Remove this Banner Ad

Radio coverage

🥰 Love BigFooty? Join now for free.

big_e said:
Can't see the ABC broadcasting cricket in five years, tbh.
Click to expand...
Listened to some of the ABC broadcast on days 2 & 3 of the 3rd test.

I know Jim Maxwell hasn't been in the best of health over the past years but he needs to retire. He made that many mistakes during the commentary stints which made it difficult to listen to. Frequently mispronouncing the Pakistan's batsman's names, calling the wrong batsman on strike, several times he said the scores which were wrong (seemed he couldn't keep up with the updated score) and he generally rambled on at times/

No-one would begrudge him if he retired.
 
Rabish Binney said:
Listened to some of the ABC broadcast on days 2 & 3 of the 3rd test.

I know Jim Maxwell hasn't been in the best of health over the past years but he needs to retire. He made that many mistakes during the commentary stints which made it difficult to listen to. Frequently mispronouncing the Pakistan's batsman's names, calling the wrong batsman on strike, several times he said the scores which were wrong (seemed he couldn't keep up with the updated score) and he generally rambled on at times/

No-one would begrudge him if he retired.
Click to expand...
He spent an entire series last summer calling Jermaine Blackwood "Jerome" and asking why the big fella Ricky Cornwell wasn't playing.

Most of this summers ABC broadcast has been based around celebrating Jim Maxwell's 50th year of broadcasting. It's a great achievement but it's obvious that there is no one at the ABC who is big enough or pays enough attention to tell him his job performance is not up to standard. Probably not worth doing so anyway.

Cricket has passed him by and he seems resentful of that fact. He goes around each summer for the nostaglia hit and it's because it's what he's always done.

I've been an ABC cricket listener my entire life but I've transitioned to SEN and it's been a good decision. I only really go to the ABC now if SEN are having an interview during play (which they love to do occasionally and it means you have NFI what is happening in the match).
 
Rabish Binney said:
Listened to some of the ABC broadcast on days 2 & 3 of the 3rd test.

I know Jim Maxwell hasn't been in the best of health over the past years but he needs to retire. He made that many mistakes during the commentary stints which made it difficult to listen to. Frequently mispronouncing the Pakistan's batsman's names, calling the wrong batsman on strike, several times he said the scores which were wrong (seemed he couldn't keep up with the updated score) and he generally rambled on at times/

No-one would begrudge him if he retired.
Click to expand...
In the lead up to the series they had him on Summer Grandstand and he was thrown a softball - 'how have you managed to be so successful for 50 years?' He went for a self-deprecating 'well it starts with just getting some words out', except he stuffed it and didn't actually get the words out. He's 73 years old - even minus his health issues, he's well past retirement age.
 

Log in to remove this Banner Ad

corbies said:
He spent an entire series last summer calling Jermaine Blackwood "Jerome" and asking why the big fella Ricky Cornwell wasn't playing.

Most of this summers ABC broadcast has been based around celebrating Jim Maxwell's 50th year of broadcasting. It's a great achievement but it's obvious that there is no one at the ABC who is big enough or pays enough attention to tell him his job performance is not up to standard. Probably not worth doing so anyway.
Click to expand...
Find it really bizarre that, as with Whateley, they've again leaned into this cult of personality around a single broadcaster. People who listen to the ABC listen because of the brand recognition, not because they're attached to an individual. I switched between SEN and the ABC depending on who was calling - was struck by how the SEN call is basically the ABC of a decade ago plus (annoying) ads.
 
thejester said:
Find it really bizarre that, as with Whateley, they've again leaned into this cult of personality around a single broadcaster. People who listen to the ABC listen because of the brand recognition, not because they're attached to an individual. I switched between SEN and the ABC depending on who was calling - was struck by how the SEN call is basically the ABC of a decade ago plus (annoying) ads.
Click to expand...

Jarrod Kimber wrote a good but long article about that 6 years ago.
 
010203 said:
Jarrod Kimber wrote a good but long article about that 6 years ago.
Click to expand...
That was really interesting, thanks. Hard not to wonder if the basic problem still exists, or if it has even gotten worse. I don't follow it super closely but isn't part of the big war that's going on in the ABC about how they manage content about a certain topic over such a massive variety of platforms/formats? Seems what Kimber is describing was an early manifestation of that.
 
It probably wasn't what Kimber was talking about in regards to their social media but they made a big change to it about 2 years ago and it gets heaps of engagement now.

I mean it is now complete clickbait rubbish that Ladbible would be embarrassed by and a lot of it is stolen content but their engagement numbers would be massive compared to what it was. People love that shit.
 
corbies said:
It probably wasn't what Kimber was talking about in regards to their social media but they made a big change to it about 2 years ago and it gets heaps of engagement now.

I mean it is now complete clickbait rubbish that Ladbible would be embarrassed by and a lot of it is stolen content but their engagement numbers would be massive compared to what it was. People love that s**t.
Click to expand...
And yet the Grandstand cricket podcast is about as vanilla as it comes.
 
thejester said:
Find it really bizarre that, as with Whateley, they've again leaned into this cult of personality around a single broadcaster. People who listen to the ABC listen because of the brand recognition, not because they're attached to an individual. I switched between SEN and the ABC depending on who was calling - was struck by how the SEN call is basically the ABC of a decade ago plus (annoying) ads.
Click to expand...

Five years ago, if you told me that I'd be listening to SEN rather than the ABC for test cricket coverage I would have laughed.

These days, Hutchy's callers usually take precedence. The ABC is just so stale. Maxwell was always decent as a commentator but as secondary to likes of Lane, Roebuck, O'Keefe etc. Now he's the sun and everyone else appears to have to revolve around him. He is more of a black hole. Nannes is good value...but I see they have the big game murderer on their roster. No thanks.
 
10Dulkar said:
Kimber is insufferable on talkSPORT as he constantly inserts himself into the commentary over the commentator and summariser even though he is only the scorer so his criticism of the cult of the individual is a tad ironic to say the least.
Click to expand...


He does seem to see himself as the saviour of cricket broadcasting...

 

Remove this Banner Ad

sandeano said:
Five years ago, if you told me that I'd be listening to SEN rather than the ABC for test cricket coverage I would have laughed.

These days, Hutchy's callers usually take precedence. The ABC is just so stale. Maxwell was always decent as a commentator but as secondary to likes of Lane, Roebuck, O'Keefe etc. Now he's the sun and everyone else appears to have to revolve around him. He is more of a black hole. Nannes is good value...but I see they have the big game murderer on their roster. No thanks.
Click to expand...

Many of the people who have work on SEN have also done work with ABC radio in the past - Adam Collins, Gerard Whateley, Simon Katich, Chris Rogers, Damien Fleming, Adam White and Geoff Lemon has worked with both over the last few years.
 
Last edited:
thejester said:
That was really interesting, thanks. Hard not to wonder if the basic problem still exists, or if it has even gotten worse. I don't follow it super closely but isn't part of the big war that's going on in the ABC about how they manage content about a certain topic over such a massive variety of platforms/formats? Seems what Kimber is describing was an early manifestation of that.
Click to expand...
It seems to have returned to worse than what it was pre-2015 as described in Kimber's article. There used to be two cricket specialist pbp commentators- Maxwell and Glenn Mitchell/Drew Morphett and most seasons, one from the touring nation- Harsha, Manthorp, Aggers etc. Now it's Maxwell, Alison Mitchell (and she's not on air much because of her Channel 7 duties) and one of the local commentators who are normally an AFL or NRL guy so their rhythm is all wrong and/or knowledge may not be up to scratch (eg Clint Wheeldon should not be doing Test Cricket).

And now, because there are so many other broadcasters, the ABC is left with the dregs for expert comments. Tom Moody and Phil Jacques in Perth for goodness sake!

The combination of ABC budget cuts and more broadcasters has knocked nearly all life out of their broadcasts. If Corbin Middlemas (who seems the logical Jim replacement) leaves for another broadcaster, they'll be truly stuffed. Why Middlemas isn't doing all Tests already is perplexing.
 
Falconista said:
It seems to have returned to worse than what it was pre-2015 as described in Kimber's article. There used to be two cricket specialist pbp commentators- Maxwell and Glenn Mitchell/Drew Morphett and most seasons, one from the touring nation- Harsha, Manthorp, Aggers etc. Now it's Maxwell, Alison Mitchell (and she's not on air much because of her Channel 7 duties) and one of the local commentators who are normally an AFL or NRL guy so their rhythm is all wrong and/or knowledge may not be up to scratch (eg Clint Wheeldon should not be doing Test Cricket).

And now, because there are so many other broadcasters, the ABC is left with the dregs for expert comments. Tom Moody and Phil Jacques in Perth for goodness sake!

The combination of ABC budget cuts and more broadcasters has knocked nearly all life out of their broadcasts. If Corbin Middlemas (who seems the logical Jim replacement) leaves for another broadcaster, they'll be truly stuffed. Why Middlemas isn't doing all Tests already is perplexing.
Click to expand...
Nailed it.

Absolutely 100% spot on.
 
Is it beyond the realms of possibility that Whateley will return to the ABC? Comes down to dollars and cents I guess but SEN could easily replace him with someone on less than half his coin who would rate just as well, if not better albeit without the same profile.

I'd love to know how potential commentators are trained up in the craft.
 
10Dulkar said:
Is it beyond the realms of possibility that Whateley will return to the ABC? Comes down to dollars and cents I guess but SEN could easily replace him with someone on less than half his coin who would rate just as well, if not better albeit without the same profile.

I'd love to know how potential commentators are trained up in the craft.
Click to expand...

No chance in my opinion. Best chance is he does more with Fox which might mean he can't do daily radio.
 

🥰 Love BigFooty? Join now for free.

10Dulkar said:
Definitely a possibility with Fox having their own commentators in the new rights deal.

Whateley just screams to me an ABC man in exile.
Click to expand...
Tim Lane even more so and he hasn't returned.
 
10Dulkar said:
Is it beyond the realms of possibility that Whateley will return to the ABC? Comes down to dollars and cents I guess but SEN could easily replace him with someone on less than half his coin who would rate just as well, if not better albeit without the same profile.

I'd love to know how potential commentators are trained up in the craft.
Click to expand...
Generally these days it's taking gigs on community TV or radio, calling lower level sport. A guy I went to school with Brent Sternberg, is doing that at the moment.
But you also get the ex-players like Leigh Montagna and Luke Darcy, who get a gig with a major network straight away. They'd do shadow calls, before getting a chance to go on air.
 
Who was on SEN today?
Pipe
Adam White
Who was the third ball by ball? Didn't hear Collo or Whateley on the highlights at the end of the day's play in the car.
Ryan Harris was one of the summarisers. Sundaresan was there too.
 
10Dulkar said:
Who was on SEN today?
Pipe
Adam White
Who was the third ball by ball? Didn't hear Collo or Whateley on the highlights at the end of the day's play in the car.
Ryan Harris was one of the summarisers. Sundaresan was there too.
Click to expand...

Collo is back in England. The Pipe happily calling the game on site is interesting because I'm pretty sure he tells people to ship off when they bag Fox Footy for calling from a studio. Simon Katich, Damien Fleming, Ian Smith and Peter Lalor were also on.
 

Remove this Banner Ad

Radio coverage

🥰 Love BigFooty? Join now for free.

Back
Top