BBC to drop F1?

[garethfrith1]

It is about time the BBC spent the license fee wisely, and stopped wasting it on excessive coverage of Wimbledon and football.

U've a right observation there!

[ESPImperium]

I am thinking this story will eventually have an impact somewhere along the line as well:

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World- ... y_His_Work

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14035270
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14032287
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-14034060
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14024668
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-14027879
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-12253968 ***Essencial reading for those outside the UK for what has been going on***

[GSBellew]

Is it just me or did this idea of F1 going pay per view on Sky not come up some time in the latter half of the 90's?

[Just_a_fan]

With the fall out from the News of the World in the UK, I'd wonder if even Bernie might shy from selling viewing rights to Murdock at the moment. Some of the News International mud must surely stick to the entire Murdock empire.

For example, Ford have withdrawn advertising from NotW this week. Is that just the tip of the iceberg? Will the big F1 advertisers be looking at where the viewing rights might go and make noises to Bernie about it?

[ESPImperium]

Pretty much what i was thinking.

If this has been going on within the Murdoch empire, and with me thinking that David Cameron using Andy Coulson in the 2010 UK General Election, could Coulson have used phone hacking to better the Conservitive party cause over Labour and the Liberal Democrats??? Could result in the downfall of a government, or at least a Prime Minister.

This has more wide reaching impacts on the takeover of British Sky Broadcasting by News Corp. Ofcom could simply rule that News Corp isnt fit to own a UK Broadcaster. Especially with Ford pulling out of NOTW, i doubt that News Corp could afford all its advertisers pulling out in the UK. And would F1 want a bunch of teams running arround with colours, with exeption to about 3 or 4 teams that essencially have their own advertising.

I think F1 is now safe in the hands of BBC for 2012 onward as Advertisers wouldnt want to be shown on a TV channel that is embroiled in a tardy and shoddy practice such as phone hacking.

[richard_leeds]

Sunday Times (prop Murdoch) says Sky (prop Murdoch) should host F1 so millions of fans who get full coverage for a mere £140 per annum will pay £40 per month (basic subs, likely to be more) to Murdoch. So who gains from all this? Certainly not the fan and much as fenyman had some good points about the perils of state monopolies, the end result is that we would all pay more if Sky took over.

ESP - Have you realised how many times the Prime Minster (take your pick of the last few decades) has had dinner/lunch/horse riding with one of the Murdochs or Rebecca Brooks (nee Wade)? Have a read of Private Eye once in a while. That'll reassure you that big business, politicians and news international are happily pleasuring each other at our expense.

.... anyway, Cameron pleasuring Brooks pleasuring Murdoch pleasuring a banker is not a suitable topic for here ...

As it happens F1 is one of the BBC's best value programmes when measured per hour per viewer. They simply stick some presenters on a plane and they get millions of viewers for several hours. All scenery & props are provided by FOM, special effects are provided by whoever happens to be crash happy that weekend.

So £140 per annum for all that F1 coverage, plus whatever other radio & TV programmes you also happen to enjoy thrown in for free? Bargain!

[forty-two]

Call me a conspiracy theorist, but does anyone else think the timing of this whole business with the NOTW is a little convenient for MrE?

What we're looking at here is two very very powerful men with connections in the highest places all over the world. I for one would not be in the least bit surprised if MrE pulled some strings to bring about or at least expedite this whole debacle.

In a way, Murdoch's behaviour over the years somehow makes MrE look like a fluffy bunny by comparison, and wow, I never thought I would write THOSE words!

On a side note, if anyone on here is a Twitter user, did anyone else think it a little bit odd that despite every second tweet for the last 24 hours containing #NoTW, it never appeared as trending (NoTW) but "Andy Coulson" did pop up in Manchester and Birmingham from time to time. Does Mr Murdoch have a friend at Twitter perhaps?

[forty-two]

If this has been going on within the Murdoch empire, and with me thinking that David Cameron using Andy Coulson in the 2010 UK General Election, could Coulson have used phone hacking to better the Conservitive party cause over Labour and the Liberal Democrats??? Could result in the downfall of a government, or at least a Prime Minister.

Ah, if only you were right there... The world would be such a better place.

A bit odd that the opposition have not made more hay while this particular sun is shining though. Perhaps they know that Murdoch has dirt in the bank on them too?

[forty-two]

As it happens F1 is one of the BBC's best value programmes when measured per hour per viewer. They simply stick some presenters on a plane and they get millions of viewers for several hours. All scenery & props are provided by FOM, special effects are provided by whoever happens to be crash happy that weekend.

So £140 per annum for all that F1 coverage, plus whatever other radio & TV programmes you also happen to enjoy thrown in for free? Bargain!

I could not have put it better myself. The Beeb is not as unbiassed as I had always thought, but in terms of quality programming per pound, it is IMHO a real treasure and excellent value for money. Long may it continue.

[dave34m]

As it happens F1 is one of the BBC's best value programmes when measured per hour per viewer. They simply stick some presenters on a plane and they get millions of viewers for several hours. All scenery & props are provided by FOM, special effects are provided by whoever happens to be crash happy that weekend.

So £140 per annum for all that F1 coverage, plus whatever other radio & TV programmes you also happen to enjoy thrown in for free? Bargain!

I could not have put it better myself. The Beeb is not as unbiassed as I had always thought, but in terms of quality programming per pound, it is IMHO a real treasure and excellent value for money. Long may it continue.

How much did they pay to get F1?

[CZOLG]

Seriously,
If they complain about the high cost, the first thing to do is drop first 45 minutes of the coverage. I realy do not think Coulthard climbing the hill, Hamiton in Nascar or on a Water Scooter are very relevant. I am sure it does cost money and in my opinion does not add to the coverage as a whole.

[gridwalker]

Ok, lets step outside of the domestic production cost for a minute ...

How many non-UK countries show the BBC coverage?
How much does each country pay for the licensing rights?

None of the fiscal breakdowns that I have seen for the BBC F1 coverage includes the show's resale value. I am willing to bet that overseas licensing offsets a significant portion of their production budget.

Can anyone provide these figures? Doubtful, but I can hope

[feynman]

What resale value?

The only thing they sell on is the commentary audio, from 5 minute FIA logo to podium anthems ... at a price which just about covers the cost of arranging transmission.

The point of third parties buying a BBC commentary is that they are way too cheap to pay for a coach class airfare and a hotel room, and too cheap to stick a local commentator into a production suite in the basement and do a commentary from the incoming FOM feed.

So for a BBC commentary to be a viable purchase, it has to be priced cheaper than paying some local nobody to talk over a TV screen for a coupla hours ... i.e. pretty much pennies.

Haven't seen anything from BBC finances, (why would they release that info, it is only our money after all), but according to James Allen, the ITV commentary, that was similarly sold-on to English speaking broadcasters, didn't generate any revenue of any significance; mostly it's a vanity project for UK broadcasters who like the idea of being the world commentary.

[Spencifer_Murphy]

F1 went pay-per-view in (i think) 2001 with the F1 channel on Sky (alongside free to air coverage provided by ITV)...remind me where is that channel now?

People won't pay for F1. It won't happen.

[munudeges]

F1 went pay-per-view in (i think) 2001 with the F1 channel on Sky (alongside free to air coverage provided by ITV)...remind me where is that channel now?

Indeed you are right. F1 had that adventure before and people in the sport were quite excited because they thought it might generate more revenue. No one watched it.