Australian racing
I just got a reply from a Senior Producer from ATR with his personal work email which was more than I was expecting tbh.PDC wrote: ↑Sat Sep 22, 2018 5:55 pm[email protected]
Make sure you ask for them to pass your email on to the relevant person so it doesn't just stay with the studio presenter.
Darrell Williams is in the studio tonight as he was last night when he said he would pass my comments on so it might be good to email him this evening
He thanked me for the email I sent into the studio (I also sent it via the website feedback form yesterday) and he apologized about Saturday.
He said they would take the points raised onboard and that when the next time that Sha Tin is scheduled, 13th October, they would mix the Australian and Hong Kong racing following the feedback recieved. TBH, given how much they have been advertising The Everest which is due to be run on this day I am surprised they hadn't even realised this issue was due to happen and had they not been informed I highly suspect that we wouldn't have been shown the race but rather Sha Tin despite all the advertising they have been doing on ATR for The Everest.
He went on to say that no more HK racing was scheduled for a Saturday until after the Melbourne Cup. But it sounds like that from then on we will be shown HK racing on Saturday mornings as 'the quality of Australian racing tails off so this becomes less contentious.'
He also added that the Caulfield Cup due to race on Saturday 20th October 2018 will not be shown on ATR as they do not have the rights to show it this year.
I would not be surprised if the proposed mixed coverage on 13/10 does not happen and we end up with HK like this Saturday.
I am going to respond asking that all the dates HK is shown regardless of the qulaity of the Oz meetings we have mixed coverage as I see no benefit in what was shown this Saturday between the HK races, a static camera of a wash down area and some paddock shots.
So it is currently looking like this is the situation:
13/10 - Mixed coverage of HK/Oz
10/11 - Oz then switch to HK when it starts
12/01/19 - Oz then switch to HK when it starts
02/02 - Oz then switch to HK when it starts
03/03 - Oz then switch to HK when it starts
11/05 - Oz then switch to HK when it starts
18/05 - Oz then switch to HK when it starts
08/06 - Oz then switch to HK when it starts
No racing on Saturday in July and August
2019/2020 schedule not yet published for HK.
Anyone else who would not be satisfied with the above forecasted scheduling and would sooner see mixed coverage (or no HK racing) I would ask you email the studio asking for your comments to be passed on to Simon Lam (the Senior Producer who contacted me) or use the feedback form on the ATR website, or PM me for his email address, I won't publish it on the forum as I do not think that would be fair to him and would ask the same of anyone who asks me for it.
Hi Derek, we have taken on board your comments and are looking to avoid issues like this going forward. There is now only one Sat morning HK meeting from now until after the Melbourne cup and for that morning we will mix between the 2 for the key Australian races.
Also for your information, I’m afraid we do not have rights to Caulfield racecourse as they sell their international rights differently.
Regards
Simon Lam
Senior Producer
Further to my response to the intial email I sent they have said that race timing permitting they will look to mix the coverage on Saturday 10th November as I pointed out that there are 2 x G1's, 2 x G2's and 2 x G3's that day.
As for the rest of the dates I posted I received feedback that indicated that despite there being several Group races during the Autumn Carnival period they would most likely be showing Sha Tin and not the Australian racing.
Once the clocks change in a few weeks it will mean we miss less Australian racing coverage but it still seems a poor decision to me to favor pictures of horses being washed down in HK over actual racing in Australia.
Fingers crossed they do mix the coverage when they have said they will but I will not be surprised if that doesn't happen or at least not until a producer comes in to work around 6am.
As for the rest of the dates I posted I received feedback that indicated that despite there being several Group races during the Autumn Carnival period they would most likely be showing Sha Tin and not the Australian racing.
Once the clocks change in a few weeks it will mean we miss less Australian racing coverage but it still seems a poor decision to me to favor pictures of horses being washed down in HK over actual racing in Australia.
Fingers crossed they do mix the coverage when they have said they will but I will not be surprised if that doesn't happen or at least not until a producer comes in to work around 6am.
