From VeloNews:
The managers of Germany's ZDF said Thursday the public television network might cease broadcasting the Tour de France in reaction to winner Floyd Landis testing positive for testosterone.
"We signed a broadcasting contract for a sporting event, not a show demonstrating the performances of the pharmaceutical industry," ZDF editor-in-chief Nikolaus Brender said. "We are going to think about our future as broadcaster and maybe refuse to broadcast this event."
The reaction wouldn't have anything to do, of course, with the fact that the average number of spectators watching the live race coverage in Germany fell almost 40% to 1.81 million, compared with 2.91 million last year, according to ARD, the public German broadcaster that aired the race along with ZDF.
Stefan Geese, who tracks ratings for the German public broadcaster ARD, called the drop "a remarkable loss."
He attributed the fall directly to the absence of Jan Ullrich.
Another German rider for T-Mobile, Andreas Klöden, finished third behind Landis.
Landis, by the way, is scheduled to appear Friday on the "Tonight Show with Jay Leno" in Los Angeles.
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Thursday, July 27, 2006
Department Of Over Reaction
From VeloNews:
The managers of Germany's ZDF said Thursday the public television network might cease broadcasting the Tour de France in reaction to winner Floyd Landis testing positive for testosterone.
"We signed a broadcasting contract for a sporting event, not a show demonstrating the performances of the pharmaceutical industry," ZDF editor-in-chief Nikolaus Brender said. "We are going to think about our future as broadcaster and maybe refuse to broadcast this event."
The reaction wouldn't have anything to do, of course, with the fact that the average number of spectators watching the live race coverage in Germany fell almost 40% to 1.81 million, compared with 2.91 million last year, according to ARD, the public German broadcaster that aired the race along with ZDF.
Stefan Geese, who tracks ratings for the German public broadcaster ARD, called the drop "a remarkable loss."
He attributed the fall directly to the absence of Jan Ullrich.
Another German rider for T-Mobile, Andreas Klöden, finished third behind Landis.
Landis, by the way, is scheduled to appear Friday on the "Tonight Show with Jay Leno" in Los Angeles.
The managers of Germany's ZDF said Thursday the public television network might cease broadcasting the Tour de France in reaction to winner Floyd Landis testing positive for testosterone.
"We signed a broadcasting contract for a sporting event, not a show demonstrating the performances of the pharmaceutical industry," ZDF editor-in-chief Nikolaus Brender said. "We are going to think about our future as broadcaster and maybe refuse to broadcast this event."
The reaction wouldn't have anything to do, of course, with the fact that the average number of spectators watching the live race coverage in Germany fell almost 40% to 1.81 million, compared with 2.91 million last year, according to ARD, the public German broadcaster that aired the race along with ZDF.
Stefan Geese, who tracks ratings for the German public broadcaster ARD, called the drop "a remarkable loss."
He attributed the fall directly to the absence of Jan Ullrich.
Another German rider for T-Mobile, Andreas Klöden, finished third behind Landis.
Landis, by the way, is scheduled to appear Friday on the "Tonight Show with Jay Leno" in Los Angeles.
2 comments:
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53rd Tooth said...
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Sorry but for a momnent I was confused and thought your title was referring to the current Israeli/US Middle East policy.
In the realm of cycling however, may I dissent 03? In no way do I beleive this is an overreaction. Similar to the 94 MLB strike, it's time for the fans to take control. It's time for the fans to boycott sponsors of convicted programs. It's time for fans to stop traveling to the Grand Tours and pro races. It's time that advertisers don't get a cycling audience. Once the cash dries up then we have a shot at real solutions.
This is not a "Floyd" problem, it's a worldwide problem thus requiring drastic measures. Will it happen?
Of course not. -
7:16 PM
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Unknown said...
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I wonder what would happen if someone started lobbing Ketuysha rockets toward your house ...
You might overreact, too.
But we don't want to go there ...
The German TV think was about Ullrich.
I didn't post this quote, but I will here:
"Sports is rooted in competition, usually among branded athletes," said David Carter, executive director of the Sports Business Institute at the University of Southern California, noting that Armstrong "provided that dynamic and more as he drew increased global attention to a sport that casual fans only viewed passively three weeks a year. He gave these casual fans a reason to tune in."
Ullrich did the same in Germany.
The Germans aren't being noble here. -
8:29 PM
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2 comments:
Sorry but for a momnent I was confused and thought your title was referring to the current Israeli/US Middle East policy.
In the realm of cycling however, may I dissent 03? In no way do I beleive this is an overreaction. Similar to the 94 MLB strike, it's time for the fans to take control. It's time for the fans to boycott sponsors of convicted programs. It's time for fans to stop traveling to the Grand Tours and pro races. It's time that advertisers don't get a cycling audience. Once the cash dries up then we have a shot at real solutions.
This is not a "Floyd" problem, it's a worldwide problem thus requiring drastic measures. Will it happen?
Of course not.
I wonder what would happen if someone started lobbing Ketuysha rockets toward your house ...
You might overreact, too.
But we don't want to go there ...
The German TV think was about Ullrich.
I didn't post this quote, but I will here:
"Sports is rooted in competition, usually among branded athletes," said David Carter, executive director of the Sports Business Institute at the University of Southern California, noting that Armstrong "provided that dynamic and more as he drew increased global attention to a sport that casual fans only viewed passively three weeks a year. He gave these casual fans a reason to tune in."
Ullrich did the same in Germany.
The Germans aren't being noble here.
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