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SNOOKER ON THE BBC: AN UNCLEAR FUTURE

Postby Cheesyman99

Professional snooker owes its rise to the TV big time to the BBC above anything else.

It was the BBC who showed black and white matches, usually featuring Joe Davis, as fillers between racing and other sports on Saturday afternoons in the 1950s.

It was the BBC that brought the viewing public Pot Black in colour, which made household names of the players of the 1970s.

And it was the BBC who took the decision to televise the 1978 World Championship at the Crucible from first ball to last, which led to the explosion of interest in the 1980s and the creation of the professional circuit as we know it today.

But what is the future for the sport on a BBC that now finds itself in a crowded broadcasting marketplace having to defend its use of the licence fee?

This week, it's director general, Mark Thompson, pledged to cut services to plough more money into programme making but also to cap the BBC's spend on sports right to 9% of the licence fee.

Today's Daily Mirror newspaper claims Thompson "wants snooker and darts off BBC2."

They do not quote him directly but the BBC's Strategy Review document proposes to 'reduce the volume of sport on BBC2.' As snooker is currently broadcast for many hours on this channel there must be fears that it is one of the sports that will be shifted elsewhere - or even scrapped altogether.

This would seriously threaten snooker's future as a top level TV sport.

Of its sports rights strategy, the BBC document states: "[we will] Continue to provide a home for major sporting events, free-to-air, as well as a broad range of other sport. The strategy for sports rights will, however, prioritise the list of the most important events for free-to-air coverage followed by sports with particular public service potential (such as Olympic sports and the Commonwealth Games) and others that deliver significant value to licence fee payers, recognising that the BBC needs to set a clear limit on how much it can invest."

Snooker is, of course, not an Olympic or Commonwealth sport.

The current BBC contract runs out at the end of next season. Barry Hearn, the WPBSA chairman, has been to see the corporation but no new contract has yet been announced.

It would be a surprise to everyone if it wasn't agreed but snooker has few options if the worst did happen.

Sky has shown little interest in snooker in recent years. ITV hasn't screened a tournament for the best part of a decade.

I would expect the BBC to sign another contract but for a reduced fee and possibly for three rather than four tournaments.

Make no mistake, though: if they decide their love affair with the green baize game can no longer be justified in the current economic climate, or that it simply doesn't fit in with their view of what the BBC should be, snooker is going to find itself in very serious trouble.

Re: SNOOKER ON THE BBC: AN UNCLEAR FUTURE

Postby Wildey

The BBC Needs Snooker make no mistake about that but they probably trying a quick 1 so that snooker pays them instead of the other way round.

Re: SNOOKER ON THE BBC: AN UNCLEAR FUTURE

Postby Alex0paul

They don't need snooker. Why or how do they need snooker? If snooker doesn't get the money from the BBC contract then thats it for full time professional snooker.

Re: SNOOKER ON THE BBC: AN UNCLEAR FUTURE

Postby Lucky

wildJONESEYE wrote:The BBC Needs Snooker make no mistake about that but they probably trying a quick 1 so that snooker pays them instead of the other way round.



Snooker on the BBC is in a very precarious position. The BBC in no way needs snooker, it hides it away 80% of the time on the red button, which does not count towards viewing figures. The web site is being cut down by 25% at least two radio stations going and numerous other side issues too, the gravy train that was the BBC is rightly being trimmed back, the only reason it survives as it is, is due to the 'unique' way the BBC is funded, i.e. forced upon every household in the country.

Re: SNOOKER ON THE BBC: AN UNCLEAR FUTURE

Postby Smart

troubled waters for sure...... we chatted about the trimming back in work today, I think the BBC got too diverse with all the radio stations (Asian network etc). They are probably gonna go back to basics. If snooker goes off BBC then you got to hope that Hearn is lining up Sky PDQ or we are fooked big time.

But do they want it.....?

If not, then snooker is truly fooked. <ok>

Re: SNOOKER ON THE BBC: AN UNCLEAR FUTURE

Postby Wildey

Alex0paul wrote:They don't need snooker. Why or how do they need snooker? If snooker doesn't get the money from the BBC contract then thats it for full time professional snooker.


snooker on bank holiday monday alone is worth it for the bbc believe me.

Re: SNOOKER ON THE BBC: AN UNCLEAR FUTURE

Postby Lucky

wildJONESEYE wrote:
Alex0paul wrote:They don't need snooker. Why or how do they need snooker? If snooker doesn't get the money from the BBC contract then thats it for full time professional snooker.


snooker on bank holiday monday alone is worth it for the bbc believe me.



The BBC cutbacks are going to cut deep, people will probably lose their jobs, no sport or program is safe at the moment. If Hearn succeeds in making snooker more marketable, the price is only going to go one way. Hearn is a business man, I'd imagine that at the moment the BBC get the snooker for an absolute pitance <ok>

Re: SNOOKER ON THE BBC: AN UNCLEAR FUTURE

Postby Wildey

they might think about cutting back on snooker and Darts however when they sit down look at profits and viewing figures they will realize that theres other things to cut back on.

Re: SNOOKER ON THE BBC: AN UNCLEAR FUTURE

Postby Cheesyman99

StalinESQ wrote:
case_master wc wrote:The GP will almost certainly go, if not it will not exist as a week long tournament on the BBC


GP is defo the weakest link of the BBC tournies <ok>


I like the GP

Re: SNOOKER ON THE BBC: AN UNCLEAR FUTURE

Postby Smart

Witz78 wrote:get the snooker on itv4 or skysports with uninterrupted coverage then <ok>


lets see how the BBC cuts pan out, with more details required, but I have no problem with snooker going to Sky if they want it. Think ITV have been crap before where snooker is concerned, so would prefer Sky if given the choice. <ok>

Re: SNOOKER ON THE BBC: AN UNCLEAR FUTURE

Postby KrazeeEyezKilla

Witz78 wrote:get the snooker on itv4 or skysports with uninterrupted coverage then <ok>


Uninterupted? You mean two channels which have adverts. What interuptions dose the BBC have? The red button doesnt count.

Re: SNOOKER ON THE BBC: AN UNCLEAR FUTURE

Postby Wildey

Witz78 wrote:get the snooker on itv4 or skysports with uninterrupted coverage then <ok>


you go on itv 4 no bucker will see you then <ok>

Re: SNOOKER ON THE BBC: AN UNCLEAR FUTURE

Postby N_Castle07

If Sir Rodney Plonker was still in charge I would really rubbish myself. But now that snooker is in Hearn’s hands this doesn’t worry me too much. Maybe this is what snooker needs a entire new era on a different channel.

Re: SNOOKER ON THE BBC: AN UNCLEAR FUTURE

Postby Rocket_ron

N_Castle07 wrote:If Sir Rodney Plonker was still in charge I would really rubbish myself. But now that snooker is in Hearn’s hands this doesn’t worry me too much. Maybe this is what snooker needs a entire new era on a different channel.

agreed about hearn

Re: SNOOKER ON THE BBC: AN UNCLEAR FUTURE

Postby GJ

do they have digital options to watch matches when the channel isnt covering them :chin:

Re: SNOOKER ON THE BBC: AN UNCLEAR FUTURE

Postby Wildey

GJtheaussiestud wrote:do they have digital options to watch matches when the channel isnt covering them :chin:


mate ITV 4 is a load of rubbish ....

Re: SNOOKER ON THE BBC: AN UNCLEAR FUTURE

Postby GJ

wildJONESEYE wrote:
GJtheaussiestud wrote:do they have digital options to watch matches when the channel isnt covering them :chin:


mate ITV 4 is a load of rubbish ....


i agree

Re: SNOOKER ON THE BBC: AN UNCLEAR FUTURE

Postby Roland

I can't imagine life with no snooker on the BBC. I now hate this Mark Thompson with a passion! How dare he even hint at dropping sport on BBC2 with the amount of utter crap on BBC1 and BBC3 which my hard earned cash is going towards producing? Snooker has massive viewing figures compared to other sports. Mind you, the way the BBC concentrated on curling and ice skating in the Winter Olympics shows their general lack of understanding of good sporting action.

Re: SNOOKER ON THE BBC: AN UNCLEAR FUTURE

Postby Casey

Cheesyman99 wrote:
wildJONESEYE wrote:
Witz78 wrote:get the snooker on itv4 or skysports with uninterrupted coverage then <ok>


you go on itv 4 no intercourser will see you then <ok>



http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/161795/Baize-browned-off-with-BBC

ITV4 look ready to pounce


I could see the UK and GP moving to ITV4, I think BBC would be keen to keep the Masters and World's

Re: SNOOKER ON THE BBC: AN UNCLEAR FUTURE

Postby Witz78

wildJONESEYE wrote:
GJtheaussiestud wrote:do they have digital options to watch matches when the channel isnt covering them :chin:


mate ITV 4 is a load of poo ....


and the reason its a load of pooo is???? <doh>

Its a channel that everyone gets on freeview, and can reach 99% of the population.

What would you rather happened if the Beeb do indeed pull the plug on some of their snooker coverage?? :huh:

Football, rugby, darts, motorsport are just a few of the sports i can think of having seen on itv4 so whats snooker got to be so pickey about?

Re: SNOOKER ON THE BBC: AN UNCLEAR FUTURE

Postby Lucky

Whats the problem with ITV4 :huh: They showed every single dart of the GSOD live.....no red button, no channel hopping, just the action from start to finish <ok> They are also covering the IPL (cricket) this year......to suggest that ITV4 is a 'load of rubbish' without any real reasoning is ludicrous, it might be the kick up the bottom the BBC needs <doh>

Re: SNOOKER ON THE BBC: AN UNCLEAR FUTURE

Postby Rocket_ron

Lucky balls wrote:Whats the problem with ITV4 :huh: They showed every single dart of the GSOD live.....no red button, no channel hopping, just the action from start to finish <ok> They are also covering the IPL (cricket) this year......to suggest that ITV4 is a 'load of rubbish' without any real reasoning is ludicrous, it might be the kick up the bottom the BBC needs <doh>

i agree here. darts was good and when itv used to present snokers champions cup and the nations cup it was very good, plus matt smith is alright, would mis hazel tho.

Re: SNOOKER ON THE BBC: AN UNCLEAR FUTURE

Postby Witz78

Lucky balls wrote:Whats the problem with ITV4 :huh: They showed every single dart of the GSOD live.....no red button, no channel hopping, just the action from start to finish <ok> They are also covering the IPL (cricket) this year......to suggest that ITV4 is a 'load of poo' without any real reasoning is ludicrous, it might be the kick up the bum the BBC needs <doh>


Oh theres nothing wrong with ITV4, it just a lame excuse to have a go at Hearn for some of them <doh>

As N Castle said earlier here, if we still had Rodney Wa*ker in charge, wed be up sh1t creek without a paddle if the Beeb threatened to pull the plug, but with Hearn and his proven track record, we have nothing to fear, and it may indeed be the thing that actually spurs the game onto the next level.