TV3 Embarrasses Itself

By Sam Buckle

< UPDATED Saturday, 7pm. Incredible. I did not believe it possible the game could be ignored the very night before kick off. Both TV networks failed to provide any match preview, the only recognition of its existence being a 2 second throwaway line at the end of 3 News. It's staggering and appalling at the same time. >

On Sunday morning, the All Whites play New Zealand's biggest game of football in 27 years. TV3 Sports News has somehow failed to mention it for three days, maybe four. There has not been a single mention of the Bahrain play off on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday nights.

That is an appalling failure on the network's part.

It's even more embarrassing for TV3 given the excellent coverage being generated by other print, online and radio media. The game has been the major talking point on Radio Sport over the past few days, and the daily newspapers accompanied by their online arms (nzherald.co.nz and stuff.co.nz) have pumped out a lot of stories this week. They deserve credit. So does Prime's The Crowd Goes Wild, which has led with the All Whites most of the week. TV1 News' efforts have been typically poor, but at least they have managed the odd, fleeting mention of Ryan Nelsen and his state of fitness.

There are probably several explanations for TV3's pitiful failure.

First, ignorance is no doubt a contribuing factor. There is a good chance nobody in the newsroom has a clue or gives a damn. In recent times TV3 has been entirely reliant on Andrew Gourdie for its football coverage. He does a fantastic job. But, since he has been away the network has become virtually incapable of covering football. The Bahrain failure continues several weeks of failures to mention Phoenix or Premiership results. It should be embarrassing that a national broadcaster is so completely reliant on one indvidual. Amateur, tin pot stuff.

Second, they are too cheap. They didn't want to pay to send a camera crew to Bahrain. No crew, no footage, no football on the news. Yet, they found time and money to fly their European correspondent to cover a bunch of All Blacks trying to sell NZ lamb in a French supermarket. Seriously important news that. TV3 did send Andrew Gourdie to the Confederations Cup, but it is understood those flights were subsidised by either FIFA or NZ Football. And, of course, Gourdie was available.

Laziness will also have played a part. Ok, so you're too cheap to send a crew to the Middle East or to ask your European correspondent to make the trip. Well, in that case, you might have to generate some footage back home. But, TV3 has not bothered to interview former All Whites, to dig up old footage or even to get on the phone and at least pick up some audio from the All Whites camp. Too much work. Much easier to grab some international news feed about the golf and throw a few words over the top.

TV3 should be embarrassed. Someone from the network will probably read this eventually and attempt to rationalise their failure or just trivialise the author. But, I am right. This is a massive game of sport and they have been too cheap, amateur, lazy and ignorant to make an effort, while others have.

Discussion thread here