Has either of these events ever been televised, taped-delay or live? It seems to me the Outdoors or Sportsman's Channel would cover these events. Even if it was tape-delayed and they had all 10 series compacted into one hour long show. I would think, with Purina and others, that sponsorship money could make this happen. It just seems crazy to me, especially after seeing the FT cost thread, that a sport like this isn't televised. Is it because of shot flyers and PETA? If this is the case maybe that explains why the SRS has been televised and not either of these. Or is it because judges might come under too much scrutiny after the fact? Or are there other reasons I'm unaware of? Cameras can't be an issue. Heck, if cameras can stay out of golfers' way and still track that little white ball in flight (to the point you feel like you're riding atop the ball at times), then surely they can hide cameras and still capture dog work. Sure, play by play may be a little boring but I've been a golfer all my life and still think golf analysts are boring....especially Johnny Miller....sorry, I digress.
Maybe it has been tried and didn't work. I'm new to the sport and really don't know. However, I do feel that if it was televised, especially on one of the two mentioned channels, it could grow the sport.
SRS has shown that it kinda sorta can be okay on TV, even though it is a different game, one basically designed for TV. Imagine telling a FT judge that we have to run this direction for the cameras
So what does it get you if it is televised? A one hour show on a tier that 90% of the viewers don't have, that even fewer folks will watch. What is the point? Not everything needs to be televised. Even golf. For the minor tournaments where sponsor money is taken to pay for the telecast, the charities supported by the tourney would sure vote not to go to the effort and expense.
YBS media offered televised coverage of the national for a few years, available on the internet. I really enjoyed it. If I recall (its been a few years ago) the AKC was involved somehow. The coverage stopped when the key person at AKC retired and a new one came in who was not interested in the sporting breeds.
The problem is these of real birds and shot flyers. Even though we accept it as everyday practice some tree hugged types frown upon throwing up a duck blasting it. When the world retriever championship aired from Bruce ms the network got all in a tizzy the first time a flyer was shot. Everybody always gigs the Srs for the use of plastic but this is the reason.
The problem is these of real birds and shot flyers. Even though we accept it as everyday practice some tree hugged types frown upon throwing up a duck blasting it. When the world retriever championship aired from Bruce ms the network got all in a tizzy the first time a flyer was shot. Everybody always gigs the Srs for the use of plastic but this is the reason.
the cost involved in producing an event is enormous..when I was in the golf business we had a pro celebrity event and the amount of staff, equipment to host it was almost mind boggling and that was just a one day event...covering an event over one week would not be cost effective, someone would have to pick up the tab and whoever does would want a ROI for their involvement...even the Retriever News sending their staff members to work the event for 10 days costs someone something
Anything can be on TV if you can find a sponsor willing to invest or pay the costs. That's the bottom line on any TV programs, can the broadcaster or the organization hosting the event or program pay the costs associated with the air & production time. And the answer for FTs is no because of the very limited audience & lack of willing sponsors.
Back in 2001 at the National at Cheraw, SC they had camera crews all over the place. They taped large portions, if not all of that National... I don't know if it was for a television show or for video... All I know is that the logistics of having the crew in the way of the test in some cases was not ideal.
Case in point... The ninth series. It was a delayed water quad. They had a cameraman hidden (supposedly) in a brushpile behind which one of the long guns was retiring. They also had a cameraman in a holding blind which your dog had to run right by on the way to another key retired mark... This holding blind was only about 35-40 yards from the line.
While my dog was hunting the first long bird the cameraman in the brush pile is standing up filming... She can see him and hunts back that way away from the bird... Eventually found the bird... But I think it affected her hunt.
On the way to the last key bird, she flares hard off the holding blind with the other crew person in it. Don't know why. Maybe she was surprised someone was in a blind so close to the line when she never saw anything come from there? Who knows? All I know, is that after running a very good National, the wheels came off hard on the two birds involving the camera crew... If there was a way to do it from a distance...fine, but not from within the test. That was a disaster for me.
I think it would be a good idea. I watch the Outdoors Channel and the Sportsman Channel and get tired of watching the same "whisper" shows over and over again. Same show, different guy, whispering about trying to shoot the next trophy caliber white tail.
First you'd need to decide who your audience will be. Would you be filming and narrating for insiders? Or would you be trying to educate and excite non-retriever people. We have lots of dramatic stories to tell.
10 minutes per dog on a water series is a lot of down time. Like watching Mickelson and Woods walk to their second shot on a par 5. This would be like watching paint dry.
Now having the first 9 series going at the same time, which is impossible, and switching form series to series with constant action would be interesting. Then the 10th would be final round coverage.
Portions of it have been televised before. I am guessing 15 yrs ago and maybe john cavanaughs last national. I
Milton Holcomb was the commentator. TV could not do it justice.
Thomas, see post 7... About that same time I think... 2001
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