Help bring ISU events back to network! | Golden Skate

Help bring ISU events back to network!

ditzysk8r

Rinkside
Joined
Feb 15, 2005
This year all ISU events were moved from ABC Sports to ESPN. This makes me angry because, like many skating fans, I do not have access to cable TV. Because of this, those of us without cable will not be able to view important skating events such as 4CC's and Worlds this year. So if you want to bring ISU events back to network TV, please sign this petition! Thank you!
http://www.petitiononline.com/skateabc/petition.html
 

Jaana

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
Country
Finland
I think to start this action is a very good idea indeed. It is a big shame that skating fans need a cable TV to be able to watch e.g. Worlds!

I´m though not sure of the idea of a petition. It would need too many names to be really effective, compared to other sports. I believe that to send individual emails during a certain period of time (two-three weeks) would be more effective, perhaps? If the email box would be filled with requests about this matter for a certain length of time, it might actually get much more attention than a list of even more than 100 000 names. That is human, LOL.

Several years ago European skating fans had an email campaign, during one week, directed to Eurosport, and it helped. A few years ago a petition campaign was on, and it did not succeed in getting matters better, as far as I remember.
 
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R.D.

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Sorry to be pessimistic(sp?) but I really don't think this is going to happen. Viewership and interest in Figure Skating is declining by the minute, to the point that it no longer justifies showing it on broadcast TV. At least the fans can count on decent cable coverage. It does suck for those without cable, though...I agree with that. But unforunately, there just doesn't seem to be the audience for it, except during the Olympics.
 

JonnyCoop

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 28, 2003
When I clicked on the "sign the petition" button, I instantly got about 6 weird popups that multiplied like rabbits, when I tried to close any of them I got some weird symbol that I'd never seen before, then my computer crashed...... :sheesh: :sheesh: :sheesh:
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
I don't want to see silly costumes and props on Sunday afternoons and calling it competitive skating. I'll sign the petition if and only if they spell what is going to be on.

Joe
 

Linny

Final Flight
Joined
Aug 13, 2003
Moving towards viewer paid programming

The world is moving towards viewer paid programming. For example, the National Hockey League games are no longer available on network televisions.

It would be super if someone were allowed to tape all the performances and provide the ability to purchase a DVD after the fact. I wonder if ISU would consider contracting someone? That way, we could all see all the qualifying rounds, etc. without commercial interruption. I'd be willing to buy something like that.

My sport (dressage) is pretty near never broadcast, even on pay-per-view. So, if I want to see more than the little bits they show during the Olys (and, believe me, the coverage for Oly figure skating is oh-so-much-better), then I buy the DVD that is made available through the International Equestrian Federation.

Linny
 

chuckm

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 31, 2003
Country
United-States
Great idea, Linny!

I have DirecTV, and they're always advertising for people to sign up for an all-season baseball, basketball, football or hockey pass.

What if you could get an all-season skating pass, and you could get to see all the competitions all over the world even Nationals of other countries? I'd even be willing to pay extra to get to see practices.
 

Jhar55

Medalist
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
I'd be willing to bite the bullet get digital cable and buy a season pass if we could see everything.
 
S

SkateFan4Life

Guest
With all due respect, I can't blame the network decision-makers for pulling out much of the figure skating competition coverage. The public demand for figure skating has declined, bigtime, since the heydays of the post-Kerrigan attack. Most of the sports fans in the US prefer to watch basketball, hockey, football, and baseball. Figure skating just doesn't cut it, as far as sports fan demand in concerned.

Frankly, I've been less than thrilled with some of the figure skating competitions I've seen this past season. Falls, miscues, sloppy skating, etc., etc.

The Grand Prix events are interesting, of course, but those competitions aren't on the same level as the US Nationals, Worlds, and the Olympics. IMHO, of course! :biggrin:
 

PrincessLeppard

~ Evgeni's Sex Bomb ~
Final Flight
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Jhar55 said:
I'd be willing to bite the bullet get digital cable and buy a season pass if we could see everything.

I got digital cable, hoping this would happen. I'm still hoping....

I would even go with pay per view! We don't need commentators! Just show me skating....

:)
 

Eeyora

Final Flight
Joined
Aug 4, 2003
I have cable but I still feel for t6hose who can't afford. Money is tight in my house and I have even volunteered to pay the cable bill in order to watch figure skating. But honestly it's not like I see any promotions for ABC/ESPN figure skating events except when I am watching figure skating.
 

Kurt's Girl

Rinkside
Joined
Feb 16, 2005
I signed :)

I would be willing to do the digital cable/pass thing, but I think PPV is just going too far. I mean, as whiney as this sounds, they arer public sports competitions and should be accessable to everyone. Would NFL fans stand to have the Super Bowl on PPV? Or NHL fans the Stanely Cup? Of course not. I don't see why skating fans should have to entertain a possibility like that either. :frown:
 

PrincessLeppard

~ Evgeni's Sex Bomb ~
Final Flight
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Skating is a niche sport, like boxing or wrestling, which are frequently on pay per view. (no, I don't buy them, obviously) The Super Bowl and the Stanley Cup get enough money from being on broadcast TV that they don't need pay per view.

:)
 

Silver Lining

Rinkside
Joined
Dec 24, 2003
My computer froze when I went to that site, then my keyboard couldn't enter any letters and I had to reboot. I'm still having lots of computer problems. There's something wrong with that host.
 

Doggygirl

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 18, 2003
Hi Linny...

Linny said:
The world is moving towards viewer paid programming. For example, the National Hockey League games are no longer available on network televisions.

It would be super if someone were allowed to tape all the performances and provide the ability to purchase a DVD after the fact. I wonder if ISU would consider contracting someone? That way, we could all see all the qualifying rounds, etc. without commercial interruption. I'd be willing to buy something like that.

My sport (dressage) is pretty near never broadcast, even on pay-per-view. So, if I want to see more than the little bits they show during the Olys (and, believe me, the coverage for Oly figure skating is oh-so-much-better), then I buy the DVD that is made available through the International Equestrian Federation.

Linny

I know what you mean!! I'm surprised that complete video's / DVD's of entire competitions haven't been made available for sale. I'd sure buy 'em. Truth be told, I'd rather buy a commercial free DVD, (or even put up with some ad sponsors if it made the DVD's less expensive) than to *fight* to see a few skaters occassionally on network TV.

Like Dressage, my own specific dog sport is not televised. I buy the DVD's from EVERY dog show I go to, and even some I don't. While I support the efforts (and will fill out the petition) to get more FS coverage back on network TV, I would REALLY support an effort for entire comps to be offered on DVD.

DG
 
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