have submitted several comments to channel 4 about their coverage including the scandalous omission of the rowing final but have had no reply

have you had a response roger?

keep pushing and I will too

the whole production was amateur standard

Hi Roger - seems you are not alone in being unhappy at Ch4.
I could have understood it if GB were actually swimming at the time of the race - but the relay heat that clashed with the rowing final did not involve GB.




OLYMPIC rowing giant Sir Matthew Pinsent launched a furious tirade against TV coverage of the Paralympics after live rowing was ditched.

The four-time gold medal winner is angry because the outside broadcast unit at Eton Dorney has been dismantled, which means viewers will not see competitors going for gold today.

The heroic efforts of Britain’s mixed coxed four, Naomi Riches, Pamela Relph, James Roe and David Smith, will not get anything like the coverage of Team GB’s Olympics rowing stars.

In a Twitter attack, Sir Matthew said he was “not invited, not even considered” to be a member of the Channel 4 commentary team.

He urged commentator Clare Balding to tell bosses to get cameras on the water and asked viewers to complain to Lord Coe’s Locog organising committee about ad breaks.

His remarks on Twitter on Friday night came after a fan told him not even today’s finals would be on live.

“Tell me that’s not true…please,” Sir Matthew replied, adding that it was “sad for Dorney” that only 11,000 seats had been released for sale. Last month, when he was a frontline BBC commentator, crowds of 30,000 roared Team GB to four rowing golds.

A Ch4 spokesman

While the global TV rights for the Olympics raised about £1.2billion, the Paralympics attracted only £19million worldwide, so budgets are lower.

However, Sir Matthew implored Channel 4, which paid £9million for its TV rights to “throw reporter resource at Dorney” for today’s regatta.

Clare Balding replied on Twitter, saying it was the fault of the Olympic Broadcasting Service, an arm of the International Olympic Committee.

Fellow BBC rowing commentator Gary Herbert said it was “shameful” Channel 4 had not included any rowing results on its Twitter feed.

Their comments came amid heavy criticism of Channel 4’s coverage by viewers. Audiences have fallen from the 11million for Wednesday’s opening ceremony to fewer than 3million.

http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/343513/Matthew-Pinsent-rants-at-Ch4-s-coverage

Well done Pinsent for making his views known what a shambles the 'non-rowing' was by Ch4.

"In a Twitter attack, Sir Matthew said he was “not invited, not even considered” to be a member of the Channel 4 commentary team."

"He urged commentator Clare Balding to tell bosses to get cameras on the water and asked viewers to complain to Lord Coe’s Locog organising committee about ad breaks."

"However, Sir Matthew implored Channel 4, which paid £9million for its TV rights to “throw reporter resource at Dorney” for today’s regatta."

"Clare Balding replied on Twitter, saying it was the fault of the Olympic Broadcasting Service, an arm of the International Olympic Committee."

Very telling paragraphs indeed.

To think, Balding will be on Ch4 racing in the New Year too.

Thanks tommy and congratulations to pam and her crew mates and roger and family.  I,ve been off the forum for about a month and so this is my first post on the thread.  In many ways this was, for me, one of the big things of London 2012... I wanted to see the big velodrome finals, I wanted to see jess Enniss win gold, wanted to see usain bolt in the sprint finals and I wanted to see that daughter of that bloke off the forum have a shot at gold in the Paralympics.  I was at work, but managed to get the radio coverage of the Internet and it all sounded proper exciting, the commentators did a good job.  Even though I was the only one in the office there was a fair bit of fist pumping (ooermissus) and shouts of " go on girl" as they neared the line.  By sheer coincidence my work was finished and I could zoom out at 11.59 and be in the pub for 12.00 where I was expecting there to be blanket coverage of the event and interviews etc.  it was barely mentioned and I still don't know why.  Rtb is In no way playing the meddlesome overproud father in being disgusted with their coverage.  To play a swimming heat, or any heat, in favour of a genuine gold medal winning chance in a rowing final is ridiculous.  It Doesn't even make commercial sense as rtb says, just smacks of incompetence and stupidity.  Well done again to pam and co, you must be all as proud as well just very proud.

Haha! Great stuff, RTB!