BBC to axe F1????

[endisforever]

FROM WWW.PLANETF1.COM

Although the BBC only took over Formula One coverage in 2009, the broadcaster is reportedly considering scrapping their deal as they need to save £600m annually.

The Beep is having to deal with a licence fee freeze, forcing the company to look at various ways to cut costs. Sport is set to be hit hard with BBC's senior management reportedly targeting Formula One and Wimbledon.

'Senior managers drawing up cost-saving options have alighted on the £40m-a-year motor racing deal and the long-running tennis coverage as ways in which the BBC could help achieve a £600m annual saving targeted for 2014,' claims The Guardian.

The newspaper added that Formula One, for which the BBC brought the rights back in 2009, 'is not peak-time programming, and as a result is viewed as a relatively expensive part of the sports schedule.

'Having been on ITV as recently as 2008, the sport is not seen as a mainstay of the BBC calendar.'

The BBC, though, have refused to comment on the reports.

A spokesman said: "We are looking at a range of ideas and it would be wrong to comment on what is speculation."

The idea to scrap Formula One has already been welcomed by the Guardian's Peter Preston, who apparently believes that everything about the sport from Bernie Ecclestone's millions to saving the planet to Lewis Hamilton's 'Swiss tax exile' are just wrong.

"Why on earth should your (and my) licence fee keep Bernie Ecclestone and, until recently, Max Mosley in the manner accustomed?" he wrote.

"How, as the planet warms, do we justify flying tons of heavy metal from Rio to Kuala Lumpur in order, once a fortnight, to send them gas-guzzling and carbon-emitting round yet another ring of concrete?

"The whole notion is a simple affront to anyone who even vaguely registers climate change. It's a suicide note we underwrite year after year. Let Bernie (and Lewis, in his Swiss tax exile) knock on somebody else's door."

[arry]

"Why on earth should your (and my) licence fee keep Bernie Ecclestone and, until recently, Max Mosley in the manner accustomed?" he wrote.

Err, maybe because we want to watch it Without adverts

[Evilchap]

They better not

It is back where it belongs, regarding of what any Guardian readers have to say on the matter.

The BBC have got a good format and a decent team together fast, and the more races they cover, the better it gets IMO.

[Draven]

good to see some spacktard with a column in a national with a complete inability to research has taken it to jump in to a formula 1 debate with a pair of size 12 green wellies

F1 has been carbon neutral for a very long time, something like since 2000 or so, not to mention the regulations pushing the teams for increased fuel economy as the less fuel you have to carry the further you can get on less weight

it would be a shame for the bbc to drop F1 as it was no where near as good on ITV

[Vez]

Hows F1 carbon neutral?

[Johnny]

A farm in Mexico apparently plants a tree for every tonne / tonne of carbon used

http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2007/03/7272.ars

I dont buy it personally ... the amount of energy used to ship those teams around the world and the development etc etc ..... I am sure its just one big scam to make a few millionairs in Mexico

[Pete C]

What do they mean "not a mainstay"? TBH I (and I'm sure many others) have erased the ITV era from my mind now - it's always been on BBC as far as I'm concerned

[Mark]

If it goes to Sky Sports i will cry

F1 is about the only decent thing murdock hasnt got his grubby little paws on

[Johnny]

I cant believe it isnt already on sky ... surely Bernie would rake in more money from that ???

[Pete C]

I was juat about to buy some Freeview HD equipment but I think I might wait until there's a decision on this because otherwise I might end up binning it in a year or two if F1 goes to Sky

[Dave_S]

Oh FFS

It really had better not go to Sky. I fcuking hate giving those ****ers money as it is but it's the only place I can legally get the things I want to watch in HD. If the F1 goes over there then I'd have to have Sky Sports

I like it on the BBC, that's it's home.

Dave

[jimbo]

To be fair if Bernie and CVC (Max while he was therel) didn't suck so much money out of the sport (50% of it's profits go to CVC) then it would a lot cheaper for the BBC. If this in anyway hurries up the exit of Bernie and CVC from the sport then it may not be a bad thing.

[alanjuggler]

How, as the planet warms, do we justify flying tons of heavy metal from Rio to Kuala Lumpur in order, once a fortnight, to send them gas-guzzling and carbon-emitting round yet another ring of concrete?

what a spoon - I wonder where the internal combustion engine (and every other component) would be without the materials advances that have been created by motorsport constantly pushing forward.

I didn't watch F1 on ITV at all - have watched it more on the BBC - the presenting format is much better.

[ben8000]

How about slashing the wages of the BBC presenters for a start, some of them are paid hundreds of thousands

[sideways14a]

Doesnt F1 need to be FTA always?

[voodoo_melon]

Not surprised tbh, motorsports have never really been popular - football is where it's at if you want viewing figures.

Aussie V8's on motors TV are much better anyway

[jimbo]

Doesnt F1 need to be FTA always?

Don't think it's on the government list of "protected" events so it could go to Sky.

[Ronin]

To be fair if Bernie and CVC (Max while he was therel) didn't suck so much money out of the sport (50% of it's profits go to CVC) then it would a lot cheaper for the BBC. If this in anyway hurries up the exit of Bernie and CVC from the sport then it may not be a bad thing.

If it wasn't for Bernie F1 wouldn't be the global brand it is now.

[Monkey]

"How, as the planet warms, do we justify flying tons of heavy metal from Rio to Kuala Lumpur in order, once a fortnight, to send them gas-guzzling and carbon-emitting round yet another ring of concrete?

"The whole notion is a simple affront to anyone who even vaguely registers climate change. It's a suicide note we underwrite year after year. Let Bernie (and Lewis, in his Swiss tax exile) knock on somebody else's door."

OH so lets talk about emmissions of carbon then. does anyone have the figures of how much electricity a stadium uses for the flood lights etc? and the number of sports that uses these that goes on throughout the year? + the traveling for european games etc

i bet its less than F1

[jimbo]

If it wasn't for Bernie F1 wouldn't be the global brand it is now.

Would that be a bad thing? We might not have the exciting tracks in Bahrain, China, Valencia if it wasn't and we might have had to keep Magny Cours, Paul Ricard, Old Nurburg ring even Watkins glen.

He has done a lot for the sport but it's mostly aimed at making money for Bernie. He didn't care about driver safety, he doesn't care about quality racing and he's getting farther detached from reality every season short cuts on tracks, gold medals & his latest brainwave - article rain!

I'll still end up watching though.....