tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22534369.post9153591641327504639..comments2023-12-06T00:23:28.790+11:00Comments on Press gallery reform: You must be disappointedAndrew Elderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04705844456819481896noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22534369.post-58147724844949630012012-08-17T20:38:25.779+10:002012-08-17T20:38:25.779+10:00Seems to me the thing to agitate for is for SBS to...Seems to me the thing to agitate for is for SBS to somehow scrape together enough cash and support to credibly bid for the rights in future. They could at least be relied on to be patriotic without being blind to Australia's ethnic diversity.<br /><br />I work in customer service now, in a call centre, and EVERY DAY I deal with at least four or five different major accents from Australian citizens. You'd have no clue these people even exist from the way Channel 9 covered the games. David Jackmansonhttp://www.djackmanson.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22534369.post-44681002255119405822012-08-17T18:43:59.646+10:002012-08-17T18:43:59.646+10:00"...that Vesuvius of Sporting Cliches"
..."...that Vesuvius of Sporting Cliches"<br /><br />As a former sport journalist who has done the hard yards, taken it one week at a time, faced the new ball, ducked and weaved, ridden on the coat tails, looked for an opening, faced the challenges and asked myself the big questions, I can only rise and applaud this exemplary reference to Gerard Whateley.<br /><br />I gave up on TV coverage of sports when I went bush about three years ago and haven't missed it. ABC Radio AFL coverage is quite good, and they even succeed in making Rugby League interesting - no small achievement in itself. But their coverage of the Olympic Corporation was like listening to two four year olds arguing over the tooth fairy.<br /><br />What I did notice was the deep seated apathy towards the games from people who would have been engaged a few years ago. The decline of the liberal democratic West and its replacement with this beige corporate totalitarianism that settles like congealed fat around every field of human endeavour reduces sport to little more than a carnival sideshow to the circus of consumption.<br /><br />Which is sad, as I love sport. But what was built by a century of volunteerism on the part of supporters is now being monetised and, while Australians are woefully ill-informed (and whose fault would that be Mr Press Council?), they are not stupid. So they do the only sensible thing they can do in this age of strictured dissent, they walk away. And who can blame them.<br /><br />Totally agree that the great yawning gap in this Olympics was the absence of Greg Pickhaver and John Doyle, which was telling.Number One Baghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14743162493927293968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22534369.post-61523658428809904982012-08-17T14:14:49.912+10:002012-08-17T14:14:49.912+10:00The role of the director was much diminished on Fo...The role of the director was much diminished on Foxtel because they simply showed entire events, start to finish, as anyone with the slightest interest in sport would want to see them. The FTA angle isn't necessarily missing the point though.<br /><br />Consider Channel 7; they freely admit to paying overs for the AFL rights, and given that the coverage is essentially guaranteed full penetration of those who care about the sport, their whole approach is geared towards attracting those who don't.<br /><br />Hence the celebrity nonsense in the pre-game and half-time "shows", the commentators encouraged to recite amusing anecdotes about players and joke amongst themselves while the play continues, and the lack of any meaningful analysis of the game itself.<br /><br />I imagine the same logic applies to Channel 9's coverage decisions.Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22534369.post-11430982457648643992012-08-17T13:16:24.639+10:002012-08-17T13:16:24.639+10:00Then there is the sad spectacle of media types, th...Then there is the sad spectacle of media types, thrusting their microphone in the faces of sportspeople, asking the only question theie tiny minds can formulate 'how do you feel?" or variations thereof. Will they never learn that we can guess that the winners are 'stoked' 'rapt' and the losers are 'disappointed' 'letdown' and don't need the inane confirmation. I loathe the immediate post match interview but it seems to be catching on alas.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22534369.post-85412785937738215302012-08-17T10:26:32.037+10:002012-08-17T10:26:32.037+10:00i love the fact that these self appointed spruiker...i love the fact that these self appointed spruikers of what the rest of us think are getting it back in spades. and don't they get precious and defensive when it happens. they don't speak for me,never have and never will.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com