Home Ashes to return to free-to-air TV

[Richard]

It's only a recommendation, and almost certainly won't survive the next change of government

Yup, another thought that's occurred to me. Every comment in this thread so far seems to be taking this as set-in-stone; it isn't, yet.

[zaremba]

I'm not disputing that. I'm saying that any estimates are going to be very, very rough TSTL. No-one can honestly have a clue what is going to happen. Obviously the ECB need to try to plan, but right now try is the very, very best they can remotely hope to do. Only nearer the time will they really be able to know what the impact is going to be.

AWTA. These are changing times and 7 years is an incredibly long time in this context.

[four_or_six]

There's no way the ECB in 1997 could have made any estimate of what the impact of the deal effective from 2006 was going to have, same way no-one can do even now, 3 years later.

Some things cannot be estimated upon, and in the course of 7 years so much can change that the head can spin even trying to think about it.

And yet it's absolutely critical that the ECB have people making these estimates, and as accurately as possible. We're talking 2013, and it's not long until they will be signing contracts, or counties are signing contracts, that go beyond that date.

All businesses do it. There are companies that are researching things that will come to the market in about ten years time. Future planning is a critical part of the business.

[Goughy]

Seems like a typically vague and hysterical figure thrown about in times of uncertainty. As I say, there's no way whatsoever that you can assess what impact this is going to have.

And yet it is a proffesion across all industries and essential for any business.

[GingerFurball]

There has to be some live cricket on terrestrial. Otherwise there will be significant numbers of people who have been exposed to the sport. I would however say that things like World Cups are more suited to being on TV than Tests.

Well then the terrestrial channels can bid for it.

[Scaly piscine]

I just heard Giles Clarke on R4 explaining why it would be so disastrous. He's high on my list of people I wouldn't want to be stuck in a lift with. He has a deeply unfortunate manner - he seems to think that he comes across as robust and direct but in fact comes across as bullying and pig-headed. In short, a tosser.

Yep listening to him now as a few others probably will be in the middle of the T20 game.

He's a complete arsewipe.

[fredfertang]

Being a rather sad case I've just had a look at Part 4 of the Broadcasting Act 1996 - if you're ever struggling to get to sleep it might be worth a try - anyway it looks to me like any decision to add an event, or I suppose remove one, would by definition be subject to the possibility of being Judicially Reviewed and even an old hack like me can think of a few pretty cogent arguments that could be put forward on behalf of the ECB - it's a nice idea to make The Ashes free again but I reckon, to use a hackneyed lawyers phrase, 'twould be "Wednesbury unreasonable" to follow this recommendation - in which case primary legislation would be needed and I can't see any government having the time or inclination to do that.

[Neil Pickup]

This is spurious reasoning. The 23,000 is the number of coaches who are employed in primary schools and secondary schools through Chance to Shine. This is run through clubs and usually involves coaches doing a few hours a week in a selection if local schools. Some may do 20 hours a week on C2S, others three or four a week, and others like me the odd hour here and there when there's no one else around. These 23,000 people would no longer be employed by C2S... but that's not 23,000 full time job losses. I'd rather see how many hours of coaching C2S provides.

[Richard]

And yet it's absolutely critical that the ECB have people making these estimates, and as accurately as possible. We're talking 2013, and it's not long until they will be signing contracts, or counties are signing contracts, that go beyond that date.

It's going to be 2016 before the new deal takes effect - and that new deal has not even been negotiated yet. The contract up to 2013 is already signed, sealed and in full motion as of next summer. No govornment intervention is going to force an already-signed contract to be broken.

All businesses do it. There are companies that are researching things that will come to the market in about ten years time. Future planning is a critical part of the business.

As I say - I'm not disputing that, merely that there's a limit to what you can plan for.

[fredfertang]

I'm with Richard on the planning issue - which is doubtless why my business has never expanded

[four_or_six]

As I say - I'm not disputing that, merely that there's a limit to what you can plan for.

No, you said "there's no way whatsoever that you can assess what impact this is going to have.".

[Richard]

There isn't. You can make a few very rough guesses at what a few impacts might be but you cannot have a hope in hell of commenting with authority on the wide-scale impacts. It's only responsible to try to plan as best you can, but that best is very much sketchy.

[BoyBrumby]

sez cricinfo's Andrew Miller.

[Jono]

Wow, would love to dig up the thread when the Ashes went exclusively to Sky and compare the posts.

Amazing turn around. Quite interesting.

[superkingdave]

Would be interesting if you could find one Jono. Wouldn't think my view has changed tbh, was always unhappy with terrestial coverage.