BBC northern Ireland rugby

[carlow man]

Just watching the ulster v connacht match..good game but the commentary from the supposedly unbiased/neutral team is getting beyond a joke. Why is jim mcneilly allowed to get away with it all the time? I understand it's on bbc ni but they have a co commentator who usually an ex ulster player who you would expect to side with his old team but mcneilly is supposed to just provide commentary and not cream his pants every time ulster have the ball!!

[Dave Cahill]

Where does it say that they are supposed to be unbiased or neutral? BBC invest in coverage of the Pro12 for their local stations to cover their local teams.

[johng]

Is this your first time watching Jim Neilly?

[carlow man]

No I've listened to him on numerous occasions but still find it very odd that no one has said he is there to try to just commentate but instead sounds like your sat next to an ulster fan in the stand. I know it's bbc ni but u don't hear Mark robson on sky go on like mcneilly. Robson can provide unbiased comments aswell alongside connecting with fans who support both teams.

[carlow man]

Where does it say that they are supposed to be unbiased or neutral? BBC invest in coverage of the Pro12 for their local stations to cover their local teams.

I would expect that whilst they provide commentary for ulster and obviously have an interest in them doing well, the head commentator is still supposed to remain impartial, he's there to tell us what's happening, not tell us how great ulster are and not mention the opposition. Painful to listen to.

[johng]

big jim is like a kindly old uncle who you let away with talking chyte because you know he means well.

You're lucky if he gets the ulster players names right.

[Dave Cahill]

No I've listened to him on numerous occasions but still find it very odd that no one has said he is there to try to just commentate but instead sounds like your sat next to an ulster fan in the stand. I know it's bbc ni but u don't hear Mark robson on sky go on like mcneilly. Robson can provide unbiased comments aswell alongside connecting with fans who support both teams.

Sky aren't a northern ireland television station who purchased the rights to broadcast to a northern ireland audience about a team that is 6/9ths from northern ireland. Sky and BBC have different reasons for showing the games and differing priorities within that coverage. BBC NI are only interested in their NI viewers, the GFA/overspill viewers aren't their concern or their market.

[johng]

Uk team playing against the furriners
From a bbc perspective.

Try the sc4 engliish commentators oe bbc wales.

[Dave Cahill]

Where does it say that they are supposed to be unbiased or neutral? BBC invest in coverage of the Pro12 for their local stations to cover their local teams.

I would expect that whilst they provide commentary for ulster and obviously have an interest in them doing well, the head commentator is still supposed to remain impartial, he's there to tell us what's happening, not tell us how great ulster are and not mention the opposition. Painful to listen to.

Why is he supposed to remain impartial, why is he there to tell us whats happening? BBC NI editorial policy for sports IS to tell how great the team from NI are, always has been.

The game is also live on Sky

[carlow man]

That doesn't mean they can't provide an impartial commentator. Also it's not only ulster fans watching. I've watched ulster play on numerous occasions against sides from all over Europe and mcneilly is so one sided it's unreal.

[carlow man]

Uk team playing against the furriners
From a bbc perspective.

Try the sc4 engliish commentators oe bbc wales.

I actually find the s4c commentators quite good. They do tend to get overexcited thou which isn't all bad.

[Dave Cahill]

That doesn't mean they can't provide an impartial commentator. Also it's not only ulster fans watching. I've watched ulster play on numerous occasions against sides from all over Europe and mcneilly is so one sided it's unreal.

They don't care about you. If BBC had their way you wouldn't be able to watch the game on BBC, but Anglo-Irish politics have forced them to make their broadcasts available FTA in Ireland. BBC NI broadcast solely for a Northern Ireland audience. Even their gaelic games coverage is biased this way - watch Cavan or Donegal against Fermanagh or Down for example.

[johng]

I enjoy other nations commentary too. Gives you a bit of an insight.

what's the "mcneilly" thing about btw? Did I miss a joke?

[carlow man]

My fault there John. Phone kept changing it to mc. Meant to say neilly!!

[johng]

My fault there John. Phone kept changing it to mc. Meant to say neilly!!

[carlow man]

That doesn't mean they can't provide an impartial commentator. Also it's not only ulster fans watching. I've watched ulster play on numerous occasions against sides from all over Europe and mcneilly is so one sided it's unreal.

They don't care about you. If BBC had their way you wouldn't be able to watch the game on BBC, but Anglo-Irish politics have forced them to make their broadcasts available FTA in Ireland. BBC NI broadcast solely for a Northern Ireland audience. Even their gaelic games coverage is biased this way - watch Cavan or Donegal against Fermanagh or Down for example.

I know that. Just think that with other stations, rte, tg4 and sky, their main commentator is able to remain impartial and give us an unbalanced view. I understand that it may be ''their" team/province playing but they are paid to be a professional commentator, not a supporter with a microphone which is for the most part what neilly sounds like. You obviously don't think he is that bad.

[Dave Cahill]

Oh I hate their coverage, but I'm not their target market. Other stations have different editorial policies. They don't operate in a one region - one team environment like BBC NI do.

I'm not sure that they're very much worse than RTE were when they used to have the HEC rights btw.

[kermischocolate]

All hail Carlow man.

The commentary and "analysis" was so horrendous I gave up watching.

Actually, what have I missed that this game was tonight? Why were it and the Italian derby before Christmas?

[blockhead]

We should'nt have any expectation of a home broadcaster being "neutral". And in the first half anyway the co-commentator kept calling the refs pens for Connacht as spot on. I watched the ruggmatrix podcast after the game v aus recently and they were stunned by the supposed bias of Ryle and his sidekick. Expect it and get over it. Who cares anyway, watch a rugby game on the telly for the performance on the pitch not the performance of the lads behind the mic's.

[neill_m]

Ever watched a game on BBC Wales? Neutral...

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