RTE's Coverage of the Championships

Imposter

Does anyone else think that there is a big bias towards Dublin and Connaght in RTE's coverage of the football championship?

It seems to me that relatively ordinary (not as high profile) Dublin matches are often shown in front of IMO (ok, biased this year but..) better leinster matches on the same day! OK Dublin are Leinster champions but Louth? Surely Westmeath Vs Meath is a far bigger game not to mention the fact that the GAA is no. 1 sport in Meath and Westmeath. Also from a neutral point of view it would be a better match.

Also, It amazes me also how we nearly always get to see 2 connaght semis even though there are less teams than in Ulster or Leinster where we are lucky if we see one game!

Or am I just imagining all this?

flyz

Originally posted by Imposter
Does anyone else think that there is a big bias towards Dublin and Connaght in RTE's coverage of the football championship?

It seems to me that relatively ordinary (not as high profile) Dublin matches are often shown in front of IMO (ok, biased this year but..) better leinster matches on the same day! OK Dublin are Leinster champions but Louth? Surely Westmeath Vs Meath is a far bigger game not to mention the fact that the GAA is no. 1 sport in Meath and Westmeath. Also from a neutral point of view it would be a better match.

Also, It amazes me also how we nearly always get to see 2 connaght semis even though there are less teams than in Ulster or Leinster where we are lucky if we see one game!

Or am I just imagining all this?

I thought the only reason the Meath / WestMeath match was shown was because they couldn't show the Limerick / Waterford match?

Imposter

Originally posted by flyz
I thought the only reason the Meath / WestMeath match was shown was because they couldn't show the Limerick / Waterford match?

Oops..
I'm not in Ireland! I didn't know it was shown. All I seen was that the Dublin match and the hurling was to be televised. If i'd known I would have made the trek to watch it but it's a little late now!

But my question still stands: Do others feel that Dublin and Connaught matches are been shown more than other matches of similar or (debatably) better standard?

Waylander

To be honest I dont think that at all. I would say that BBc NI normally cover the matches from Ulster, and unless it is a big game RTE generally do not show the same match. This makes sense to me. As for the Dublin game at the weekend, it was an early throw in so I am not sure if any other matches were on at the same time for there to be a choice. The Meath Westmeath match was only shown because the cameras were not allowed in to Semple stadium where Limerick were playing Waterford in the hurling. Neither of those games involved Dublin or Connaught teams, and there was a choice of putting the Galway Leitrim match on instead of the Meath Westmeath game. Last season all of Dublins games were televised because they won Leinster, if Meath had beaten them in the Leinster quarters we would not have seen as much of Dublin on the tv as they would have been in the qualifiers not the championship outright.

Imposter

Originally posted by Waylander
...As for the Dublin game at the weekend, it was an early throw in so I am not sure if any other matches were on at the same time for there to be a choice...

The Dublin match was fixed early so that it would be shown on TV. Every other year Dublin is always the second match in Croker if on a double bill. There was nothing stopping the Westmeath Vs Meath match from being on first.

The reason I brought this up as I have tried to say is that there have been times in the last few years that I would have thought (as a neutral) that X match was better than what was shown and usually what is shown has been Dublin or Connaught. And yes I know the dubs won Leinster last year but surely the best match for the neutral should be shown on TV seeing as most real fans from the playing counties would be at the matches anyway, especially in the early rounds when tickets aren't as much of an issue.

With regard to Ulster that is true and I think that's good if it gives people more choice when RTE don't show it as people can then watch either the RTE or the BBC match.