BBC F1 - Another broadcasting chapter ends

NOT only does the 2011 FIA Formula One world championship ends this weekend, but it will also feel like the end of an association for many Grand Prix petrol heads.  Television viewing changes next year and the BBC is taking a backseat from its coverage of one of the most colourful and glamorous sports in the world.  2011 has been the final season where you will be able to watch every single Grand Prix on free-to-air television.  From next season, Sky Sports becomes the home of Formula One racing.     

     Under the controversial new deal, signed at July’s Hungarian Grand Prix, Sky subscribers will get extensive previews to races, plus live coverage of every single practice, qualifying and race event from the currently 20 scheduled events in next year’s championship.  The deal runs until 2017.  The BBC has had to scale back its coverage, due to sweeping budget cuts.  It decided to do this, despite recently renewing deals for the Six Nations and the Wimbledon tennis championships.  However, they will still screen ten live weekends next year of all sessions, plus delayed highlights of the other ten events it will not show live.  Monaco, the season finale in Brazil and the British Grand Prix will be definitely covered in the agreement by the BBC, while there is still an announcement pending over the other seven races.  Pundit teams have also yet to be revealed, although we do know that Jake Humphrey will still be fronting BBC’s coverage, whilst Martin Brundle is debating over taking over as the lead commentator for Sky Sports, or staying on as the leading anchor for the BBC.

       The BBC has a prestigious history of screening Formula One, even if that is not so much in recent times.  They began showing live coverage of the entire Grand Prix season from 1978 onwards.  ‘Grand Prix,’ became the home of F1 for 18 years, until 1996.  They showed the drama of Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna's dramatic collisions in successive years at Suzuka, Nigel Mansell's spectacular tyre blowout that robbed him of the 1986 championship and Damon Hill's popular title success in 1996 which had Murray Walker literally with a lump in his throat.

    In 1997, ITV outbid the BBC to take the rights away for 12 seasons.  Although the levels of extensive coverage improved from BBC’s output, especially in the early days, its later years were seen as a massive letdown for fans.  Commercial breaks during some huge moments in events, including the embarrassing faux-pas at the 2005 San Marino Grand Prix added to the mounting frustration.  In March 2008, ITV announced their F1 exit for commercial pressures; three years before their current deal was due to expire.  The BBC took back the rights for 2009 on a new five year deal.  Formula One was coming home!

      Jake Humphrey was preferred to Steve Rider in taking over the hosting duties.  He was joined in the paddock by Eddie Jordan and newly retired David Coulthard, who have certainly added plenty to the coverage, especially Eddie’s horrific choice of shirts!  Jonathan Legard, who had previously covered F1 for BBC Radio 5 Live became lead commentator, whilst both Brundle and Ted Kravitz switched from the ITV team to the BBC crew.  Lee McKenzie, an experienced motorsport presenter from A1GP and GP2 joined Ted in reporting from the pitlane and the legendary voice of Formula One, Murray Walker, has been part of the team too, previewing, reviewing and answering burning questions from fans on a regular basis.

        The BBC era started brilliantly and in a way, they took over from where ITV left off, with a British world champion.  Jake and the team did magnificently to interview Jenson Button in a massive media scram only moments after he had clinched the championship in sensational style in Brazil.  They took coverage to a new level, with every session on the red button and all qualifying and race events on BBC One, with a prime time highlights package on freeview station BBC Three.  BBC built on this in 2010 and has also given plenty of time for analysis from the action, which has included the popular F1 Forum.  The forum lasts an hour online and on the red button after every race.  Blogs from the presenters on the BBC F1 website, Ted Kravitz’s behind the scenes report from the pitlane and features such as Classic F1 have only added to the experience. 

       There was a minor change to the team in 2011, when Legard was dropped from the team and Coulthard joined Brundle in the commentary box; Brundle moving into the lead role having been the expert provider since 1997.  TV ratings have always been very high, peaking regularly on raceday at between five and seven million viewers.  It won the BAFTA for Sport in 2011, thanks to its coverage of the season decider 2010 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, which saw Sebastian Vettel take the title in the first four way showdown ever.  Its impeccable coverage of the sensational Canadian Grand Prix this season, which lasted nearly five hours, means it, will be a favourite for more awards in 2012.

       This isn’t the end for the BBC and the F1 partnership, as they will still be giving us unbeatable coverage in 2012 and for the next five seasons afterwards, but on a more reduced scale which is a big disappointment to the normal viewer.  Money talks in this business and it is clear that BSkyB has this in abundance.  I have no doubt that Sky Sports has the ability to take F1 coverage to another level, like they have with the Premiership since 1992, but they will never get the same audience appeal that the BBC has enjoyed in the last three seasons.  Enjoy the Brazilian Grand Prix weekend everyone, as another F1 broadcasting chapter reaches a conclusion.

British ace killed in horrific IndyCar pile-up

TRIBUTES have been pouring in all day throughout the world of motorsport for the British racing driver, Dan Wheldon.  Wheldon, 33, was killed last night following a horrific pile-up at the season ending Indy 300 event in Las Vegas.  The 2005 IndyCar champion was competing in the final event of the season from the back of the grid in a promotion by the race organisers, for the chance to win a $5million dollar jackpot.  His chances of achieving this incentive and ultimately his life, ended tragically on the 13^th lap.

     With a staggering field of 34 cars on the tight circuit, trouble always looked like it might occur, but surely not in the circumstances that ended up claiming the talents of one of the most prestigious names in motorsport.  The accident began when JR Hildebrand and Wade Cunningham touched tyres at approximately 220mph.  From that point on, a chain reaction developed.  Wheldon, who had made up ten positions already from the back, drove over the top of the slowing Paul Tracy.  He had no chance as his Dallara chassis somersaulted into the air and hit the catch fencing, catching fire on impact.  The race was immediately red-flagged, with debris and flames everywhere.  Championship contender Will Power was also involved in the accident and spent the night in hospital under observation, as did two other drivers involved in the smash. 

     Wheldon was treated by paramedics at the scene of the carnage.  He was airlifted to hospital, with his wife and two young sons by his side.  Two hours later, IndyCar chief executive officer Randy Bernard confirmed the devastating news to the worldwide media;

“IndyCar is very sad to announce that Dan Wheldon has passed away.  Our thoughts and prayers are with his family today.  IndyCar, its teams and drivers has decided to end the race.”

SHOCK: Dario Franchitti is consoled after hearing the tragic news 

     The remaining drivers got back in their cars and drove around the circuit in a five lap salute to their fellow and fallen colleague.  Dario Franchitti was in tears as he got out of his Chip Ganassi cockpit, but not in winning a third successive championship, just in shock at the loss of one of his greatest friends on the race circuit.  Danica Patrick, racing in her final event before switching to the NASCAR series next season, described the scene to ESPN;

     “It was just like a movie scene.  There was debris everywhere.  The whole track was covered, you could just smell the smoke, there was a chunk of fire that we were driving around and you just see cars scattered everywhere.”

      Brazilian driver Tony Kanaan, who qualified on pole position for this fateful event, spoke of his emotions to US TV channel Speed;

     “I’ve lost one of my best friends, one of my greatest team-mates and I don’t know what else to say.”

Team owner Chip Ganassi summed up the feelings of the IndyCar paddock;

     “We are all going to miss him, a little bit of IndyCar racing died today.”

     Dan Wheldon grew up from a tiny village in Emberton, Milton Keynes.  He rose through the junior formulae in the United Kingdom, racing against the likes of F1 stars, Jenson Button and Mark Webber.  In 1999, with his chances of reaching Formula One looking slim, he made the move to America on a permanent basis.  He went onto have massive success in the championship, winning 16 events, the 2005 IndyCar title and two Indianapolis 500 events.  His first triumph in 2005 at the Brickyard made him the first Briton to win the prestigious event for 40 years.  He poignantly won the event again on the final corner this year.  Yesterday’s event was just his third of the season, having lost his drive at Panther Racing at the start of the campaign.  He looked set to return as Patrick’s replacement in the GoDaddy.com squad for next season.

      Lewis Hamilton, fresh off the back of a strong second placed finish at yesterday’s F1 Korean Grand Prix has led the worldwide shock and sadness;

     “Dan was a racer I’d followed throughout my career, as I often followed in his footsteps as we climbed the motorsport ladder in the UK.  This is a tragic loss at such a young age.  He was an extremely talented driver.  My heart goes out to his family and friends during this extremely difficult time.”

     Outside the family home in Buckinghamshire, Dan’s devastated father, Clive read out an emotional statement.

     “The family would like to thank everyone for their overwhelming outpouring of sympathy.  Daniel was born to be a racer and left us doing what he loved to do.  He was a true champion and a gentleman on and off the track.  Words cannot describe how much our family will miss him.”

      Questions now begin to turn to the safety of the IndyCar series in America.  It is the first death in the championship since Paul Dana was killed in a practice accident for the 2006 season opener in Miami.  Its former rival in American open-wheel racing, CART, suffered two deaths in the 1999 season, whilst this was also the championship that saw the inspirational Alex Zanardi lose both of his legs a decade ago.  Drivers, including Franchitti questioned the narrowness of the Las Vegas track in testing, as it is mainly used as a circuit for NASCAR racing.  It is understood that a number of drivers were incredibly nervous about the amount of cars on the grid yesterday, at such fast speeds.  Mark Blundell, former ITV F1 pundit and IndyCar driver told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that the speeds and use of circuits need to be controlled far more in future.

     “I do think, having driven these cars for five years and having won races on ovals, the speeds are far greater than Formula One cars and when you are only a couple of inches away from each other, side-by-side at 220mph, when things go wrong, they go wrong in a big way.  These sorts of cars shouldn’t be running on such narrow circuits.  We’ve seen today a 15-car pile-up, wiping out 40 per cent of the grid and we’ve seen a fatality.  That’s just not acceptable.”

BBC Sport expert Jonathan Legard told the news channel that the grid was just far too packed. 

     “The racetrack itself was shorter than usual, there were more cars than ever before and therefore, there were the ingredients there for something to go wrong and so it proved.”

Dan Wheldon: 22 June 1978 - 17 October 2011

     Although he never quite made it to Formula One, Dan Wheldon’s success in America means he will go down as one of the greatest ever drivers that Britain has ever produced.  He was much loved by his family and friends and well-respected within the whole motorsport community.  His loss isn’t just going to be felt by the IndyCar fraternity, but by the whole of the sport as it attempts to recover from one of its most blackest days in recent memory.

Dan Wheldon – 22 June 1978 – 17 October 2011, RIP

Running on empty

By Simon Wright (Personal piece)

THE second week back at University has thrown down more challenges and has literally left my head in a spin.  As I sit here typing this out, I know I need to shape up and get things sorted out, otherwise I’m throwing my degree into the rubbish bin and that would be a massive shame.

PREPARATION: Frank Wrathall's Toyota is rolled out into the paddock

      Today saw the entire journalism group head down to the home of British motorsport, Silverstone.  The trip formed part of the main group project we have to do on motor racing in general, with today’s focus mainly on the finale of the British Touring Car Championship which takes place at Silverstone this weekend.  Preparing for the trip in the build-up and a lot of my colleagues couldn’t see the point of going.  I was remaining cautious about how it would go, but deep down, I was really excited.  I had never been to Silverstone, so this was a great opportunity and a fantastic chance to experience the motor racing scene from the pits, paddock and media centre.  By the day’s end, it felt like I was the only one who felt short-changed and fractionally disappointed and everyone else was in high spirits.  So, why did this happen?

      There are a number of reasons for this.  Some I will go into detail now and others I won’t.  The group I’m working in were hampered today by not having a tape to collect any video footage.  This was a frustrating experience and we missed out massively because of this.  What happened to the tape, I don’t honestly know.  Maybe we didn’t get one?  Perhaps it had been carelessly misplaced or maybe someone fancied using two tapes without checking.  Either way, it was a massive blow and means that unless some of the group make a return trip, the video part of the assignment is frankly, screwed up.  The main basis of the day was to take part in a media day challenge; which was to write a 300-word preview on the touring car finale this weekend.          The prize was tickets to the conclusion of the season on Sunday.  Unfortunately, our group didn’t win, which was a shame, but everyone was very phlegmatic in defeat.  

GLORY: My group (Rochelle, Farida & Tamika); three new podium contenders!

     Everyone knows that I am a competitive soul, always have been and always will be.  Of course I would have liked to have won, but we had a go and it didn’t work out.  I have learned to be ‘Magnanimous in victory, gracious in defeat.’  I congratulated the four winners; Amanda, Tom, Shamina and Rebecca on their deserved success and actually, the article is a very good choice and a clear winner.  The article that our group wrote was on the day, not strong enough.  You can read the excellent work of my fellow University colleagues on the official Silverstone website now at; http://www.silverstone.co.uk/news/latest-news/BTCC-news/Silverstone-revs-up-for-a-dramatic-finale/

     I didn’t gain any new contacts, which was disappointing and didn’t make as many visits as I would have liked around the area too.  We did though; interview one of the leading title contenders for this weekend’s event, Jason Plato.  Plato likes to speak his mind, but he was very helpful to us and was a pleasure to interview.  I asked him whether he would take more pride and satisfaction in a third title if it happened on Sunday.  His answer was thorough but very clear and understanding and I was pleased to have asked him such a well-thought question.  We also spoke to the BTCC series director, Alan Gow, who wasn’t giving away too much on how he thought Sunday would go, but was still a very useful interview.  The drivers and teams were all very friendly to us and that was nice.  So, it wasn’t all bad today.  However, I was expecting a bit more and when you don’t get it, you can’t help but feel a bit disappointed with the final experience and it’s best to be honest rather than grit through your teeth.

      I must admit, I haven’t prepared myself properly for the New Year and I think it is starting to take its toll on me.  I’m disappointed with myself to have fallen into old traps from last year and I can’t quite figure out why this is the case.  I probably assumed that it would be a slightly more relaxed start to year three of my degree and instead, it’s ‘Bang Bang, WHALLOP!’ from the outset.  Why did I not see this coming?  I set out high standards for myself and unfortunately, I’m not meeting up to these at the moment.  In fact, I’m not even close and need to turn things around.  Wednesday was a prime example.  I couldn’t help giggling over some of the hilarious jokes about the crashing of the BlackBerry server on Twitter, but after that, I lost concentration, motivation and all sense of direction in what I was doing.  Why did I do that?  My head wasn’t in the right place and I’m not talking literally here.  I am my harshest critic as I feel that it is the best I need to do, so I can achieve the best.  Maybe last year’s stinging criticism from my lecturers has hit me harder than I have let on.  I can’t change what happened last year; I must move on!

     I think an impending family anniversary hasn’t helped matters this week.  I don’t want to go into details, as it is a very personal matter and talking about it only makes things more emotional.  The issue affected me very closely at the time and I think it always will.  I was close to this person and looked up to them in a big way.  This time of year is always a difficult time for yours truly. 

     Hopefully next week, I will return to my old self – as I have let myself down this week.  The old me must return too, the focused and more relaxed me.  In March, I turned over a new leaf.  Nobody’s perfect, so let’s just hope this week was a blip on the agenda. 

Someone put me on charge, as I’m running on empty, it might help haha!

London riots escalate

ONLOOK: Riot police watch a fancy dress shop on fire in Clapham

FEAR, astonishment and disgust are amongst the emotions for many British citizens after the dramatic pictures and videos last night.  For the third successive night, the police were fighting a losing battle against hundreds of violent gangs, simply intent on causing as much destruction and damage as possible.  Hundreds of arrests have been made as London begins to count the cost of the damage.  Homes and businesses have been looted and set ablaze as British society faces upto its biggest problem for many decades.  Prime Minister David Cameron has had no choice but to cut short his summer holiday in Italy and make pleas for calm.  Tonight, 15,000 policemen will be out on the streets of London, but the trouble has now also descended outside the capital.  There were major disturbances in Birmingham last night, along with minor skirmishes in Liverpool, Nottingham and Bristol.

     The trouble began at the weekend in Tottenham, after the shooting of Mark Duggan by police last Thursday.  It spread to Ealing and Brixton on Sunday, with cars being smashed up, shops looted and set on fire, with police seemingly standing back and allowing the mob to take whatever possessions they felt like.  Yesterday, the initial trouble began in Hackney, as hundreds of youths attacked riot police and looted stores in broad daylight.  As the Hackney situation was brought under control, fires began in Peckham, with a Greggs store and a local electrical shop set ablaze; the gangs having no regard for the safety of innocent bystanders.  As YouTube footage came in of a man having his bag pack ransacked, dripping blood on the pavement floor, more London boroughs were targeted.  Gangs flooded the high street at Lewisham, once again, torching cars and looting stores at almost freewill. 

     At Clapham Junction, remarkable footage came in from a Sky News reporter close to the scene of a Ladbrokes store being robbed, with windows smashed, cash points targeted and a plasma TV being hauled off the wall.  Amazingly, it seemed like these idiots were being cheered on by people who found it funny!  The spread of violence has come through organised rumours on social networking sites Twitter and Facebook, as well as the BlackBerry private messenger service.  Research in Motion, the Canadian company that owns BlackBerry has promised it will help police to catch those responsible.  In Croydon, a large local furniture store was set on fire and destroyed in one of the most dramatic images of the evening.  The owner is devastated, as it was a business that had gone through four generations of his family.  168 years of graft all burnt out in less than half an hour.

     Prime Minister Cameron has faced a barrage of criticism for his lack of response to the dire situation.  CNN figurehead Piers Morgan wasn’t impressed on Twitter; “Now Cameron’s finally woken up, he should recall Parliament NOW.  This is a national emergency and the British public need protecting.”  This morning, the PM held a meeting with the police and under-fire Home Secretary Theresa May, before revealing in a statement that parliament will be recalled on Thursday for one day.  London Mayor Boris Johnson and Labour leader Ed Miliband are also returning home early from their summer breaks. 

     May went on BBC breakfast this morning to refute claims that heavy-hitting police tactics should be the order of the day, rejecting calls for the army and water cannons to be used, which would be a first in this country.  Yesterday, she pledged that those responsible will face strict action;

“I want to be clear – those responsible for the violence and looting will be made to face the consequences of their actions.”

     The outrage on social networking sites was clear from many shocked onlookers watching on their television screens.  Journalism student at the University of Northampton Chris Ola told me via Twitter the implications will be felt for many; “I can understand the outrage over the police killing the man…but this is ridiculous…it’s going to hurt the taxpayer.”  Another student at the University of Northampton, Stef Ventura fears the worst; “I fear for our country, we might be rewinding to the 1980s.”

     The blame game has already started, with some of the blame being laid at the Metropolitan police, who were over-stretched massively last night.  They made pleas for parents to know where their children were and get them inside as the mayhem continued.  From the skyline, London looked more like a disaster movie, not a bustling capital city that should be looking forward to host next year’s Olympic Games.  Former Labour mayor Ken Livingstone blamed the coalition’s dramatic spending cuts, telling the Daily Mirror; “The economic stagnation and cuts have inevitably created social division.”  Ex-deputy Prime Minister John Prescott expressed his viewpoint by setting-up a Twitter hash tag #where’sthegovernment.

BURNING: The Sony warehouse in Enfield burns to the ground

     However, it isn’t now London where this is happening now.  Birmingham saw trouble too.  Over 50 businesses were targeted by yobs in the Bullring shopping centre.  Melissa Hicks gave me a quick update of the situation on Facebook; “Birmingham City Centre is being smashed up and the big Primark shop has been burnt down.”  In Liverpool and Bristol, it was a similar, if quieter story.  This morning, the large Sony CD warehouse store on the corner of the M25 in Enfield was still burning to the ground, after it was set on fire in the early hours.  The FA have cancelled tomorrow’s night international friendly at Wembley between England and Holland and Carling Cup matches at Crystal Palace, Charlton, West Ham and Bristol City have been postponed on police advice.  The Premier League is also in contact with the police on a regular basis, with significant doubts over the fixtures taking place on the opening weekend involving Tottenham, QPR and Liverpool.  However, despite the Birmingham trouble, the third Cricket test at Edgbaston between England and India is set to go ahead on time tomorrow morning.

     As the cleanup began this morning, the whole country has to reflect on the trouble and the damage it has done to our society, with fingers crossed that tonight doesn’t bring the same amount of carnage and chaos in the country that last night did.

Consistency is the key

By Simon Wright (Personal piece)

FIVE weeks into my extended summer holiday and I can’t say that it has been a bundle of fun.  Don’t get me wrong, I love to have time off as much as anyone, but it becomes very difficult to motivate yourself, especially when you don’t have an ambition/target to set yourself.  Nevertheless, I can fully now appreciate that after a tricky spring period of the year, summer has brought some lovely (and unpredictable weather!) and some summery results. 

     Yes, two weeks ago, I got the conformation of my grades for the second year of my journalism course at the University of Northampton.  On reflection, I really can’t complain, and although the overall module results could have been slightly better, I was thrilled with my consistency in the separate units that make up a module.  Nearly 80 per cent of all the units I did ended up coming back with B grades, which for the hard graft and effort I put in during the last academic year, is a thoroughly merited result. 

     Some grades really surprised me actually.  I got a B- on the Broadcast Portfolio segment of one of my workshop modules.  Honestly, I was expecting a D!  If anyone listened to my radio pieces (see University Northampton portfolio 2010/11), you could hear how rubbish they were.  Frankly, it was the standard I would expect from an average primary school child!  That’s how bad my radio was.  I do wonder how well I could have done, if I’d done the Sky Sports sexism row back in January for one of my radio pieces.  Ah well, hindsight is a wonderful thing in life, if we have access to it.  

Law is an essential part of journalism; but it is still so BORING!

     Of course, the highpoint was earning an A on my law and government exam.  I was gutted to only earn a C on my 1998 Human Rights Act essay.  Although it wasn’t the greatest essay I’d ever produced, I thought I might have received a bit of discretion for choosing something different to almost everybody else on my degree.  The standard choice of the others was the Freedom of Information Act 2000.  I went a different route and obviously, it didn’t go down well.  Sometimes, gambles don’t pay off, but this does prove I am a risk taker.  Do I regret going a different route?  No, I don’t.  I don’t understand the Freedom of Information Act 2000; it would leave my head spinning like the world globe!  It’s just too complex for a brain as small as mine and as people who know me can vouch to, if I had brains, I’d be lethally dangerous!  Was I hoping for a better result on the essay?  Absolutely I was, and it’s the last time I will believe that going down a different route to the norm will earn some form of creditability. 

     It meant come the exam, I needed a decent result to balance out the essay grade.  As I think I said before, I came out of the exam feeling confident that I had done really well.  However, I could never have imagined earning an A!  It’s the first ever time I’ve achieved the top grade in any kind of exam before (SAT’s, GCSE’s, A Levels) you name it.  I think I can safely say I finally managed to beat the brain freeze I used to suffer in exams, or the choking levels of not remembering your stuff.  Whilst I’m on choking levels, maybe we’ll get a British winner at Wimbledon (No, there’s more chance of me driving a car again, which isn’t likely!)  I didn’t revise as hard as last year, but came out with a better result by a million miles.  Obviously, my preparation was meticulous.  Trust me though; I have no secrets to giveaway!

     The disappointing side of the results was the dismal D+ on my TV Gold magazine, which significantly bought down my DTP overall grade to a C+.  I must admit to being a bit confused by this.  I did a good presentation, thought I stuck to a consistent balance between design and content, yet the result is baffling.  Okay, I did see some top-quality magazines (like Farida’s Milan travel magazine, which was a class above anything else, sorry everyone, that was the standard to beat!) and I knew mine was nowhere near her calibre as an example.  However, it wasn’t that bad and I enjoyed doing it too, despite the stress of printer’s pairs!  There’s only one option I can try now; weasel my way out of doing a magazine next year.  Unlikely, as I think the 32-page mag is one of the compulsory modules for my final year.  However, if there is a way around it, I have to take a different option.  I was heavily criticised for my 8-page magazine last year and now, the 12-page has clearly gone the same way!  So, little hope of a 32-page being successful then!  Probably more chance of me gambling £1 on the National Lottery!

I was happy that my consistency has improved

     Nevertheless, consistency was the key to my overall results and I generally can’t complain with them.  I can’t wait to see my journalism buddies again.  I miss them so much and a fancy dress birthday party for August has already been arranged, so it will be the perfect catch-up point. 

      One final thing to announce; I will NOT be updating this website with anymore blogs from Christmas onwards.  It was a tough decision to make, but 2012 promises so much and I know that I’m just not going to have the time to keep this website functioning any longer.  Nevertheless, I want to thank everyone for reading/liking/commenting on the hundreds of blogs I’ve produced and those of my entertainment expert, Jason Wright too.  I hope you continue to visit the website and enjoy it as much as possible between now and the middle of December, when this journey comes to its conclusion.  Thank you and look forward to seeing/hearing from you soon.

Britain MotoGP 2011: Stoner storms it in Silverstone showers

CASEY Stoner became the overwhelming favourite for the MotoGP championship in 2011, after earning his third successive victory.  He produced a peerless display at a rain-sodden Silverstone to take the championship lead for the first time since the opening round in Qatar.  His closest championship rival Jorge Lorenzo crashed out, a rare error from the world champion.

HEARTBREAK: For Crutchlow, as he missed his home event

     The British weather was certainly unkind yesterday across the country, but Cal Crutchlow was already out of luck.  The Tech Speed Yamaha rider, preparing for his first home grand prix, crashed heavily in the first five minutes of Saturday’s qualifying session.  As soon as he went down, Crutchlow was clutching his shoulder, clearly in agony.  The diagnosis of his injury was the same one which Colin Edwards picked up last weekend in Catalunya, a fractured collarbone.  A sick Crutchlow went to hospital in Oxfordshire, gutted to miss the event he must have been looking forward to the most in his rookie season.  Edwards was fit to ride, but Dani Pedrosa was still missing, with suspicions flying around the paddock that he has had a training accident in Spain and done further damage to the collarbone he initially fractured at last month’s French Grand Prix.

     Stoner took pole position, but was beaten down to turn one by Lorenzo and the Honda of Andrea Dovizioso.  Lorenzo quickly lost the lead to both works Honda riders, and although Dovizioso was ahead across the stripe for the first time, Stoner nailed him in the Abbey complex on the second lap and took off from there.  Dovizioso was left to fend off Lorenzo and Marco Simoncelli, but both ended up making costly mistakes.  Lorenzo caught a puddle on the exit of the first corner, and he high-sided off his bike.  The Yamaha more looked like Bambi after he was born, rather than a competitive bike on the impact, Jorge lucky to escape injury, just damaged pride for the world champion; his first DNF since the 2009 Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island.  It was a miserable day for Yamaha as seconds before Lorenzo’s dramatic exit, Ben Spies, clearly looking uncomfortable in the Northamptonshire rain, crashed at Copse.  Although complaining of back pain, Spies was given the all-clear in the medical centre afterwards.

     A few laps afterwards, Simoncelli made his customary exit.  He hit standing water on the approach to the first corner, and slid off his Gresini Honda bike with a one-way ticket, into the barriers.  It was a stupid crash, as his maiden podium was there for the taking.  The way Simoncelli rides is sensational, but he is an accident just waiting to happen.  It is already his third crash from six races in 2011.  These demises meant Dovizioso had an unchallenged ride into second place.  The most popular cheer was for Edwards, who rode through the pain barrier and wound up with a thoroughly deserved podium for the battered Tech Speed crew.  Fellow countryman Nicky Hayden was a strong fourth at Silverstone for the second year running, with Suzuki finally getting a well-merited result; Alvaro Bautista in fifth.  Having started a woeful 13^th, Valentino Rossi had a very flat weekend, but survived the weather to finish sixth.  However, he did lap upto five seconds a lap slower than Stoner on a number of occasions, which highlights the significant amount of work that Ducati have to do if they want to get on terms with Honda. 

     This could turn into a significant weekend for the 2011 MotoGP season.  Casey Stoner is looking invincible at the moment.  Hopefully, we will have a full grid and no significant injuries at the Dutch TT in Assen in a fortnight’s time.

X-Factor crumbles as Minogue is axed

By Jason Wright (Entertainment Expert)

THE future of The X-Factor was thrown in turmoil on Sunday following the shock departure of Judge Dannii Minogue.  As many of the show’s followers were enjoying last Saturday’s Eurovision Song Contest, a statement on behalf of Minogue’s publicist was published:-

     “Following discussions over the scheduling of this year’s series of The X-Factor, it is with deep regret that Dannii has to resign from her role as a judge.  This is because the scheduled audition dates for the show clash with that of Australia’s Got Talent and it would be inappropriate to travel back and forth to the venues on both sides.”

AXED: Dannii Minogue won't be returning to defend her title

     However, 48 hours later, the British press broke the story that this claim was false and that she had actually been axed by ITV in an attempt to give the show a fresh new look when it returns in August.  Neither ITV nor Talkback Thames, who co-produce the show with Simon Cowell’s production company Syco TV, has commented on the speculation.  Back in 2009, Minogue was on the verge of being given the chop in very similar circumstances and only got back in because no one else was interested in the judging role at the time.

     This now leaves Louis Walsh as the only member of the judging panel left with Cowell having limited his role due to his ongoing commitments in the US version of the show with it still being unclear as to whether he will judge a portion of the show at all.  Cheryl Cole quit last month due to growing pressure from unhappy viewers and having landed a role on the American counterpart.

     The opening round of auditions have now been postponed until a later date as bosses urgently meet to try and save the show from impending doom.  With Take That’s Gary Barlow having all but confirmed his place on the panel, attention will now turn to whoever will fill the final two places.  The latest rumours are that they will go to R&B singer Kelly Rowland and N-Dubz member Tulisa.  These moves could anger fans even more as it may be considered they don’t have the credentials to judge a show like this.  The original two favourites for the roles, Lily Allen and Alisha Dixon have now both dropped out of the running.  Allen has claimed that she has not been approached and Dixon, as expected, committed to her role on rival show Strictly Come Dancing.

     With both American Idol and Britain’s Got Talent having suffered from alarming declines in viewers, this is the last thing ITV needs but if they engineered the axe, then it is their own damn fault!  With many furious fans set to turn off in their drones, this latest scandal could spark the beginning of the end for The X-Factor.

March - A personal self-reflection

CLOCKS: British summertime has arrived and brings fresh hope

WHILST I spend time blogging on worldwide issues and hobbies that interest me, I felt like doing a personal blog to sum up recent weeks for myself.  The clocks have gone forward and hence, British Summertime has arrived.  I have hope, belief and conviction that things are turning the corner, when three weeks ago, things looked rather bleak.  March has tested me and I have learned some lessons which I feel have improved me for the future.

     The beginning of the month was the low point of 2011 so far.  I turned issues that were bad for me into situations which completely took me to the brink.  Having numerous problems with a laptop is pretty bad, but I should have dealt with them in a far more calm and considered manner than I did.  It affected me far too much.  I also returned to University after a production week with an attitude of ‘I don’t care,’ ‘I can’t be bothered,’ and ‘I wouldn’t compromise.’  It was the first time that I had shown any form of attitude like that in my 18 months at the University of Northampton and looking back on it, I couldn’t believe that I’d be so awful in my behaviour.  To compound matters, I had a serious argument with a very close friend which pushed me to breaking point.  I don’t want to share the details, because it’s a personal matter, but it just made things really bad.  When I left Uni on Friday 11 March at around 4pm, I left a broken individual.  I had enough and I thought that was it.  I went home to Milton Keynes to consider what to do next and more importantly, would I return?

     I returned the following Monday in a more calm, friendly and fresh approach.  If I had left, I would have taken the defeatist approach to life.  We all have bad weeks, desperate moments where we don’t quite know where to turn to next.  However, to become a better person, we need to overcome the hard moments and overcome it, because at the end of the day, what would be left if you walked away from what you really wanted to do?  Absolutely nothing!

     Although events in Libya haven’t really interested me, and that’s purely because I don’t see any point in Britain being involved, the earthquake and tsunami to hit Japan on March 11 really shook me up.  It made me think and realise that there is more important moments around the world rather than personal reasons.  To see so much devastation happen in such a well-developed country was heartbreaking.  For those who think the world has ended because ‘Oh dear, my boyfriend has dumped me’ or ‘I have no friends, find some for me;’ I’d say hard cheese!  At the end of the day, think yourself lucky that you have a roof over your head, food in your stomach, clothes to wear etc.  What about those affected by the Japanese tsunami?  Lack of supplies, homes that have simply been washed away, no sign of friends and family.  These are all more important and necessary situations than a simply panicky domestic issue.

FEELING STRESSED: What's the point?

     Now, I am taking the chilled and relaxed approach.  There is no point running around like a headless chicken, I tried that and it didn’t work.  There’s no point stressing out, I’ve tried that and it didn’t work.  Taking a step back, embracing what I have and taking it easy is the way to go.  I’m pleased that March has taught me some hard-earnt and tough lessons, because I now feel in a better place for the experience.

     Of course, my thoughts still go to those who lost everything in Japan in such devastating and tragic circumstances.  

Elizabeth Taylor - A Hollywood legend

Elizabeth Taylor (February 27 1932 - March 23 2011)

AFTER months of medical treatment, the fantastic and hugely popular Hollywood actress Dame Elizabeth Taylor has died.  She passed away, surrounded by her four children from congestive heart failure on Wednesday morning.  The British-born icon died in Los Angeles, aged 79.

     Often regarded by many as one of the greatest ever movie stars to have graced Hollywood, Elizabeth’s numerous marriages, countless divorces and love for diamonds had the world captivated for over half a century.  Born in London, her family moved to America when she was only seven years of age, and this is where the great love affair stateside began.

     Just five years later, Elizabeth’s glamorous look had won her a film contract and made her become a household name.  National Velvet was the first movie she starred in, as a budding teenage show jumper way back in 1944.  More films followed, but it was her appearance alongside fellow screen legend Paul Newman in the film ‘Cat on a Hot Tin Roof’ that really turned her from national hit into global superstar.

     Acting was important, but off-screen, Elizabeth’s complicated romances had already begun.  Having already experienced two broken engagements, she married for the first time at 18, to hotel owner Conrad Hilton jnr.  The marriage only lasted a year, and was to be the start of a familiar pathway.  Actor Michael Wilding was her second marriage, which was more successful.  They were hitched for five years and he gave Elizabeth the first two of her four children.  Film producer Mike Todd was husband no.3, providing Elizabeth with a third child.  Todd was killed in a plane crash, leaving the young Taylor a paled widow at the just 26.

STARRING: Elizabeth's role in Cleopatra was her greatest moment

     Elizabeth’s desire to be happy was starting to become over-excessive and there was little support when just a year after Todd’s death, she ran off with husband of her best friend Debbie Reynolds, Eddie Fisher.  Her golden hour came in 1962, when she landed the mega part of Queen of the Nile, Cleopatra in ‘Cleopatra,’ one of the greatest movies of a all-time.  Off-camera, she had found love in Richard Burton.  It would be the start of a very tempestuous relationship.  Fifteen years of drama, heavy drinking, stormy rows and ultimately, two marriages.  Together, Taylor and Burton appeared in ten films together, with Taylor’s role in ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?’ winning her a second Oscar in 1967. 

     By the time Burton and Taylor divorced for a second time in 1976, Elizabeth’s glamorous lifestyle was started to get affected.  She suffered from chronic back problems, struggled to control her weight and continued to drink excessively.  When her good friend Rock Hudson died from AIDS in 1985, Elizabeth took up a new and unexpected role.  She founded the American Foundation for AIDS research, which allowed Taylor to promote and heighten the awareness of the little-known disease.  As her own health deteriorated, Elizabeth checked herself into the Betty Ford Treatment Centre.  Having battled with drink and drugs for several years, it was a reality check for Taylor; face death, or get cleaned up. 

     It was whilst recovering that she embarked on an eighth marriage, this time to fellow addict Larry Fortensky.  They married in 1991, but it ended five years later, like most of the other marriages; in divorce.  In 2000, Elizabeth was made a Dame for her services to acting and her immensely successful charity work.  She admitted afterwards that it was ‘the crowning achievement of her career.’ 

     As her ill health continued to plague her, public appearances became less frequent.  Apart from a brief guest role on The Simpsons, AIDS funded events were the only occasions that Elizabeth could be seen for the cameras.  She struck up a very close and personal friendship with the singer Michael Jackson and was devastated by Jackson’s death in the summer of 2009.  A month later, Elizabeth underwent heart surgery and recently, was admitted back to hospital due to her delicate condition last month.

     To the end, Elizabeth Taylor retained her magic and glamour.  A turbulent personal life in the public spotlight, combined with a history of poor health and ultimately, a very successful acting career, she touched the lives of many.  Her death is a shock to many and although her loss to the film and acting world is a masterpiece of understatement, her legacy will remain forever.

RIP Elizabeth Taylor (February 27 1932 – March 23 2011)

Cameron leads air strikes on Libya

BRITISH forces have moved in on Libya, as air strikes have begun or the regime of Colonel Gadaffi.  David Cameron, Barack Obama and French president Nicholas Sarkozy have sent their men over in an attempt to stop the growing unrest

     Here is the report into the air strikes from BBC Breakfast yesterday morning, which includes Cameron's speech on Saturday night to the British public, confirming the move into Libya.  

Product placement - Is it the future of British television?

By Jason Wright (Entertainment Expert)

BRITISH programmes have become synonymous with one thing; they have to use made-up brands and companies.  Unlike broadcasters worldwide and films, broadcasting law prohibited the use of advertisement in programmes, known as “Product Placement.”  During the 1990s, PIF’s about the use of this feature not being allowed could be regularly seen on ITV and Channel 4 on behalf of the Independent Television Commission (ITC), now OFCOM.

     Product placement is as mentioned, the use of brand advertisement within a programme, a company pays the broadcaster a cash value to have products of theirs appear in a certain programme.  It has been used for several years in US, for example on American Idol, the judges drinking glasses are sponsored by Coca Cola.  It had seemed though that nothing like this would come to Britain, until now.

     In autumn 2009, OFCOM earned a government grant to allow the prohibition of product placement to be lifted, providing certain requirements and limitations were agreed upon.  However it is only now that these changes are starting to come into force.  Last Monday, ITV1’s flagship daytime show This Morning became the UK’s first example of Product placement with Nescafe’s popular Dolce Gusto coffee maker appearing in view in the set’s kitchen.  To date, it is so far the only use of this feature but other shows, mainly the soaps will soon be expected to follow suit.  Surely, it won’t be too long before we see Heinz Tomato Ketchup used in many breakfast scenes in Corrie and PG Tips teabags purchased in the post office shop in Emmerdale.

     There are some exceptions within the law of course.  Broadcasters must display a P logo as shown at the top of this blog on the titles of the programme and also at the close of the programme and after an ad break to remind and inform viewers.  The BBC is not permitted to use product placement in any of its shows because of its government funding.  Children’s programmes, news bulletins, and programmes of a nature to current affairs, politics and religion can’t use this advertisement venture.  Likewise, companies that have products that are classed as junk food, or any alcohol, tobacco goods and companies that appeal to gambling (e.g. betting, bingo) are barred from using product placement to show their items.  This of course means, amongst others, that pints of Newton & Ridley, Corrie’s fictional beer, will still be pulled at the Rovers instead of being exchanged for the likes of Carling or Carlsberg.

     So what will this mean for advertisers and the TV programmes in general?  Well in this current financial climate, product placement may just be the saviour to those advertisements that are struggling to get their message out.  It is extremely expensive nowadays to purchase a space in a programme break to advertise and even more for those who are brave enough to advertise at cinemas.

     It will open up a whole new world for the companies that are likely to get involved as many viewers will surely be convinced to try or purchase a product that is used in a programme.

New Zealand's darkest hour after devastating quake

R

ESIDENTS in Christchurch and across New Zealand are attempting to pick up the pieces after Tuesday’s devastating earthquake which has left over 100 people dead.    

The tremor lasted for about 30 seconds and hit Christchurch at its busiest time, the lunch hour where many commuters meet for coffee and a catch-up.  Therefore, this earthquake had the maximum possible devastation attributed.  It measured 6.3 on the Richter scale, far less than the 7.1 aftershock felt in the same city last September.  Then, extensive damage was caused to buildings but no-one was killed and the injuries were relatively minor.  This time, Christchurch wasn’t so lucky. 

AFTERMATH: Many buildings felt the full force of the quake

Some buildings came down straightaway, after fell more gradually.  In suburbs, burst water pipes have led to flooding and landslides.  Hills have been cut in half, some other structures looking totally unrecognisable to what they had earlier in the day.  The city looks like a warzone, echoing what happened to the residents of Kobe, Japan after their devastating quake in January 1995.  As hope fades very quickly for anymore survivors, this is another example of the unexpected force of Mother Nature.

In Christchurch, there weren’t enough ambulances to get all the trapped survivors out of the squashed buildings and with hospitals all full-up, space for the critically injured found hours after the tremor became very limited.  The frequent aftershocks stunned survivors and badly hampered the attempt to rescue those buried underneath tonnes of rubble.  The country’s prime minister John Key has vowed to rebuild the town and after announcing a state of emergency throughout the country, will not bow down to the challenges ahead; “We are a resilient nation, we will not bow down to this challenge.”  The Queen has passed on her thoughts and is said to be ‘utterly shocked by the events in New Zealand.

GRIM: It is a tough job to find survivors for the rescuers

Three days on from the quake and many residents are still trying to deal with the aftermath.  At current, 113 people are officially dead, with two British tourists amongst them.  There are still 200 people unaccounted for.  Half of Christchurch still has no water supplies and around 25% of the devastated city still has no electricity.  Due to the powercuts, many supermarkets remain closed which is making food supplies very limited for some.  Petrol stations have also been badly hit, with some running out of fuel, as desperate survivors top-up.  The estimated damage from the quake is likely to break the billions of dollars category.  Structural damage to a lot of properties means that many hundreds of people remain homeless and are staying in emergency rescue centres. 

With the death toll likely to rise and many more residents still unaccounted for, this is undoubtedly New Zealand’s darkest hour.  Life in Christchurch has changed forever.

 

British nationals concerned about relatives or friends affected by the quake can contact 020 7008 8765.

BAFTA bonanza for King's Speech

TOP: Colin Firth has ticked off two majors; next stop, The Oscars?

THE BAFTA’S (British Academy, Film and Television Awards) last night rewarded Colin Firth and the King’s Speech, as the hit movie picked up seven gongs.  Having been nominated for 14 awards, many experts tipped the movie to dominate at the ceremony at the Royal Opera House last night and that is exactly what it did.  The question on the lips of many now is will award-winning Firth, a winner at last month’s prestigious Golden Globes ceremony continue his storming of the film ceremonies at the Oscars in a fortnight.

The unprecedented success of the King’s Speech at the Box Office made it a shoe-in for many of the awards.  In the process, Firth made some nice history for himself, by becoming only the second individual to win the Best Actor category at the BAFTA’s for two consecutive years.  Despite the overwhelming success for himself, Firth was keen to play down his genius role; “It is such a team success.  You get so close to one another whilst doing a movie and it doesn’t make sense for one of us to pick up all the awards and for another not to.”  As well as Firth picking up the Best Actor gong, they won Best Movie, Best Supporting Actor for Geoffrey Rush and Best Supporting Actress for Helena Bonham Carter.  It was an astounding performance for a top-class movie and hopefully, it will get the success it deserves at the Oscars.

The ceremony sponsored by telecommunications giant Orange saw the King’s Speech not the only winners.  Despite having never won a BAFTA before, the iconic Harry Potter series won an Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema award.  Natalie Portman took home a deserved Best Actress gong for her role in Black Swan, whilst The Social Network; a big Golden Globe winner, had to settle for just two wins, one of those going to David Fincher for Best Director.  Finally, 88-year old Christopher Lee, famous for the Lord of the Rings trilogy, was overwhelmed to accept the BAFTA Academy Fellowship award; potentially the most established recognition you can possibly get in British film.

Despite the very damp, traditional British weather, which seemed to make the red carpet more like a soppy blanket, it was a prestigious night for the UK film industry and in particular, for one movie, which is threatening to clean-up all around them.

£113 Million Result for UK EuroMillions Winner

THERE was a British winner of the EuroMillions jackpot on Friday night, bagging a massive £113million in the process.  However, Camelot has revealed that the identity of the winning ticket is yet to be revealed.

If the winner can be found, it will the biggest win for any UK individual since the lottery format came into existence back in November 1994.  The winning numbers on Friday were 9, 30, 35, 39 and 46 with the two lucky stars being 6 and 8.  It is still unclear also where the winner lives, or whether it is an individual or syndicate victory.

Nine European countries play the EuroMillions draw, which has been around since March 2004.  The UK winner was the only ticket to match all seven numbers from across those countries that participated.  Until Friday’s win, the most that anyone had won the EuroMillions jackpot was £84million earlier in this year.

EuroMillions is now played in Luxembourg, Austria, Ireland, France, Spain, Portugal, Belgium and Switzerland as well as in the UK.  Since June last year, ten people have scooped the EuroMillions top prize.