Radio Stoke are a disgrace.

[mbycars]

Never say never.

 

It took me 30 years of supporting the club to see them make what is now the championship. At 65 I don't think I've got another 30 years left in me lol, but I live in hope.

[melv]

I seem to remember a few weeks ago We played Exeter (I think)On that day Stoke played Rotherham(?)Exactly the same happened Stoke had an evening kick off,game was on TV,and RS cancelled P&G and covered the match on FM / MW & DAB.Cant remember who it was but someone said that they were going to get in contact with someone at the BBC about this constant bias from RS in favour of SCFC.Just wondering if that person actually did contact someone at the BBC and if so what was their response(assuming that the BBC even bothered to reply)

[blackdog]

They are not bothered in fact they seem to enjoy the "criticism" both Sandoz & Blakeman mention the negatively among Vale fans, goading them to call in and say something positive, when in effect its them & Ray Williams who set the negative tone, waste of time bothering with P&G poor cub reporting in my opinion.

The Sentinel get stick for their reporting but with Baggers it's light years in advance, in fact I'm old enough to remember Chris Harper phoning reports in on behalf of Radio Stoke while doing his Sentinel reporting it was far better and nowhere near as self indulgent.

[For Us All]

Basically,on a standard Saturday with all of our local clubs on15.00 kick-offs Sjoke always get the first half-hour apart from the five minutes Vale & Crwho are allowed for naming their teams.The other 30 minutes of Sport on Saturday is divided between all thrèe clubs.

I've not put the stopwatch on it but I would estimate that our southern neighbours get approximately 35 minutes coverage out of the hour.

[melv]

Basically,on a standard Saturday with all of our local clubs on15.00 kick-offs Sjoke always get the first half-hour apart from the five minutes Vale & Crwho are allowed for naming their teams.The other 30 minutes of Sport on Saturday is divided between all thrèe clubs.

I've not put the stopwatch on it but I would estimate that our southern neighbours get approximately 35 minutes coverage out of the hour.

 

A short while ago I was listening to P&G and it was Stoke Stoke Stoke with a traffic report and other bits thrown in.The show was into it 50th min before Vale and Crewe got a mention.

 

But that aside it’s disgraceful that yesterday that the P&G post match debrief and phone is is cancelled (delayed) and RS cover the Stoke match on all 3 channels.All the other normally scheduled programmes are also.Just to cover the Stoke match that is also at home and live on TV.Exactly the same happened just a few weeks ago.

 

There simply is no justification for such continual bias.

[Paul6754]

Can the BBC transfer Crewe Alex to Radio Shropshire or Radio Merseyside of even invent a Radio Cheshire. I believe Crewe was part of the Granada broadcast area so it could also go to Radio Lancashire. Just bugger 'em off.

 

I'm hacked off listening to Crewe Alex/McGarry pre-Vale games and even more hacked off listening to Crewe commentary while watching Vale games!!!

[yoblet]

Always been the same,and they have always sucked up to stoke managers in interviews too scared to say it how it is.

[RailwayRowdy]

One thing that always gets me with RS and P&G, is the presenters continual patronising “come on Vale/Crewe fans where are you” comments as if to say only Stoke calls are being aired because the small fry fans arn’t ringing in. Yet lo and behold when the Prize Bully’s arn’t playing the show is full of Vale & Crewe callers ! So we’re calling all the time, just being ignored in favour of that shower down the road as per norm !

[Heatwave]

One thing that always gets me with RS and P&G, is the presenters continual patronising “come on Vale/Crewe fans where are you” comments as if to say only Stoke calls are being aired because the small fry fans arn’t ringing in. Yet lo and behold when the Prize Bully’s arn’t playing the show is full of Vale & Crewe callers ! So we’re calling all the time, just being ignored in favour of that shower down the road as per norm !

 

What's Norm got to do with it? I wouldn't put it past him personally.

[PVTony]

If Vale, Crewe and Stoke play on a Saturday, I switch the radio off for P&Grumble. I can not stand (or sit) listening to lardy drivel for the first 30/40 minutes.

[melv]

Still no reply to the e mail that I sent to them.Just shows their level of ignorance

[ValeKev]

What's Norm got to do with it? I wouldn't put it past him personally.

 

You know the rules. Everything that is bad is Normans fault but anything good is in spite of Norman.

[melv]

Eventually got a reply from Radio Stoke.

 

Dear Melv,

 

Thanks for getting in touch and your comments about our coverage. I am Andrew – I’m the Managing Editor at BBC Radio Stoke, I’ll do my best to answer your points.

 

Our commitment to our 3 local league football teams is equal.

 

We’re the only radio station to provide commentary of Port Vale, Crewe Alex & Stoke City games - home and away regardless of kick off times and television coverage.

 

As you mention, this can be disruptive to other programmes and listeners particularly those who don’t like football, but I consider providing the commentary to be a very important part of what we do.

 

Providing commentary on 3 teams home and away is also expensive, as well as the staffing costs of sending commentary teams to games we also have to pay each of the clubs thousands of pounds each year for the rights to deliver live commentary.

These costs are something we continually review – and again I am convinced that providing commentary is the right way for us to use licence fee funds, as if we didn’t provide this service no other broadcaster would.

 

If any of our 3 teams kick off at unusual times (and are the only team playing) they tend to get full coverage on all frequencies meaning as many people as possible can hear the commentary and we get most value for the licence fee spent.

 

For example Port Vale’s game against Sunderland this Sunday will be on all frequencies even though that means moving a programme and shortening another which is disruptive – but I think entirely appropriate given the interest in the game.

 

We cannot not provide radio commentary, just because a game is being shown on TV.

As you know the TV companies move fixtures to suit their audiences. Also not everyone has access to BT Sport or Sky.

 

We provide our commentary free of charge to listeners.

Thanks for your comments.

 

Andrew

Andrew Bowman

Editor BBC Radio Stoke

[Fosse69]

Did I miss the explanation of why P&G and a match commentary cannot be broadcast at the same time using different frequencies, similar to when different games are broadcast at the same time?

[Heatwave]

Eventually got a reply from Radio Stoke.

 

Dear Melv,

 

Thanks for getting in touch and your comments about our coverage. I am Andrew – I’m the Managing Editor at BBC Radio Stoke, I’ll do my best to answer your points.

 

Our commitment to our 3 local league football teams is equal.

 

We’re the only radio station to provide commentary of Port Vale, Crewe Alex & Stoke City games - home and away regardless of kick off times and television coverage.

 

As you mention, this can be disruptive to other programmes and listeners particularly those who don’t like football, but I consider providing the commentary to be a very important part of what we do.

 

Providing commentary on 3 teams home and away is also expensive, as well as the staffing costs of sending commentary teams to games we also have to pay each of the clubs thousands of pounds each year for the rights to deliver live commentary.

These costs are something we continually review – and again I am convinced that providing commentary is the right way for us to use licence fee funds, as if we didn’t provide this service no other broadcaster would.

 

If any of our 3 teams kick off at unusual times (and are the only team playing) they tend to get full coverage on all frequencies meaning as many people as possible can hear the commentary and we get most value for the licence fee spent.

 

For example Port Vale’s game against Sunderland this Sunday will be on all frequencies even though that means moving a programme and shortening another which is disruptive – but I think entirely appropriate given the interest in the game.

 

We cannot not provide radio commentary, just because a game is being shown on TV.

As you know the TV companies move fixtures to suit their audiences. Also not everyone has access to BT Sport or Sky.

 

We provide our commentary free of charge to listeners.

Thanks for your comments.

 

Andrew

Andrew Bowman

Editor BBC Radio Stoke

 

Typical politician's answer - ask a direct question and get a reply that doesn't even begin to answer it. For RS as for any politician it's because the truth is inconvenient - they just couldn't be bothered to accommodate fans of little Port Vale.