World Rally Radio [Archive] - Motorsport Forums

bowler

19th May 2007, 02:21

gloomyDAY

19th May 2007, 03:24

WRC is going to die if we can't even get a hint of information. It's bad enough that the sport is not very competitive, but non-existent coverage makes a boring championship even more difficult to bear.

I can't stand not knowing what's happening and even worse America hardly receives any coverage of the WRC.

World Rally Radio always seemed like a joke. Maybe I'm spoiled because as far as I'm concerned I actually like seeing the pilots being interviewed on (get this) a TELEVISION.

I never valued WRR and would never pay a cent to listen to static!

raybak

19th May 2007, 06:19

I think we need World Rally Radio, weren't we already paying for it through WRC+?

I think as a package they need to have it for people who are following the rally from home on their PC's.

Ray

L5->R5/CR

19th May 2007, 06:54

I remember many people on this thread complaining about World Rally radio when it started, and now that it has gone, people are complaining about the loss of it.

So 2 questions:

How much do you value the service?,

Much more than I used it (which was never). Although it would be pretty important to me if I could use it when I was awake most of the time...

and

How much would you pay to have it back?

Not so much good information on this forum without it as far as I can see.

Not a single cent. If ISC wants to be so greedy as to charge for this, instead of realize that it is crucial to creating commercial value in the sport than to hell with them. Sorry, but that is how I feel. I am absolutely sick and tired of being expected to pay for things that should be provided for free. Motorsport is advertising. Teams participate to promote something. Organizing rallies is a commercial endeavour (in most parts of the world, espeically for the WRC). There are sponsors, sometimes paid admissions, and the spectators bring thousands if not millions of dollars to the host economies. I WILL NOT PAY FOR SOMEONE TO ADVERTISE TO ME WHILE I AM WATCHING THEIR FREAKING ADVERTISEMENT IN THE FIRST PLACE Paying the cable bill for TV and internet is bad enough already, but to pay for the "privledge" of listening to some tosser provide very basic information in an attempt to promote the whole damn thing in the first place? No. Coverage should be provided to promote the rally, you know, promote the event, the teams that are paying the bills, promote the sponsors that are supporting the event, it should be a way of getting that information out there. To pay someone for this is absurd.

Livewireshock

19th May 2007, 08:09

Greg Strange during the last World Rally Radio broadcast from Jordan was making alot of different cases for promoting WRR whilst talking to the Promotions Officer for Rally Jordan. Basically talking up the need for an Arabic version of WRR, hinting at Spanish, French, German, Japanese etc... editions.

Basically English may be the lingua franca of rallying in general but WRR is crucial to spread the word about rallying across the globe. Greg pointed out the locations of people listening to the broadcast, thousands of miles from any rally, let alone a WRC round. A hardcore base of fans who know what they want & crave for all the information they can get. TV is all well & good but can not cover any event to any satisfaction.

The overheads to run WRR in relative terms is quite low. The staffing is quite small but enthusiastic & carry alot of flair. Adding two-three people per language broadcasted is not a large expense for the new markets gained. They never take their listeners for granted & welcome the support of the fans. Unlike certain other media organisations that are elitist & concerned only with what they can get out of it all.

Another point that Greg brought up was the fact that WRR should be exactly that. Around the World, all the time, reporting from WRC, IRC, ERC, APRC, MERC, ARC, NARC & SARC, where ever they can make a presence. Not literally at each event but have some comment or reporting happening from those locations.

World Rally Radio then would have the base for long term, full time broadcasting. With lifestyle & interest programs from the teams & drivers between the weekends. So the core of fans that make up their listeners have good reason for tuning in every day of the week. Continual podcasts for the new generation of listeners about what is happening everywhere in the world in regards to rally. Enough content to satisfy those of us who live & breathe the sport.

Sticking to broadcasting only the WRC rounds leaves alot of empty space. Too much space that is wasted & if a casual listener does not know if & when, can miss the broadcast. It should be a case of being able to tune in 24/7 around the globe & finding out about all that is happening in the sport. The casual listener can easily be up to date & be drawn more & more towards the sport.

A rally specific TV channel is too expensive, not able to be shown all across the globe due to rights issues, regulatiosn & government rules. Internet Video is restricted to people with broadband net connections ruling out millions of fans. That leaves radio as the only option that is feasible to reaching the broadest possible audience.

We need World Rally Radio much bigger & better than it is & not just confined to the WRC.

GigiGalliNo1

19th May 2007, 08:11

Atm, I'm kinda disgusted in away that I am not getting what I paid for with WRC+. We do need something for the WRC to survive and I think that WRR was it. As above some people would not pay for any of these services but I have, and whilst I already paid for this, in one case, I used a site which gave a link to listen to WRR free! So a bit of a waste of my money that they got, and where did it go? Helping out WRR to go to other WRC rounds? I think not. They're stuck back in the UK (I'm guessing) and unable to attend the next what 2 rallies including this weekends? But made it to a non WRC event?! Ok.....

But still, I'm continuously waiting for what I have paid for from the last event, but prior to that WRR did succeed in what they were offering in Monte through to the round before Argentina! See I even forget the rounds, is how WRC is slightly going down hill...

grugsticles

19th May 2007, 08:36

Im not a WRC+ subscriber as I refuse to pay AU$100 for something (well, most of) that I can find else where (read: other multimedia sources around the internet).
If WRC.com are struggleing to fund WRRadia, then why dont they make an option for that and only that for a cheaper price, say 20 pounds (~ AU$50).

That to me is a price I would certainly be willing to pay for rally radio coverage.

amberie

19th May 2007, 08:45

Not so much good information on this forum without it as far as I can see.

WRR, like it or not, is the best source of news we could possibly get. They interview the drivers after the stage, have GPS trackers, and are tapped into official team sources. Right now, we're stuck staring at split times, wondering why so-and-so lost time on a stage. When WRR is on, we almost always find out exactly why. No waiting for vague wrc.com stage reports or TV coverage that only review a fraction of what actually went on. Plus, it's fun to listen to.

I think we need World Rally Radio, weren't we already paying for it through WRC+?

I think as a package they need to have it for people who are following the rally from home on their PC's.

Ray

I thought so too. Because I'm sure as heck not paying for the grainy, microscopic videos and the driver interviews I already see on TV.

So how come Greg Strange talks about expanding WRR on one weekend, and we end up with zero WRR the next?

Livewireshock

19th May 2007, 09:26

I think Greg was voicing his opinion in order to drum up support for WRRadio. I would not be surprised that the Rally Jordan broadcast was underwritten by the rally organisers or their sponsors. There was a good chance for obtaining a possible arabic sponsor for WRR.

BTW Greg said that the average core of WRRadio listeners is about 250,000 listeners at most times. No other details was given about listenership.

MikeD

19th May 2007, 10:35

I really like WRC Rally Radio even though they are very biased which at times can be annoying. But I hope they return..

ke55rally

19th May 2007, 10:50

These last two rallies haven't been the same without WRR, I like being able to follow a rally half way around the globe and hearing what the drivers have to say at end of stages. Its gives you a feeling of the atmosphere of the event.

I hope they come back soon!

wrc_flipper

19th May 2007, 14:27

Radio is the best way to get all the info from the event - its live! Looking at the forums this weekend - "does anyone know what happened?" question must be the most asked. With WRR you have live and up to date information.

WRC and rally events are a great place to offer radio coverage. F1 for example is a 2-3 hours stint that is built for TV. Rallying is not and needs upto the miniute information for the fans.
I have been to many many rallies over the years and keeping up to date is quite hard - the stagetime text message service is great! and in New Zealand 2006 the WRR team did live fm broadcast to the stages and this was very good!
WalesRallyGB also broadcasts on the stages by globecast - but this is very poor compaired to WRR.

I would pay for WRR, the podcast is worth the money alone! But this does need to be part of the WRC+ package with the videos, stage times and special stage videos. WRC+ needs a thread on its own with the costs vs content argument!

Flip

WRC2006

19th May 2007, 14:32

Much more than I used it (which was never). Although it would be pretty important to me if I could use it when I was awake most of the time...

and

Not a single cent. If ISC wants to be so greedy as to charge for this, instead of realize that it is crucial to creating commercial value in the sport than to hell with them. Sorry, but that is how I feel. I am absolutely sick and tired of being expected to pay for things that should be provided for free. Motorsport is advertising. Teams participate to promote something. Organizing rallies is a commercial endeavour (in most parts of the world, espeically for the WRC). There are sponsors, sometimes paid admissions, and the spectators bring thousands if not millions of dollars to the host economies. I WILL NOT PAY FOR SOMEONE TO ADVERTISE TO ME WHILE I AM WATCHING THEIR FREAKING ADVERTISEMENT IN THE FIRST PLACE Paying the cable bill for TV and internet is bad enough already, but to pay for the "privledge" of listening to some tosser provide very basic information in an attempt to promote the whole damn thing in the first place? No. Coverage should be provided to promote the rally, you know, promote the event, the teams that are paying the bills, promote the sponsors that are supporting the event, it should be a way of getting that information out there. To pay someone for this is absurd.

Nice comment mate!!!! I agree totally with you.

WRC2006

19th May 2007, 14:39

Why paying for something I can see or hear somewhere else?

If they could add value to their broadcasting maybe I would pay. But I don't see myself paying for the poor service the WRC+ is delivering to their members.

Thanks to ITV and Eurosport, at least I can follow live The F1 and Moto GP on live starting friday in practice session.

The WRC is really loosing the business...

SubaruNorway

19th May 2007, 14:59

If they had made the quality and added full lenght inboards i would be more than happy to pay twice as much as i do now. The price for the annual pass is only worth the same as 30L of petrol in Norway

doodle

22nd May 2007, 12:27

GigiGalliNo1

22nd May 2007, 13:08

doodle, it was actually free if you knew how to get it free, I could not listen to WRR last year, as it was not on wrc.com and only available on wrc+ members in 06 that is what I believe, I got wrc+ for the vids etc and so called "extra" things, but I knew I could get the same radio free, this year from the estonian site.

doodle

22nd May 2007, 14:21

It was on wrc.com for all of last season and this.... even though they aren't broadcasting live now the button is still there on the home page and it just has music on. It's just underneath the main story about loeb, or click rally radio on the left hand menu - it has been in that format for about 18 months and has been free the entire time.

DoN_cz

22nd May 2007, 21:16

Does anyone actually know why they were missing in Argentina, Sardinia and will be missing in Greece? They say they work flat out to be back for Finland.

I would really miss them.

SubaruNorway

22nd May 2007, 21:33

Money rules the game

Daniel

24th May 2007, 14:32

The only worthwhile person on WRR was Greg Strange and as soon as he left I gave up listening to WRR...

wrc_flipper

24th May 2007, 14:39

>break

wrc_flipper

24th May 2007, 14:40

He's not left, just does not do the WRC, he was doing the Jordan coverage and he is the Chief Executive of the compnay so probably picks and chooses what he does!

Daniel

24th May 2007, 15:27

So he's left right?

wrc_flipper

24th May 2007, 16:02

So he's left right?

Well define left?! I just left my chair to get a cup of tea - I ain't left the company! ;)

Daniel

24th May 2007, 16:56

If Greg was making the tea for the WRR people he might still be in the company but it's no reason to listen to the crap coverage they give! I've met Greg and he is truly a professional and is a great commentator :up:

GigiGalliNo1

29th May 2007, 08:36

when are they back? WRC+ is on at next rally with Live coverage.... but thats all.... maybe splits?

Larry_Japan

29th May 2007, 12:33

The WRC drives me insane. First they drop AXN Shakdown, now they fumble the ball with Rally Radio. Stupid. It's like they want the sport to dissapear, not generate new fans.

Daniel

29th May 2007, 13:37

I somehow doubt that them getting rid of WRR (the quality of which a lot of people have complained about) is going to be the downfall of the WRC.

Tomski

29th May 2007, 14:12

For all WRR shortcomings, getting rid of it can only be a negative move, especially if access to the spli timings is also becoming more restrictive.

I thought the whole idea of growing and promoting a business was to attract more users / customers etc. not pi** them off.

Daniel

29th May 2007, 14:15

Tomski. With your attitude I wonder how it was that the WRC got by before we had live internet timing, splits and WRR.......

Perhaps the problem with the WRC isn't the lack of WRR or splits.

Just a thought you know ;)

Tomski

29th May 2007, 14:35

But surely thats even more reason for keeping WRR. Why let people experience something which might, in a small way, improve the whole "experience" rather than taking it away. I'd love to be at each event but at least with WRR you felt like you were there.

Daniel

29th May 2007, 14:41

Listening to inane chatter, bad music and inaccurate reports is not my idea of fun.

Lousada

29th May 2007, 15:10

Listening to inane chatter, bad music and inaccurate reports is not my idea of fun.

But your not everybody. Apparently many people listened so liked it.

I wonder how it was that the WRC got by before we had live internet timing, splits and WRR.......

When technology increases, expectations increase. In these days it is expected that you can follow everything (near-)live. That the WRC won't deliver this, is a huge farce, especially since they have showed they could do it for relatively low money.
It's not even that people can't live without rallyradio and splits, it's the principle that ISC are only interested in moneymoneymoney and don't care about fans.

Daniel

29th May 2007, 15:15

The ISC is not a charity. If having splits and WRR is not bringing them good profits then why should they provide that service?

Le NaRcX

29th May 2007, 15:15

will run Gardemeister?

Lousada

29th May 2007, 15:29

The ISC is not a charity. If having splits and WRR is not bringing them good profits then why should they provide that service?

Who says it is not bringing them good profit? What is good profit? We only know that they want the organisers to pay money for them. We also know that the teams pay a sum to have splits. Plus, it contributes to overall satisfaction of the WRC, thus increasing total value.

Daniel

29th May 2007, 15:36

Oh yes Lousada. They are making a good profit on WRR and the splits so they're going to stop doing it. Yeah right. :rolleyes: Where did you get your economics degree? A pack of cornflakes?

Rally_Rocks

29th May 2007, 17:16

I somehow doubt that them getting rid of WRR (the quality of which a lot of people have complained about) is going to be the downfall of the WRC.

Everyone is entitled to an opinion Daniel, but if you didn't enjoy WRR, why bother listening? Or couldn't you work out how to turn it off?

I know a lot of people like me enjoyed the energy of WRR. It was a great way of following the championship and I think Becs and Colins enthusiasm and knowledge made up for the very occassional error.

Daniel

29th May 2007, 17:20

I haven't listened since Greg Strange left other than to try and hear news about Michael Park on the day of his accident.

I'm not saying that people aren't entitled to an opinion. Merely that IF WRR and the splits were making money for the ISC they wouldn't ditch them and also that we managed to survive without Rally Radio and the splits.

milly

29th May 2007, 17:51

It's important for everybody to know that ISC, which owns the commercial rights to WRC, doesn't put any money into WRR, and never has.

WRR is run purely by Greg Strange, trying to find sponsorship and backing for it.

ISC has done nothing - nothing - to fund the radio service.

Daniel

29th May 2007, 17:53

Thanks for that information Milly :)

If that be the case then Greg also isn't a charity and allowed to not run WRR if he doesn't want to :)

bt52b

29th May 2007, 19:38

I think its all part of ISC playing hard ball with the FIA and the organisers. They are trying get the organisers to pay for timing/tracking, stopped WRR and they have stripped back the tv coverage.

On the WRC TV world feed, ISC seems to have ditched the female commentator (who is she?) and now many of the english stations broadcast the 'guide' commentry which is not supposed to be used as a broadcast commentry. ITV for one ditched their commentry team.

Its crazy they they are screwing around with the c'ship mid-season. This stupid power game, should have been sorted before the season started.

WRC gets little enough coverage, without trying strange it further.

WRR was supposed to be free and WRC+ can be sold on the back of it. Its just that WRC+ is a crock and should be alot better.

FIA v ISC v Organisers = Fans lose again.

Gabriel

L5->R5/CR

29th May 2007, 20:26

wrc_flipper

29th May 2007, 20:52

On the WRC TV world feed, ISC seems to have ditched the female commentator (who is she?) and now many of the english stations broadcast the 'guide' commentry which is not supposed to be used as a broadcast commentry. ITV for one ditched their commentry team.

It was Issy Clarke who did the co-presenting with Paul King on ITV
Becks Williams did some of the Eurosport voice overs.

flip

milly

29th May 2007, 23:40

I am sure that ISC is charging a rights broadcast fee and a sizable one at that.

No - there is absolutely no rights fee because they are not interested in radio. Video - TV and online - is all they are interested in.

Buzz Lightyear

30th May 2007, 00:32

From what I remember $50m dollars was paid for 10 years commercial rights, by ISC to Bernie. There was talk of ISC trying to get an 'F1 style' 100 year extension, but I dont think that happened.

Therefore, there is simply no more investment going into WRC. accenture is gone, imarsat is gone, the flashy rally XS magazine is gone, the big plans for virtual spectator.. thats gone...

There is no big backer in the wings..its simple a matter of 'buttoning down the hatches' till 2010, and scrapeing as much money from tv rights, rally games, so that the venture capital firm backing ISC saves face, and at least show some return to their investors.

So the end result.... no money for World Rally Radio. As long as people can RIP the audio feed off other sites, no-one is going to pay for it.........

bt52b

30th May 2007, 01:08

It was Issy Clarke who did the co-presenting with Paul King on ITV
Becks Williams did some of the Eurosport voice overs.

flip

The it's Paul King who is the producer who does the 'guide' commentary?

ISC is going is a bit like when Bernie cleaned out his tv crew a few years ago.

bt52b

30th May 2007, 01:10

Anyone think we should do an online petition in support of WRR?

wrc_flipper

30th May 2007, 09:35

The it's Paul King who is the producer who does the 'guide' commentary?

ISC is going is a bit like when Bernie cleaned out his tv crew a few years ago.

Not sure if he is the same guy - but his name is on the Freeview EPG as presenter.

flip

Lousada

30th May 2007, 17:01

Oh yes Lousada. They are making a good profit on WRR and the splits so they're going to stop doing it. Yeah right. :rolleyes: Where did you get your economics degree? A pack of cornflakes?

Wow aren't you mature :up: Show me the numbers then? You obviously know all about them so I want to see them. It would make the discussion a whole lot more clear if we can base us on the facts.

Daniel

30th May 2007, 17:57

Wow aren't you mature :up: Show me the numbers then? You obviously know all about them so I want to see them. It would make the discussion a whole lot more clear if we can base us on the facts.
Oh yes Lousada.

Greg Brain: Jeez WRR is making too much money. Lets stop doing WRR.......

bt52b

30th May 2007, 18:09

So much for that new sponsorship deal with Pirelli.