Radio Cornwall Coverage

[Guest L Binzo]

Tuned into to Radio Cornwall today to get the news on what had happened re local football.

Can not believe Lee Harvey interview was cut short so we could hear about a rugby result.

Not to mention the time that could have been spent on local football interviews that went to an advert for another radio show and an interview from a coach coming back from the Argyle FA cup match.

I was glad to hear that Dave will be back next week as I would find it hard to put up with todays format on a regular basis.

[chairman]

Couldn't agree more,the coverage was almost non-existent during the afternoon, apart from the usual overdose of Rugby and Truro City. We had repeat of all the Week's interviews from Calamity Jane et al.

The Dave Deacon half hour wasn't. A sorry production all round.

[whuru]

:angry2: first time I have heard the programme all the way through for a long time but was amazed that the girl still has a job she was awful, Truro were playing in the Les Dennis cup........ and the cornwall youth had lost to somerset when they were in Bristol just playing Gloustershire...........

Same old teams interviewed again, Truro, Falmouth, Bodmin, Liskeard, there are other teams in cornwall.... when are we going to get a dedicated football programme from 5pm - 6pm and talk to people in the Jollys, Ecpl and the lower leagues as well, a programme that represents cornish football as a whole, and perhaps an half hour preview spot on a friday night !!!!!!

come on Dave I'm sure you can swing it.

[King Kenny 7]

:clapper: :clapper:

[cornishteddyboy]

Not a Saturday program but an hour on Sunday, say 5-6pm or 6-7pm

This will give someone like Dave time to plan it plus have time to interview officials, managers, players on the Sunday from all leagues. He could talk about cup results as well as the main leagues.

Also could have Sunday league results and something from the ladies.

That means Saturday can be for Truro, texted in results and Rugby.

How much would it cost, a few phone calls, wages for Dave and a technician.

I reckon it would go down a treat. Who has time to listen on a Saturday? Most players are still in the bar or people are listening to Radio 5 Live for national reports.

Come Radio Cornwall, hear our plea.

[Guest Sport Lover]

The same complaints about the results hour have been going on for ages but nothing changes. I think Dave has mentioned on here before he doesnt have a say in it (sorry if I am wrong about that statement). So the only way to achieve any changes would be to write in and complain, after all we pay their wages so surely we have some say in what is on the radio?

Someone could draft a letter of complaint and suggestions on improvement, make that letter available to print and sign on this forum and then post to Radio Cornwall.

[cornishteddyboy]

Sport Lover you just given yourself a job.

Get typing!

[Guest L Binzo]

Thanks people, glad to know that I am not the only one who has a problem.

Due to work commitments I have to spend a lot of weekends away from my beloved Cornwall and more importantly from Torpoint Athletic. However, I connect via the internet to get my thirty minutes fix of Cornish football.

I do not have a problem with the coverage of Truro as they are currently the most successful club in Cornwall.

However, I do want to hear local football results not the FA Cup or interviews from a coach returning from the editors nemeses Porstmouth. Could you imagine the outcry if I ran the show and interviewed Torpoint supporters returning in a taxi from Millbrook (our supporters like a drink so driving is an issue).

Did we actually get any East Cornwall results.

I do not know how many people play football or watch it in the county on a Saturday but they do deserve a better service from a taxed (paid license) to source facility. Thirty minutes a week is the minimum that our local BBC should provide, without interruption from an advert for a show or team from another county.

Let us just be happy that Dave will be back next week and we will have a presenter running the program who cares about Cornish football.

Rant over, I will be traveling a few hundred miles next week to watch Looe v Torpoint in the Cornwall Junior Cup. If only Radio Cornwall (this week) cared one percent as much as I do (and probably you do) about a club and Cornish Football. :c:

[kevin richards]

Have been told by a very good source that, " she who must be obeyed" at radio cornwall thinks that football under the level of peninsular league premier division is not worth reporting on !!!!!!!!!!!!! :angry:

[Dave Deacon]

I have to say that I am glad to see that I think I was missed! By the way, thank you to everyone who text me with their result - I did forward them on.

For family reasons I was not available yesterday, but it did give me a chance to listen in during the afternoon to all three local radio stations. Ummm!

I shall be contacting all of the people who have contributed to this topic via PM

[Kernowman]

Now living here in Scarborough, the local radio treated Scarborough FC in a similiar fashon.

When they were in the league, they got priority over the likes of York City. When Scarborough slipped into the Conference, they 'shared' the commentry with York. When they eventually got relegated into the Conference North, it was cited by the radio stations that the clubs did not have the facilities for broadcasting etc. Now they are playing as Scarborough Athletic in a few divisions below the Conference North, they hardly get a mention on Radio York or Yorkshire Coast Radio - our two local stations.

Let's hope that local football reports improve in Cornwall although I do think that Dave Deacon does give a good service to listeners in the Dutchy!

[Guest L Binzo]

Dave

I have to say you were missed.

Glad to hear you will be back next week.

As my prior post states I will be at the Cornwall Junior Cup match at Looe, given that their (Torpoints') shirts carry the logo "Presidents XI".

Look forward to a return to normal service.

With regards to what level of football counts in previous posts (to she who must be obeyed), I have been President of Torpoint for a number of years and as any of the (Torpoint) managers will tell you I will do my utmost to watch as many games as I can at every level.

[chairman]

Maybe we should all boycott the Station and done with it.

[Paul]

As I was in Portsmouth with the mass green army so I missed the half hour slot, or didnt as the case maybe!! Not sure whats so bad on hearing Argyle fans on their way back from the match. Id be quite happy to hear the fans views ( aka 5 live phone in). You do get few up with hearing the usuall quotes....well take it one game at a time, we desearved it today bla bla bla. A bit more fans input wold be good....from any supporters from any club!!!

[Tom Trust]

Just some random thoughts as I combat the boredom caused by forced idleness: just had a wisdom tooth out with unforseen complications!

I'm anything BUT a computer geek but someone out there will have an answer. I have got Skype on my PC, with a webcam, so I can see and speak to people FREE. Aside from that, I've started to tentatively work with a bloke who is negotiating to video all Truro's home games, providing commentary. Now, can the posh camera used by the video man be linked to a computer and used as a webcam whilst videoing the game? In which case, couldn't live games be broadcast via Skype worldwide? Add in all the scores phoned or texted in to Dave Deacon, and you'd have a totally unique Cornish Football "TV" programme! Obviously for some things like the FA Vase games (which I believe are subject to some sort of legal restrictions - don't our overseas fans have Vase games blocked online?) there might be problems? And on another tangent, remembering that Redruth Youth Club used to broadcast their own FM radio programme, just a couple of hours a week, I think, (they may still be doing it for all I know) - well, what would the costs be there?

I've just smiled (it hurt!) at the image of Xembla getting up in the small hours to watch live football from Treyew Road over there in the US of A.....

[Guest Peppermint]

In reply to Stig's excellent posting, in which he talks a lot of sense, I have written to Daphne Skinnard and finally got a reply but not from the lady the letter was addressed to but someone else! The reply was not worth the stamp because it contained nothing of use and it is pinned up in my office at home as an example of the double standards operated by the BBC - an organisation that is funded by us.

It is perhaps a little unfair to expect Dave Deacon to reply to certain points because he has to work in the present environment.

I will certainly miss doing my cricket reports for Radio Cornwall in the summer but because I dared doing a few odd reports for another radio station then I was told that I was not welcome to report another sport for Radio Cornwall [unpaid I may add with not even expenses].

Ian Wright, however can be summariser for the BBC and also present a sports programme for Talk Sport obviously well paid but I cannot voluntarily report football for someone else and cricket for Radio Cornwall.

Sorry folks - rant over - I will get on with some work.

[Spider]

Hi Tom, great idea re: Skype but not sure it can work...

http://www.camcorderinfo.com/content/twele...tions_three.htm

[Tommy Matthews]

Sadly I think we're all wasting our time as I believe that some kind of directive from the BBC has deemed that if you're not reporting on the top teams all the time ie: Pirates etc, then the station won't attract the listners!?

Load of cobblers I know........there was never the level of complaints directed at the station a few years ago.

Please don't have a go at the reporters either when you see them at games, they have no say in the matter at all, and it appears the people at the top aren't willing to listen to what their listners actually want.

They'll realise what harm they're doing when one of the other stations gets their act into gear and starts a really good competitor on a Saturday. I don't know if that's possible but surely someone's got some vision.

I wonder what David White's opinion is? His programme was one of the slickest sports programmes ever, oh, and by the way, Stewart Gardner left because he couldn't put up with it any longer and he's now a presenter on MUTV after a really successful stint as the Man Utd reporter for BBC GMR in Manchester.

This isn't a recent problem, it's been in decline for years!

[Guest Man on the Post]

Peppermint I shall miss your cricket reports, just shows how pathetic Radio Cornwall are. I will be writing a letter of protest to them. Will let you know if I get a reply.

[Ken Reed]

Well said Tommy. I had my differences with BBC Radio Cornwall and because I dared to have my say about the coverage of all teams, in all leagues, not just Pirates, Launceston, Mounts Bay etc and a bit of Truro, I found myself out on my ear but let's not get into that here. peppermint is in the same boat.

I haven't really listened to the program since but actually tuned in on Saturday to try to get the Liskeard result because as amny will know, my son plays for them and all I got was rugby followed by `The Richard and Judy Show` in which Lee Harveys interview was cut short.

It makes no difference what you say or what the majority want, BBC Radio Cornwall aren't listening.

I now do a small bit for Atlantic FM and Chris Lawrence the presenter is a real sports fan (all sports), I'll show him your posting and see if something can be done. I don't think it could be managed because of the requirement of commercial radio but I'll at least show him what people think.

[Guest Peppermint]

Thank you Man on the Post for your very kind comments and your interest is very much appreciated because I did throughly enjoy visiting different cricket grounds and reporting and without exception the clubs were always very welcoming and helpful.

Great comments by Tommy Matthews who contributed a lot in earlier years to Radio Cornwall and also Tom Trust who has contributed for a number of years and provided information and enjoyment to listeners.

Thirdly it is nice to have Ken Reed's comments because he was a real asset to the station and they treated him very unfairly. I would echo Ken's comments about Chris Lawrence and Atlantic FM but they are somewhat restricted by the restraints of a commercial broadcasting station. If Ken shows them these excellent postings and I am having a word with one of their Directors when he returns to this Country next month.

Thanks for your support - Graham Drew

[Xembla]

Just some random thoughts as I combat the boredom caused by forced idleness: just had a wisdom tooth out with unforseen complications!

...

I've just smiled (it hurt!) at the image of Xembla getting up in the small hours to watch live football from Treyew Road over there in the US of A.....

It's really only the noon kick-offs that are a pain -- but I would get up at any hour to be able to watch! I've already got Skype and I had the same thought; not too technical at this end, either, I'm afraid. I thought that maybe somebody with a laptop could take it to a match, but then I don't know about the state of wireless "hotspot" coverage, quality, etc.

And it is true that the FA Comp matches are blacked out. For that matter, I can't even get Atlantic FM, so the alt coverage they offer I miss -- but maybe if everybody went to work for them, they'd expand their view! I'm no fan of rampant capitalism, but it does seem here that part of the problem is that the BBC is pretty much competition-proof, given their public funding irrespective of ratings (?).

I do appreciate the coverage that the reporters offer, and I do believe they really wish it were more, but I'm fresh out of ideas on how to combat the indifference (if not hostility) that seems to be the real problem.

Oh, and Tom -- I just had some wisdom teeth out in October; I lost six pounds while on my all-blender meals diet! (Of course, then I discovered that Twinkies are also a "soft" food . . .)

[Tom Trust]

Thanks for the link, Spider: I've saved it. And Xembla, I hope I can lose a bit of weight but trifle is also soft food...

And another thought that might even get round the FA block on live Vase games, and would do for each Saturday: nothing to stop anyone compiling a, say, 30min TV programme with highlights of Truro (or anyone else in Cornwall) and local scores, even a bit of chat, for putting on YouTube. And that way you'd have an idea of viewer figures because they are shown.

Come to think of it, whatever happened to the rumours about a Cornish TV station?

[Nugget]

I don't want to labour the point, but I will, that surely the best solution is to use both FM and medium waves to cater for a variety of sports as they do on Radio Devon who have to cover Argyle, Exeter City, Torquay plus Exeter Chiefs and Plymouth Albion rugby. I understand they split coverage up around the county. I appreciate this will cost more but when the BBC can afford to pay Jonathan Ross an alleged £18,000,000 for a three year contract, then surely they can find the money to improve the sports coverage, which I am afraid has certainly declined.

But we should not blame the amateur reporters who largely do it for the love and not any financial reward. They do their very best under difficult circumstances. They are not wll paid professional broadcasters. I also belive that the edict is to concentrate on the so called big clubs eg: Pirates, All Blacks, Redruth and Mount's Bay and on the football side Truro City.

The rest are going to get left behind at this rate which is hardly fair. Lets hope the situation improves but I wouldn't bet on it.

[Guest]

It was also dissapointing not to hear the ECPL results I forwarded.