Should The Bbc And Itv Use Their Other Channels When Airing Sports Events?

[anotheoldgit]

Is it fair to those who do not have any interest in sport for both the ITV and the BBC to broadcast these events on their main channels at peak viewing time?

[bednobs]

i don't have any interest in soaps, yet they insist on showing them at the best times

[margarettom]

Of course it's fair. I have no interest in soaps, cookery programs, chat shows, quiz shows, most drama series etc. etc. I don't expect ITV and the BBC to stop showing them at peak viewing times, because I know there are many people who enjoy watching them. When major sporting events are shown they often attract higher viewing figures than the usual programs that would be shown. Lots of people on this site were watching the World Cup Rugby this morning.

[dannyk13]

One man's meat......

[Ken4155]

Of course it's fair. And there's not enough of it, imvho.

[gingejbee]

Who said it has to be "fair", anyway. Lots of things in life aren't fair.

[andy-hughes]

I think it is fair, because it is impossible to please everyone all the time, so the best any broadcaster can do is to cater for as many as it can as often as it can.

Not everyone has access to the additional channels, and I don't think people should be penalised for that absence of access.

[johnk]

Any sport is better than watching wooden acting in yet another over contrived domestic so called drama.

[emmie]

as to the rugby that should be on mainstream tv, ITV have done a sterling job so far, after all it is the World Cup and deserves its place. I have no problem with others i guess but sometimes feel there is too much sport on tv.

[Purist]

Pushing these channels to spend more money will only come back on us the viewers, the more costly the more likely they will make certain sports or events pay per view and put them totally out of reach. There is nothing wrong with occasional events on mainstream channels.

[anotheoldgit]

/// Not everyone has access to the additional channels, ///

Who doesn't have access to BBC2 or ITV2?

[ludwig]

// Who doesn't have access to BBC2 or ITV2? //

Exactly, so when sport is on the main channels, simply switch over to one of those.

[Zacs-Master]

The converse argument is; With so many channels to choose from, what's wrong with the BBC showing sport on its main channel.

[THECORBYLOON]

Which specific sporting events do you mean?

[ToraToraTora]

yes it's fair.

[Ken4155]

Emmie; "Too much sport on tv." After tonight's live England match, there is not one bit of sport on peak time tv until next Saturday's racing. Then that may even be on ITV 4 - i haven't got the schedule for next Saturday at hand. At the moment, following on the heels of the World Championship Athletics, we have the Rugby WC and the Euro qualifiers which are quite rightly covered. Aside from the racing and MOTD, a normal week's peak time tv contains no sport whatsoever.

[Mozz71]

A lot of the rugbyhas been on ITV4. Plus, Piers Morgan's breakfast show has been cut short to allow for the early games, and anything that takes that *** off my telly is good.

[ToraToraTora]

there's loads of things that I have no interest in, Soaps, reality TV, cooking, etc but they choose when and where to put them on based on their own stats. If it was up to me all the soaps would be on after 9pm on BBC2/ITV4 etc but as with the sport many do enjoy them.

[ToraToraTora]

I do agree with mozz though, anything that gets that plonker Morgan off the screen is good!

[Gromit]

National teams playing Sports is a mainstream event and will attract a lot of viewers. The World Cup cricket final got 8.3million viewers, while this years Wimbledon Tennis final got 9.6million viewers.
Popular shows such as Holby City averages only 2.2millions.
So in short, yes they should be on the main channels because they entertain 4 times as many viewers as the regular programmes.
For ITV, 4 times as many viewers increases advertising sales substantially.

[Barsel]

Of course, they should use their other channels. Some people only have their TV for company and not everyone wants to watch 3 hours of football and they miss watching their regular programmes. I don't watch all the soaps but I do watch Corrie. The last time it was on was last Wednesday and it's not on again until this Wednesday so a weeks gap. I have difficulty remembering what happened a few days ago so I've no chance of remembering what happened a week ago.