Radio coverage

[Doch4]

CaleyD

Great to hear that live commentary is on the list of things you want to see happen.

I imagine the stadium has a basic business type internet connection, something like 1.5Mbits down and up, maybe more.. With a managed switch a QOS could be put in place for a media upstream on a private subnet. This would ensure that enough bandwidth would be available and traffic would be kept off that subnet.

Today was a good example of being in the dark. No commentary on the game available and very limited open all mics coverage. Very few text updates. For fans who can't get to games it is tough. You look forward to the game all week then on matchday it all goes lame. My reasons are purely selfish - I just want to hear or see a live game online.

I'll just keep gently suggesting things in the hope that you one day might say yeah we could try that.

Keep up the good work!

[CaleyThistle]

TCS is actually one of the few stadiums where I do actually get a 3G connection....

[Rival]

TCS is actually one of the few stadiums where I do actually get a 3G connection....

Yep same

[Charles Bannerman]

 

The Glensound boxes are a nice piece of kit. Try Moray Firth or BBC Highland. They have kit like that lying about!

 

The chance would be a fine thing!   The BBC in Inverness has one, first generation, Glensound box which is on call for everything in the news department such as election coverage and other remote broadcasts via ISDN as well as for use in conjunction with a satphone. Consequently kits for use at the TCS and GES have to be supplied as and when from Glasgow.

As far as I am aware the BBC was obliged to reduce its commentaries for budgetary reasons and I suppose if you have up to six simultaneous online or on air commentaries, some of the listener figures must be pretty small. I understand that MFR have also discontinued their live commentaries but I am not privy to the reasons.

Remember also that the only time that a Caley Thistle match won't have live BBC Radio Scotland commentary tends to be when there is a 3pm Saturday kick off.  Agreed, that is the majority of games, but in the case of those at other times such as Sundays, early Saturday or Friday nights, there will usually be live commentary in addition to occasions when ICT is the Saturday commentary game which has happened a few times this season already.

I can understand that fans want to hear full commentary on their own team's match but personally I prefer the Open All Mics format since you not only get pretty instant coverage of important aspects of the game you are especially interested in, you also get the complete picture across the whole of Scottish football rather than the brief score updates from elsewhere during commentaries.

I am, of course, writing this in a personal capacity since I am not on the staff of the BBC. But I would suggest that BBC Scotland offers very generous coverage of Scottish football, given that there are 12 "big" teams plus others and a licence base of just 5 million people.

For instance during 3pm Saturday games you have the options of Open All Mics, online updates, maybe a commentary if yours is "the game" and there are also second half TV updates and full times on the results programme on BBC 1 Scotland. In effect Radio Scotland offers football coverage from midday right through to 7pm.

Given the demographics of Scottish football support, there is a limit to what is financially realistic for broadcasters but maybe clubs could indeed do something themselves.

Edited December 1, 2013 by Charles Bannerman

[Renegade]

I don't know if they still do it, but a few years ago, Falkirk brought out a subscription thing, where it was something like £4 a month and you could watch all Falkirk league games live online, as long as you were outside the UK.  I don't know the ins and outs of how it works mind, but that's what they did/do.

 

Would something like that ever be looked at?

Edited December 1, 2013 by Renegade

[+DoofersDad]

I don't know if they still do it, but a few years ago, Falkirk brought out a prescription thing, where it was something like £4 a month and you could watch all Falkirk league games live online, as long as you were outside the UK.  I don't know the ins and outs of how it works mind, but that's what they did/do.

 

Would something like that ever be looked at?

 

Don't you mean subscription  - or was this something you could watch on your tablet device?

[CaleyD]

I don't know if they still do it, but a few years ago, Falkirk brought out a prescription thing, where it was something like £4 a month and you could watch all Falkirk league games live online, as long as you were outside the UK.  I don't know the ins and outs of how it works mind, but that's what they did/do.

 

Would something like that ever be looked at?

 

Absolutely, it will be the next step in the progression of CaleyJagsTV.com - but likely that it will be home matches only and not available until fiber is installed in the area around the stadium...which they keep pushing the date back on!!!  Don't be expecting it for £4 a month though

[CaleyD]

CaleyD

Great to hear that live commentary is on the list of things you want to see happen.

I imagine the stadium has a basic business type internet connection, something like 1.5Mbits down and up, maybe more.. With a managed switch a QOS could be put in place for a media upstream on a private subnet. This would ensure that enough bandwidth would be available and traffic would be kept off that subnet.

Today was a good example of being in the dark. No commentary on the game available and very limited open all mics coverage. Very few text updates. For fans who can't get to games it is tough. You look forward to the game all week then on matchday it all goes lame. My reasons are purely selfish - I just want to hear or see a live game online.

I'll just keep gently suggesting things in the hope that you one day might say yeah we could try that.

Keep up the good work!

 

Definitely keep the ideas and suggestions coming...you never know when an idea that's not been thought of elsewhere might just spark something.

 

What we won't do is something half-assed.  Not only does that just lead to frustration from the viewer/listeners end, it annoys those trying to provide the service and risks driving them away as well.  As soon as we can do something reliably, we'll be on it.

[CaleyD]

 

Live match commentary is on our (the media teams) list of things we want to be providing and it will come....we just can't (yet) give a commitment as to "when".

 

Cost is the biggest limiting factor.  The equipment needed would be an easy £3k, but probably nearer £4k by the time you add in accessories etc.

 

Operating via an internet connection is not feasible due to bandwidth/reliability (or should I say, lack of bandwidth/reliability)...both at our own and other stadiums.

hmm! I know people who broadcast their own radio shows with Winamp, a mic & Itunes! They don't seem to have any problems with bandwidth etc. The Glensound boxes are a nice piece of kit. Try Moray Firth or BBC Highland. They have kit like that lying about!

I'm sure there is a cheaper solutions out there Caley D

 

 

If a cup is full, you can't add any more to it...no matter how small that amount might be.

 

I'm not just making up excuses for the sake of it...if there was a practical, reliable, affordable way to be doing our own commentary then I'd be all over it.