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ABC to quit Lawn Bowls

After 30 years the ABC will abandon broadcasts of lawn bowls at the end of 2011.

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After 30 years the ABC will abandon broadcasts of lawn bowls at the end of  2011.

ABC’s head of sport, Justin Holdforth, has informed Bowls Australia that it would not be extending its long-term association.

The move follows ABC recently announcing job cuts and the axing of three in-house productions. Other sports, including the SANFL and WAFL, are awaiting clarification on their future. Last year ABC abandoned its Hopman Cup deal with Director of Television Kim Dalton saying “ABC Television is pursuing a strategic direction that focuses on women’s, regional and Paralympic sport.”

Holdforth has now cited a strategic shift to attract a younger audience to bowls’ traditional 5pm timeslot on a Saturday evening, as well as the need to ‘redirect its very limited resources into alternate programming’ as some of the key reasons behind the decision.

On Saturday Bowls: World Cup 2011 pulled 196,000 viewers.

Bowls Australia chief executive officer Neil Dalrymple said it had not come as a surprise.

“The ABC has been a wonderful partner for Bowls Australia over the past three decades and I would like to acknowledge the contribution they have made to our sport,” he said.

“I believe our relationship has been mutually beneficial, and while I know our membership will be disappointed by this announcement, our own broadcast strategy had identified the need to re-work our current television offering.

“Over recent years, our requests for innovation and expansion had been met with some resistance, stifling the opportunity to showcase the sport to its maximum potential.”

In late 2009, Bowls Australia engaged leading sports marketing firm, gemba, to develop a broadcast strategy for the sport.

FOX Sports, is expected to renew its agreement beyond 2011.

35 Responses

  1. I am deeply disappointed in the ABC’s decision to stop broadcasting lawn bowls. Each week I look forward to watching it at 5 pm on Saturday. As a bowler I learn a lot from the commentary. I have many non bowling family and friends who watch this program too. It will be sadly missed and I can’t believe the ABC is acting in the best interests of the public with this decision.

  2. Very sad news, would it help if we pitched in $20 mill?

    I think this is Un Australian, please post your complaints about this on our popular website also.

  5. That’s just great ABC, one of the few programs you have worth watching and you go and dump it, for what?

    Now the only chance lawn bowlers have of watching their sport on TV is on Foxtel, great if you have it.

    The ABC should be providing access to sports programs not found on other commercial TV Stations or Pay TV.

    The ABC is taxpayers money, it should service the taxpayers !

  6. The big question is, what is the ABC going to spend it’s money on instead? This year it had already lost Spicks and Specks, then more recently it announces that a fair slice of it’s other light entertainment and arts TV programs are gone too. This is now followed up with a major slashing of sport (not that there was much left).

    If this is all to feed ABC3, ABC4Kids and ABC News 24, then I really despair. Hopefully, they have something big and new to announce shortly.

  8. At the risk of sounding a little cynical……I wonder where most bowlers are at 5:00 p.m. on a Saturday afternoon. May I suggest a different time slot?

  9. Even more evidence that News24 and what was supoosed to be the self funding Media Hub still sucking in dollars from other parts of the ABC, shame ABC, shame!

  10. I understand that the ABC wants to attract younger viewers in this time slot (i.e. in QLD 5-6pm). Lawn Bowls is a wonderful sport and the number of viewers is Huge. What are they going to replace it with! Shows like Dr Who? Come on ABC! Lawn Bowls and the future young players participating in the sport are the future…will have to wait and see what the ABC plans to replace it with….ABC broadcast netball; and junior Rugby League…maybe they should consider junior bowls if it is interested in attracting a younger audience in this time slot?

  11. very disappointed in ABC Australia their is close on 500,000 bowlers in Australia, our game is suffering because of Taxes to clubs, and the sport just does not have the the support that lesser sports receive from TV stations. please ABC think about this a little bit more and put us back in the game.

  12. It is a shame, as a bowler in Victoria, and a sleeper …no 3 am bowls for me, I rarely got to watch the Summer telecasts, but winter it is a staple.

    Think of it as an opportunity for one of the multitude of digital stations, and I believe BA is working on a TV project to replace this ABC programming.

    In the mean time there are a couple of other projects for bowls on the go!

  14. i am also extremely disappointed at this decision…my mum was a keen bowler and won several awards. she is now getting older and ill health has stopped her playing. i know she looks forward to watching the lawn bowls and i know that is not a good time to ring her, she soon gets rid of me and back to the telly… once again the bully boys have taken on something the ABC wont/can’t …not all of us can afford pay tv and miss out

  15. Used to enjoy the bowls telecasts occasionally, quite fun to watch if you understand the rules etc. Shame that the ABC is axing this and I hope it doesn’t knife Saturday state football.

  18. Sorry Phoenix727 won’t be Classic Doctor Who repeats – Sci Fi channel has the right to these. While bowls Australia doesn’t seem overly concerned, I’m sure the bowls club’s, who are facing pressure from the current plan for a gaming licence, will see this as another kick in the teeth.

  24. What a shame.
    Shame on you ABC.
    You are a Tax payer funded company and should provide access to these type of shows.
    You are not there for the ratings or the money.

  25. This is disappointing, however if they fill that air time with Classic Doctor Who repeats (Ala 2003 repeats.) Then its not so bad.

    On a serious note, I’m worried about the direction of the ABC right now, I used to think Mark Scott was a good Managing Director but right now he and Kim Dalton are proving to be right twots right up there with Laclan Murdoch.

    Get rid of the lot of them.

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