• Welcome to the Cricket Web forums, one of the biggest forums in the world dedicated to cricket.

    You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join the Cricket Web community today!

    If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us.

Channel 4 - Rant thread

Langeveldt

Soutie
Im fed up with this, Channel Four is not showing highlights at all of the cricket... They seem to have decided tonight that world rally championship highlights should take its slot after midnight, meaning we will now not have anything at all, or not tonight at least..

This is most worrying, maybe its a one off but I very much doubt it...

The highlights are appalling even when they are being shown.. I must have counted fewer than 10 balls in normal speed, showing what went on in that amazing Gibbs/Smith partnership... Instead all I saw were close ups of Mark Nicholas, and Graham Smith in slow motion, along with some completely random banners and flags and crowd shots... Great, how informing...

So join the bandwagon, BBC... All is forgiven... I enjoyed their Wimbledon coverage, maybe they could do the same for cricket...
 

V Reddy

International Debutant
Jacques Rudolph said:
Im fed up with this, Channel Four is not showing highlights at all of the cricket... They seem to have decided tonight that world rally championship highlights should take its slot after midnight, meaning we will now not have anything at all, or not tonight at least..

This is most worrying, maybe its a one off but I very much doubt it...

The highlights are appalling even when they are being shown.. I must have counted fewer than 10 balls in normal speed, showing what went on in that amazing Gibbs/Smith partnership... Instead all I saw were close ups of Mark Nicholas, and Graham Smith in slow motion, along with some completely random banners and flags and crowd shots... Great, how informing...

So join the bandwagon, BBC... All is forgiven... I enjoyed their Wimbledon coverage, maybe they could do the same for cricket...
Really fortunate that Cable Television is so cheap in India and get all the sports action too :D :cool2:
 

marc71178

Eyes not spreadsheets
Jacques Rudolph said:
Im fed up with this, Channel Four is not showing highlights at all of the cricket... They seem to have decided tonight that world rally championship highlights should take its slot after midnight, meaning we will now not have anything at all, or not tonight at least..
I feel obliged to defend them on this particular occasion.

The Rally Highlights were scheduled for either half 6 or 7 o'clock.

With a combination of rain and a shocking South African over-rate, the play ran well over.

Since the live Cricket replaced the Rallying, they decided it was only fair to replace the Cricket Highlights with the Rally.

Would you have rather they cut the live coverage short and we all missed Freddies knock?
 

luckyeddie

Cricket Web Staff Member
A little bird (no, not that one) tells me that Channel 4, Channel 5 and one or two other channels are very shortly going to be 'bundled' with a Sky basic package and will no longer be 'free to view' on satellite or cable systems (I may be wrong but my source is usually quite reliable).

I think that when the current contract runs out, Channel 4 will be pulling out of cricket 100% (after all, it can't possibly compete with 'Big Brother') - and not a moment too soon.
 

Deja moo

International Captain
Really fortunate that Cable Television is so cheap in India and get all the sports action too

You know, it might be a good thing after all that doordarshan is covering ther triseries in india, they atleast show the proper highlights at night.......espn/star sports simply play back the match in its entirity the next day AT THE SAME TIME....I mean, do they really think that if we couldnt catch the match in the afternoon , we would be present to watch it same time next day????
 

V Reddy

International Debutant
orangepitch said:
You know, it might be a good thing after all that doordarshan is covering ther triseries in india, they atleast show the proper highlights at night.......espn/star sports simply play back the match in its entirity the next day AT THE SAME TIME....I mean, do they really think that if we couldnt catch the match in the afternoon , we would be present to watch it same time next day????
but i think they show 1 1/2 hrs highlights . I remember them showing highlights during the NZ series and the Natwest series.
 

Langeveldt

Soutie
So today, Graham Smith hits a sublime 80 odd.. I reckon i saw two shots in real time, as normal of him stricking the cricket ball...

All this crap, slow mos, mark nicholas, tacky graphics, and we dont have time for the Analyst (as legendary as he is) in half an hour i am afraid!

If people from outside the uk are wondering what i am ranting on about, im afraid you have to see it to believe it... its an absolute farce, and they dont care at all...


So who is going to get the coverage? Channel 5 look good as an outsider, there football isnt bad... And they have loads of airtime to kill lol.. Not like C4 with their big boredom...
 

luckyeddie

Cricket Web Staff Member
My source suggests that the Beeb might be looking to get back into the game - but not for a while yet.
 

Rich2001

International Captain
The same compliant was bought up in the Somerset forum, and the thread can be found here for your enjoyment, it answers alot of your questions like who are the contenders... why is the cricket on 4 going downhill etc.

Cricket 4
 

Tim

Cricketer Of The Year
We also get the Channel 4 highlights package here in NZ, and their style is awful.
 

Rik

Cricketer Of The Year
Jacques Rudolph said:
So who is going to get the coverage? Channel 5 look good as an outsider, there football isnt bad... And they have loads of airtime to kill lol.. Not like C4 with their big boredom...
Ch5's approach to their football is annoying and tacky. I'd expect their coverage to be even worse than Ch4's! Also they probably wouldn't take the chance as it's too "slow" and "boring" for their young viewers, most of whome only watch it for their late night adult entertainment.
 

luckyeddie

Cricket Web Staff Member
Once again, Channel 4 have terminated the live coverage early. No prior warning, just "Goodbye" with a little over five overs to go.

It's about time the ECB took the coverage back off them for breach of contract. Already they only give 'shared' coverage with horseracing at the weekend (cricket does continue on Film 4 but most people do not have access to that) but it seems that 'Hollioaks' and 'Big Brother' is their target market.

Enough, I say. Give us back our cricket.

Oh yes - I sent an email of complaint, although I don't hold out any hopes. On their website is a message informing complainants that it can take up to 6 weeks for them to get back to you.
 
Last edited:

Langeveldt

Soutie
luckyeddie said:
Once again, Channel 4 have terminated the live coverage early. No prior warning, just "Goodbye" with a little over five overs to go.

It's about time the ECB took the coverage back off them for breach of contract. Already they only give 'shared' coverage with horseracing at the weekend (cricket does continue on Film 4 but most people do not have access to that) but it seems that 'Hollioaks' and 'Big Brother' is their target market.

Enough, I say. Give us back our cricket.

Oh yes - I sent an email of complaint, although I don't hold out any hopes. On their website is a message informing complainants that it can take up to 6 weeks for them to get back to you.

Good stuff anyway, I would write to them if i could come up with a convincing message, and they actually gave a s*** at what the cricket fraternity think...

The thing that annoys me is that its so obvious they dont want cricket, its a burden and its like they are setting out to show this more and more...


Oh well im off to watch a portrait of Graeme Smith , wonder if Mark Nicholas has changed his hair?
 

Langeveldt

Soutie
Didnt think highlights were too bad tonight...

Sad i know but I timed 11 minutes of proper real time action and action replays (not pointless slo mos) in the 30 minute program.... Make of that what you will

Glad to see C4 brining back Phoenix Nights though!
 

luckyeddie

Cricket Web Staff Member
my email's pretty certain to be binned - it was definitely not nice.

Ahem....


Sirs :

Once again, you have terminated the coverage of the cricket before the close
of play.

Do I need to tell you that your company are an utter disgrace? The sooner
the ECB hold you (channel 4) in breach of contract and give the coverage to
someone else the better.

I can guess your response - "Hollyoaks is a popular feature watched by
approximately 5 million people."

Fine. In which case, why are you in the market to cover the cricket? Stick
to your Big Brother stuff and your lowbrow market, please. You deserve each
other.

Eddie Sanders
Derby



Please - any BB or Hollyoaks (not Hollioake) fans - I was most upset at the time. I don't mean to insinuate that you are lowbrow - unless, that is, you prefer them to cricket.

Oh yes - I've taken the mickey out of the coverage in a big way tonight. See DD's new column on the front page.
 
Last edited:

Rik

Cricketer Of The Year
luckyeddie said:
Please - any BB or Hollyoaks (not Hollioake) fans - I was most upset at the time. I don't mean to insinuate that you are lowbrow - unless, that is, you prefer them to cricket.
Soap operas and Reality TV...*throws up*
 

Top