can this be true..? can it be true...?

Saturday March 28th, 2008

Here it is the article. I had it all along... it's amazing what you can find when you try...

It would be something if this were to really happen.. I mean the whole point of my being online is because I could not find live cricket on the TV when I returned to the game. I had forgotten about the deal forged by the ECB and the BSkyB Corporation. I don't like the influence of Sky on sport generally, but I cannot really fault them here. They are a business - as are the ECB.

They got a great deal from the ECB. And - this is important, folks - the Beeb did not bid for TV rights in 2004. This would undoubtedly lessen the manoevrability of the ECB when it came to brokering a deal that would allow some live cricket on TV for non-Sky subscribers. Without the authority of the BBC's 'public service remit', and the fact that Test Matches were already de-listed from the 'Sporting Crown Jewels', Sky pressed their suit to the max. Even I can see that.

The so-called 'gentleman's agreement' brokered by Lord MacLaurin was not binding legally - and was soon jettisoned.

This document explains the government's attitude toward this sorry state of affairs. Cricket is the only major sport that has no live terrestrial TV presence in the UK, only highlights. The commentary team try their very best, but it’s not the same as full coverage to a hard-core cricket head.

Having perused the Keep Cricket Free site in the past, it seems somewhat static at the moment. That said, they are there to remind us that cricket is NOT free (or even free-to-air). It is in a state of greater confinement. That particular site did an awful lot to raise awareness about the coming lack of live cricket on terrestrial television. The terrestrial TV live cricket brigade may well have the last laugh. I hope so.

This link, on the other hand is rather more recent - showing that there are people out there still pleading cricket's cause.

Some may argue that all the moaning about Sky is pointless - they've brought money and focus to the way that cricket is presented, and some real energy into the sport as well. But the fact is, that regular cricket watchers with satellite TV in the UK now number the hundreds of thousands rather than the five to six million terrestrial viewers that saw the Ashes regained by England in 2005. Also, many of the lauded innovations for cricket accredited to Sky were not actually brought to British TV screens by them - Hawkeye, Snickometer and others came to cricket from Channel 4. Remember that silly intro tune?

As has been mentioned in another 'life', if live cricket is not returned to terrestrial TV, then cricket will WITHER AND DIE in time. If only Sky viewers see the game, how is new 'blood' going to increase viewership of the sport if no new 'blood' is entering the game's sphere of interest? How can they even subscribe to cricket on 'Sky' if they don't know about the game in the first place? That is, they don't SEE IT on terrestrial TV???

I learnt about cricket by watching and listening to the BBC - with Peter West, Richie Benaud, Fred Trueman, Brian Johnston, Henry Blofeld - and 'uncle' Jim Laker and all... (giving away my age here)... and when it rained - I watched a pre-recorded match. Always learning. I got the basics of the game by seven. Easy. My Dad was a cricket head of the old school. Now he wants nothing to do with the game: says that it's sold out to money(!) - he's lost his love for the sport. Sad to see for me, but I still love cricket. Love unrequited as I can't see the game. Might try a stab at Twenty20 on BTVision /Setanta. Have a good look, then judge if the 'slap and tickle' version will take over from the longer form of the game that I prefer...

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This article - written in late March 2008 - has now been superceded by events (see below)
and a couple of links have died - sorry...

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