i have just sent an email to each of these stations asking if they intend to show any live games this season,
i e mail means nothing really...so should we get word an email together and send it in bulk to all of these organisations........
moaning is one thing, taking action is another.....
Ignore Max Power, he is no more, the future is Ron Burgundy. I'd love to be Ron Burgundy but they won't let me........
Not that it would benefit me,but I'd go along with that. Probably achieve f**k all but worth a try.
True, unless they get tens of thousands of e-mails i dont think they'll take notice. Can the e-mail be posted on here so we can all have a butchersOriginally Posted by dancinpants
Anyone got the mail addys?
Don't forget to thank them for the improvement to the AERTEL service. That eL focus on 234 is a step in the right direction, even if they still think Cobhin City play in the First Division.
You can't spell failure without FAI
press@rte.ie
sport@tv3.ie
and www.tg4.ie ( their site is all over the place at the mo )
Ignore Max Power, he is no more, the future is Ron Burgundy. I'd love to be Ron Burgundy but they won't let me........
To email TG4, try this link:
http://www.tg4.ie/bearla/feed.htm
My letters so far:
[font=Courier New]And to RTE[font=Courier New]Dear Sir/Madam,
I'm writing to you about your coverage of the Eircom League. I watch Eircom League Weekly regularly, and I know that it's followed faithfully by a lot of fans. I'd just like to thank TV3 for your coverage of the Eircom League. It's a real joy to be able to catch all of the highlights. The viewing figures of the show are reportedly quite impressive, so I feel justified in asking for an increase in the level of professionalism of the coverage shown.
Firstly, there is the issue of the cameras at the games. There seems to be typically only one camera, which looks very poor. The coverage is unreliable, with one goal in the first show this year being missed altogether because a fan's head got in the way. Is it too much to ask to brink two cameras to two or three games a week? I'm told that a lot of clubs as it stands are forced to hire someone to tape the match for them, and send in their own footage. This is a digraceful situation, and shouldn't continue.
Secondly, there is the time slot. The show is on very late, and surely could benefit from being moved to a more sociable hour. The league depens heavily on the show for publicity, and a prime time slot would be of enourmous help. Providing, that is, that the camera-work doesn't look amateurish.
Finally could a few more live matches be shown. Even if it meant moving a game to a Sunday afternoon, it would be worth it. A lot of the better games, like Bohemians versus Cork or Shelbourne would attract a decent audience. Surely it's at least worth a try.
Yours faithfully,
John ******
UCD fan.[/font]
Which got a response, but I apparently can't reveal it!![font=Courier New]Dear Sir/Madam,
I'm writing to complain about the skewed coverage accorded to association football in this country. Every week, I can watch the Champions League, a commendable thing to cover, and quite regularly I can watch Celtic play live, which is not to my taste, but worthy of coverage nonetheless. I can also watch the Premiership on Saturday evenings, which is a brilliantly presented package.
However, I can't watch League of Ireland football at all. Why, given that viewing figures for your fantastic Eircom League highlights show matched those of the Premiership, despite it being on at an unnaturally late hour, was it cancelled? Why are so few live Eircom league matches.
RTE is supposedly a public service broadcaster, and yet it's willing to spend money on nothing but imported shows and foreign football. Please redress the balance.
Yours faithfully,
John ******
UCD fan[/font]
[/font][font=Courier New]************************************************** ****************************
The information in this e-mail is confidential and may be legally privileged.
It is intended solely for the addressee. Access to this e-mail by anyone else
is unauthorised. If you are not the intended recipient, any disclosure,
copying, distribution, or any action taken or omitted to be taken in reliance
on it, is prohibited and may be unlawful.
Please note that emails to, from and within RTÉ may be subject to the Freedom
of Information Act 1997 and may be liable to disclosure.
************************************************** ****************************[/font]
Essentially it said that comments about their programmes are recorded in a weekly Audience Reaction Log, which is discussed at the weekly editorial meetings.
You can't spell failure without FAI
Finally, my letter to TG4:
A chairde,
I wish my Gaeilge was good enough to write this letter in that language, but it's not, so please bear with me.
I've enjoyed the varied and in general excellent sports coverage on TG4, and I'd very much like to see you take up a gap in the market - Eircom League football.
At present, the only coverage on television is the apaulingly amateurish "Eircom League Weekly" on TV3, which they put on at an ungodly hour, and the occasional live European match or FAI Cup (semi-)final.
The audience is there - RTE's eircom league highlights package of a couple of years ago matched "The Premiership" in audience figures, and Eircom League fans are very unhappy with the situation as it stands.
Is mise le meas,
Seán *******
Baile Átha Cliath
You can't spell failure without FAI
Do mba rud é go chuir tú ceist orm faoi scríobhfainn é as gaeilge agus gheobhadh me cabhair ón roinn gaeilge chun an gramadach a cheartú.
Check out my new sports blog http://www.action81.com
yeah whatever....
Ignore Max Power, he is no more, the future is Ron Burgundy. I'd love to be Ron Burgundy but they won't let me........
I would have caused the premature death of said grammer department by collective massive heart attack when they saw just how one can mangle the language. Besides, I didn't have the time.
You can't spell failure without FAI
I think the league should target TG4 as a possible source of improved coverage.
They set a very high standard with their coverage of National league(GAA) and celtic league (rugby).
During the summer they have no live sport and I'd say they might show 8-10 live league games and a live game from each round of the cup.
TV3 only produce the weekly show because they have to as part of the deal with the FAI that allows them delayed coverage of Ireland friendlies.
TG4 might put more effort into their coverage.
Agree totally - TG4 would be our best bet. At the moment they have some sort of deal with Celtic for their European matches but I'm sure they'd love more viewers on Monday and Friday evenings and we'd be offering ourselves on a plate to them.
Hi John83
You wrote a letter to TV3 and as a fan of Eircom League you must be gratefull that there is any football on at all. RTE only show goals on their News of the Glamor games, they jump on the bandwagon and show the FAI Cup semis. However TV3, althought it may not be the best show EL every week.
With Regards to the camera situation, It costs alot of money to get a camera man to a game, let alone 2 cameras or even 3. EL is a low budget show hense just the one camera, TV3 do rely on Clubs providing footage. Clubs would not have a professional cameraman or equipment so thats why some of the quality and shooting is not the best.
With regards to the time slot its all down to advertising and viewership. If EL was pulling in massive figures week in week out it would be put at a more social time slot. I know its a pain but ITV show Premiership on a Monday night at 11.30pm while last week BBC show highlights of England Swedan with the programme starting at 11.50pm, did you email them complaining.
The last thing I will say is.......how much do you pay to watch TV3.......thats right, nothing and you are getting a weekly football show.
Now how much do you pay to watch RTE.....thats right 140 Euro licence fee a year or something like that and you get no EL show.
TV3 is only on air 5 1/2 years so is still trying to find its feet, while RTE have been going for over 40 years and its finances are up its arse. It tool CH 4 10 years to brake even.
Be Patient.
here is a reply i recieved from rte re showing live games this season :
Mark,
I am in receipt of your email re Eircom League matches.
I have checked with our Sports Department and have been informed that RTE plans
to cover four or five matches in the forthcoming Eircom League season - three
of these matches will include two SEMI-Finals and the Final and one or two
other matches. Dates have yet to be decided.
I trust this information is of interest to you.
Regards.
RTE Information Office
Ignore Max Power, he is no more, the future is Ron Burgundy. I'd love to be Ron Burgundy but they won't let me........
You have go to be joking.
If you look at the letter it started off thanking TV3 for the coverage they do show, all John83 asked of TV3 was for a little more coverage and perhaps a more reasonable timeslot.
No harm in asking.
Do you work for TV3 or something addnsouth??
Obviously it's great that the coverage is there as opposed to RTÉ's efforts of old, but the fact remains that the programme is poorly presented and has been getting worse. That's what most of the complaints are about. There's no point putting on a poor show just to shut up the whingey eL fans - there should be some semblance of improvement too.
I got a similar one. Hopefully they'll have enough emails that they'll actually discuss it at that that weekly meeting - it mentioned something about them in the one I got, I think.
One or two other matches? Come on - that's pathetic over a whole season, exactly our problem.
My thoughts exactly.
You can't spell failure without FAI
i know a lot of staff in tv3 and they don't give a damn about el weekly, it just fills half on hour for them on a monday night....
tg4 is the future, thats if there is a future for irish soccer to be seen on irish tv ??
Ignore Max Power, he is no more, the future is Ron Burgundy. I'd love to be Ron Burgundy but they won't let me........
coverage of Bohs v Pats last year on RTE, I believe, beat their coverage of the champions league and their premiership highlights in the ratings department, Bohs V Shels and the cup final also got very decent ratings as far as I know. That proves there's a market there for the Eircom League and if the highlights programme was shown at a decent hour it might start pulling in decent ratings itself. It also proves there's a market for live matches yet very little is shown.
I'm very grateful for TV3 and the coverage they do show, as you're very right in saying it's more then RTE show, but that doesn't alot more can't be done. Regular live matches would not only get decent ratings but also build a following of both the Eircom League and TV3 itself through fans of live football, which would in turn boost the highlights programmes ratings. TV3 could crate a niche for itself with the Eircom League and turn it into a success for the channel very easily with a bit more coverage, imo anyway.
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