[Archived] Broadcasting Standards

[rovertakenmb]

I was appalled by Sky Sports' coverage of the Rovers V Boro game last night. I have covered last season's problems in depth (www.rovertaken.co.uk) I naively thought it would be difficult for Sky to continue to portray Kean as the victim and the fans as the problem - not least as it was Sky who covered the shambollic performances against Spurs and Wigan only 5 months ago.

Unbelievably, I think the fan "abuse" (that is what it is!) last night was worse than I have ever seen it. It is disgusting, not right and totally damaging to fans of the club and people who live in the town. From the outset the tone was set - Kean hopping off the team bus to sign autographs and then a video montage of angry fans and "the best of Kean" to a song that kept repeating the word "GOOD MAN" over and over. Do me a favour. Sky's message that the fans are the problem and Kean is the victim continued for 2 long hours - despite having to watch an opening 70 minutes that in many ways was as bad as the Spurs and Swansea away games last season.

For most Rovers fans, the opinion of people like the presenter George Gavin, the commentator (who was that guy by the way - he clearly has all his Sky Sports gold stars) and Don "latest expert off the conveyor belt" Goodman means about as much as the opinion of Ronald McDonald/Howard off the Halifax adverts/Gavin from Autoglass. Unfortunately there are thousands of people out there who are happy to believe every word that comes out of their mouth and this is the real problem.

Sky cannot just continue steam-rolling the reputation of a town and a group of fans. Although it does often feel that they make the rules up as they go along there are codes that broadcasters must follow. How strictly these codes are enforced is another matter but I am willing to give it a try if it restores even a fraction of balance to a wholly one-sided, unrepresentative argument.

Ofcom considers all complaints it receives and will assess any complaint against the Broadcasting Code. The Code contains the rules all UK broadcasters (including the BBC in certain areas) must comply with.

I don't see how this section of the OfCom Guidance Notes was followed last night:-

OfCom Guidance Notes Section 5: Due Impariality and Due Accuracy and Undue Prominence of Views and Opinions

Get your complaint in here before the next Sky horror show - Peterborough away on October 17th.

[K-Hod]

Sky and SEM are in each other's pocket, it's no great shock sadly. They'll just go with the freedom of speech babble no doubt.

[Clitherover]

As I said in the match thread, I'd be cancelling my Sky Sports subscription if I still had one, appalling...

[Gav]

Take you're points onboard, I was shouting at the TV myself, it wouldn't be so bad if these people had actually done some research before spouting rubbish, try Keans record for one! But who gives a toss what anyone else thinks in the grand sheme of things, not me thats for sure.

I guess in some ways we understand how Millwall fans must feel, they've been beaten up by the media in this country for years, most of it without justification.

No one likes us, we don't care.

[Stuart]

Completely pointless complaining.

Richard Keys once suggested "dark forces" at work...

[rovertakenmb]

Take you're points onboard, I was shouting at the TV myself, it wouldn't be so bad if these people had actually done some research before spouting rubbish, try Keans record for one! But who gives a toss what anyone else thinks in the grand sheme of things, not me thats for sure.

I guess in some ways we understand how Millwall fans must feel, they've been beaten up by the media in this country for years, most of it without justification.

No one likes us, we don't care.

I go through spells where I think "no-one likes us we don't care" but last night was so blatant and provocative that it really wound me up. I think it feels worse when the performance is as bad as it was last night. That Etuhu shot from edge of box was our best chance in over an hour of football.

[perthblue02]

Also worth it if you do make a complaint to mention a list of pundits on SkyEM Sports that are wheeled out from a certain agency to comment on a client of the same agency

[whatdial]

To be fair as a none Blackburn fan I watched the game. U were poor but when u sneaked back in it the lack of support for the team was poor. Your top of the league and you should get behind the team for the 90 minutes. By all means boo after the final whistle and sing kean out then but during the game it comes across as strange so I can see the viewpoint of the uneducated commentators on sky. It's just their opinions at the end of the day and u could easily have muted the game on your tv or even gone to the game to support the team.

[K-Hod]

To be fair as a none Blackburn fan I watched the game. U were poor but when u sneaked back in it the lack of support for the team was poor. Your top of the league and you should get behind the team for the 90 minutes. By all means boo after the final whistle and sing kean out then but during the game it comes across as strange so I can see the viewpoint of the uneducated commentators on sky. It's just their opinions at the end of the day and u could easily have muted the game on your tv or even gone to the game to support the team.

I'd check the reasons for people's dissatisfaction before posting like that. As you're likely to do a u-turn....

[whatdial]

I'd check the reasons for people's dissatisfaction before posting like that. As you're likely to do a u-turn....

I know the reasons. Just seems a bit petty moaning about sky when they showed your game and two commentators said stuff that was their opinion during a live game and because someone doesn't like it some people want to complain to broadcasting standards. This whole conspiracy rubbish is getting a bit boring (the sky and talksport are against you rubbish I am referring to).

[bradeagle]

not even worth commenting on whatdail

[philipl]

By all means, send in a formal complaint- they have to comment on it.

The PCC managed to:

- examine a complaint I hadn't made, and

- say that because a piece was issued as a personal opinion, it can contain blatant untruths

[SouthAussieRover]

Years ago I learnt to watch the footage of any sport andpay little attention to the commentary,

Just have a go yourself and keep practising otherwise you'll be replacing tvs regularly.

[OJRovers]

By all means, send in a formal complaint- they have to comment on it.

The PCC managed to:

- examine a complaint I hadn't made, and

- say that because a piece was issued as a personal opinion, it can contain blatant untruths

You should follow up on their response Phillip, because nowhere in the piece did it say "in my opinion" or "if I'm correct" or anything like that.

Every article in the paper is written by someone, does that mean they can write what they want and people are to assume its their opinion?

[ABBEY]

even ex rover hignett panned the fans as well . I watched on sky last night and it was pathetic. The people were i was were screaming at the telly for them to STFU.