OLN Forum

barnstorm said:

for the past two years around the TDF, OLN has had a discussion forum like this that was very active and interesting. Right after the tour, the past two years, the forum disappears. I wrote OLN to ask what happened and they didn't return my email... they never return my emails. Has anyone been on that forum? Does anyone know what happened???

I posted on there occaisionally. There was originally a lot of praise when OLN started covering extra races like the classics and the Vuelta - then when OLN started cutting back on bike coverage there were threads started about how bad OLN sucked and things got worse from there. I'm surprised they kept it alive as long as they did.

DiabloScott said:

I posted on there occaisionally. There was originally a lot of praise when OLN started covering extra races like the classics and the Vuelta - then when OLN started cutting back on bike coverage there were threads started about how bad OLN sucked and things got worse from there. I'm surprised they kept it alive as long as they did.

I never understood why they can't broadcast other races such as Il Giro D'Italia and the Spring Classics? :o

barnstorm said:

for the past two years around the TDF, OLN has had a discussion forum like this that was very active and interesting. Right after the tour, the past two years, the forum disappears. I wrote OLN to ask what happened and they didn't return my email... they never return my emails. Has anyone been on that forum? Does anyone know what happened???

They weren't paying enough to have WBT posting there......

I used to post there frequently - and it was a minority who complained about coverage - and then, generally, to ask for me - and most of these were new fans, attracted by the TdF and wanting to see what else was out there.

The board generally stayed open most of the year but they seem to have shut it this time because of the adverse comments of the ice hockey fans - who had a genuine grievance about the coverage (aren't whoever oversees ice hockey also highly peed off about the [censored] coverage).

The board did seem to have an independent life and a good community and OLN really did seem to be oversensitive about any criticism

mareblu said:

I never understood why they can't broadcast other races such as Il Giro D'Italia and the Spring Classics? :o

It can only be that the cost of sending Phil and Paul and Bobke over there with their giant trailer is too great and their advertising income is too little. Its a lot cheaper to show the bull-riding/bbq/RV/fishing show and six daily hours of Survivor repeats.
OLN-Old show Lazy Network?

Chance3290 said:

It can only be that the cost of sending Phil and Paul and Bobke over there with their giant trailer is too great and their advertising income is too little. Its a lot cheaper to show the bull-riding/bbq/RV/fishing show and six daily hours of Survivor repeats.
OLN-Old show Lazy Network?

Other than the Tour, Phil and Paul and Bobke were usually in an OLN studio in New Hampshire or someplace, commentating on live coverage from Europe. It's more expensive than rodeo, but it's not as expensive as a travelling road show.

Besides if racing coverage were done right and getting the numbers it deserves it would be on it's own digital channel within a season, then I'd NEVER get to see anything.

I'd be interested to see the viewing statistics for the spring classics, which they had last year, vs. bull riding or Survivor repeats. One would think it's simple revenue vs. expense, and I would think if they have the viewers, then they have the advertising $ so it would be worth it. I'm not sure the cost of broadcasting the spring classics or the Giro though.

I mean if they had the chance to host the Superbowl would they? I don't get it, however, if the amount of viewers was low and we're the minority, nothing we can do about it.