Don't moan about F1 TV coverage - remember the ‘60s!
Discussion
We might pay through the nose for it - but these days we get pre-GP shows, coverage of FP1-3, Qualifying, Race build up, Race and post-Race analysis.
Cast your minds back to 1967 in the UK. I was still in Primary school but fanatical about F1. How did I get updates on the latest GP ? No live coverage - but salvation was in the form of a a kids' programme on BBC each Tuesday evening - Tom Tom.
No actual footage, but the GP was re-enacted on a Scalextric track with F1 models beautifully recreated by Rex Hays. Rex had a great eye for detail so if a car had sprouted a new aerofoil since the last GP it would be featured. We were spared the grisly details of the nasty accidents but if a car retired with a blown engine the "coverage" would switch to one of the models with artificial smoke billowing from the engine cover.
Here we have a very non Monaco-looking section of track for the start of the 1967 Grand Prix. Brabham and Bandini on the front row, Surtees and Hulme on the second.
So next time you moan about Crofty or whoever - bear this in mind !
Cast your minds back to 1967 in the UK. I was still in Primary school but fanatical about F1. How did I get updates on the latest GP ? No live coverage - but salvation was in the form of a a kids' programme on BBC each Tuesday evening - Tom Tom.
No actual footage, but the GP was re-enacted on a Scalextric track with F1 models beautifully recreated by Rex Hays. Rex had a great eye for detail so if a car had sprouted a new aerofoil since the last GP it would be featured. We were spared the grisly details of the nasty accidents but if a car retired with a blown engine the "coverage" would switch to one of the models with artificial smoke billowing from the engine cover.
Here we have a very non Monaco-looking section of track for the start of the 1967 Grand Prix. Brabham and Bandini on the front row, Surtees and Hulme on the second.
So next time you moan about Crofty or whoever - bear this in mind !
Bit like saying, don’t moan about modern cars, the BMW 2002 Turbo didn’t have aircon, I know which I would rather have.
Murray Walker commentated on F1 from the mid 70’s until 2001, he had genuine enthusiasm and an in depth knowledge and was wildly respected in F1. Sure he made gaffs, but he was the sound of F1 for over 2 decades. I know given the chance who I would rather listen to.
From a visual point of view, technology and production values are light years ahead of what they used to be, we should be grateful for that, just not for Crofty
Murray Walker commentated on F1 from the mid 70’s until 2001, he had genuine enthusiasm and an in depth knowledge and was wildly respected in F1. Sure he made gaffs, but he was the sound of F1 for over 2 decades. I know given the chance who I would rather listen to.
From a visual point of view, technology and production values are light years ahead of what they used to be, we should be grateful for that, just not for Crofty
Isn't the main point the OP trying to make that coverage was sparse back in the day?
Even when I was growing up, which is a lot later than this, lots of the coverage was highlights.
Same as the argument the racing was better, when the coverage was so scant it's actually impossible to watch a lot of the supposedly great racing back to prove it was so. Cases of drivers winning by literally multiple minutes over four hours doesn't sound like great racing to me
Even when I was growing up, which is a lot later than this, lots of the coverage was highlights.
Same as the argument the racing was better, when the coverage was so scant it's actually impossible to watch a lot of the supposedly great racing back to prove it was so. Cases of drivers winning by literally multiple minutes over four hours doesn't sound like great racing to me
As I recall, and it was a long time ago, the BBC only woke up to it when Hunt looked likely to win the title in Japan. Before that, any coverage was very sporadic. After that, it improved greatly.
Le Mans was only on the radio up until early Group C when they showed it once, live but not in full.
Le Mans was only on the radio up until early Group C when they showed it once, live but not in full.
Back then, live outside broadcast was difficult and expensive and thus reserved for special events. In addition, there were only two, and later three, TV channels in the UK, so they were never going to devote hours to a niche sport when they had to cover everything else for basically every TV viewer in the country on the same channel.
What we have now isn't necessarily better, it's just more. Quantity over quality, in which you have to wade through masses of regurgitated drivel to find anything worthwhile, because broadcasters have almost unlimited time and bandwidth to fill with a subject that doesn't generate enough content for 95% of the time they have to fill the airwaves.
What we have now isn't necessarily better, it's just more. Quantity over quality, in which you have to wade through masses of regurgitated drivel to find anything worthwhile, because broadcasters have almost unlimited time and bandwidth to fill with a subject that doesn't generate enough content for 95% of the time they have to fill the airwaves.
You had a point when the pre and post race shows came along, but these days they are nothing more than the media filling time and trying to create stories from nothing. I stopped watching them 3 or 4 years ago.
Free practice is interesting to have on in the background occasionally, but they are doing such different things it is generally meaningless as a spectacle.
Free practice is interesting to have on in the background occasionally, but they are doing such different things it is generally meaningless as a spectacle.
thegreenhell said:
Back then, live outside broadcast was difficult and expensive and thus reserved for special events. In addition, there were only two, and later three, TV channels in the UK, so they were never going to devote hours to a niche sport when they had to cover everything else for basically every TV viewer in the country on the same channel.
What we have now isn't necessarily better, it's just more. Quantity over quality, in which you have to wade through masses of regurgitated drivel to find anything worthwhile, because broadcasters have almost unlimited time and bandwidth to fill with a subject that doesn't generate enough content for 95% of the time they have to fill the airwaves.
Exactly. We live in a world that is accessible to far broader spectrum. To my mind, we can filter and workaround to achieve the best quality as there is so much quantity.What we have now isn't necessarily better, it's just more. Quantity over quality, in which you have to wade through masses of regurgitated drivel to find anything worthwhile, because broadcasters have almost unlimited time and bandwidth to fill with a subject that doesn't generate enough content for 95% of the time they have to fill the airwaves.
Not only motorsports, but food variety as example. Nowadays, Thai, Indian, Japanese, mongolian and probably Micronesian is far more readily available. And, available in varying quality and in high street supermarkets. The choice would spellbinding to anyone that lived off the grid.
there is far far too much Motorsport on tv these days, too much choice, so people can be utterly flippant about what they watch, which makes rights holders desperate, so the comes PPV we would rather 10000 pay to watch than 10 million free to air, and so it just degrades the sport to an inane level.
Apart from F1 which despite being about as dreary as motorsport gets seems to continually attract fans, I have literally no idea why as it is about as dull as any Motorsport you can watch.
Apart from F1 which despite being about as dreary as motorsport gets seems to continually attract fans, I have literally no idea why as it is about as dull as any Motorsport you can watch.
daqinggregg said:
Bit like saying, don’t moan about modern cars, the BMW 2002 Turbo didn’t have aircon, I know which I would rather have.
Murray Walker commentated on F1 from the mid 70’s until 2001, he had genuine enthusiasm and an in depth knowledge and was wildly respected in F1. Sure he made gaffs, but he was the sound of F1 for over 2 decades. I know given the chance who I would rather listen to.
From a visual point of view, technology and production values are light years ahead of what they used to be, we should be grateful for that, just not for Crofty
Murray will always be my favourite. It felt like he was always genuinely happy to be there and a part of the pit lane. Plus in that era you could pretty much guarantee half the field would drive into eachother or explode before the end of the race, so there was always something exciting to cut to.Murray Walker commentated on F1 from the mid 70’s until 2001, he had genuine enthusiasm and an in depth knowledge and was wildly respected in F1. Sure he made gaffs, but he was the sound of F1 for over 2 decades. I know given the chance who I would rather listen to.
From a visual point of view, technology and production values are light years ahead of what they used to be, we should be grateful for that, just not for Crofty
paulguitar said:
LukeBrown66 said:
Apart from F1 which despite being about as dreary as motorsport gets seems to continually attract fans, I have literally no idea why as it is about as dull as any Motorsport you can watch.
Why have you never mentioned this before?
moffspeed said:
We might pay through the nose for it - but these days we get pre-GP shows, coverage of FP1-3, Qualifying, Race build up, Race and post-Race analysis.
It's £65 per year for all the above and more via F1TV pro...A couple of workarounds but if you're clever enough to understand a nonsensical sport like F1 you won't struggle to get it sorted.And the entire F1 back catalogue going back decades (or as much as exists and is known who holds the rights for..) too.
And an alternative feed to Croft and co for those that can't stand that feckless tub of noise.
That's a deal I think is definitely the best way to watch F1 we've ever had, easily worth the modern camera and sound work we enjoy compared to back when it was 'free' on the BBC.
It's just paying for Sky that is turning the masses away in the UK. Elsewhere, it's FTA or the same very low price via F1TV.
carl_w said:
PhilAsia said:
He did. It's gospel according to Luke, he first mentioned it in the book of revelations a while back...
Yet still reads and contributes to the F1 forum on here. I bet Luke's a LOT of fun down the pub. Entire discussions about things he has no interest whatsoever in, followed by a whinge about the price of beer - and then a long walk home, because only fancy people call a cab. Decadent barstards.
TheDeuce said:
It's £65 per year for all the above and more via F1TV pro...A couple of workarounds but if you're clever enough to understand a nonsensical sport like F1 you won't struggle to get it sorted.
And the entire F1 back catalogue going back decades (or as much as exists and is known who holds the rights for..) too.
And an alternative feed to Croft and co for those that can't stand that feckless tub of noise.
That's a deal I think is definitely the best way to watch F1 we've ever had, easily worth the modern camera and sound work we enjoy compared to back when it was 'free' on the BBC.
It's just paying for Sky that is turning the masses away in the UK. Elsewhere, it's FTA or the same very low price via F1TV.
Which VPN do you use? I understood they had figured out how to stop it working with the bigger ones?And the entire F1 back catalogue going back decades (or as much as exists and is known who holds the rights for..) too.
And an alternative feed to Croft and co for those that can't stand that feckless tub of noise.
That's a deal I think is definitely the best way to watch F1 we've ever had, easily worth the modern camera and sound work we enjoy compared to back when it was 'free' on the BBC.
It's just paying for Sky that is turning the masses away in the UK. Elsewhere, it's FTA or the same very low price via F1TV.
The abuse is yawn boring and predictable, just like me,, but please do not DARE even try and DARE to KNOW me, you know nothing about me, what type of person I am, you only an online persona, so wind it in and comment on the topic, not the person, because you are so wrong you don't even know how wrong.
Yet you are the people spending your hard earned on the dullest racing the world has ever seen, please tell, what do yoou get out of it? What is it that excites you, is it really worth the money? Please tell me it is good value for money, don't JUST tell it is my money and I will spend it on what I want as you might aswell be buying a watch.
Yet you are the people spending your hard earned on the dullest racing the world has ever seen, please tell, what do yoou get out of it? What is it that excites you, is it really worth the money? Please tell me it is good value for money, don't JUST tell it is my money and I will spend it on what I want as you might aswell be buying a watch.
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