Ted Kravitz trying to get a word or two with Ross Brawn
ITV waved goodbye to Formula One at the Brazilian Grand Prix last month, and to be honest I’m upset that the coverage will no longer be provided by them.
Since 1997, they have done an incredible job. Jim Rosenthal was the early face of the sport with Murray and Martin being the commentators and although strange to see by many at first, the coverage got better year by year and even when Murray left, James Allen did a terrific job in taking his place. Louise and Ted did a steady job in the pits, providing immediate interviews and up to date news stories and the whole team should be congratulated because the Beeb will find it tough to match the coverage (although I speak for everyone when I say we won’t miss the adverts- Imola 2004 mean much to anybody?).
Steve Rider will be the notable absentee from the BBC coverage as ITV are keeping him for the Champions League coverage, and other football rights. He is the best sports presenter in this country and Jake Humphrey will do well to match his professionalism and delivery style.
The new BBC team will be Humphrey, Eddie Jordan and DC as the Rider and Blundell replacements. Jonathan Legard will replace James Allen, and Lee Mckenzie will replace Louise Goodman in the pits. It’s a fully rounded team with a blend of youth and experience and I wish them all the best, and hope their coverage matches, if not surpasses that supplied by ITV.
ITV gave us 12 seasons of fantastic action and they should be thanked by all fans for their fantastic service since 1997. They gave us incidents such as the seventh championship win of Schumacher, the Mclaren re-emergence in the late 90s, the birth of Fernando Alonso, the first win for Jenson and the thrilling final lap which gave Hamilton the championship.
Good luck to the BBC, and thanks to ITV. Lets hope F1 moves onwards and upwards as it returns to the one and only place for the sport!
Here is the goodbye montage that ITV put together:
Tags: jordan, rider, rosenthal, ross brawn
December 4, 2008 at 7:07 pm |
Time flies…was it really twelve years? I wont miss the adverts, was it me or did they become more prolific over the last few years? Oh and looking forward to ‘The Chain’ again….
December 11, 2008 at 9:50 pm |
this is some brilliant stuff! i too have followed F1 alot but seriously the stuff here i had no idea of all of it! u must have done some serious research! keep up the good work i will be re-visiting
December 12, 2008 at 12:01 am |
I think the art of the broadcaster’s communication with the TV audience is paramount. So many elements combine to make that effective. The most important of those elements are not technological but human. This is an exciting, dangerous sport which the viewer wants to taste and feel. Quality of sound, vision, technical information, personal and human insights into teams and drivers must be all be cutting edge and ever evolving. Delivering all that so it is received and interpreted by the viewer in the manner intended by the service provider demands high levels of skill and expertise. ITV did achieve that goal to a large extent, but there was sometimes a predictability and flatness in presentation when the urgency and excitement of the event seemed to appear in 2D rather than 3D. Something akin to the ‘Murray factor’ was missing. Like voices singing in harmony, some sound good and accurate, but, occasionally, there is a particular blend of voices performing the same piece which surpasses all others. That factor cannot easily be identified, let alone prescribed and added to the recipe. But the conditions in which it might occur can.
Let’s hope the BBC are wise enough to recognise that and allow for eccentricity, innovation and risk-taking in commentary and presentation. The mouthpiece of the coverage is the one element among all others which can only arise in those circumstances. Then we sense the true passion of the sport in the way it should be experienced.
This is a very impressive site Phil -Thanks and good luck for its future
December 12, 2008 at 9:45 am |
Phill
Theres A Lot Of Stuff Here Phill Which Is An Interesting Read, And Which Provokes A Big Debate In Formula 1
I Like Your TOP 10 and would probably only dispute a couple of your line-up !
The BBC coming back into Formual 1 i think is a great thing and a positive one, but to get the right feel will need a lot of hard work and determination on the part of the team tasked with making it a success. Further complicated of course by the recent announcement by Honda of its departure from the sport, will others follow ? .. and does it signal the emergance of more & more finance coming into the sport from the middle east, i think it most certainly does.
As for the theme tune, its got to be the chain !
Max Mosely has i think suggested this week that in an effort to bring down the cost of running a Formula 1 Team, the future may bring a solus engine supplier for all teams….hmmm not sure about that one and dear old Lewis who i dont think holds Max in the highest regard, has poured some cold water on that one straight away.
That said the Sport has got to reduce the astronomic costs of running this fabulous circus that we all love, and would dearly miss if it were not on our screens !
Keep Up The Good Work Phill !!