Death knell for skating on tv

[bems]

Have a read on this article showing that the ISU is challenging television networks with the ultimate result that fans can no longer watch figure skating on national networks. This explains why CBS NBC and ABC did not cover the Worlds.

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/figureskating/story/2009/03/28/sp-scott-moore.html

If you are a fan you may want to send your comments to the ISU at

http://www.isu.org/vsite/vform/page/feedback/1,11038,4844-130886-132194-74548-user-feedback-start,00.html

Without coverage our sport dies!

[Isk8NYC]

These events are expensive. I like the way that the ISU president says that their organization is "doing fine" (financially) but cries poverty in the next breath.
GLOOMY HORIZON? NOT FOR ISU: ISU president Ottavio Cinquanta is not turning a blind eye to the global economic problems. He's also not about to plead poverty for his organization, which oversees figure skating, speed skating and short-track speed skating.

"Unfortunately, I see a very dark horizon for sport," Cinquanta said Friday. "Sport is expensive, and it is becoming more and more expensive. Regardless of the current economic crisis that is on the front page of every newspaper ... even before the crisis we had problems (in sports) and after the crisis we will have problems.

"Maybe the golden moment for sponsorship and TV is over."

Perhaps, but the ISU is not drowning in red ink. Not even close.

"As far as the finances of the ISU, I don't say we're satisfied. We are enthusiastic," Cinquanta said. "We survived very well. We are strong enough."

AP article on UniversalSports.com: http://www.universalsports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=105655&SPID=13046&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=23000&ATCLID=3702312


I think it's crazy to keep jerking the networks around. Establishing a relationship is better.

FYI: The US TV coverage was mostly on the Oxygen cable network, although the Ladies LP was covered by the NBC network.

In my area, NBC's skating coverage was interrupted repeatedly by some weather alerts. Yes, they were vitally important (tornado alerts always are) but I felt the airtime was far longer than they needed. It seemed that they were reaching for things to say to prevent dead air, lol.

I missed Rachel Flatt's performance entirely. They let us watch Asada's LP in a small corner of the screen, without any audio. I deleted my recording and watched it online instead.

There is a perception that the monies garnered from Figure Skating support the entire organization, including Speed Skating and Short-Track Speed Skating. I really wish we could get a REAL accounting of the ISU's financial situation by division. Oh well, that rebellion was short-lived after the 2002 Olympics anyway. *shrugs*