Lack of reporting

[Paul in NZ]

Agree with THAT statement Choppa......... but the lack of reporting in general as a sport is piss poor. An article however good or proffessionally written will impact for a very short timeframe. A regular feature on a given sport attracts a following. The recent Barry Sheene meeting is a prime example of a BIG event going un-noticed. Nationals usually get a good size article in the regional press but almost always is a tribute to A Stroud (although you do get a background shot sometimes)

What defines 'big'...

How many spectators were there?

[Dreama]

It's not a unique problem that only NZ has.
National coverage of M/C racing in the US has the same issues from what I hear and read .... unless something dramatic happens. Prolly the same in 90% of countries around the world.
With only a handful of competitors nationwide, relatively speaking, funding will always be an issue, so how much can realistically be spent on promotion. It just becomes a paradox really : ie lack of promotion = lack of income and so on
How much cart racing is televised? stock cars? speedway? motocross? etc

[tail_end_charlie]

It's not a unique problem that only NZ has.
National coverage of M/C racing in the US has the same issues from what I hear and read .... unless something dramatic happens. Prolly the same in 90% of countries around the world.
With only a handful of competitors nationwide, relatively speaking, funding will always be an issue, so how much can realistically be spent on promotion. It just becomes a paradox really : ie lack of promotion = lack of income and so on
How much cart racing is televised? stock cars? speedway? motocross? etc

M/C racing media coverage in the US IS a joke. The SPEED channel is the only one that ever has much coverage, and its never live, some times not even the same day. And has shit for coverage of the actual race. From what I understand, they are changing formats for next year and it'll be twice as bad. Yet you could tune in at any time to hear absolutely endless yattering on about f****** NASCAR. What utter crap.

Back to this side of the pond, I'm really surprised that there was so little coverage of the BSTT. Could have been some really good PR for the M/C racing, but for the most part went un-noticed by anyone outside of the M/C community.

[Hitcher]

Erm, instead of moaning, why not find somebody who is keen and semi-literate who can send a 250 and 500 word version of proceedings to local papers, together with some good action photos? If the stuff's any good, an editor may publish it and also slip the semi-literate contributor a bit of coin.

Remember that media are under-resourced and that motorcycle racing happens at weekends, when lots of people, including reporters, are not at work.

[SWERVE]

What defines 'big'...

How many spectators were there?

If the pics showing the weather were anything to go by........... not many.
by BIG i meant well publishised and hyped. Classic bikes arent my thing.... but a lot of people like them who wont go to modern era racing however good it is. Each to their own

[tail_end_charlie]

If the pics showing the weather were anything to go by........... not many.
by BIG i meant well publishised and hyped. Classic bikes arent my thing.... but a lot of people like them who wont go to modern era racing however good it is. Each to their own

Yeah, sunday was the only day that I was going to be able to make it, and I did, for about 2 hours or so before they called the races for the rest of the day. So big bummer on the sucky weather. To be honest, modern bike racing, classic bike racing, doesn't really matter to me, its all good racing. It is a bit of a wake up call though when you see some guy out there on the track, in the pouring rain, absolutely killing the rest of the field, and then he comes in, takes off the helmet and you find that he's a grey haired grandfather. Puts into perspective my own abilities.

[Paul in NZ]

If the pics showing the weather were anything to go by........... not many.
by BIG i meant well publishised and hyped. Classic bikes arent my thing.... but a lot of people like them who wont go to modern era racing however good it is. Each to their own

Classic bikes are my thing and I'd watch it....

But getting TV there isnt easy and all that needs to happen is an unwed mother of three goes berserk on P, straps a burning 3 headed calf to her head and storms the outside of a WINZ office and you get bumped...

Mind you - that would attract a bigger crowd...

[jellywrestler]

for example the Nationals is a joke !

so why did the Ruapuna round get more people at the track than the precious V8's? and that's without the 4000 plus different computers that logged in each weekend of the nationals to follow them via interweb coverage.

[Robert Taylor]

Its always hard for 'enthusiasts' to believe that the general populace just isn't that interested in proceedings...

However - ultimately its up to the organizers to make sure that this type of event is 'media friendly' (ie doing most of the work for the journalist) and to highlight the little back stories that make for a great 'human interest' story. There are some amongst us that specialize in this type of thing and if approached I'm sure would give sage advise...

Sadly - just expecting a media outlet to somehow detect your event is happening and then report on it isn't a recipe for success...

Indeed, in a nation of thugby, raping and beer. There is a dedicated rugby channel on TV, but that is not enough in itself. Whilst that is on air the other sports channels will also be showing rugby. Not much else matters..................

[Voltaire]

Its always hard for 'enthusiasts' to believe that the general populace just isn't that interested in proceedings...

However - ultimately its up to the organizers to make sure that this type of event is 'media friendly' (ie doing most of the work for the journalist) and to highlight the little back stories that make for a great 'human interest' story. There are some amongst us that specialize in this type of thing and if approached I'm sure would give sage advise...

Sadly - just expecting a media outlet to somehow detect your event is happening and then report on it isn't a recipe for success...

I'm not sure making money and attracting the media is the prime focus of the Post Classic and Classic Racing Register. I saw riders being interviewed by a camera crew and I understand there was live streaming internet coverage.
What is 'success" , most of the local riders would have forked out $200 entry plus ,and the Aussies and riders from other parts way more.....I doubt if many left unhappy despite the weather.
At one point I had plastic bags under my boots and cheap wet weather gear on....... just part of the whole experience really.
I think the organizers did a fantastic job and just hope they were able to meet their financial targets as well.
As for mainstream TV ....they only show bits on the news that are sensational for the wrong reasons.
Pretty cool to see Mike Pero not selling mortgages....
Apparently there was some rugby on somewhere too......I was busy doing a clutch swap in a shed...

[Hopeful Bastard]

Not too sure if they went to the Media, Or the media came to them... But ol' Sam Croft wound up in the Dom Post on Tuesday. Was having a quick flick before work the other morning... And saw him in there...

Link for those interested.... http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post...-into-the-lead

[Genestho]

There was nothing to stop event organisers or promoters to write a 'heads up' mass pre-event release (On a quick search over October - there is a couple out there by Andy Mcgechan and one from Mike Pero at scoop.co.nz) with the Poster and a short sharp background story, forwarded to all media outlets, then the post release with photos? (FWIW Hitcher is pretty much on the mark.)

That should be part of the over-all planning, perhaps they did do the post release with photos and were overlooked.

[Brian d marge]

In this subject not really, realist however yes
Ive been on this subject for a while in various forms, usually around sponsorship and complaints as to how hard it is to get, and why would a sponsor waste money on bike racing, its an arse in this country, for example the Nationals is a joke !

flame suit on !

I said the same thing a few years ago , and still bear the scars

but even sponsorship, I dont mind giving money but I want something back , in my case feed back on the designs and numbers.

and no a sticker on a bike is useless to me.

Paeroa and Wanganui and the burt Munro ( shame about weather ) are usually good and covered by mainstream ....

Stephen

[Voltaire]

Ah the good old KB keyboard media and marketing gurus

Classic Racing is run for the competitors not the spectators. I found this out this year when I finally after many years made the transition from wandering around the parking lot to racing a bike.

[trustme]

We need punters through the gate to help fund the cost of running these meetings. Without sponsorship the BS weekend would not happen, most aussie riders would not send their bikes over here unless the costs were underwritten & the same applies to our guys going to Aus.
Without the Punters & sponsors our entry fees will skyrocket & events begin to fade away, the 'festival of speed' has started to decline & Triumph has stepped up as sponsor. The wowsers decry this comercialisation but it needs to happen, sponsors need pay back & that means bums on seats & publicity for the sponsor.

I loved the BS weekend, well run, huge ups to the organisers, Sunday's rain was an absolute bugger,can't wait for next year. Somehow it needs to be promoted more outside motorcycling, Joe average did not know it was happening.