bluearmy1
Youth Team
- Joined
- Jan 19, 2007
- Messages
- 216
That's right Southampton Shrimper - say Essex FM, BBC Essex and Southend Radio wanted to send a reporter to EVERY game, home and away and commentate on the full 90 minutes. There is nothing stopping them except one thing - MONEY.
Football clubs and the Football League have realised there are big bucks to be made from exclusive rights, especially for home games.
Many commercial stations, such as Essex FM, just do not think it is profitable to have exclusive rights. Saturday afternoon or weekday evenings aren't their peak times and therefore they can't charge advertisers crazy sums to offset the fee involved with covering the local football team/s. Essex FM doesn't have a specific sports journalist/team either and that's why you hear so many inaccuracies about the Blues/Colchester during the season.
Southend Radio will obviously be a smaller station than its commercial competitor and as far as we can tell, will feature interviews and "coverage" of SUFC. Great news, but again there will be no live commentary of home or away matches, due to cost. It's also rumoured that Phillip Miller (owner of Adventure Island and Southend Radio) is not a massive football fan.
BBC Essex is - currently - the only professional station to offer live commentary on SUFC away games, and regular updates during home games. They pay a certain amount - out of the licence fee - to have exclusive DAB digital and FM commentary of the Blues/Colchester on alternate Saturdays and SOME weeknight matches (depending on cash available etc). They have a dedicated sports team and it's the only place to hear regular interviews with the management and players.
Somewhat surprisingly the only station to offer exclusive commentary of Southend's home games is Southend Hospital Radio. They have a line up of two guys who - week in, week out, have two seats in the press box and commentate on the games for their ever changing audience. They don't get enough credit, so thought I'd bring it up here. Incidentally I believe they do not pay a fee to SUFC, nor do they get paid.
Interesting what you were saying about BBC Radio Solent as well SS. I guess local BBC there feel that your area is significantly stronger (historically) in terms of clubs playing in the highest league. Southend and Colchester have never been in the Premiership and obviously do not have as big a fanbase as either the Saints or Pompey (although it's on the turn, well down here obviously!!). Therefore the local BBC station may be able to justify spending tens of thousands a year to cover the three teams live. Remember, every part of the UK-based BBC needs to justify why and how they are spending their share of the licence fee. Maybe BBC Essex has different priorities and - more importantly - a different budget.
So generally I welcome Southend Radio to the fold - be great if they have one specific sports reporter who keeps in touch with Tilly and Dave Scriven for latest news etc. Sadly though if you were wanting live commentary then I'm afraid that won't happen.
Hope that shines a bit of light.
Football clubs and the Football League have realised there are big bucks to be made from exclusive rights, especially for home games.
Many commercial stations, such as Essex FM, just do not think it is profitable to have exclusive rights. Saturday afternoon or weekday evenings aren't their peak times and therefore they can't charge advertisers crazy sums to offset the fee involved with covering the local football team/s. Essex FM doesn't have a specific sports journalist/team either and that's why you hear so many inaccuracies about the Blues/Colchester during the season.
Southend Radio will obviously be a smaller station than its commercial competitor and as far as we can tell, will feature interviews and "coverage" of SUFC. Great news, but again there will be no live commentary of home or away matches, due to cost. It's also rumoured that Phillip Miller (owner of Adventure Island and Southend Radio) is not a massive football fan.
BBC Essex is - currently - the only professional station to offer live commentary on SUFC away games, and regular updates during home games. They pay a certain amount - out of the licence fee - to have exclusive DAB digital and FM commentary of the Blues/Colchester on alternate Saturdays and SOME weeknight matches (depending on cash available etc). They have a dedicated sports team and it's the only place to hear regular interviews with the management and players.
Somewhat surprisingly the only station to offer exclusive commentary of Southend's home games is Southend Hospital Radio. They have a line up of two guys who - week in, week out, have two seats in the press box and commentate on the games for their ever changing audience. They don't get enough credit, so thought I'd bring it up here. Incidentally I believe they do not pay a fee to SUFC, nor do they get paid.
Interesting what you were saying about BBC Radio Solent as well SS. I guess local BBC there feel that your area is significantly stronger (historically) in terms of clubs playing in the highest league. Southend and Colchester have never been in the Premiership and obviously do not have as big a fanbase as either the Saints or Pompey (although it's on the turn, well down here obviously!!). Therefore the local BBC station may be able to justify spending tens of thousands a year to cover the three teams live. Remember, every part of the UK-based BBC needs to justify why and how they are spending their share of the licence fee. Maybe BBC Essex has different priorities and - more importantly - a different budget.
So generally I welcome Southend Radio to the fold - be great if they have one specific sports reporter who keeps in touch with Tilly and Dave Scriven for latest news etc. Sadly though if you were wanting live commentary then I'm afraid that won't happen.
Hope that shines a bit of light.
