(06-05-2018, 12:01 PM)DBD 34 Wrote: I guess I was spoilt then as I am from back when we had the likes of Peter Kneale at the helm and Geoff Cannell (both sadly no longer with us).
They could talk and talk about the TT for hours which is good for when there are the inevitable hold ups to programme, whenever there's a holdup now it's a case of "oh we'll hand back to Ben in the studio" who then plays the Ting Tings yet again because they have such restricted TT knowledge.
You also get the requests all the time as well again this is only just started creeping in recently because you don't need TT knowledge to read out a naff request.

I think Keith Huewan would be good at the Grandstand, McGuiness (with a bit of training in commentating) at Glen Helen and Whitham maybe at Hairpin.

I've always found Huewen dreadful, he talks way too fast and gets all sorts wrong because of it, I remember when he used to do the commentary on the TT highlights videos and he was just shouting all the time, his old partner Julian Ryder was good though but I believe he's taken a step back from commentating. Whitham's great as is Plater.

Not sure how/who it could be improved and with laps @ 17 mins there's much less time for commentary / timing info / adverts, the times are available online but I suspect the coverage isn't good all round the course but if times were the priority i'd be watching from a spec with good internet speed, if the racing is delayed I just find something else to do. Slightly off topic but TT / MGP relevant - I see the IoM Govt is looking to buy the Steam Packet, be interesting to see going forward if any improvements are made particularly with heavy traffic TT sailings.

Surely as a public broadcast organisation the TT is just what Manx radio should be covering, why the confusion ? it ain't broke so don't fix, everyone will have their preferred presenters but I think it works well now, more info on lower running riders would help but the times are so quick now and ads are needed to pay the bills so I get why the information is limited ( with t'internet you can get the live timings on your phone anyway ). I hope it continues as it is.

(08-05-2018, 10:13 AM)BrianW Wrote: Surely as a public broadcast organisation the TT is just what Manx radio should be covering, why the confusion ? it ain't broke so don't fix, everyone will have their preferred presenters but I think it works well now, more info on lower running riders would help but the times are so quick now and ads are needed to pay the bills so I get why the information is limited ( with t'internet you can get the live timings on your phone anyway ). I hope it continues as it is.

This pretty much sums up my view.

The view on which commentators are any good will always be subjective. Personally I think Roy Moore is great when there are delays as he has so much knowledge, but I do think the speed of it is getting a bit too much for him as far as the actual commentary goes - he always appears rushed and a little bit flustered.

I do think Chris Kinley is great - his passion comes across and he could talk forever. When he's paired with Chris Palmer he brings the best of Palmer's "racer knowledge" out.

Whitham would be worth persuing now that he is no longer involved with TV - again his passion for the event is unquestioned.

Just to show how subjective this all is though I completely disagree with AntG about Keith Heuwen and Julian Ryder - I quite like Heuwen and find the MotoGP commentaries so much better now that Hodgson has replaced the (in my opinion) appalling and predictable Ryder.