RSS

Contact us

Saturday 22 November 2008

Spectator Sport

Old rivals

In need of a positive spin from anywhere, ITV can at least console itself with the plaudits for its exclusive live coverage of rugby’s recent World Cup. The oddity (probably unnoticed by most viewers) was that the channel’s senior commentary team and many of its studio sages had been rented for the tournament from its deadly rivals at Sky; rather, I suppose, like old Hollywood times when the likes of Bogart, Grable and Gable were hired out to a competitor for lots of lolly when their own contract studio couldn’t find them a part or, as they used to say, ‘a vehicle’.

I don’t know how much ITV paid for Sky’s star performers, but it has to be said that the main top-of-the-bill double-act of unfussy narrative straight-man Miles Harrison and the articulately outspoken, savvy pontificator Stuart Barnes was worth every penny. Together they illuminated, embellished even, every match they described — at the same time giving, I suspect, every other broadcast channel’s sports department food for serious thought. Especially the BBC.

More articles from: Frank Keating | this section

Print this article  |  Email to a friend  |  Permalink  |   Comment

Post this entry to:   del.icio.us | Digg | Newsvine | NowPublic | Reddit

Advertisement

Spectator Business | Apollo Magazine

Corporate | Advertising | Privacy | Terms

Spectator, 22 Old Queen Street, London, SW1H 9HP

All Articles and Content Copyright ©2008 by The Spectator | All Rights Reserved