Formula 1

[brchi17]

How many people are disgusted with the lack of respect channel 9 have for Formula 1. For the second time in 3 years channel 9 have decided not to show the most important race of the season live (does anyone remember the delaying of the Suzuka race in 2000 until 11pm, because of the 6pm news). This time they decide that the golf is more important than seeing Michael Schumacher equal a 45-year-old record of 5 Formula 1 World Drivers Championships. To add insult to injury, they decide not to show the podium celebrations and cut the post race interviews off short because of the Today program. For the second time in two races, I had to follow the race live on the Internet and then get up some five and half-hours later to watch the race. I believe that it is time that the telecast of Formula 1 in Australia, is given to another television network or pay-tv who will give F1 the respect it deserves and show their races live. It is a fact that F1 is the 3rd most watched sporting event in the world behind the Olympics and the World Cup, yet it is treated by channel 9 as a second class citizen. I think that all people that are dissatisfied with 9’s treatment of Formula 1, should feel compelled the write to channel 9 and the FIA to denounce the treatment of Formula 1 from a channel who clearly does not understand what the sport is about.

[rusky26]

to be honest it doesn't bother me much if the european races are delayed because i tape them to watch at my leasure. but I agree that the suzuka race and malaysia race should be live.

[SWRT]

Why don't the MOTORSPORT professionals CHANNEL 10 take over the F1 telecasts and give nine the Melbourne cup telecast in return,it nearly happened last year.

[julians]

I absolutely agree with brchi17, it's disgusting the way that channel 9 treats us F1 fans. Being a Star Trek fan I am usually dissappointed with the disrespect that these people show to the new Enterprise show. Channel 9 seem to be intent on showing only high rating programs whenever it suits them and they generally forget about the weekly or, in the case of F1, biweekly viewers.

[Fan05]

I have long given up on channel 9 and their coverage except for taping the race and watching it later. Here in Melbourne a pub in town is the place to be on GP week end. Live coverage of qualifying as well as the race. The last 2 GP's have pulled in a very good crowd, the night is fun and most of the time your home before midnight.

This pub was featured in Auto Action a few weeks ago, and from there I was informed of a web site which has interesting things to say about F1 coverage in Australia.

Their website www.F1FansvsChannel9

The best part about it is the last 2 GP's have been the best races for a while and I got to watch it as it happened.

P.S I am not an original member of the Sunday night GP crowd, but I am a convert to it. I look forward to every GP weekend.

P.S.S Sunday night.............German GP............ another great night

[Aussiecollector]

Finally a decent thread about F1.

The deal with 9 stinks, they have been asked time and time again by Fox that when they are unable to deliver the coverage that Fox would pay for it, but every time thay say No.

The worst case of this was a couple of years ago, 98 when Hakkinen was to clinch the W/C in Japan, what did 9 run "A Kids movie about a mistical dog that flies" I can't remember the name, somthing story I think. And then they put the race on at 11pm after the crap evening movie.

They keep saying that the F1 dose'nt rate as well as the movie, and another survey (recent) stated that V8 supercars were more popular in AUS, are they darft, of course the V8s are more poular they are on when most of us are still awake and can watch it. Most of the F1 loving community are now so used to setting the VCR that they (9) have long forgotten about us.

The German GP was a great race it was the first time all year that cars were actually racing for the lead.

I wish a pub in Sydney would get the direct feed, I know about 10 guys that would be there every second weekend.

Glenn
Give 9 a miss unitil they wake up to them selves, Kerry I hope your are listening.

[ferrari fan]

As soon as I finaly get into my new house ,I'll buy whatever I need to to get a direct coverage cause I am also sick of this B.S.
You seem to get a disk that tracks the satelite direct and it is possible to link into every broadcast
Or is there a place in Perth that has the same facilities as the pub mentioned in Melbourne.
what a sight this wouls be ,all of us walking in in the latest F1 gear

[SWRT]

I know that in 1997 Optus Cable TV did show the full season(exept the Australian GP) live so I watched the races at 7:30-8 pm time.
If only Foxtel/Optus could get F1 telecasts.....................

[mmazz30]

As far as i know,Channel 9's contract with the F1 ends at the end of the year.They have lost the plot with the telecast.Their contract states that it must show the Qualifying as well as the race,but get out of it by showing about 2 seconds worth of qualifying.Why they couldn't hang out till 7:30 am for the Today show is beyond me,instead of cutting the after race celebration and interviews at 7:15 am.
Hopefully channel 10 do take it on.....but the way they are treating the moto GP and the superbikes is getting to be a joke as well.Foxtels coverage of both the bike races is excellent,so maybe they might have a say in the F1.
HERE'S HOPING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[julians]

Well from what I've read in all the replies on this thread it seems that Adelaide is the only city in Australia being treated like a backwater at channel 9. I'd like to boycott watching the races on 9 if I could, but to be honest I actually like taping the race and then watching it first thing after I've woken up. That way I don't have to listen to that idiot, Eastlake, who knows nothing about F1 and then I can FF through the ad breaks (which annoyingly seem to happen just at the wrong time!!), and lastly if there's an exciting part of the race that I would like to see again then I can always hit the rewind button. However all that aside there is nothing like watching the races live. As for qualifying I usually hook up to F1-live.com and witch the sessions over the internet.
I wonder who you have to speak to to get one of the paytv companies to pick up F1 coverage ?

[Aussiecollector]

Problem is that the guy who owns channel nine also has a very large foot in Foxtel. Just look at what they do with the Footy channel, buts that another thread in another forum.

Cheers Glenn
Lets find a pub in sydney with a big dish

[Bangkok Bob]

I guess I am lucky in Bangkok as I get F1 Qualifying live (about 6pm when it is a European race) ever saturday and the race live on the sunday. But Idid spend many years suffering the poor treatment of F1 by channel 9 before I came over here for work.

This is actually courtesy of a Satellite TV Service (Star Sports - part of the Star TV Service). Unfortunatley Star does not appear to be available in Aus. I am still trying to investigate if there are any useful free to air satellite services for this sort fo thing (it is interesting how many free to air satellite TV channels exist). A satellite setup can be achieved fro under $1000 Aussie,so may prove a good option. OTherwise it may be available throguh th eSky service. I'd be interested to know who is the provider for the pubs showing it live.

[Aussiecollector]

Fan05 Which pub (and suburb) provides the cover.

Glenn

[Andrew]

Julians, I am with you. Finally someone has said that Darryl Eastlake knows nothing about the sport, and makes watching the telecast even more irritating. Sure he might be a Ferrari fan and have a passion for the sport, but I personally don't like watching and listening to a large red tomato who has no independent opinion on F1, but always agrees with Alan Jones. I don't know anyone at Channel 9 who could replace Eastlake (maybe Eddie McGuire - he has his finger in every other pie), but he must go. Or, hand over the F1 telecast to Channel 10. Simple. But continual delayed telecasts really upset me. Golf? Who cares? Why delay the French Grand Prix (duration 2 hrs), for a game that lasts 3 days? Delay the telecast of the golf, but not the F1. We are handicapped as it is in Australia by living on the other side of the world from most of the Grand Prix. Don't aggravate it further by poor telecasts and a poor show host.

[julians]

OK guys, we all seem to agree that channel 9 are the absolute pits with the F1 coverage. The question is, what can we as individuals do about it ? Probably nothing at all, ch9 is after all worth millions of dollars and we are worth ???. Call me cynical but I doubt that they would listen to a small (?) bunch of guys like us.
And I also seriously doubt that ch10 would be any better, I mean you just have to look at what they do with the CART coverage to know that they really don't care. Now, if only I could afford Foxtel.....

[Andrew]

Pay TV is ok. I only watch it for the coverage of the World rally Championship because they usually show 2hrs of coverage of a single rally (Rally XS - a show that previews the upcoming event, Day 1, day 2 and Day 3. And for good measure, they show a 1hr wrap-up of the rally a few days later). Channel 10 only show the 1hr wrap-up. Great. I like being an Australian motorsport fan and being shafted by the free-to-air networks when a motorsport event is on. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside...

Ok. Sorry about the sarcasm. We all seem to feel the same. And we have about as much influence on the networks as a gnat.

Anyway, should we be discussing the television coverage of motorsport events on a model car website?

[Andrew]

PS. Apologies to anyone who might have been offended at my use of the word sh#*@ed. Offence was not intended.