The infamous ITV ad break....

Ofcoms response

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/article/ds22709.html

well done everybody who complained!

I think that they have learned from their mistakes. Since then, I get the impression that they have been trying and get all 5(?) advert breaks over and done with well before the closing stages.

Quality, well done to all of us :)

Only 126 complaints though?

YAY! glad i got myself in the 'elite' 126.... :)

Bloody right too! They've got no excuse to let this happen again.

Quality, well done to all of us :)

Only 126 complaints though?
I would think that is 126 complaints to Ofcom themselves, ITV must have got thousands.

I would think that is 126 complaints to Ofcom themselves, ITV must have got thousands.

That's correct..ITV got about 3000, I think

ITV made a mistake, people complained, ITV apologised and ensured it wouldn't happen again. Any excessive punishment from OFCOM would be unfair under the circumstances.

i miss it on the BBC. The fleetwood mac song at the begining used to sent shivers down my spine. Plus there were no adverts.ahh bliss

i miss it on the BBC. The fleetwood mac song at the begining used to sent shivers down my spine. Plus there were no adverts.ahh bliss


A stark contrast to the current claptrap!

i miss it on the BBC. The fleetwood mac song at the begining used to sent shivers down my spine. Plus there were no adverts.ahh bliss


You were 6 when the BBC last showed a Grand Prix.

I'd suggest there's no way you can have much memory of it - and certainly not enough to make an objective analysis of its merits.

The days when paying your TV license seemed worth it: F1 BBC with Murray & Hunt.

The days when paying your TV license seemed worth it: F1 BBC with Murray & Hunt.


The glory days indeed.

No live qualifying.

Many races as highlights only.

Many dipped in and out of to show cricket, horse racing, tennis.

Marvellous.

:rolleyes:

The BBC had no ad breaks..... And thats about it. I agree with k-b on this. (Although "the chain" by Fleetwood mac was pretty special too!)

However, I wonder what the BBC would do now if they got the coverage back?

Ah, but the beebs coverage got more comprehensive - the quantity went up and up and was at the same level when ITV took over. They built the sport.

Perhaps ITV have gone even longer (more build up). Factor out the advert times and it is little different. Even ignoring the adverts (sort of out of ITV's control) the quality has decreased now. Dumbed down no question.

Whenever we get this topic I cite the same thing, but I shall do it again. I shudder to think of how ITV would have covered Imola '94. The beeb's live coverage was perfect in the conditions (noted at the time for being superior to any other countries) and their 'highlights' show with Steve Rider introducing it was perfect in its content, emphasis and emotion.

The glory days indeed.

No live qualifying.

Many races as highlights only.

Many dipped in and out of to show cricket, horse racing, tennis.

Marvellous.

:rolleyes:


Maybe just maybe I am looking back a little too fondly but the commentary from Murray & Hunt was fabulous, entertaining, often funny which IMHO outweighed the dull & dreary reporting from ITV. Now time to time we have the occasional dull race, listening to Murray & Co often made them a little more digestible. Come 2010 I hope the beeb make another bid for it.

You were 6 when the BBC last showed a Grand Prix.

I'd suggest there's no way you can have much memory of it - and certainly not enough to make an objective analysis of its merits.
Ever heard of something called tape.............

Got to agree with KB on this one.

I think people tend to gaze back through rose tinted spectacles when thinking of the BBC coverage.

It did have some benefits over ITV's coverage (no adverts, intro music that didn't make you want to kick your telly in) but on the whole i think ITV produce a better show.

On a lighter note it always makes me laugh when people complain that BBC had Murray & Hunt and ITV don't. Does nobody realise that Murray has retired and James Hunt has been dead for 12 years? Hardly the fault of ITV!

Whenever we get this topic I cite the same thing, but I shall do it again. I shudder to think of how ITV would have covered Imola '94. The beeb's live coverage was perfect in the conditions (noted at the time for being superior to any other countries) and their 'highlights' show with Steve Rider introducing it was perfect in its content, emphasis and emotion.

I can just imagine Jim Rosenthal..."trouble for Senna there by the looks of it...but anyway, Shelly's got trouble too down at the Rovers...Coronation Street will be up next after this break"

I can just imagine Jim Rosenthal..."trouble for Senna there by the looks of it...but anyway, Shelly's got trouble too down at the Rovers...Coronation Street will be up next after this break"

:rofl: Great post!

Although i enjoy the ITV coverage, i have to admit that the regular references to Corrie are rather surreal.

Maybe in Coronation street they don't have ad-breaks and can watch the GPs without interuption........or is that Eastenders?

The focus during a football match lay with the ball which was the same for the actual spectators at a match. In motor racing, spectators only saw brief glimpses of the action from static positions, whereas the television coverage shows many points of action and follows many different focus points showing, where possible, the most interesting and exciting action. This meant that coverage was switched from one action point to another and any exciting action not seen by viewers, whether due to the taking of a commercial break or from events of interest occurring at the same time, were always replayed as soon as practical.

I find it interesting that ITV tried to say that because the spectators at a motor racing event they see separate and isolated "points of action" that therefore they can have breaks when they want effectively.

I appreciate that ITV is paid for via advertising but surely there's no reason why the majority of ads couldn't be handled pre and post race and cut down the number of ads during the race to 2.

They did apologise for the mistake. For me there are many presenter related problems with the coverage, but hey it seems ITV don't want to "listen" to that...

I appreciate that ITV is paid for via advertising but surely there's no reason why the majority of ads couldn't be handled pre and post race and cut down the number of ads during the race to 2.



Yes there is.

A massive reason.

Advertisers want their adverts shown at the points where people are watching, which is during the race, not during the build up and post race shows.

During the post race show, 10 000 people switch off every second.

There shouldn't be adverts. Football games don't have adverts here and so don't any of the MotoGP races. Yet, F1 always gets cut off twice or three times. Probably the most important moment is the start, so why not stick the most paying ads right before the formation lap?

Yes there is.

A massive reason.

Advertisers want their adverts shown at the points where people are watching, which is during the race, not during the build up and post race shows.

During the post race show, 10 000 people switch off every second.

So why don't football matches have adverts stuck in during an attacking move or a penalty shootout?

They only show adverts during pre, mid and post match analysis. Yet everyone is probably making a cup of tea or grabbing a beer at those points.

When I saw a couple of races last season in Brasil the channel had no ad breaks during the race, they instead used in programme advertising where, whilst still transmitting pictures, the commentary went off and a banner of advertisers went across the top of the screen.

Worked perfectly!!!

When I was in Singapore I saw the Canadian GP on Malaysian TV which was using the ITV feed (Brundle & Allen) and they had no adverts breaks at all. So its interesting to see that Malaysia can buy coverage from the UK and not need any advertising revenue while ITV can't do it.

Alex

I don't know whether Malaysian TV is funded in the same way as the BBC, but ITV is paid for by advertising.

So why don't football matches have adverts stuck in during an attacking move or a penalty shootout?

They only show adverts during pre, mid and post match analysis. Yet everyone is probably making a cup of tea or grabbing a beer at those points.


Just about sums up what I was going to say :)