WRC on Dave TV in 2008

[Langdale Forest]

One of the disadvantages (for me), is that i can't record the rallyes anymore because i do not have a DVD recorder and I can't record from the didgibox.

[Frozzy]

get john deresbourgh (?) and mike brewer doing the presenting for the wrc!

[Daniel]

This is great. Dave will treat the WRC with the respect it deserves. AFAIK the BBC is very much involved with the WRC. This again is a good thing.

[AndyRAC]

Have they snatched the rights or did ITV let them go? Putting it on ITV 4 showed they didn't really take the sport seriously. It really needs terrestrial TV coverage; BTCC, BSB, all get on ITV yet a World Championship can't.

[sal]

Earlier this year there was talk of a standalone "satellite" WRC channel that would allow North One/ISC/Whoever to broadcast the many hours of footage that never gets shown on the likes of Eurosport and the hour long reviews as well as the archive stuff they have. Looking at the text of this press release it looks as though "Dave" is planning to air other WRC footage so if this includes PWRC/JWRC and lots of special programmes then for one I'm quite happy.

Perhaps there is a small case of rose tinted glasses when people say the coverage was better in the good old days. Unlike many of you on here I grew up with the sporadic coverage given to what was then called the World Rally Championship by the BBC and ITV. Both used the footage supplied by Barrie Hinchcliffe/BHP and great coverage it was. However you never got every round and then quite often the coverage was binned at the last minute due to alleged infringment of cigarette advertising rules only for the rally to replaced by the Embassy snooker or Silk Cut horse racing! The RAC rally coverage by the BBC under the Top Gear banner was also excellent however this was in the days when the event ran over 4 or 5 days with 50+ stages around the UK allowing the outside broadcast crews to move between stages. This was supplemented by the local BBC stations covering thier local stages. Also one of the Sunday spectator stages was covered live.

But that was the past and with no top line drivers in the UK and "our " round of the Championship confined to one small area of Sth Wales it's hardly suprising that rallying cant get a mainstream tv slot.

[Daniel]

Yes but the coverage when you got it was good. I remember being angry when I missed a round on TV in Australia back when the coverage was good. But then they changed to the voiceover morons they have now, started using VS as a substitue for actual footage and it just started being crap. I'd prefer one good round with proper commentary and footage than 16 rounds as they are. In regards to the current coverage I can take it or leave it. I'll only be annoyed if I miss out seeing a really good fight.

I think the WRC is going to be a big thing for Dave rather than being a 3rd rate program for ITV (and that's saying something because ITV show a lot of rubbish).

[Daniel]

Have they snatched the rights or did ITV let them go? Putting it on ITV 4 showed they didn't really take the sport seriously. It really needs terrestrial TV coverage; BTCC, BSB, all get on ITV yet a World Championship can't.

BTCC is another rubbish series whose days getting terrestrial coverage are numbered IMHO. Can't honestly say I've ever bothered with BSB but BTCC these days sure is rubbish. Compare a mid to late 90's season review of the BTCC to a current one and you'll see why it was so popular. Good commentary, good drivers and excellent cars. Now it's none of those.

[MrJan]

Yeah I miss Charlie Cox for the touring cars, at least he does MotoGP. Also Murray was great

One of the disadvantages (for me), is that i can't record the rallyes anymore because i do not have a DVD recorder and I can't record from the didgibox.

As long as both digibox and VCR have scart lead it is fairly easy, just needs a bit of playing around and change the input for the video.

[Daniel]

Yeah I miss Charlie Cox for the touring cars, at least he does MotoGP. Also Murray was great

My favourite Charlie Cox quote is "He needed that like a third armpit" Wtf?

[Tomski]

At least with WRC being Dave's jewel in the crown there's a good chance that they won't be mucking around the timings and scheduling like Eurosport & ITV1 & 4. Hopefully no more tuning in to find fat blokes throwing darts or lycra clad characters on ski's!