Email sent to Channel 7 Perth

[KenyaQuin]

Someone was quite upset at home this morning after watching on Sunrise them (Kochie and Berrets) saying you can catch the game "right here on 7". She immediately called C7 Perth, had a little vent about the ungodly scheduled telecast time then asked to be transferred to Sunrise and though she missed speaking to them (due to the show being a delayed telecast) was able to leave a politely harsh message. Doubt it will do any good but she got it off her chest which meant the kids and I had a lovely breakfast. Sheesh, some people really love their Wallabies/Rugby.

[Thequeerone]

Has anyone sent Ray an email about Big Brother or something else - to see if it's a standard email to all queries !

[GIGS20]

I just sent

The rugby viewing public in Perth have been getting increasingly frustrated at the responses of Ray Wardrop, the program manager. Whenever we email to complain about Rugby being telecast after 11:30 in Perth we receive the same email form letter in reply and no action. Perth recently hosted a test match with a crowd comparable to that of 'Sports Mad' Melbourne and we feel we deserve at least a real answer. Can you please find out exactly why the Bledisloe cup match is being telecast at 11:40 on Saturday night, what shows have pushed it to this timeslot and why we don't get a reasoned response from Ray Wardrop. This issue has caused many people from Perth to get Foxtel, specifically to watch the rugby, I am one of them!

More information can be found at
Email sent to Channel 7 Perth - Western Force Rugby Supporters Site

this to the Sunrise team to be added to the ROSwall, let's see if their oft mentioned Journalistic Integrity extends to exposing a Channel Seven plot to kill rugby in WA.

Kochie if you're reading this, here's my challenge, the 1720 members of this site now know I've made contact, do you have the guts to put this on the ROSWall? I'm saying you do!

Regards

[KenyaQuin]

Love your style Gigs..now why didn't I think of that?

[lmaag]

What is a ROSwall?

[Pistol]

Just had a look to see what programming Channel 7 Perth considers more important then Bledisoe game 1 this Saturday and here it is...
6:30 - Great Outdoors
7:30 - Princess Diaries 2 REPEAT
9:30 - Down Periscopes REPEAT

Then finally the Bledisoe Cup at 11:40pm.
Channel 7 you really are a joke and a disgrace.

[Pistol]

Well, well, well

This just in from Ray Wardrop:

Dear Peter

We have decided to "test the water" and bring forward the rugby telecast to an earlier timeslot this Saturday night to see if more people want to watch it. This Saturday 26 July we will telecast the movie Princess Diaries 2 at 7.30pm and we'll now bring forward the telecast of the Wallabies v All Blacks to 9.55pm.

Unfortunately we cannot telecast the Rugby Union at an earlier time on an alternate digital channel. As current broadcast legislation stands we are not able to show any sports on the anti-siphoning list (which this rugby test is one of) on an alternate channel, before it is shown on the main channel.

Hopefully the earlier telecast time will attract a better audience than it has in the past.

Regards

Ray Wardrop

Well I guess that is a win of sorts for Rugby fans in WA...

I have responded to Ray with the following e-mail:

Hi Ray,

Good to hear that you have made a decision to bring the game forward, but don't you think as the game is live at 6:00pm that it would not be a wiser move for 7 to broadcast the game at 6:30 or the very latest 7:30?

In my opinion you still run a risk of not attracting the best audience as most rugby fans will not wait until 9:55pm to watch the game and will opt to switch over to Foxtel or head to their local pub to watch what they could have seen in their own home.

To test the waters as you put it you would need to broadcast the game close to live to get a real snap shot of the rugby viewing demographic.

If broadcast at 6:30pm the game would likely be finished by 8:30pm at which time Princess Diaries 2 could be shown at a prime viewing time for those that wanted to see it.

Regards

Peter

[BLR]

Nice, if only I had one of those black box things on my tv!

[KenyaQuin]

Good to know and good onya Pistol. I really want to watch it live and will do so and probably watch the game again at 9.55pm.

The problem with this late change is that with out proper advertising many will not be aware of the change and again little impact on the ratings will be achieved.

Oh well, good to see people power achieve something.

[blueandblack]

.....
Unfortunately we cannot telecast the Rugby Union at an earlier time on an alternate digital channel. As current broadcast legislation stands we are not able to show any sports on the anti-siphoning list (which this rugby test is one of) on an alternate channel, before it is shown on the main channel.
....

so show the game on the main channel at 6 or 6.30 and Princess F^%$&$R^ Diaries on the digital channel!

:facepalm:

[Swee_82]

It's a self-fulfilling prophecy. As you've noted already, big time rugby fans will most likely have seen the game on Fox, either at home or at the pub by the time it airs on Seven, some may watch it again but who knows. As KQ pointed out, at this late stage alot of people will have made plans, and without further advertising (i.e. television program for the week went out on the weekend) numbers will be crap. Which will then form justificaiton for not putting it on live ever.


Channel 7 Perth screws rugby.

[BLR]

I just realised the rugby won't be on after I get back from the pub in the early hours of the morning, DAMN YOU PEOPLE POWER!

[Moses]

Unfortunately we cannot telecast the Rugby Union at an earlier time on an alternate digital channel. As current broadcast legislation stands we are not able to show any sports on the anti-siphoning list (which this rugby test is one of) on an alternate channel, before it is shown on the main channel.

So a stupid law designed to make sport available to the public in fact gives c7 the right to delay coverage. You're lucky they allow Foxtel to broadcast it at all, many times in the past they use their right to deny anyone else coverage, which is protected by these pathetic laws.

Anti-Siphoning laws achieve the exact opposite of what they're designed to. At least you've got the option to go to the pub and watch it, unlike anyone wanting to watch the 3rd session of the Adelaide test in Sydney last Ashes, or anyone wanting to watch the Aus v NZ league

[NeoGirl]

Just sent this...

To Channel 7 Perth

As a future T.V. buyer, I would like to say that I find your coverage of
rugby incredibly poor. I was fortunate enough to get tickets to the Wallabies vs. Springbok game on Saturday,
otherwise to get my fix of rugby, I would have had to stay up till 12.05
or whatever ridiculous time it was. Very family friendly, I'm sure.
I also hear that the Princess Diaries was on at the time that the game
was on? Although I commend you on choice of movie, you can easily rent
that movie for $5 or less, compared to the high ticket price of the
game.

As a 12 year old who cannot possibly go to the game in Sydney, I would
like coverage of the Wallabies Vs. All Blacks at a time which is family
friendly. If you cannot show the game on one of your HD Channels, in accordance with current broadcast
legislation, why not show Princess Diaries 2 on all HD channels and the match on Normal 7? I am aware
of the fact you have changed the time, but it just ain't good enough.

If you need further evidence, go here -> Email sent to Channel 7 Perth - Western Force Rugby Supporters Site

Yours,
Neogirl

[PerthGirl]

I received another email from Ray at Channel 7 today also. He must have had a bit of pressure put on him by us and the Media.While I agree with your comments I think it is important to acknowledge that he is trying to do something. I will be sending him an email to say I will be watching the broadcast (atfer watching it live first) I hope that many of you will do the same thing, whatever your intentions are, while reapeating some of the points made by Pistol. I also think KQ has a good point about the late rescheduling meaning that many rugby fans will end up missing it altogether.