I have been getting increasingly frustrated at the problem of obtaining ANY coverage of ICT matches over the course of this season.

I have to say that the BBC is EXCELLENT when they are able to broadcast outside the UK and I fully understand that there are some instances where for contractual reasons they cannot do it - they say on their site that Celtic, Rangers, Aberdeen and Kilmarnock for example have alternative media arrangements in place and none of their games are available to overseas listeners. Thats fair enough, as its not in their control.

However, it makes my blood boil when they mark other matches as unavailable for the same reason, and then say they wont enter into any conversation about it. I have spoken to ICT many times in the past about this and they do not have any media arrangements in place that would mean games get blocked. As I knew Hibs have an 'interactive' department run by fans, I also contacted long-time web guy Stuart Crowther who is heavily involved in running this as well as Hibs.net (one of the earliest and best independent fan sites for any club) and he confirmed that although H.I. does broadcast live from games, they do not block the coverage going out using normal methods as they actually have their own commentary team of fans .........

so come on BBC, explain yourselves, who is blocking this game ??? Is it YOU ? The SPL ? Caley Thistle ? or Hibs ? cos no-one is admitting to it ???

[attach=1]

Just realised that the ICT game is the only one where there are NO COMMENTATORS listed .... maybe they just cant be ersed broadcasting it to ANYBODY ?

Might not have decided on the commentary team for Sunday?

Maybe they're no sure how to spell BANNERMAN

I suggest that as many people as possible e.mail the BBC and The Club and ask them the exact same question as Scotty has asked above - "Who is making the call to block these games outside of the UK and why?"

If we can become enough of a nuisance then we might actually get some kind of answer, which either means matches get broadcast, we find out who is blocking them and why or the club put something in place to make commentary available overseas.

Perhaps one of the local journalists who frequent the site might like to take up the cause on behalf of Exiled ICT Fans???

Even though it will not effect most of us as we are in the UK I think it's the least that can be done to help out Scotty for all he has done for us over the years with CaleyThistleOnline.com - time to give a little something back.

It's not just me .... we have quite a few fans overseas ....

Also, from another perspective, if i cant hear the game, I cant record the soundbites I add to each match report  :004:

Scotty, a question for you. I believe that it is possible to use Microsoft Messenger to hear whatever one of your contacts is listening to on their computer if you are having a conversation with them. If someone happened to be from the UK & were listening to online radio coverage of a particular football match would this mean their overseas friend could listen to the commentary too? Or am I talking rubbish again?

I dont use messenger so dont really know ...... but it does sound intriguing  :004:

The 2nd half of our game is on the radio on Sunday, but the whole 90 mins will only be available on the web.  (well for some of us at least).  Agree it seems ridiculous, must be more bother for them to block it than for them to release it for everyone.

So... we'll all have to get along to the game then.... Scotty.... You should be getting ready to leave about now....  :023:

I reckon this one could be a cracker... The Hibbees were looking pretty good on Thursday night... but they'll know they've been in a game after Sunday.... :022:

Full marks to Scotty for this one.

Many a time and oft in the scheme of things have I talked to the BBC about this and got the sterotypical stuffy reply about rights.

Looks as if a deputation from the Supporters club might have to be formed if they want to help out us overseas listeners and to request a meeting with Management of ICT. I would be the first to thank them.

It would appear that single fan's views are ignored whereas a deputation to the club looking for answers to reasonable questions might fare better.

Also, the club can demand an answer  to Scotty's questions from the likes of the BBC.

I cannot imagine why, in view of the very small number of overseas listeners who would actually want to listen to these matches, the BBC would want to block ANY of them. It is quite "over the top" ..

Thanks for raising this issue again Scotty--a voice in the wilderness I fear when dealing with the "Authorities" whose interest appears to singularly focussed on big business and money without any regard for  the  small number of fans who in nboi way whatsoever can adversely affect their interests.

Grrrr.

So tomorrow there is not a single game all weekend that us overseas guys can listen to . My goodness this means that I can't even tune in to Jim Traynor's show---how will Im get over it Ha!

SP :008:

Scarlet, you can still get Your Call, either as a live stream or on Listen Again....

I agree it is totally shoddy that overseas fans can't listen to the games. About as shoddy as not being able to get Scottish Cup coverage last year on digital - fat lot of use to someone with no analogue signal - happily this seems to have been sorted out this season.

Maybe the club could be persuaded to run a stream from the Official site for a nominal fee?

Last winter when I was in Kirkwood, I came across this problem for a match against Aberdeen. I found info about an audio feed on Aberdeen's website, so signed up to their site (oh the shame  :015: ) and it gave an option of buying a single match feed, or subscribing till the end of the season at £2something a month. I  did the latter and was able to use the Service I signed up to through the package Aberdeen had to listen to several more SPL matches that were blocked by the BBC.

So even though CaleyThistle doesnt have any such block or arrangement in place it may be possible to get access to the matches through one of the clubs that have their own overseas media contracts.

I get where your coming from skifreak, but why should fans have to pay for something which should be free?

Even worse, why should ICT fans be forced to put money in the pockets of other clubs?

Fair play to the BBC - they sent me an email which said

Hi Scott,

This was an error on our part, and has now been rectified. Sunday's match will be available to all listeners.

Regards,

BBC Sport Scotland

YESTERDAY

[attach=1]

TODAY

[attach=2]

Ok, now that we have tomorrow's game sorted out ... onto the rest of the games

I think the Radio Scotland webcasts (when available) are excellent. I fully understand that there are certain games/teams whose games they cannot broadcast so they cant be blamed for legitimate blocking as that is all in the sponsorship/media arrangements.

I would be happy to pay my share of the 'license fee' to be able to access guaranteed weekly coverage of ICT games if the BBC were allowed to offer a subscription service whereby they paid a proportion of the costs back to the clubs when covering matches that would normally be blocked. Obviously I like the free coverage I get now, but maybe a subscription could be an easy way for supporters of the 'other' team to listen to the commentary on the bbc legitimately without having to subscribe to a number of different websites of other teams.

I would also be happy to pay a subscription to ICT if they could organise audio broadcasts. Kilmarnock use PTV to provide their commercial website as do Rangers and even the SPL itself. PTV DO have the capability to organise broadcasts (****, we could even do it if we made some changes/investment). In fact, this is the reason that Killie are one of the teams whose games are blacked out on the bbc - because they offer a subscription service on their site every week. If ICT did this fans everywhere could listen to the commentary each and every week ... including games against Celtic, Rangers etc

This is what I got back

Dear Andrew

Thank you for your e-mail regarding 'Sportsound'.

I understand that you would like to enquire about SPL games being blocked to listeners outside the UK.  Often, when the online rights for matches are negotiated, the rights rest with the home team, or the football association organising the match (such as the SPL, Uefa, SFL, SFA or Fifa).

In the case of the SPL, rights are negotiated centrally, but some teams have asserted worldwide rights to their home matches. Therefore, all SPL matches involving Aberdeen, Celtic, Kilmarnock and Rangers will be completely blocked to users outside of the UK, as will any Hearts home match. Often, other 'Sportsound' matches are blocked for similar contractual reasons.

Thank you again for your interest.

Regards

Elaine

BBC Information

This is what I got back

Dear Andrew

Thank you for your e-mail regarding 'Sportsound'.

I understand that you would like to enquire about SPL games being blocked to listeners outside the UK.  Often, when the online rights for matches are negotiated, the rights rest with the home team, or the football association organising the match (such as the SPL, Uefa, SFL, SFA or Fifa).

In the case of the SPL, rights are negotiated centrally, but some teams have asserted worldwide rights to their home matches. Therefore, all SPL matches involving Aberdeen, Celtic, Kilmarnock and Rangers will be completely blocked to users outside of the UK, as will any Hearts home match. Often, other 'Sportsound' matches are blocked for similar contractual reasons.

Thank you again for your interest.

Regards

Elaine

BBC Information

funnily enough - i read that before complaining

http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/sportscotlan...mon/faq.shtml#1

I think I got a non-standard or 'real' answer back because I pointed out to them that the game was not being blocked by ICT, nor was it being blocked by Hibs. I was able to tell them that I had checked my facts and they then admitted to their error, although for some reason, they cut out the online coverage at half time and at full time hence the lack of a full time report.

Right on Scotty.

And thanks Mee --I did actually think of "Your Call" after I posted here .Good shout

I would subscribe to ICT for their broadcasts but why should I have to pay the BBC when everybody else in the UK listens free on match day as far as I can see --apart from the annual radio fee if one exists these days.

Still think it's over the top and I think the best approach is to talk to the club. I mean if they want me to pay 100 pounds for a centenary away top should I not expect something back relatingt o this ? Dunno, I am only a Pimple.

I mean if they sell all thousand tops that's about 100,000 pounds less expensess--not a bad haul eh?

:011: :010:

So just to clarify, that although the home team seem to be in charge the game against Cellic tomorrow will not be available for me in Ukraine ?

Signed

Disappointed

of Kiev

ICTFC Supporters Club (Ukrainian Division)

you are correct.

basically, if I understand things the following applies to each match.

The Home team can broadcast commentary live on their own website if they wish as they have the rights to all their games

The Away team can broadcast commentary live on their own website if they wish as they have the rights to all their games

If either team has a broadcasting contract in place, the BBC can be forced to block their service to listeners outside the UK.

The BBC can broadcast live on their website if neither team has a broadcast service operating or does have one but doesnt block transmissions (Hibs for example)

This basically means ICT (at home and away)  v Hibs, Motherwell, Dunfermline, Falkirk, Dundee Utd & St Mirren are the only games available ... forget it if we are playing Rangers, Celtic, Kilmarnock, Aberdeen or Hearts at Tynecastle

Re the question of listening to a broadcast using Windows Messenger this is possible provided the transmitting computer in the U.K. is also connected to Windows Messenger AND has a microphone plugged into it  which is placed close to a radio to pick up the commentary.

To use Messenger all you need is to have Messenger activated by downloading it from the Windows Download centre. I think it co mes with XP automatically though and all you have to do to activate it is to create a sign-in profile and then you can  use text typing for instantaneous transmission to any other computer in the world connected to the Internet and you can also receive instantaneous  texting back from that same computer. It's like being on the telephone in text.

Windows Messenger also provides the facility of viewing each connected party via video camera, and talking direct into a microphone ,providing each computer has a video cam  set-up together with a microphone respectively. This also transmits like a telephone back and forth.

That is one of the reasons why long-distance calls now have become so cheap because Instant Messaging is free and just as effective. :022: