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Anger accelerates over Bathurst delay

Senator Conroy, ACMA and race winner Craig Lowndes are all said to be unhappy with Seven delaying Bathurst 1000 to viewers.

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Senator Stephen Conroy is said to be angry with Seven’s decision a week ago to delay the Bathurst 1000.

It’s certainly not well-timed just ahead of a submission to be put to Cabinet on the Anti-Siphoning List.

Advertisements in the broadcast meant the end of the race aired some thirty minutes after its actual conclusion.

A source told The Australian, “We understand both Conroy and the Australian Communications and Media Authority ‘burred up’ big-time about Seven’s behaviour with the Bathurst race.

“Seven has been told in no uncertain terms that its behaviour is entirely unacceptable and the whole industry has been made aware of Conroy’s and the regulators’ justifiable displeasure.”

Craig Lowndes, wrote in a News Ltd column, “I’ve heard about the complaints on Twitter over Channel 7’s delayed coverage of the event and I must say I agree.

“There is always a slight delay, but 20-odd minutes was excessive. In these days of instant communication with Twitter, Facebook and mobile phones it is more evident to fans if there is a delay. I understand the commercial realities, but Seven could easily have made up the time during safety-car periods.”

Meanwhile a Foxtel spokesperson underlined the “use or lose it” strategy.

“Channel Seven’s approach to its broadcast of the motor racing in Bathurst is one of many examples of where the current regime means Australian television viewers get a dud deal,” they said.

Time is ticking on the Anti Siphoning List shake-up, with the current List to expire on December 31st.

Most expect an outcome that delivers more for everyone.

Source: The Australian.

30 Responses

  1. Sorry Donald, I also forgot to mention that in order to have a CAMS Racing Licence you have to be a member of a registered motor car club. The club I have been an active member of since 1984 is….the ARDC!

  2. @ Donald. Your original post, “ARDC wanted to attract more international interest and changed the rules from group C to group A initially, and then later the Super Tourers” – Wrong! CAMS changed the categories.
    “The ARDC should’ve just accepted people wanted to see the big-bangers and gone back to Group C rules”. – Wrong! CAMS could only do this.
    The remainder of your original October 18 post – absolutely right and I couldn’t agree with you more.

  3. @Donald. You mean you have a CAMS racing licence! So do I. In fact a CAMS Super Licence – I have raced in three Bathurst 1000’s. CAMS runs motor sport in Australia, not the clubs, not the circuit owners. You are correct that Clubs have to get permits from CAMS to hold meetings. CAMS determine the rules and regulations about every category. It is CAMS, in conjunction with the FIA, that determine the major categories. CAMS has total say on which regulations will be used for Touring Car Racing. The ARDC never had and still doesn’t have any say in what regulations were used for the Bathurst 1000, it just organised the race for Touring Cars, it was CAMS who changed it from Series Production to Group C to Group A etc.

  4. effdee, it matters because unlike your example there are people who are online at the time, watching the live timing in conjunction with the race for example. Not to mention it’s just damn rude what 7 did (not to mention perhaps deliberately dragging it out to take viewers away from the Japanese GP on One).

  5. I watched Bathurst this year as I always do, because I’m not online checking FB or Twitter I wouldn’t have a clue it was delayed because of the ads etc.

    So what’s the problem?
    If your just sitting watching the race on TV, what the hell does it matter!

  6. Foxtel definitely have been airing replays of the V8 Supercar rounds this year. They even replayed pretty much the entire Bathurst race on Fox Sports 2 during the early hours of the Monday immediately following the race (a pleasant surprise given I’d missed the ‘live’ coverage on 7 on the Sunday).

  7. I know who the ARDC and CAMS are. I have a racing licence. CAMS is a regulator, not an organiser. Organisers (clubs and promoters) apply to CAMS (the regulatory body) for permits to run events. CAMS don’t run events themselves, they just award the permits/rights to the organisers (and licences to competitors), and approve the rules for each and every category. Organisers (in this case the ARDC) choose which categories are going to be on the event programme (e.g. a Group A 1000km race, a 7 lap HQ race, a 12 lap Porsche Cup race, etc.), and negotiate broadcasting rights. If you ever wanted to race at Bathurst you would know this, as the categories that race at Bathurst is a moving target over the years.

    Sorrry David, just setting the record straight over who’s responsible for what

  8. @Michael – when do Foxtel show full round highlights and not just 2 minutes on the news as I haven’t see them listed since Seven took over the rights.

    And it doesn’t matter about the technicalities the facts are in 97 the V8s at Bathurst were on TEN, no matter what the race was called. Seven lost sight and lost the V8s and it could happen again if they piss off the wrong people.

    Like Lowndes said you can’t do this any more, with all the instant communications it’s just wrong that the results end up on Twitter 20 minutes before the ‘live’ TV coverage.

    BTW I was in Sydney at the time of the very last 2Lt race at Bathurst so drove out to the 1000 for the day and was very disappointed. There were hardly any spectators (the rain didn’t help) and from memory a Lancer EVO came in the top 5 that day. I only remember as I owned a Lancer at the time. I don’t remember any of the drivers or other cars. It was my 3rd visit and in a lot of way such a very sad day in the history of the Great Race.

  9. @ Donald. Sorry Donald but your comments are a little incorrect, actually a lot incorrect. The ARDC is the Australian Racing Drivers Club…it is a club. It was based at Amaroo Park in Annangrove for many years but is now at Eastern Creek. It organised and ran the October long weekend Bathurst 1000 in conjunction with the Bathurst City Council and Channel 7. It has nothing to do with the chosen category for Touring Cars. That honour (some might say dishonour) went to CAMS – the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport. The original Armstrong 500 (miles) moved from Phillip Island to Mt Panorama in 1963 and was for Series Production Cars. CAMS changed to Group C when the race changed to 1000 (kilometres) in 1973. CAMS went international with the Group A regulations in 1985. In 1992 with the proposed new international formula to be introduced by FIA (the international governing body) expected to favour small cars rather than Australia’s much loved V8’s, CAMS introduced the V8 only regulations. The 2 litre, normally aspirated cars allowed to run with the V8s until the end of 1993, but turbos were banned! 2 Litres Super Tourers had their own championship from 1994 but ran at Bathurst that year for one last time. CAMS gave the rights of marketing the V8s to TEGA – the Touring Car Entrants Group.1995 Bathurst became V8s only. 1997 TEGA combined with international sports marketing company – IMG, to form AVESCO – Australian Vee Eight Supercar Company and cut a deal with TEN to cover the V8’s Championship races now know as “V8 Supercars. Bathurst was Not part of the championship and the ARDC and 7 would not back down to AVESCO, so AVESCO stopped the V8s competing in 7’s 1000 race and in conjunction with the Bathurst City Council began its own 1000. The ARDC and Channel 7, as a last resort, ran Super Tourers for their 1000 in 1997, 1998 until the demise of the category. In 2005 AVESCO changed its name to V8 Supercars Australia and in 2007 awarded the TV rights to Channel 7. In 2010 Channel 7 screwed with an Australian sporting and television icon!

  10. Is sad how TV networks now treat program content as product which interupts ad breaks and not the other way around as content which is interupted by ad breaks.

  12. Craig:A few corrections –

    1 – Foxtel do show highlights of every round, right now…

    2 – Seven never actually “lost” the rights to Bathurst, ever – in 1996 the rights to what was then called the ATCC were bought by Channel Ten, Bathurst at that time was not part of the championship. Seven was part of the organising committee for the race itself – (not just the coverage) – and had a standing contract to cover the race beyond 1996. However, the championship teams insisted that they wanted Bathurst to be part of the Channel 10 deal – (as it was better financially for them) – and a stand off ensued. Channel Seven had the contract, but were faced with not having the teams. End result? In 1997, 1998, and 1999 there were two Bathurst races…Channel 10 got the “new” race with V8 Supercar teams, and Channel 7 kept the “old” race with unpopular 2-litre cars. The “old” race died through lack of interest, and didn’t reappear in 2000. Then when the rights to the championship came up for 2007 onwards, Seven outbid Ten, and the championship (which by now included Bathurst) returned to Seven.

    3 – Seven did the wrong thing with the coverage, but their claim that what they did allowed them to show more of the race – which most people dismissed – is actually true – (see: bit.ly/aeaa1Q ) – whether or not this is what they meant to happen remains to be seen.

  14. Barry, your comments are a little revisionist. ARDC wanted to attract more international interest and changed the rules from group C to group A initially, and then later the Super Tourers. Of course, the bogan fans wanted to see the big-banger Holdens and Fords and chose the V8’s over the Super Tourers. The ARDC still owns the rights to the October long weekend, and the race can’t go back to that weekend until the rights expire (in the meantime the NRL grand final has moved to that weekend, so…). The ARDC should’ve just accepted people wanted to see the big-bangers and gone back to Group C rules. I miss the days of all different makes (and the production 24-hour has struggled – too long I guess). Even as a non-Ford fan, having Sierras instead of Falcons grated, but at least people were still relatively happy to watch that. Super Tourers was another story altogether.

    Back in the Group C days 7 was The motorsport network, however after some time that mantle has been taken on by 10. I expect 7 are trying to get it back, but this recent fiasco shows why it should stay with Ten (and Bathurst should be taken up by Ten at the next opportunity, though if what Peter says about 7 being a stakeholder in V8 Supercars then that is obviously problematic 🙂 ).

  15. @Peter – I don’t think 7 owns the V8 Supercars, they currently have the TV rights and that’s all, once the rights end (I don’t know how many years they have left) then they have to bit for them again.

    Like I said I doubt it will got to Foxtel alone but I’d love a deal with TEN/ONE and maybe Foxtel. TEN could cover just the race and top 10 on Saturday, ONE can have additional coverage of the entire event. Same goes for the other series rounds. Maybe Foxtel can show a highlights of each round?

  16. foxtel is spot on and this is why they have to change this list that has hindered everyone more than helped everyone. thanks a lot john howard. use it or lose it and 7 are terrible at covering sports. not just the v8s

  17. Channel 7 was the reason for the demise of the traditional Bathurst 1000 held at My Panorama since 1963, when the V8’s refused to race in 1997. TEN had the rights to the V8 Supercars but 7 had the rights to the Bathurst 1000 held on the October long weekend. 7 filled the void with 2 Litre Super Tourers but nobody came. Everyone went to the V8’s own 1000k race at Mt Panorama two weeks later, covered by TEN. The very last “original” Bathurst 1000 was the 1998 2 Litre race that was covered by 7. TEN continued to cover the V8’s own Bathurst 1000 (which is why it is no longer held on the first Sunday in October) until 7 gained the rights to V8 Supercars in 2007. Now 7 are doing their best to destroy this Bathurst 1000 too!

  18. What would you rather, not miss anything on the coverage, and be in a slight delay. Or go to a commerical break and miss a crash, incident, pitstop an overtake…. and be live the whole time…..

  21. The Anti-Siphoning list should be scrapped i said this on other similar stories and i will say it again the list should be scrapped it is s***house. No A list or B list just let the market decide. Both Pay Tv and FTA have a truckloads of cash to be able to pay for it and the list just disadvantages the networks anyway and give Pay Tv the upperhand because they dont have to adhear to any list. The Anti-Siphoning list is doing exactly the oposite to what it was created to do. In conclusion the Anti-Siphoning list needs to be scrapped and should be scrapped.

  23. Along the same line but regarding a different motorsport on FTA……Id prefer the F1 to be on Fox… At least we would get Practice, Qualifying & The Race live.
    Unfortunately Ten/One have signed on for a few years yet. But at least next year they have IPTV rights too so hopefully the stuff they cant show on TV might be shown online….Altho i wouldnt hold my breath…. One’s Website is one of the worst on the net

  24. I have to admit that since the V8’s have gone back to seven from ten I’ve hardly watched. I preferd Ten’s coverage and think that if it wasn’t for Ten V8’s would have died years ago.

  25. I very much doubt Bathurst or the V8 series would go to Fox any time soon but this should serve as a warning to Seven that they could loose the rights again. Wasn’t it poor race coverage that ended it the last time, leading to the switch to TEN for a number of years?

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