The Sport Thread

Thank you steve. And incidentally, the possibility of such welsh language coverage of Horse racing cannot be ruled out totally. There are much stronger links between BBC Wales and S4C nowadays, and the former has a welsh/Cymraeg commentary on games it covers, via the red button. Not only that, Sky sports, when covering football internationals featuring wales, offers the same facility. So, it was just a thought, a possibility of S4C showing some racing, but in welsh, when at Chepstow.

And for those wondering,when S4C covers a rugby match, except internationals, they offer an English langueage commentary on the red button. Take note BBC Alba.

But what would the point be, other than as an expensive box ticking exercise.



On sports featuring a Welsh team. Horse Racing doesn't have national based teams. Even when the broadcasters try to group the trainers up into Ireland / Britain for the Cheltenham Festival, these are unofficial teams like Yorkshire in the Olympics and mean nothing.

If you think there should be Welsh commentary, why only at Chepstow? Why not the [English] Grand National, the Derby, the Guinnes or the St Leger - surely they're as interesting to the Welsh viewing public as the Welsh National - a race which is often moved to an English racecourse because of the weather.



The problem is, it's a stupid idea.

A reminder that BBC Alba's first live SPL game, Inverness CT v, Ross County, is on Wednesday 2nd January 2013 at 3pm, KO 3.05, Bet they are delighted with the Inverness side being the SPL's surprise package so far this season, currently second behind Celtic. BBC Alba opening early for the purpose.

Available online via the iPlayer live feed and through usual broadcast channels..

ITV4 upping their coverage of the African Cup of the Nations this time around, screening 12 groups games and all games from the quarter finals onwards. They're claiming it's more free to air coverage than ever before, but I'm sure the BBC used to show the lot when they had them either on the red button or BBC3.

http://www.touchline.tv/tv/football/africa-cup-of-nations-2013-live-on-itv4

The final Highflyer C4 Racing now on air.

It's quite sad really that C4 win the rights but effectively it's the BBC team that gets to continue with Sunset+Vine taking over the rights. I've always found C4 Racing far more watchable than racing on the BBC so it'll be interesting to see how things turn out.

You're speaking about it as if if Derek Thompson and John McCririck had personally put their hand in their own wallets to fund Channel 4 picking up the rights.

I don't think you're the only one who prefers Channel 4 coverage to that of the Beeb. When I mentioned to my dad it was one of the last times the likes of McCririck would be on screen he said he thought they were "better than Clare Balding".

It's IMG, not Sunset+Vine taking over the rights by the way.

Was there any promotion of future races or much reference to the change of regime today?

Ah, always get those to mixed up.

For anyone who missed it earlier I recommend Olympics: Life through the Lens - a behind the scenes look at the BBC coverage of London 2012. It could have done with being an hour long really as it only touched the surface but quite interesting to see the look of wonder on Hazel Irvine's face throughout the opening ceremony, John Inverdale breaking down at the rowing having just about held it together while on air and Clare Balding talking about the star of the games - Burt Le Clos.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01pm9m2/Olympics_2012_Through_the_Lens/

Bit of a goodbye, and played out a montage of big races from the last few years.

No pointer to the next racing on new years day though, which must be the first time in over 15 years the programme has ended with no reference to the next programme.

You'd have thought they'd have given a plug to the 'new look Channel 4 Racing' just to be professional and sportsmanlike.

I wonder if work will now commence on launching the London Legacy channel, as it seems to have gone quiet on that from.

It's a pity that ITV4 don't have the rights to most of the Australian Open, considering BBC are only showing a few games!

New Morning Line/Channel 4 Racing Analysis studio.
http://yfrog.com/scaled/landing/814/a9ebz.jpg