TOPIC:

Thursday, July 17, 2014 - 5:05 PM

THE West Australian Football Commission has been advised by ABC Television that it cannot commit to the broadcast of the 2015 West Australian Football League season.

ABC Television Head TV Sport & Events, Justin Holdforth, said: “ABC TV is unable, at this stage, to commit to the broadcast of the WAFL in 2015 and beyond.”

WAFC Chief Operating Officer Nick Sautner said the WAFC was extremely grateful for ABC’s outstanding coverage of the WAFL for more than 25 years and thanked them for their long-term support of the premier State League competition.

“On behalf of the WAFL, I thank the ABC for broadcasting the WAFL since 1987. The coverage has been outstanding and highly valued,” Mr Sautner said.

“However, we also believe it is extremely important for the WAFL competition to be televised and the WAFC is exploring other opportunities to achieve certainty of statewide coverage going forward.”

Mr Holdforth added: “The ABC fully understands the necessity for the WAFC to achieve certainty around WAFL broadcasts next year. As in Tasmania and South Australia, we would not stand in the way of the WAFC securing a sensible commercial deal. In the end the most important thing is that the people of WA are not denied access to television coverage of the WAFL.”

Intersting that ABC say they are unable to commit at this stage. Leaves the door ajar when the goon heads at HQ trip and stumple. i like my ABC

They have probably been tapped on the shoulder and asked to step aside for Channel 7

Either I dreamt it or heard it a week ago Sautner on the Radio saying they are negotiating with 7, as they want sponsored (advert) Football. So either the ABC had already informed WAFC of their intentions prior to this or have told them to stick it, because the way it looks from way back without reading much on it, the WAFC were shafting the ABC, or they had to do it because the ABC have been umming and ahring the past few years from their HQ to continue WA footy broadcasting.

Didn't ABC lay off 80 staff on East coast this week?

Not too sure hh if those 80 jobs have been lost or are going to be lost in the near future because of the budget cuts. Apparently the 80 jobs getting axed are mainly over east. I know abc in Perth had cutbacks 12 months - 2 years ago. One of the reasons abc tv in Perth are quitting the Wafl is the staff shortages they now have here. I think the end of the 2011 season was talk and rumour abc would pull out then. But a 2 year deal was struck which is why abc tv continued broadcasting Wafl matches. Apparently 10 were interested back then, but they only wanted to televise from 1 or 2 grounds only from what I heard.
I for one will miss the abc footy telecasts. Wish there was a way of keeping the footy on abc tv.

mikeh wrote: They have probably been tapped on the shoulder and asked to step aside for Channel 7

And from what I've seen, their damn figures don't add up either!

astro wrote: Intersting that ABC say they are unable to commit at this stage. Leaves the door ajar when the goon heads at HQ trip and stumple. i like my ABC

Astro I think you are spot on. For a start the ABC has been doing WAFL footy for a long time. (25 Years) Great broadcast and half time interviews and features.
Found it interesting this morning listening to Brett Raponi on WAFL WORLD
(Should be up on 91.3 site now under shows)
Brett said there was a meeting etc etc and the opening post says it all. He did go on to say he made his own inquiries with ABC and they said the door was still open?

Make of it what you think and I am sure the ABC being the peoples paid TV station would of continued with the Footy Broadcast. I suggest a couple of our posters are right and the WAFC as per usual are doing what they want and what the AFL wants.

If you read that press release in opening post it is just a whole lot of political speak which actually says nothing.

Stands to reason,the ABC stopped broadcasting games in the sanfl this season,it was only a matter of time over here.

Forget about the Grassy theories.

Corben Knobblemass said on the ABC radio this morning that nothing has changed over the last 3 years and the media have jumped all over the normal end of year procedure. He said he would explain on the saturday am show in more detail