.

Plus this claim of minority sport, they were getting average audiences
of 1.1 million viewers last year, when they were competing with
Eurosport, I'd wager the numbers could be higher this year.

 

Exactly - lord knows how we would do without four hours
of non-stop BBC News from midnight each day!

 

Yes, I would certainly hope so too.

But how many of those 1.1 million do you think were actually interested
in anything other than the racing? Maybe a decent proportion for the
race weekend practice, but pre-season testing?

 

Enough, to justify (let's assume) an hour or so of effort sticking it
on iplayer, I'd have thought.

 

Obviously not, from the reply you got to your email!

 

<green biro>

they should have asked.. taking our licence fees, and wasting them on
football, and local radio, and pictures of snow, and Terry Wogan.

</green biro>

 

if this thread goes on any longer i'd actually pay money to get it
censored.

 

How much money?

 

Let's say only half were interested in more. Stick it on BBC3 and double
the channel's viewing figures.

--
Veggie Dave
http://www.iq18films.co.uk

"To assert that the earth revolves around the sun is as erroneous as to claim
that Jesus was not born of a virgin." Cardinal Bellarmine

 

Wimbledon and the fucking boat race for starters.

 

It's spelled "Qatar". And it's bloody great. You should go and watch
it live.

 

13.1 million viewers

Over 7 million.

Also, I'm not saying they shouldn't cover MotoGP, just that I can see
why they're not bothering with pre-season testing.

 

Well either I missed it completely in the schedules or you're mistaken.

I know which explanation I prefer.

 

That's for the final, not the garbage offered up on the outside courts
earlier in the week, the stuff that's the tennis equivalent of
pre-season testing but they show it because it's an 'institution'.

Lentil eating cunts.

I can see why they're doing it but that doesn't make them any less of
a bunch of cunts.