Tuesday 18 November 2008

Old gits vs new technology

My blogging has been lax these last few months, but there's one thing I've wanted to write about for a while but never had the __________ to do it. But thanks to Ceci and Suave I've another angle on TV rights that's finally making me do it.

Earlier this year there was the hahoo about the BBC not bothering to put a bid to the ECB for the TV rights for the England matches and there was this disappointed sighing, mumbling cursing stream from Aggers, Boycott etc... They feel that it's ultimately damaging to the game because of the reduced number of people with access to Sky Sports etc. All that sort of discussion seems fine in the here and now, but as these are rights for a few years down the line, they really start to fall apart the less they seem to understand about the (probable) future of broadcasting.

As above, thanks to Ceci and Suave, I ended up watching the 3rd ICL final today. It was a bunch of old has-beens and no-hopers and all of Kents overseas players, but any port in a storm. So I ended up on Sky channel 789, Zee music, which I didn't know existed and certainly didn't know broadcast ICL. It's a Sky channel, but fundamentally it's free on that gear, and only isn't on freeview itself because they couldn't get a slot or something.

So here this Terrestrial Vs Satellite argument doesn't exist, and more and more it's not going to exist. With the increase in IPTV (and projects like BT's 21CN shennigans) it's really not long before there really is no such thing as "Terrestrial" TV - and no Satellite either I'll bet. Freeview is a waste of time of course, just a political marketting yeeha - by the time the last transmitter is turned off Freeview will already be obsolete technically. With all broadcasting inevitably edging towards online and on demand viewing, Sky Sports, BBC 1 and Zee Music will all just be entries on a big old list that everyone will view over the net.

What's meant to happen when this playing field is levelled out (shortly after the Stanford Stadium pitch is also properly rolled)? When everything has converged down to a standard access method of infinite capacity and 1/infinity quality how are the BBC meant to keep competing for something like a Test match which is officially a specialist interest and very chuffing long?

Essentially I find it frustrating when various people with MCC ties live in the past due to their lack of knowledge. I know computers are scary things, but well tough titties to you. Take an interest and use it in your views for the future of broadcasting, or die trying.

oh yeah. I am that dull. Want those last two minutes of your life back? me too.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

An interesting view - I'm still a bit confused as to why the BBC didn't bid for ANY of the rights packages (the ECB argued that the whole structuring of the rights was to encourage a bid from the Beeb)

Friday night 20/20 games, for example, might have been a ratings draw for the BBC, and wouldn't have cost that much (plus they could have ben more easily scheduled).

Spigot said...

Well I thought that about T20, but grand scheme of things where would they put it *every* friday?? they'd put it on Three? even that's ropey when you fore go 3.5 hours of prime time. In my mind natural chains of events, and more in line with tv + 4 years, says there's no "channel" but an additional BBC IPTV feed carrying it... and that's in no way terrestrial by any stretch of imagination. But it will be normal by then.

Damith S. said...

the internet has been revolutionary. with a huge market

people dont mind paying the big bucks to get proper links to watch the games live.

i live in singapore, and before i subscribed to the special cricket channels it was all about the internet.

the revolution is coming. its here and its now.

Anonymous said...

Can't pretend to understand all of that (don't have a dish or cable), but do know that interest in cricket amongst the kids in our area is waning because the only time they see it on telly is the Five highlights (and an opening shot of Boycott is enough to put anyone off).

Spigot said...

Totally mel, but that's the argument for right now, not one for 6 years time.

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