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bulldogtragic
06-04-2009, 01:47 PM
Bulldogs, St Kilda say TV networks are snubbing their games


AFL clubs the Western Bulldogs and St Kilda say they're being snubbed by the television networks.

Fans of the Bulldogs and Saints will see about half their teams' games on free-to-air TV during the home-and-away season, despite the fact the two Victorian clubs started the season heavily tipped to make the top four and potentially challenge for a grand final berth.

Only 11 of the Bulldogs' 22 matches will be on free-to-air TV (channels Seven and 10) with just five games in the prime-time Friday night slot.

St Kilda fared even worse with 10 matches, and just three prime-time Friday night games.

In comparison, 18 Collingwood games and 16 Carlton games will get free-to-air coverage. Collingwood have six matches in prime-time and Carlton seven.

Bulldogs CEO Campbell Rose hit out at the free-to-air scheduling.

"I think it is unfair. It gives certain teams an unfair advantage ... clubs that have these advantages are being given a free kick,'' he said.

Mr Rose said the snub made the Bulldogs even more determined to smash the perception that the team did not attract big TV audiences.

St Kilda president Greg Westaway said of the TV fixture: ``We're disappointed with it. It's less than desirable and a lot worse than what we would have liked.

"We'd like to know what the system is. How do they work it out?''

The TV networks handballed the issue, saying the AFL set the fixture.

"AFL fixturing is a very complex task and, ultimately, fixture decisions rest with the AFL,'' said Channel 7 Melbourne manager Lewis Martin.

Carlton CEO Gregg Swann offered a pragmatic explanation.

"Carlton and Collingwood have the biggest membership base, and that's one factor,'' Mr Swann said.

"But I think form plays a big part in the TV fixture. Last year, when we were skating along the bottom, we only got one Friday night.

"Collingwood have also been going along fine so they also get some good prime-time exposure.''

The AFL defended the TV fixture saying the process was complex and included a range of stake holders including the State Government.

"Form is one reason, but broadcasters have their say as well,'' AFL spokesman Patrick Keane said. "They want a return on their investment and want the greatest number of viewers. But the AFL is the ultimate determiner of the TV fixture.''

St Kilda cheer squad leader Pam Mawson condemned the TV scheduling as bad for battlers. "It's really disappointing, especially to lot of families who can't afford to go to all of the club's games,'' she said.

Western Bulldogs cheer squad co-president David Porter also said the fixture was misguided and unfair.

"Obviously, we've got one of the lowest memberships, but to conclude that there's not many people watching this club play exciting football is misguided,'' he said. ``And it's unfair to fans who can't get to the game.''




Docklands ripping us off, MCG ripping us off, fans being jibbed and doggies members and supporters better get to every game and/or have Foxtel or get left behind by the corporate push by the AFL and Co. Top 4, prelim final, big expectations in 2009 and one of the most exciting teams can't get TV airtime. We get treated like a joke.


Source: Herald Sun - www.heraldsun.com.au

chef
06-04-2009, 01:51 PM
And we didn't get to see the boys singing the song after the game:mad:

The Coon Dog
06-04-2009, 02:01 PM
If I was the TV networks & shelling out big dollars for the footy I'd want the maximum number of people watching.

Interesting if there is a corralation say with Friday nights as to whether Cartlon/Collingwood attract any more viewers than St.Kilda/Western Bulldogs.

Just another component of a compromised competition. :rolleyes:

hujsh
06-04-2009, 04:31 PM
We're not doing too bad in terms of Friday night matches though. 5 is pretty good. More than 3 a year would be above average wouldn't it?

mighty_west
06-04-2009, 04:58 PM
It's just the commercial reality of it all, it's NEVER going to be even, just like the draw itself.

BTW chef, the Foxtel replay showed the boys singing the song, couldn't help myself, and watched it from 10pm last night.

bulldogtragic
06-04-2009, 05:16 PM
It's just the commercial reality of it all, it's NEVER going to be even, just like the draw itself.

BTW chef, the Foxtel replay showed the boys singing the song, couldn't help myself, and watched it from 10pm last night.


I watched that too. Liam Picken didn't know one word of the team song!!!

He needs a week or two in the woofer suit singing to kids to get it right. Johno on MMM mentioned he needs to go away and learn the song, but was prepared to forgive him owing to the amount of coke and powerade that drenched him.

I maintain, two weeks in the woofer suit singing to kids.

bornadog
06-04-2009, 05:33 PM
I have also said it. The more exposure the Carlton, Collingwoods, Essendons get on TV, (ala Anzac Day clash, etc) the bigger they get.

mighty_west
06-04-2009, 05:38 PM
I have also said it. The more exposure the Carlton, Collingwoods, Essendons get on TV, (ala Anzac Day clash, etc) the bigger they get.

We get a chance this week for the Easter monday blockbuster, against our arch enemy Richmond.

Go_Dogs
06-04-2009, 05:46 PM
We get a chance this week for the Easter monday blockbuster, against our arch enemy Richmond.

Thank the Lord! With no foxtel, and living in Adelaide, I fear I'm not going to be able to see any more than 10 games this year. Pretty ordinary.

I was under the impression that the new One HD channel was going to replay all matches from the season, but I guess they have decided to allow only Foxtel to do that, even though they are paying much more than Fox for the rights? (Perhaps I'm wrong on them paying more).

LostDoggy
06-04-2009, 07:04 PM
It's just the commercial reality of it all, it's NEVER going to be even, just like the draw itself.

BTW chef, the Foxtel replay showed the boys singing the song, couldn't help myself, and watched it from 10pm last night.

I don't understand this.

In all other major team sports in the world: the English Premier League, the Spanish Primera Liga, the NBA, Major League Baseball etc etc, the normal, common-sense practice is to set up a fair draw schedule first and foremost, then draw teams to fill the schedule RANDOMLY, and then work the TV schedule around the draw. People still find a way to watch Real Madrid play Barcelona if it was a Sunday afternoon. It's not that hard.

Here, we do it arse-backwards. Comply with the TV schedule first, pencil in all the 'non-negotiable' games (Anzac Day etc.), identify all the so-called 'blockbusters' and put them into the draw, work out stadium allocations based on lazy assumptions about the Australian public, comply with every whinge request from the big clubs, THEN do a random draw to fill out the five games leftover.

Doesn't really make too much sense to me.

lemmon
06-04-2009, 07:44 PM
Its just more incentive to buy a membership and get to games IMO.

mighty_west
06-04-2009, 07:56 PM
Its just more incentive to buy a membership and get to games IMO.

In theory sounds good, but after listening to Smorgan on the radio before the game, we have the least amount of supporters Australia wide, yet the best percentage of those supporters turned into members.

Although there are also about 8 thousand members yet to reniew, which was a bit disappointing.