Tellytrack’s broadcasting clique appear to have forgotten that it is horseracing and the customer, not their chummy anecdotes and nauseating smoke-blowing, that should define the information narrative.
But maybe they never knew what they are supposed to do in the first place?
How do people, who have never trained or worked as broadcasters, manage the show and assess the aptitude and professionalism of personnel who probably only have the job just because they happened to be involved in racing in the first place, or maybe knew somebody who was?
That’s the problem.
There is no management. There is no expertise. There is no interest.
It comes across as a free for all.
And this is not a wild swipe at every broadcaster being paid a monthly wage out of Rivonia.
There are plenty of knowledgeable good people who play the ball – here we can think of the likes of Stan Elley, Shaheen Shaw, Dave Mollett and Nadine Rapson.
Then there is Martin Locke, who has forgotten what most have yet to learn. And the most promising prospect we have seen in years in Kevin Shea – they brighten up the Greyville Friday evenings.
There are many others who do a decent job – the KZN characters, Deez, Mr Paul, The Good.These three guys prove that when you have market appeal, magnetic charisma and some personality, you can actually get away with a bit of fun poking and talking silly.
But when it comes to plain stupid banter, in-house jokes and waffle, then we inevitably know the presenter’s homework hasn’t been done and they don’t really know the difference between their own ego, a horse going down short and all the other observations that just bring on the search for the mute button.
In a sport where there is more back-biting and two-facedness than a bankrupt modelling agency, why do they not just stop telling everybody how bloody good and how passionate and hard-working they are!
For heaven’s sake – say something real rather or just shut up. If it’s your own popularity ratings you’re chasing, or really have nothing better to say, then go into politics rather.
With the Cricket World Cup making news, we invite readers to take ten minutes and click on the Guardian’s observations on the link below of what Channel 9 are doing to cricket – the parallels with Tellytrack and South African horseracing may make for interesting food for thought.
Fascinating stuff. At least we don’t seem to be entirely alone.
Let’s be honest – Nine’s cricket coverage has never been a place where genius came to joust. Unchaperoned, though, recent seasons have subsided into a swamp of hokey backslapping. Grown men call each other Tubby and Binga and Slats, not as nicknames but a full-time mode of address. The guffaw is king. It’s all about being the matiest mates who ever mated…click and read more!
