Credit where credit is due. The Beeb did a fantastic job of covering the tournament. Don't think i've ever seen a contest so well managed. Please do not go to a commercial station soon!!

I've heard dozens of complaints - from programme over-runs (with subsequent programmes either starting an hour late of being dropped altogether) - to programmes being "switched" to different channels etc.

Not everyone is a tennis fan. Spare a thought for older people who rely on their normal / advertised schedules.

Besides, I though we'd lose all sport from mainstream channels when all these "sports" channels appeared?

I think the Beeb's performance has been shocking and seriously calls into question their right to a license fee.

the tournament was superb - but it should have been run on BBC2 and BBC 3. The way in which is screwed up the main channel ( BBC 1 ) night after night is basically not fair on the majority of BBC viewers I agree with In the Know.

Tennis is a minority sport and therefore should not infringe on the main schedule of the National Broadcaster.

I cant see the BBC moving programmes around for other sports of the same stature ?

I don't agree at all and I bet the ratings were phenomenal.

It wasn't a "sporting" event, it was an event.

Just checked the ratings - 13 million!

There you go. Much though I was looking forward to George Gently, it wouldn't have gotten half that.

JK2006 wrote:
I don't agree at all and I bet the ratings were phenomenal.

It wasn't a "sporting" event, it was an event.

Just checked the ratings - 13 million!

There you go. Much though I was looking forward to George Gently, it wouldn't have gotten half that.

64 complaints so far on the BBC's Points of View message board - and this was only for last night's "switch" ! When you "add in" the other over-runs / programme cancellations etc it's probably one of their biggest complaints for some time.

Older people have far less scope that younger ones - and are far less likely to have cable etc - so they should have run this on one of the other BBC channels - Three or Four.

BBC 3 is a "Yoof" channel and 4 is mainly for the arts. Not suitable at all in my opinion. Fair enough if some programmes were cancelled due to over-runnig but, they WILL be re-scheduled i'm sure. I'm not the biggest tennis fan, but Wimbeldon is the BBC and for it to go to another channel is just wrong. Its an annual event and like JK mentioned, 13 million nowadays is incredible. Sport should be encouraged in a nation full of fat kids and lazy parents! All that aside, it was wonderfully covered, in a way only the beeb know how.

I think 64 complaints against 13 million viewers says it all and justifies the BBC's decision to show the event on mainstream TV.

I appreciate the fact that not everyone is a sports fan, and some people may have been disappointed to miss their favourite programmes, but it's not the end of the world, is it? I don't much care for all these "Reality" shows all over the place, but I guess I just have to accept the fact that TV isn't there just to suit me.

Can anyone justify this "13 million" claim?

The Guardian reports that the ladies final attracted ONLY 3.5 million (at its peak !). How many of this 13 million had actually switched on to watch the advertised programme - not the tennis - and only kept with it because the channel kept announcing that the advertised programme would follow (at an unspecified time) ?

It is ratings which tell the story and considering Wimbledon is a fortnightly event and it had the two best players in the world, it is absolutely the right decision to screen it on BBC1.

I guess people were complaining because the Euro 2008 was shown for three weeks prior.

Still it happens every year and if they only get 60 odd complaints then I'm sure the Beeb will be able to cope.

Guardian overnights ITK - check the TV ratings

It's easy to see how much tennis remains to be played by looking at the score board.

I'm not a massive tennis fan, but I can put up with disruptions to TV during live events. It happens, and my day isn't going to fall apart because it.

I'm bracing myself for the fallout when BBC starts showing the Grand Prix. But before that, it the Olympics!