Hello Hindy,
Well, it's nice to get some feedback, and also nice to know you're keen to take on any constructive criticism, and let's face it if you aren't able to do that then it really would be time to pack up. I've got to say though, that everyone seems to have turned into nodding donkeys in the face of your post, - c'mon you lot, have the courage of your convictions and stick to your guns!
I'll admit that I've criticised RLM in the past, and if I could figure out how to use the search function on this site I'd refresh my memory,- It's been said many times that you don't have to listen, and I'm afraid that's exactly what I've done. From around 2000 onward I found the broadcasts disappointing and irritating, and tuned in less frequently. I haven't bothered at all this past two or three years.
Quite why I've stopped listening is really what matters, and I'd say that to start with the constant ad breaks drove me right up the wall, there's nothing more frustrating than hearing some track news breaking just to have it interrupted by some f*ckwit dribbling on about how his oil makes him go brum-brum. Round about then I'd quite happily have packed up some heavy ordnance and made the tw*t go bang-bang. I know it's a commercial enterprise, but I felt there was not a lot of commercial skill being used in attempting to find the right balance between the ads and the entertainment, let's face it, does anyone actually like listening to ads, let alone the same ones again and again? It's interesting to hear a lot of forum members moaning about the 'extended Aston Martin advert', as I say I didn't hear it myself, but it shows that blatant commercialism is never going to be popular. I reckon the way forward here is to give more thought as how to satisfy the needs of the sponsors without alienating the listening punters, and obviously any sort of funding from the ACO would take the pressure off the amount ad content.
So, there you go, no ads. Or a lot less, and more subtle.
Secondly, I think RLM has suffered from the lack of any real racing on the track over the last few years. It's no co-incidence that I stopped listening when I thought the race was a foregone conclusion anyway. It's one thing waiting with bated breath in the small hours to find out if the Mazda (Jag, Toyota, Merc, - take your pick...) has eked out a few more seconds over its rival on it's most recent lap (or how high the Merc got on it's last trip down the Mulsanne) but another to miss a round of drinks to find out how many laps ahead the Audis are. Obviously there's not much you can do about this, other than work harder at trying to find ways to keep the punters interested. Do the campsite tours still go on? I remember this was very popular, and a buzz went round the place when the RLM crew was around, the unpredictability of the 'interviews' was great stuff, and I thought it helped contribute to the community/campsite spirit a hell of a lot. But maybe the 'boozed up brits' thing is just not PC enough for the sponsors?
Thirdly, maybe RLM's getting a bit schizophrenic. In the early days its function was to inform and entertain the people at the track, something it was very good and focussed at. Nowadays (from reading these posts) it seems it doesn't know whether it's a webcast, international commentary, trackside tool or what. Now, I'm not in the media, but I'd hazard a guess that hitting the spot with such a varied audience would be well nigh impossible. Decide on a direction, and stick to it, you'll then get the audience you deserve. Good or bad.
can I now have all those presents you promised me in 2002?
H