BBC to axe F1 from 2013? Confirmed - F1 will be on Sky from 2012

[canis]

That would suit me fine.

I watch it for the racing, not the pointless fluff pieces.

So Brogan, you don't like the current deal where the BBC show highlights and 50% of the races live with Sky having all races live, but you could live with just a 60 minute highlight package instead?

Please remember that the BBC is totally different in funding model to any other broadcaster. As they see it the currently F1 deal was costing them £60mil per year (arbitary figure based upon £40mil to Bernie and £20mil broadcasting costs), it didn't mater how long it ran for it is purely the per year figure they are interested in. They do not care about total costs of a contract, just the per year figure. As they view it their per year figure is now £20mil (again arbitary figure based upon £10mil to Bernie and £10mil broadcast costs) per year, hence, even though they are commited to a total spend of £140mil instead of £60mil , they are reporting a £40mil per year saving. Any normal broadcaster would be looking at total costs of the contract against potential income for showing F1, but the BBC gets no income and cannot take a long term financial view due to the unique way they are funded, all they care about is that £40mil per year saving...

 

[Brogan]

That's not what I meant.

What I meant was I only watch it for the race so can do without the 1 hour preamble, the forum, etc.
A simple 90 minute show featuring just the race would do me fine.

 

[canis]

Sorry Brogan, my misunderstanding, thought your reply was comment on my suggestion of the BBC doing a 60 minute highlight package each race to cut costs.

 

[Brogan]

Sorry no, I was referring to Jeremy Clarkson turning up with a camcorder

As long as I didn't get to see the useless git that is

(I edited my post above as it was a tad harsh.)

 

[Irishgreen]

I'll stop watching F1 before I'd give that rat bag Murdoch one brown penny.

 

[AlexM]

What I meant was I only watch it for the race so can do without the 1 hour preamble, the forum, etc.
A simple 90 minute show featuring just the race would do me fine.

I only watch the sessions as it is, I skip the rubbish beforehand and generally switch off after the podium celebration - if I want after race banter I come on this forum (and generally read what everyone else has written, rather than posting myself ).

 

[RasputinLives]

Has anyone had a response mail from FOTA yet? I mailed them this time last week and have recieved nothing - not even a polite holding mail.

Working somewhere where I have to respond to complaints and enquiries I think this is proper poor.

 

[Brogan]

For what it's worth, the government's e-petition site goes live today.

Any petition which garners 100,000 signatures goes to the cross-party Commons Backbench Business Committee, which will decide whether it is worthy of debate.

Sir George said hundreds of petitions had been submitted on subjects "from setting up an English Parliament to ensuring Formula One remains free-to-air".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-14400246

Here's the site - it will be live later today: http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/

 

[sushifiesta]

Now this probably isn't the most sensible thing to be saying on an F1 forum, but I think the country has bigger problems to deal with than keeping F1 free-to-air and trying to reverse a deal that has already been made.

 

[Galahad]

Now this probably isn't the most sensible thing to be saying on an F1 forum, but I think the country has bigger problems to deal with than keeping F1 free-to-air and trying to reverse a deal that has already been made.

This is true, but hopefully the government can deal with more than one thing at a time. What is the Department for Culture Media and Sport for, if not this?

I suggest that F1 be added to the list of protected sports (the so-called Crown Jewels). It's almost certainly too late to do that for 2012, but perhaps some sort of compromise can be reached for the future. It might be based around SD footage only, or live races only, or whatever.

 

[RasputinLives]

Maybe but then to me this whole thing links in with the problem this country has. That some big business multi-millionaire keeps doing deals that make them richer whilst screwing over the average working man/woman and making them even poorer.

If we're all paying £500 to line Bernie and Murdoch's pockets a year we're less likely to be investing in the british economy aren't we? which is no good for anyone.

 

[fat jez]

I suggest that F1 be added to the list of protected sports (the so-called Crown Jewels). It's almost certainly too late to do that for 2012, but perhaps some sort of compromise can be reached for the future. It might be based around SD footage only, or live races only, or whatever.

Particularly when you consider the majority of the F1 teams are based in the UK, even when foreign owned.

 

[RasputinLives]

plus 2 British World Champions in the last 4 years.

Think it makes it the countries most succesful sport doesn't it? maybe boxing beats it

 

[Chad Stewarthill]

Maybe but then to me this whole thing links in with the problem this country has. That some big business multi-millionaire keeps doing deals that make them richer whilst screwing over the average working man/woman and making them even poorer.

If we're all paying £500 to line Bernie and Murdoch's pockets a year we're less likely to be investing in the british economy aren't we? which is no good for anyone.

Rasputin, you might just have helped me make my decision as to whether to keep Sky Sports 1 and maybe even extend to the full pack of 1,2,3 & 4, or ditch it completely.
Thanks (sincerely).

 

[sushifiesta]

I definitely think the list of protected sports should be reviewed taking into account the popularity, and UK success, of sports at the minute. The problem is many of the sports on that list are one off events that happen either once per year or once every four years - for example the World Cup, Olympics or things like Wimbledon. F1 spans most of the year, every year, so I think if it was put on the list it is likely that just the British GP, for example, would be protected or something that guaranteed highlights on free-to-air.

The point I was trying to make about the government is that I'd prefer we lost things like BBC F1 coverage than end up in a debt crisis like Greece etc.

 

[Brogan]

This could be the F1 petition http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/158

Although there appear to be quite a few of them...

Here's another: http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/57

Edit: Petition number 57 seems to be the one everyone is signing, although there are only just over 600 signatures at the moment.

 

[AlexM]

Edit: Petition number 57 seems to be the one everyone is signing, although there are only just over 600 signatures at the moment.

I've tried to sign it a couple of times, but I keep getting errors saying the site is too busy

 

[Jen]

Just signed it now - not too many probs.

 

[Porceliamone]

Keep trying. I managed to sign it.

 

[McZiderRed]

Edit: Petition number 57 seems to be the one everyone is signing, although there are only just over 600 signatures at the moment.

I managed to sign this petition a few minutes ago. 894 signatures when I signed...