Why won't British Telly show.....

[Tumble]

Coverage from shooting matches..... even the olympics, where rifle shooting is one of the most popular spectator sports, we have nothing. In Europe - all the major events are fully covered, sometimes live. It really bugs me, not least because they're quite happy to portray criminals, using guns to maim and kill other people and not prepared to show a SPORT where responsible, proffessional people compete in a VERY safe manner and show how guns can be used in a safe and constructive way.

A member of my rifle club is going to Melbourne in a few weeks to compete in the Commonwealth Games there. I can't watch his competition on the television, and that makes me sad. OK, I hear you saying "it's not very interesting watching someone lying still shooting a rifle" BUT... the ranges these days are set up precisely FOR TELEVISION. To make it interesting. The targets are all electronic, so scores are available as soon as the bullet hits the target, there was a new ruling 2 years ago that shooting caps were not allowed to have flaps on the side - originally put there to block out any visual distractions whilst shooting - why? so the telly cameras could see the shooter's faces in order for people at home watching could see who they are.

It's just mad. Many of you probably like watching snooker - it's just as tense, and probably a bit more interesting to watch than F1 these days. The bottom line is the government are scared of letting people see guns in a good light, handled by people who know what they are doing, in a tightly controlled environment such as a range. The government need to take their heads out of wherever they have put them and let the beeb, ITV, C4 etc broadcast these events, and if anything, cut down on the portrayal of people killing each other with guns.

Shooting is a safe and fun sport - which would you rather have your kids do? watch a shooting match on telly and say "I want to have a go at that" or watch someone get gunned down in the street by a gangster and say "I wanna be a gangster like that!"

[myth]

What! They dont show guns on TV??? Thats like twistedly insane!

[Zathras]

There are tens, if not hundreds of more widely participated sports than shooting that also aren't shown on TV, and the domestic channels have a rather limited amount of time for showing sport. You make it sound like a conspiracy, but to be honest I found watching the rifle shooting during the Olympics less exciting than the so often derided crown green bowls and I think the television execs probably feel similarly. Shooting seems a ready-made sport for Eurosport - they tend to show minority sports like that. If there is an actual piece of legislation banning coverage of shooting then please present it to me and I'll join you in arguing it is preposterous, but you make no mention of it.

[Lee H]

I 100% agree with what Tumble has said. Many moons ago... well not that many actually I was in the army cadets and had the priviledge to go to Germany when I was 16 to spend 4 weeks with the Queens Lancashire Regiment in Berlin and do what they do.

The range they had there was fantastic, and shooting as a sport can be gripping to participate and also to watch. We spent many a good hour on that range firing guns from Beretta's to LSW to GPMG and a few choice sniper rifles.

Why sports like the forementioned are not covered by TV is just rather bizzare.

[Flibb]

Starshot was good, clay pigeon shooting in the dark (sometimes) with tracer and luminous clays against a giant dart board type thing. Olympic target shooting is one of hundreds of disciplines, considering how well we do at international comps it gets little or no coverage.

[Ghost_Dog]

To be honest i can see the appeal of shooting as a participating sport - but i fail to see anything remotely exciting about it as a spectator sport

[Stoo]

Yup, it's just that there's only so much time for showing it on terrestrial channels.
I did see a couple of clips of the rifle range, but they were very few in number, archery only got a few soundbites as well.

[Galant]

Tumble, didn't realise shooting was very widespread in the UK. I'm British and grew up there only coming to the USA after uni in 2001. The only gun I'd ever fired was a pellet firing rifle in a cubscout LINK meeting, at cans. I enjoyed it then. But never heard or saw anything of guns other than air rifles, at a local military surplus store.

Since coming here I have a few friends who go hunting, and twice I've been able to do some target shooting with them up in the mountains. It's great fun and I surprised myself at how well I did. The overly scared approach to guns is a bit annoying now that I've had a chance to see and fire them.

Idiots abound the world over. Everyone else shouldn't miss out because of their idiocy.

Good thread.

[cyzmyass]

There are lots of sports they dont cover, tbh you cant cover all events from the OLYMPICS can you eh

[Tumble]

aint just the olympics chap... they cover Tri-athalon randomly... blummin World Championship CROWN GREEN BOWLS gets more coverage. i don't care if it's on in the wee small hours, 3-4am or something.... that's what videos are for.. I just wanna see it.. so I don't have to go to Australia or Germany every time I wanna see a big comp.

[Skii]

As much as I hate this government and its knee jerk policy on firearms, Tumble mate, it just isn't a spectator sport. In fact its probably the dullest spectator sport ever, and thats coming from a long time gun nut and former firearm holder

I used to love shooting, my favorite being black-powder (muskets and early revolvers) - lots of noise, smoke and destruction (trust me you ain't seen nothing untill you've seen what a solid musket ball can do) but olympic shooting ? Yep TONNES of skill, patience and precision involved - what these guys can do is superb, but as dull as it gets from a spectators point of view.

[Curly]

As a youngster I did the same as Wildmonkeyuk and went to Germany with the Army cadets and fired variuos guns. rifles etc on the ranges also went to a few competitions at Bisley, I must say I enjoyed them both but as a TV spectator sport it just fails. If the interest to watch the shooting was there and the TV companies could guarantee the viewers then believe me the TV companies would show it, sheer numbers of participants in a sport means nothing, if this was the case fishing would be on every weekend instead of the football.

Curly

[jimborae]

As a youngster I did the same as Wildmonkeyuk and went to Germany with the Army cadets and fired variuos guns. rifles etc on the ranges also went to a few competitions at Bisley, I must say I enjoyed them both but as a TV spectator sport it just fails. If the interest to watch the shooting was there and the TV companies could guarantee the viewers then believe me the TV companies would show it, sheer numbers of participants in a sport means nothing, if this was the case fishing would be on every weekend instead of the football.

Curly

I too was a very active member of the Army Cadets when I was younger. My school even has it's own .22 rifle range and regularly competed in shooting competions with other schools army cadets. Personally I loved shooting & watching rifle competitions & there's nothing like firing off a magazine from a old Bren or modern GPMG.