The beautiful new channel that means I starve.

So several months ago you may remember me doing a video post about how Bernie was slowly screwing over the UK audience, by only giving the BBC edited highlights when Sky had the full race that weekend.



That video was last September.
Now nearly five months on. I now don't live at home.
I live with my flatmate and we moved into a house that had a Sky dish.

And since Virgin Media wanted to charge us A LOT for TV and broadband.
We decided to go with Sky.

Which meant not only did we get a beautiful Sky+ box, which records everything (Let's not talk about the amount of episodes of My big fat gypsy wedding that I end up recording.) but because we managed to get an HD TV as well. (Thank you flatmate's dad.)

It meant that I could also get the Sky Sport F1 channel.
And my god it's beautiful.
Just seeing the branding made me happy.
Not only that but the previews got me jumping up and down, doing a girly scream like I was at a One Direction concert.

The channel starts this Friday 9th March at 8pm and the weekend is full of brand new programmes.
Including F1 review seasons 1988, 1989, 1990 and 1991.
Steve Rider interviewing Emerson Fittipaldi and Sir Jackie Stewart.
Plus a full four parter review of the 2011 F1 season

And that's just a little bit of the programming. Considering that it is a whole week before the Australian Grand Prix even starts. It's looking well worth the extra money and me starving to death. (It's okay I could drop a few pounds.)

Now has much as I love the BBC, all the extra hours of F1 that Sky are offering is pretty much perfect for a massive fan like me.
I've pretty much Sky+ it all already.

Not only that, but more programming means more blog posts for you my FFF followers and fans.
All I hope is that Sky can deliver when it comes to race day.

Because all the extra programming in the world can't make up for lousy/lacklustre race coverage.

(P.S To all of you who can't afford Sky coverage. I promise not to keep you out of the loop. Big pinky promise.)

Feel free to comment below.
You can also follow me on twitter @squiffany

"That would be suicidal"...

So it's been quite a dark day for F1 really.
The news that Sky will broadcast all the races, whilst the BBC will only have half, is to me devastating.

It's been threatened for years that F1 might not be on any free to air channel but I think the main shock wave is that the fans had no idea at all it was going to happen.
No prior warning or even rumours.

I woke up this morning to find the whole of the F1 world upside down and a little bit in tatters.

The things that upset me the most was some fans lack of sympathy to people who can't afford to purchase Sky Sports. 

"and for those that can't afford Sky? >>> Tough luck. You are stuffed. Nothing more to add really."

Thanks.

I'm glad people who have Sky or Virgin and who CAN afford to have Sky sports. Can watch the F1. I don't begrudge them that.

What I do begrudge is that some people just can't afford Sky sports and £300-600 a year is A LOT of money to most people. That's rent or food or bill money.

Don't rub it in our faces that we haven't got the money to afford to watch the one thing we love. Your lucky. 

Then Jake Humphrey didn't manage the situation well.

I know he is just the face of the show but for three years Jake has put on the persona of someone who deeply cares about this sport. 

So to say this on his twitter wasn't his best move.

"The important thing is - BBC are still transmitting F1, every race will be accessible in the UK...AND WE'RE LIVE TOMORROW! #bbcf1"

Yeah great. The races will be accessible but only on the radio or with edited highlights later. 

Any F1 die hard, Including Jake should know that we want to see the races LIVE.

Edited highlights just won't do. If you wait for highlights you have to avoid all media if you don't want to know the result. That's not going to happen for all the races. 

We know the BBC paid way too much for F1 back when the deal was stuck. We know that the UK is in bad economic times. We know the BBC had to save money.

Surely there was a better way then losing half the Formula One season.

Take shows away from BBC Three. (I say some not all the shows are bad). Don't move the whole of the BBC up to Salford and don't send every BBC member ever to exist to the Olympics in 2012. (Yes I am still bitter over the fact I didn't ANY Olympics tickets)

Especially when Formula One is at it's peak television-ally wise and the BBC F1 coverage is second to none. 

Sky will have a lot to do to make Formula One just as amazing as the BBC. I do hope they succeed. 

I'm ending this post with the words of Bernie Ecclestone and a dark day for Formula One and fans. 

"Sky is doing an incredible job, but if you look at their audience they are nowhere. With these figures it would be almost impossible for teams to find sponsors. That would be suicidal." - Bernie Ecclestone, May 10th 2011.

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