Benefits of TV coverage - Sponsorship and participation...

katonas · Post by **katonas** » Sun Nov 19, 2006 4:15 pm

An earlier thread was from a young paddler seeking sponsorship. TV/media coverage of canoe slalom goes hand in hand with the amount of sponsorship available, and is the best way to increase awareness of the sport in the general public. I can't believe there is no prize money in Prem events.

Does anyone have ideas about how to encourage the BBC / Sky Sports channels etc to cover canoe slalom ?

Is there any truth that Sky offered to televise all the Prem races, but the BCU asked them to pay? I wonder if the BBC had to pay for BBC2 scotland's coverage of Grandtully, or the WC in Prague ?

Canoeing seems expensive to film well. To get good close ups you need lots of camera men, and decent commentators can't be cheap. ???

katonas · Post by **katonas** » Sun Nov 19, 2006 4:34 pm

Many non-canoeists argue that canoeing is a minority sport. I suspect more canoe than many others sports. Does anyone have comparative figures ?

Like 'access to rivers', keeping the discussion alive can only help, so add your views on BBC points of view.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/mbreligion/F19 ... ad=3341968
ps. I'm lifeinwater

Canadian Paddler · Post by **Canadian Paddler** » Sun Nov 19, 2006 8:52 pm

I believe it was the other way round. The slalom committee was asked to pay for all the filming.

katonas · Post by **katonas** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 9:17 pm

Thanks CP for answering this question, and the one on 'money, money, money' so well. Any suggestions for getting a TV station to film events for free ?

I believe German Eurosport (or something similar) shows a lot more kayaking, quite a bit of which is downloadable on eauxvive's french slalom site. A friend of mine has a German satellite receiver to pick up the signal, but it doesn't help publicise the sport in the UK. ???

Geebs · Post by **Geebs** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 9:26 pm

The best way to do it is if there is something of local interest, having worked with the BBC in the past and other film companies I doubt if they will look at slalom or many other canoe sports unless the viewing audience will be interested.

The cost to set up for filming, production costs etc. would not be worth the outlay for the return they would get. The Olympics would attract TV & film companies a local slalom will not. Even local news stations may promise to come to an event, but if something else of more public interest comes up they will attend that in preferance.

I think that the idea of TV or filming for free is a non-starter unless you can find someone that wants to take a commercial risk to try and sell DVD's afterwards, but I guess the sales would be numbered to a few.

PaulR · Post by **PaulR** » Thu Nov 23, 2006 10:03 am

its interesting that quite alot of people suggest that slalom is a minority sport but at the athen olympics i think slalom, especially the final for the men kayaks, had the 3rd biggest auidence figures....

perhaps this is only because its only every 4 years??
would there be much interest in a Prem event, which sometimes can be over pretty quickly if its just a prem and not a prem/div 1??....

it would be nice though

Canadian Paddler · Post by **Canadian Paddler** » Thu Nov 23, 2006 10:14 am

Just the sort of thing a marketin and publicity co-ordinator could investigate. . .
Why not turn up on Saturday, get elected onto the committee and volunteer for this co-ordinator role.

Geebs · Post by **Geebs** » Thu Nov 23, 2006 11:55 pm

PaulR you have hit the nail on the head!

1/ It is the Olympics and attracts a vast TV audience
2/ It is only every four years and people feel obliged to watch especially if we have an athlete in the finals with chance of a medal
3/ It was a one off something different to watch that people had probably never seen before

The 'Games' TV show had a vast audience for the slalom/rafting episode, again something different to watch and interesting as the participants fell off and swam, the main reason that people watch motorsport is for the accident's that may happen rather than the racing itself which these days has become quite boring in terms of F1 it is the one make series that provides the action.

If you look at the number of spectators to slalom event's I think you will find the answer, even the European's with all its hype and publicity did not attract that many pure spectators.

Sorry to sound negative, but seriously slalom has a long way to go before you will attract any TV coverage on a regular basis, especially with the number of participants that is listed on the Race Attendance Stats for the last 3 years.

Yester Years Kayak · Post by **Yester Years Kayak** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 12:47 pm

One way to help sell the sport through TV etc might be if personalities/celebraties that are in the public limelight were involved.

The only problem being, is money as i suspect they would want an appearance fee for a start rather than being willing to give up some of their time for the fun of it.

I'm not aware of any one that falls in to this category that actually canoes, other than for the odd "celeb games show".

katonas · Post by **katonas** » Wed Nov 29, 2006 1:49 am

To appeal to TV audiences the format needs to be exciting. The WC Prague finals + Olympics were exciting because each competitior had a good chance of beating the last just like ski slalom. Perhaps ordinary events could use the same format with order of competitors for second runs, based on first run times. The more rapidly available the results the easier it is for any crowd to be involved. Most events have a loud speaker system, so spectators could be given a running comentary even in lower divisions to raise the excitement. Paddlers would soon get used to ignoring the noise.

You have to care who wins. An audience needs a chance to get to know contenders, so for TV numbers need to be limited eg.10 in the final.

Its a shame you can't have slalom competititors competing side by side. The more 'competition' that is visible the more exciting it is. Most non paddlers I met who watched the WC in Prague were most struck by the team events, so perhaps we should have more team events purely for spectators (as well as being a lot of fun). People like to see collisions / near misses !

I remember watching 'paddles up' as a youngster. Perhaps similar fun events could still be organised, with footballs suspended in the air, having to throw your paddle over the finish line, rolling under a certain gate etc. How about an S gate with several poles you have to weave through. The more extreme the idea the more entertaining. The new short boats can be just as much fun as a playboat.

At the Tryweryn Div 1/2 events on the chipper a photography club turned up to photograph the event. Those who didn't want to be photographed just wore something to be so identified. I'm sure there would be a few other such clubs that would take up invitations to photograph events. Event organisers could write reports for local newspapers and send along a few of the best photos.

:p

quaker · Post by **quaker** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 10:17 am

I think what you are trying to say is:

Someone organise a winter pool slalom series (i.e. someone related to the BCU) that could be televised, then work towards getting normal slaloms on TV.

Back in the day pool slaloms were great and had a format that could be passed onto TV. Anyone remember the Tesside pool slalom at Ponds Forge? Even if something is put onto a minor cable channel at least it is a start. When we think of TV coverage don't just think BBC or ITV!

katonas · Post by **katonas** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 1:19 pm

The Orton mere or Stone slaloms could include 'Paddles up' type tricks that paddlers have to perform. Maybe the slalom committee could ask one of the TV/satellite stations what they would be interested in filming / what changes would make it easier for them. I suppose a pool event is less work to organise, and easier to film so why don't they happen anymore ? ???

Canadian Paddler · Post by **Canadian Paddler** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 2:18 pm

Orton Mere - you mean the <ADVERT ON> Wonderful, friendly events run out of season - next event Sunday 17th December - starting at 11am<ADVERT OFFF> do you?

I do not know about you, but I do not think paddling in the season when there is snow and ice makes for atractive TV, it will look too cold and nasty, and I am not kean on throwing paddles through hoops, or dipping sterns to hit balls, etc in the cold!

We did run a paddles up type event along side the summer event a couple of times, but the press were more interested in reporting/ showing pictures of, the ranking event - especially local press with local paddlers photos/names.

Pool slaloms are not cheap to set up and run. Have you tried to rent a pool for a couple of hours? Then think about a pool the size of Ponds Forge or Crystal Palace. The events stopped because the events were losing too much money. I believe that the final organisers had also had enough of the hassle (Thanks Ken and Sue).

But do not let me put you off. PLEASE try to organise one, they were great fun, I enjoyed them, perhaps we could aim for the sort of media event that the Danubia Cup was in Jan 06 Campbell Walsh's site
Like the Interclubs, you will probably need a sponsor to keep the costs down. (vicious circle: bigger event, more likely to get TV -> more likely to get TV coverage, easier to get sponsors - > more sponsors bigger event -> )

Just becuase I am old, jaded and 'seen it all before' do not let me stop you tyring again, things have changed, and more publicity the better, and like quakewr I used to enoy them.

I do not believe that an organiser has to be

(i.e. someone related to the BCU)

after all the BCU is more worried about the recreational paddlers, and the BCU Slalom Committee is a bunch of enthusiasts doing all that they can in their free time, anyone can help move the sport forward!

OK Old man ranting drivel coming to an end now. . . .

katonas · Post by **katonas** » Sun Dec 10, 2006 11:19 pm

Thanks for the info CP, this was my first season in slalom so I haven't had time to see what doesn't work. Its a shame I'm so far away from your event, it sounds great fun.

ps. Are you one of these organizers that moves around an event like a Tasmanian devil, or is that just how you feel by the end of it all?

Canadian Paddler · Post by **Canadian Paddler** » Mon Dec 11, 2006 8:29 am

The mark of a good organiser is that he is too busy too paddle when it is cold, able to paddle when it is warm, and looks like he is doing nothing on the day.

Taz was just a 'fun' avatar, I got bored of being depressed with photos of burnt out club site. It will change again soon!