Dear all

after 2 x 24 races in a week - I'm actually not in the slightest bit tired.

Thanks for all the comments - we did listen to what was said last year and built in what we could.

Our biggest bit of grief was the fact that weather played havoc with all the hard wired lines of communictaion in the TV compound. It was frustrating but completely outside our control.

The rain caused us other problems - It was heavy enough - on several occasions - to completely blank out our satellite down link - this put us off the air -albeit for brief periods and not at all during the track action. (Thanks to our tech team we found an alternative way of feeding the transmitter!)

The whole RLM team has the utmost respect and admiration for anyone who endured the weather - predicted by us as lang ago as test weekend I'm afraid - and thanks agin for all of the great emails messages of support, questions and of course the top quality points that were raised. Once again it is all to clear to me that sportscar enthusiasts are clearly the best and most passionate in all of Motorsport.

JH

And by the way please rememebr that the Radio Le Mans shop will be selling radios - for those who forgot, some spiffy raciing gear - Would CA like to sell some t-shirts there?

However the biggest thing you can do to help RLM is to let our sponsors know how much you appreciate their support of the station. use the web links, enter the competitions, let them know that you view their ther products more favourably because of their association with RLM...
Every little helps...

JH

Hello everyone and thanks for the constructive comments.

As was said after the race last year we have taken the comments of all and we will try to incorporate them into the broadcast this year.

Just to answer a few specific points;

We experimented with numbers only update some years ago and were soundly ripped for it, given the nosiy environment it's too easy to miss the vital information (the number) whereas if the number, car and driver are being mentioned there are effectively three opportunities to identify the entry. Also most people have told us that car numbers alone mean nothing to them as they don't carry a programme. We have already commited to an uniterrupted rundown segment - just don't be complaining when a car goes up in flames as we start it and then we wait 3 mins to mention it! Actually I don't have a problem with that, it's always the case at Le Mans that over 90% of your audience can't see what you are talking about anyway. (They are at home or on different part of track) The car will either still be burning or will be put out when we get to it. Regardless we can still talk about what has happened! One of the many advantages of radio over TV who seem to feel the need to try and cut to everything as it happens...

The ratio of listeners at the track to listeners away from the track is over 10-1 in favour of those not at the track. Interestingly as many UK-based listeners now tune in via Sky satellite as use the Internet link. That's just under half a million UK listeners in total during the week. The bulk of the race week Internet audience (over 1.4 million visited the frontpage of the website and slightly more accessed the webstream as some went to it directly) are from the USA (over 70%) with the UK, Denmark, Japan and Australia making up the Internet top five.

In order to service the TK and Jan fans we have been asked to provide a Danish langauge update every hour. This is being sponsored by Danish companies. It will be about a maximum of 90 seconds per hour.

It's an unfortunate fact of life that the rising costs of staging the radio station - remember it's those costs that pushed publishing giant Haymarket to abandon the service in 2005 - can only be met by increasing the audience which broadly speaking means those away from the circuit as the on-track numbers are relatively consistant each year.

It's also true that while many of us would love to be able to have a similar type of broadcast as in the late 80s and early 90s the bulk of the audience does not remember those days and infact they demand a very much more sophisticated production as the proliferation of slicker sports broadcasts on TV and radio has raised the expectations of our listeners.

Radio Le Mans is run on commercial terms, and therefore sposnors require us to be professional and represent their brand values. We just wouldn't get the required financial support if we let standards slipand ended up sounding like a buch of amateurs. Of course regulations play a big part on advertising, format and content. We have to satisfy several different regulators who legislate across the platforms on which we broadcast and as we are available in so many different territories (103 last year) we have to be mindful of national guidelines too.

Radio Le Mans has evolved since it's early years, no doubt it will continue to do so. Unfortunately this process will not suit everyone and sadly I'm sure that we will leave some people behind. However it's very important that I make clear that now that our group hold the rights, certain essential precepts, some of which were discarded or under threat under previous administations, will be applied.

*Radio Le Mans will provide full race coverage, whenever the cars are on track

*Within the normal broadcasting boundaries of truth, decency and legality, Radio Le Mans will not accept editorial control or pressure for any reason or from any source

*Radio Le Mans will remain free-to-air to our listeners at the track and via the mediums on which we currently broadcast

Sorry this has been slightly longer than I intended... funny how that happens. I'll close with this;

Radio Le Mans was started by a group of dedicated enthusiasts. Big business stepped in and in fairness ensured the continuation of the service through some very lean years in the mid 1990s. However when time got tough again and RLM was no longer a profit centre it has been left to (some of the same) enthusiasts to ensure the survival of the station.

I'd like to thank all of you for your support - for this debate and your comments, whether good bad or indifferent. The fact that RLM can ignite this level of passion form the sporstcar community is one of the examples I use to prove to potential sponsors that the service is still relevant.

Kind regards to all

John Hindhaugh
On behalf of the team at Radio Le Mans

All ALMS events - practice, qual, warm-up and race - covered live by ALMS radio via www.radiolemans.com - there's an archive there too.

If you have a Sky box then it's free on sky channel 0157

live t&S at www.americanleamans.com

enjoy

JH

HMMN I downloaded it last week - I'll speak to out IT Dept - his name is Tim - and get it fixed - sounds like the link is wrong as I know the source material is there.

JH

There now honest!

JH

mega and all the proceeds to a great 'good cause'

Sorry – just seen this – just got back to my computer from Salt Lake.

To answer the question – I think that the US and Canadian circuits compare very favourably to their European counterparts.

Let’s break it down to tracks, facilities and promoters /track owners.

1) Tracks
As most of the drivers’ will tell you they love driving the US tracks. The comment I hear most is tat they are like the circuits over here were before the ‘safety’ work sanitised our best tracks.

Although many European officials would have blue fit at the thought of International class racing at Mosport, Lime Rock and even Road America and Sebring, the simple fact is that improvements in car design and build along with passive safety developments (HANS and circuit barriers) have reduced the danger factor associated with the US tracks. I place before the court the BK Mazda/Risi Ferrari incident at Lime Rock, two bent cars, two unhurt drivers.

I know that banded tyres held in place with conveyor belt is hardly high tech but remember back to Sebring and the Corvette brake explosion. Not only was Johnny O fine, the car finished the race!

The fact that the tracks are considered a challenge by drivers says a lot –  the t-shirt worn by Jacques Villenueve that caused such a stir with officialdom said, “I remember when sex was safe and motor racing was dangerous.”

At the other end of the spectrum you would have to try really hard to hit something solid at Miller Motorsport Park. It has FIA group 2 sanction – that’s every thing except F1. It looks like any other FIA approved track though. I’m not saying that’s bad, it is just a very different animal to the other American circuits.

The surroundings of the tracks also play a part –

Mid Ohio, Mosport, Road America and Atlanta all lie in picturesque parkland with great natural topography – marvellous.

Sebring oozes history and is barely changed since the first US GP in 1959 – superb.

Portland – only one straight and that’s the front stretch drag strip, set up always a compromise – brilliant.

Lime Rock – like racing 180 MPH sportcars around your living room, OK Brands Indy Circuit – mega! 

Laguna Seca – two words - The Corkscrew.

I think it’s the variety of the ALMS tracks that I like so much – I’d love to see LMS or FIA Sportscars at Croft, Thruxton or Knockhill. Not going to happen though.

2. Facilities

Since my first visit to the USA for PLM 1998 this is the area where I have seen the most improvement.

In part led by the Panoz-owned tracks (Sebring, Mosport, R-Atlanta) the move toward more ‘European’ infrastructure has been a real eye opener.

It would be churlish to suggest that the investment by the above venues, mirrored by Laguna Seca is purely driven by the ALMS. But think about this. The ALMS proposition is; technological advance, an all inclusive experience and, dare I say, World Class. Obviously the ALMS fan understands that and is motivated – at least in part and possibly unconsciously – by those values.

Of course some of the improvements are aimed at the corporate market. However that’s not bad, the general public benefit with better washrooms, food and other concessions etc. Of less direct benefit are improved press facilities, making ‘our’ sport easier to cover by more journalists from more diverse media outlets.

3. Promoters

I can only speak from my experience with ALMS but it seems that promoters/track owners fall into two categories;

Type One;
Understand the ALMS proposition and are prepared to buy in 100%. Recognise that they are probably not reaching the majority of ALMS fans with their other events.  Prepared to compromise and make changes to their ‘normal’ operating practice. E.G. open grids for all fans, fan forums, no track action during autograph sessions, provision for live TV and Radio. See the event as an important addition to the calendar that reflects well on the facility as well as being profitable. Hope to make a good impression and attract some of the ALMS spectators to other events.

Type Two;
ALMS is just another event albeit a profitable one. This is our track. We don’t do it like that here. You want to do WHAT? No No NO! Our people always do that. Don’t understand the type of fan that the ALMS attracts.

I’m delighted to say that Type two is all but extinct. I believe that is down to three reasons.
a)   the ALMS is a money maker for any venue
b)   the ALMS attracts loyal and knowledgeable fans who spend in the surrounding area as well as at the track
and probably most importantly
c)   the ALMS has proved that it will not be held to ransom by promoters. There are more venues that want the ALMS then currently have a round, and that, coupled with the series’ willingness to choose new (sometimes temporary) venues for their events has ensured that the ALMS remains in control of the calendar.

I hope this goes some way to answer the question - The Jet Lag is kicking in now and this has become more of a missive than I intended for which I apologise.

Please understand these are only my personal opinions and that the circuits named above are for illustrative purposed only and no inference should be taken form the omission or inclusion of any venue.

JH

Already done first practice but final 1 hour is live today at 9-45 pm Uk time Qualifying follows...

Warm up Saturday 6pm
Replay Of Qualifying Midnight Saturday followed by race Live

All free at sky ch 0157 or www.radiolemans.com - live timing at www.americanlemans.com

Jh

Just a note to answer some of the points raised regarding Radio Le Mans 2006.

First I'm sorry that some of you here find so much to complain about. I have looked at all of the posts here and amongst the unhelpful 'slagging off' there are some fair points which I have noted and will rectify for next year. None of us do Radio Le Mans for personal gratification or for gain - and we certainly don't think we are perfect.

However I am quite taken aback by the vitriol of some of the comments - and whilst I understand that "you can't please all of the people...Blah blah" I feel that some of the comments are just plain unkind.  The fact that the thread here is so unrepresentative of the rest of the posts on this and other fora/chatrooms leaves a sour taste and makes me wonder if some of the posters here have  ulterior motives for their comments.

If you will allow I feel a certain amount of explanation is due.

After last year's race the then rightsholder for the service decided that it was no longer commercially viable and we were left with the prospect of not having a Radio Le Mans for 2006. Thanks to the hard work of all the regular RLM team we have managed to secure the rights from the ACO until 2010. This involved some real soul searching from us as, as one of the posters mentioned, putting RLM together is a) not the work of a moment and b) a considerable expense most of which needs to be paid upfront.

The opportunity was there for any other consortium (including anyone posting here)  to take over the rights - the simple fact was there was no-one willing to accept the risk.

If the last few years less and less resources were given to the broadcast and to those who worked on it - for our first year we decided to re-assign priorities - move the studio back to France and re-instate some of the features that the fans were telling us they missed.

Now to answer some specific points - yes we did provide the Speed TV Channel with our Audio - that was for 3 hours from 8am Sunday - this provides Radio Le Mans a platform to reach an important audience. The ACO has asked us to try and broaden the reach of the race - and this year we reached 84 countries right across the globe. During the Speed show we did pay slightly more attention to the TV pictures but still included the pit interviews and reports that our listeners say they enjoy. As for the email about F1 cars which came for a Speed TV viewer new to sportscars - what the poster neglects to mention is how I answered it... funny that.

I hope that you will agree that it's important for us to grow our sport and dismissing new listeneres/viewers will not do that.

Interstingly - given the comments on our perceived bias to those away from the track - we do get one or two comments about how we are too British and trackside audience centric. - I accept that getting the balance right is difficult - and given that we broadcast over 36 hours of track action alone during the week, then not everyone is going find every moment relevant to them.

Technically we had our best ever year - I don't accept that a single small problem with a phone link to the Nurburgring should be held up as a reflection of what our hard-working tech team achieved. We never had a single piece of equipment fail us - and whilst it seems that it's not important to some here - the Internet stream was the best quality ever and never failed, despite the huge listener numbers.

And by the way - despite the vagaries of the French/German phone systems we did get Dr Bez linked up with David Richards who out of the blue, chose that moment on Radio Le Mans to announce AM's full season commitment to the ALMS. Top news, first and free.

We did do a top ten and top three class rundown on every half hour - of course in parts of the race the top three GT1s were inside the top ten - in addition to ad hoc position rundowns during the rest of the hour.

Mistakes - Oh yes we made some - mostly by me and my basic inability to get the weather report right is one of those - sorry about that - As I said before no-one is perfect.

I also apologise for taking up so much space here however I will draw to a close now with a couple of points.

First - I accept that there people out there who simply don't like my style of broadcasting - and for whatever reason don't like me much either - c'est la vie.  I'm not here to argue that

What we we have with the Radio Le Mans team - and you can leave me out if you like - is a professional team of enthusisasts who are prepared to work their socks off to put a highly complicated, tiring broadcast together. Other than the guys and girls that were there this year there are probably only 2 or 3 other people who understand and care enough about RLM to be a part of the team. Sadly the previous management decided to dispense with Ian T some years ago - well before we were involved.

Perhaps some of the posters here feel they could do a better job - great! - we are always looking for new talent - get in touch at info@radiolemans.com - don't just sit there and point fingers - the team deserve better than that.

Second there are harsh commercial realities to face - although posters here noticed every small mistake and error - no-one pointed out that we had fewer ads this year where under previous administrations we broke at 20 past and 20 to as well as before the news. That was partly in response to the marketplace but also due to a deliberate change in policy to find alternative funding methods that would not interrupt the race coverage so much.

This was the first year of a new Radio Le Mans - not perfect - of course not - however I do find it ever so disappointing that no-one who criticised us on this forum found the time to get in contact and pass on any constructive comments. Radio Le Mans doesn't belong to me or the team - it belongs to you and the rest of the listeners, wherever they are. Those people who long for the 'Jiffy Condom' days should remind themselves that there was no overnight coverage in the early years, a radio mic that took two to carry it, no proper coverage of qualifying sessions. Oh and the Jiffy ads very nearly were the end of RLM for as they contravened so many French Radio Authority regulations.

We also have to accept that the whole sportscar world has moved on so much since 1986 - diesel victory just being part of that... in order to survive Radio Le Mans has had to develop too. If this leaves some of you behind - I'm really sorry - The ACO expects, infact demands, that Radio Le Mans provides a service for as broad an audience as sportscar racing attracts. We are charged with increasing the interest in the race and the sport - that means new blood. Many listeners don't know - or care - what happened in 1956 - they want to hear Seb Loeb the moment he gets out of the car. Interestingly that remains a mainstay of the service - take the listener where they can't go. Into the pits, next to the driver, hear his/her voice.

By the way I think that Club Arnage on Radio Le Mans is an excellent idea. I'm happy to have a representative from the site (is Dave Davies still involved?) get in touch and let me know how it would work and how it would be funded.

In the meantime I reiterate my offer to any new on air talent - info@radiolemans.com

On a personal note I do feel that I should point out that I have never referred to myself as 'The Voice of Le Mans' or similar - although it is a moniker that has been attached to me - including by the Dailysportscar forum master -  Its very kind but a source of some embarrasment to me.

Fat northern bloke is fine - I don't even take offense at some of the expletives directed toward me  on this forum - but please never NEVER call me a Geordie!


John Hindhaugh
On Behalf of Radio Le Mans 2006




This reply was in response to matters raised in this thread http://www.clubarnage.com/forum/index.php?topic=5654.0, which has been locked in favour of keeping this one running. smokie