BBC Red button - Winter Olympics

Manxman_in_exile

Why do the BBC persist in duplicating coverage on the red button with whichever main channel (BBC 1 or2) that they are using at the same time?


They're doing it again now with the curling whilst the bobsleigh is continuing. They did it yesterday too.


I'm not against curling (I actually enjoy watching it) but I enjoy the bobsleigh more. Plus the bobsleigh commentary with John Jackson(?) is really good.


What is the point of having two channels available if you show the same thing at the same time? Why can't they give the viewer a choice? That's the whole point of the red button isn't it?


I complained to them in 2014 but got no satisfactory response.


EDIT: I've actually enjoyed the Beeb's coverage generally and all the commentators have been good (esp Alex Coomber). But the red button abuse drives me mad!

neilmcl

You could always try on one of the 2 free Eurosports channels.

Manxman_in_exile

neilmcl wrote: »

You could always try on one of the 2 free Eurosports channels.

I could Neil, but we already pay a TV licence fee (which I have no problem with - we think the Beeb's output is well worth the licence fee).


My point is: if the BBC has two channels available to it, what on earth is the logic of showing the same events on both channels at the same time?


They mess around in a similar manner with Wimbledon where they have certain matches scheduled for either the red button or the main channel, but then start swapping them around because of events that were always foreseeable.


I suspect they do this because they see BBC1 as their main "platform" but it's infuriating.


Sorry - I've gone off my own topic!


But to continue - we're a low tech household- no PVR - just a VCR. It's maddening when they swap stuff around from channel to channel. Draw up a schedule and stick to it!

Manxman_in_exile

I'm now waiting to see how much of the final bob run we see. I think it starts about 13:15 but the beeb still has curling on both beeb2 and the red button!


I'm sticking with 2 at the moment but I'm not hopeful of seeing all of the final bob run...


EDIT: and don't get me started on the BBC's athletics coverage where running multiple oval laps appears to be their only priority. It was only when going to London 2012 that we realised how much goes on at an athletics meeting - most of which the beeb ignores

PLYSU

I agree about output on the BBC. Another thing that bugs me about them, is why can't we have a plus 1 channel?

Manxman_in_exile

Still on both channels...


No doubt they'll start showing the bob just before Brad Hall goes.


I find it patronising that the beeb think that british spost fans are only interested in british competitors...

LilElvis

Manxman - you would have been even more cross last night. Around midnight I went looking on the red button as I fancied watching a bit of the Olympics in bed ..... only to find that the commentary was in Korean. Switched channels again after a couple of minutes as I couldn't work out what the heck was going on.

SamsReturn

I see there are more possible drug problems and the Russians.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/winter-olympics/43109290
We'll have to wait for a second test for confirmation.

DoaM

SamsReturn wrote: »

I see there are more possible drug problems and the Russians.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/winter-olympics/43109290
We'll have to wait for a second test for confirmation.

Interesting yet completely irrelevant to this thread.

Regarding BBC +1 ... we already have it; it's called Iplayer.

PLYSU

DoaM wrote: »

Interesting yet completely irrelevant to this thread.

Regarding BBC +1 ... we already have it; it's called Iplayer.

AND???????/

We already have DEMAND5, ALL4, the ITV HUB. etc etc. They have a plus 1

KxMx

I've had no end of annoyance trying to find all the Figure Skating.

Half the time it's not marked in program title or i Player (app) description.

I've resorted to trawling though the i Player website to find what I'm looking for.