Some people like the partisan commentary of Matt and the team, others prefer the neutral standpoint provided by Radio Sheffield. I like both, but it's disappointing there is no longer a choice. However, BFC is a business and from that point of view I can understand the decision. Matt et al offered to do the commentary for free, but Barnsley got a better offer from Radio Sheffield. A better offer than having the commentary provided for free is the club being paid for the rights. Nothing unusual in that, the BBC pay for the rights to broadcast sporting events all the time. But there's one thing I really don't understand... Radio Sheffield cover 6 clubs: Us, Wednesday, United, Rotherham, Doncaster and Chesterfield. They broadcast on three frequencies (AM, FM and DAB) and are capable of broadcasting different content on each of the frequencies. However, in practice, when they do split frequencies, AM and DAB broadcast the same content. So, on a Saturday afternoon when all six clubs are playing, two get commentary and four miss out (unless we're playing each other). Radio Sheffield also broadcast over the internet, but they don't have the rights to broadcast match commentaries via this medium, so during a match on which Radio Sheffield are providing commentary their internet broadcast is silent. I assume the deal we've signed with Radio Sheffield means they will provide match coverage for every Barnsley game this season to be broadcast on Barnsley world. This is extremely problematic and I'm struggling to understand how it will work. Either... A) I'm wrong with the above assumption and Radio Sheffield won't provide commentary for every game, just the ones they choose to cover like any normal season. This will mean that Barnsley World is silent for at least half the games during the season. I can't see that happening, so... B) They provide commentary on every game and it is broadcast on Barnsley world and Radio Sheffield (either FM or AM and DAB). I can't see that happening either. If every Barnsley game is given commentary it will mean each week either Wednesday or United or both will miss out and that isn't going to happen. Anyway, what if Radio Sheffield have signed a similar deal with Donny? That would mean Wednesday and United would only get coverage when us and Donny aren't playing. Definitely not going to happen. And if they've signed a similar deal with three or more clubs they couldn't fulfil their commitment. C) They now have rights to broadcast commentaries on the internet, so you can hear the commentaries on both Barnsley World and Radio Sheffield's website. I haven't heard anything about that, so I doubt that's happening. Anyway, why would anyone pay to sign up to Barnsley World when the coverage would be available for free and legal on the BBC website? D) They provide commentary for every game all of which is available via Barnsley World, but only some games are broadcast via FM/AM/DAB. This is the most likely scenario. Simple then. Not really. The BBC are a publicly funded organisation. If the scenario in D is the case then the BBC will have paid for the rights to broadcast a sporting event, they will have paid an employee to provide commentary and used BBC equipment, but that content will not be available on any BBC channel. It will only be available on a paid subscription service run by a completely separate company. The BBC can't do that. Or they bloody well shouldn't. I don't want my licence fee money paying for content that is only available via paid subscription from an entirely different organisation. While it doesn't really bug me that much with it being Barnsley FC, I can only assume the same scenario plays out across England and the regional BBC radio stations. I certainly don't want my licence fee money paying for commentary at rival clubs when that commentary is only available via a paid subscription service. It's not just that this isn't right, I doubt it's legal.
What I suspect has actually happened is that the BBC usually pay us a fee say £10k per year for rights to broadcast our commentary on the radio whenever they choose but this year we have given them a discount and in return they are giving us the online use of their commentary so instead of £10k they now pay £9k and we get access to the commentary too. I fail to see how that, or any possible scenario is cheaper than free though
D is correct I believe. They commentate on every game, but only air 2 matches despite a maximum of 6 being in progress. This is why, when they do their round up at the end with the commentary from all the goals in each game, there is actual commentary rather than just Adam Oxley or whoever describing what happened. It always seemed like an odd thing to do but with the latest deal we have with them, it now makes sense. This being said, I listened to the home game with MK Dons on player last season, and the commentary from player wAs down for whatever reason, so the Radio Sheffield commentary was broadcast instead; to say it was intermittent is an understatement. The guy commentating (not one of their usual guys admittedly) occasionally said one of the players names, and only really provided any sort of commentary when a goal had been scored or when he was being broadcast over the FM commentary. Eventually I gave up and listened to the MK Dons commentary team instead (who were very unbiased I might add). We'll see how it goes but I'd expect the same, uninterrupted commentary to every game like we're used to. If of course, our game is featured on FM, it won't be uninterrupted as there will be constant updates from the other games. Another thing is that I fear for the quality of the player service in general. Will there be as much content, full match playbacks for example with commentary dubbed over the top like we have become accustomed to? I haven't renewed my subscription yet, and don't intend to until the season starts unless I know whether there will be the same stream of content that we're used to, and the only difference is the voices talking over it are different. It's still a vital tool for the likes of me, who can't get to many away games, and have to miss the occasional home game. Although I am disappointed that the current team have been replaced, people need to understand that football is a business, and if our club is continued to be run in the traditional way a football club has been run in the past, it will be left behind.
I would love for the old Oakwell radio to be back too My Mam loved it.... It was a bad one to tune to but I liked it as did many many more.
Re: I would love for the old Oakwell radio to be back too It's D. And yes, we're paying for a service twice. By we, I mean us, supporters buying a Player sub and also paying for a TV license. It is what it is, football is a business, blah blah blah, etc etc and so on. Adam Oxley will be at most of our games providing the commentary. If it's a big game that's going to be on FM, you'll probably get Rob Staton or Paul Walker on commentary. For random midweek games down south, possibly Murray Burnell (who's based down there).
What really annoys me about the radio Sheffield coverage is the almost complete dominance given to the Sheffield clubs on the FM commentary option. We're almost always on AM / DAB when they cover our game.
The signal I get from DAB is much better than FM, so it's not a problem for me, but my dad can't get DAB Radio Sheffield at all while FM is clear as a bell, so it's a right pain in the arse. Radio Sheffield gave us plenty of coverage for our away games last season. Not all matches, but a lot of them. But you're right, they were almost exclusively on DAB/AM and if you can't get that or the reception is poor then it's not much use.
Here in Harrogate or Knaresborough I can't even get FM, unless I sit in the car. DAB and AM are a definite no.
Do we actually own "Barnsley world" though? i seem to remember a while ago we bought into the standard website/player model many clubs have, no doubt outsourcing the format saved money and looked professional but do we actually have control over either payer or the website bar the content that goes on it?
Well, even if they offered to do the commentary for free, I dare say there would be other costs. So, it's not really "free".
Re: I would love for the old Oakwell radio to be back too I was so difficult to get a signal on! If we had the bathroom light on it wouldn't work or if we stood in certain areas of the living room.
I bought a DAB radio last year and I have it in my car - its far from perfect but I can listen however that's not the main source of my frustration. What annoys me the most is that the FM service is considered to be the primary broadcasting service and it seems to be almost exclusively reserved for the Sheffield clubs.
Re: I would love for the old Oakwell radio to be back too That reminds me of this classic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqveIgmVtuE
