Save "When Saturday Comes"

[Shagga#6]

I am sure that many of you footy lovers out there enjoy Francis Leeches radio show "when Saturday COmes". If you don't know it, listen to 774 in Victoria from 10am to 12 noon each Saturday for some great football humour, trivia and the fans view on the game.

I sent an email to the ABC program Manager Ian Mannix imploring him to save the show which has been earmarked to be axed after this year. His response was one of the most dismisive emails I had read from someone who is in charge of what we listen to on "our" ABC.

Read both my email and his response. If you want to save "When Saturday Comes", send you email of support straight to the head man Ian Mannix, at mannix.ian@abc.net.au.


Dear Ben

I agree with much of what you say, and I too felt WSC is an excellent
program. However few listeners agree with you. Somewhere between 30-50
percent of our existing audience turns off at 10am on Saturday morning and
they come back on at noon.

We are not in the business of attracting a new, fresh young audience.
That's why there is nothing else on our radio for younger people. I realise
many listeners come to us for our news and current affairs, but most people
begin listening to talk radio a little older.

We will use the funds released by the WSC decision to create several new
programs.

I am sorry this won't please you, but I am confident it will please a great
many other people.

Ian Mannix
Manager
ABC Local Radio
Victoria

-----Original Message-----
From: 774 ABC Melbourne
Sent: Tuesday, 27 August 2002 13:10
To: Ian Mannix
Subject: Fwd: Save "When Saturday Comes"




>
>To Ian Manix and the program Managers at 774
>
>The ABC has been a bastion of quality broadcasting since its inception. As an avid sports fan, particularly a football fan, I enjoy the insightful, passionate, intelligent and accurate broadcasting of our fantastic game whenever the 774 team is broadcasting a match. Tim Lane is without peer as a football commentator.
>
>However, I also enjoy the intelligent humours side of football, which is what When Saturday Comes has been all about. I love listening to the Coaches in the Outer, the Footy Brain quiz, the Four Noels, and all the other guests and segments that Francis and the team concocted on a Saturday morning.
>
>To give you an idea of my demographic, I am 27, and I occasionally tune in to 774 in the mornings and afternoon, but mostly listen to the ABC for the football, and the news. When Saturday Comes has been the best thing to happen to 774 for a long time. Humour with intelligence, and the people, the fans given a chance to have their say and have a laugh, or show their
>knowledge of the game.
>
>I implore the ABC program managers to reverse their decision to axe When Saturday Comes. I know that a number of my football friends have a actually come over to the ABC and have stayed there on the strength of Francis's program. And there is nothing else out there like this program, and isn't that what the ABC, and its charter, is all about?
>
>I feel confident the ABC has the grey brigade firmly in its grasp. If the ABC is fair dinkum about attracting a fresher, younger, and newer audience to its airwaves, leave When Saturday Comes where its belongs, on the air.
>
>I think it would be incredibly short sighted of the ABC if they let this program go. There is no doubt its concept will be picked up by rival station should you let this gem go.
>
>Regards
>
>Ben
>
>
>
>

 

[mellowyellow]

Since when has it been an imperative that the ABC be guided by ratings, particularly Radio?I along with you shagga thought the content and style of WSC to be excellent and a great catalyst into the main broadcast of the day.

The style and subject matter was light hearted and entertaining and was a refreshing change from the "stale" (my opinon) of the only other programTCB on 3aw.

Sadly management at theAB friggin C said that it was firm, it would be axed and we might as well **** in the wind, thanks alot aunty

Thanks for the email address,iwill email them expressing my displeasure but feel that i will receive a similar response as you .

 

[MrMOB]

I am drafting a letter to the ABC on behalf of the AFL Members Association regarding this stupid, stupid decision.

Ian Mannix says that between 30 - 50% of the existing audience switch off when WSC comes on ; what he doesn't say is that WSC actually rates well (jumping from 8.3% of the 10am 12pm Saturday Morning audience in Victoria to 9.8% in survey number 5). Presumably a lot of the listeners also stick around for the ABC's footy coverage.

Instead, it's going to be replaced with 2 more hours of carping from that old bore Hugh Worth, and other superannuated old farts talking about super and gardening.

 

[Steve Bracks]

Ah yes well I might have to get my secretary to draft up a letter for me and send to the ABC on my behalf.

 

[Satay Mat]

I thought it was a great reply....

think of the alternative:

Dear Ben,

thank you so much for your letter dated xx/xx/xxxx.

We are looking into the matter and will do our best to continue to provide the very best in sports radio. Unfortunately we cannot meet all requests but keeo listenning, as we will be doing our very best to bring whats good about Australia to you !.

Ian
.
.
.
.
.
at least he was honest and didn't fill it with waffle. Bottom line is that the ABC do not target you or people like you. You may not like that but at least he was upfront enough to tell it to your face...not put some PR spin on it.

anyway.....

 

[footyman]

Originally posted by Steve Bracks
Ah yes well I might have to get my secretary to draft up a letter for me and send to the ABC on my behalf.

Forget that Mr Bracks, why not conduct an inquiry into the ABC's decision.

Who is the senator who complained about the axing in Parliament last week?

 

[Leaping Linder]

Originally posted by Satay Mat
I thought it was a great reply....

think of the alternative:

Dear Ben,

thank you so much for your letter dated xx/xx/xxxx.

We are looking into the matter and will do our best to continue to provide the very best in sports radio. Unfortunately we cannot meet all requests but keeo listenning, as we will be doing our very best to bring whats good about Australia to you !.

Ian
.
.
.
.
.
at least he was honest and didn't fill it with waffle. Bottom line is that the ABC do not target you or people like you. You may not like that but at least he was upfront enough to tell it to your face...not put some PR spin on it.

anyway.....

Good point the trouble is it is B/S. The decision is motivated by internal politics. WSC audience ranges from teens to eighty Y.O,inner cityites to country folk and it rates well. Mannix is keeping one of his hands very busy when he sends out replies like that!!!!!!!!

 

[MrMOB]

Letter sent to Mannix by AFLMA

This is what I've written on behalf of the committee of the AFL Members Association.

*******


Friday, August 31 2002

ATTENTION: Mr Ian Mannix, Manager ABC 774

Re: Future of program "When Saturday Comes"


Dear Mr Mannix,

This letter comes to you on behalf of the AFL Members Association. Our association was formed 12 months ago in response to members' concerns about how the AFL is looking after membership entitlements.

The 48,000 AFL Members are among football's most loyal supporters, are primarily based in Victoria, and come from across all age groups, walks of life or however else you might categorise your listener demographics.

Our membership has been surprised and disappointed to learn of ABC 774 management's plan to discontinue Francis Leach's popular Saturday morning radio program When Saturday Comes.

The AFLMA urges the ABC to reverse this decision.

When Saturday Comes is a highly entertaining program, and is popular with many of our members in all age groups, both young, old and in-between. If some of your more elderly listeners switch off when WSC comes on air, this appears to be amply compensated by other listeners: the latest ratings figures suggest that the program is capably holding its own in the timeslot, and offers a great lead-in for your station's excellent football coverage.

In era of increased corporatisation and media packaging, WSC gives ordinary fans a unique opportunity to share their passion and love of the game with such segments as "Coach In the Outer" and "The Country Club" .

Axing the program appears to us to be short-sighted and one that future ABC managers may rue - after all, the Coodabeens are still doing well on commercial radio.

The AFLMA was formed because the AFL has lost touch with its fans - it would be sad if ABC was seen to have lost touch with its listeners.

Yours faithfully,

Michael Agrotis,
President, AFL Members Association

 

[Shagga#6]

Well done Mr MOB,

The reason I posted my email and Mannix's response was becuase I knew that the program appealed to a wider, intelligent football audience of all walks of life, but I can only speak for myself.

I encourage everyone on bigfooty who has enjoyed WSC to email Mannix with this type of letter. The ABC can easily ignore whinging, moaning letters, but emails and letters that makea case for the support of the program do get taken notice of.

I am glad to see this thread got revived, I thought it had died.

Big footy people get on board and email Mr Mannix with your votes of support to Save When Saturday Comes.

 

[MrMOB]

Lame Response from Mannix

This is the response I got from Ian Mannix, ABC program manager who cancelled When Saturday Comes. y head is still spinning trying to figure out the point he's making - somehow we were obviously supposed to write to him about keeping WSC *before* the decision to axe the show was made public in the Green Guide.

MrMOB




Dear Michael


Thank you for taking the trouble to email me with your concerns about When Saturday Comes. I am not sure that your organisation yet represents the interests of all football supporters, but I believe that we live in a stronger
community if people become involved. We can create the community we want.


Unfortunately I have taken the decision to use the funds freed up by the decision not to recommission WSC to create several new regional programs for listeners who, for the past eight years, have had no local radio on weekends at all. In those circumstances I will only be able to review the decision if Local
Radio receives more money.


The decision was not made on ratings and demographics grounds alone, but itwould certainly have helped if your members and other followers of AFL had actually listened regularly to WSC. Many listeners have contacted me only after seeing the issue raised in The Green Guide. If those people had truly valued the
program they would have contacted me weeks earlier. Your members need to know that if they don't use it, they will lose it.


We will continue to broadcast sixteen hours of AFL and sports coverage Friday, Saturday and Sundays, using the services of Tim Lane and the Grandstand team. I am aware that some of this coverage does not reflect WSC, but Dwayne's team on
Fridays is very funny, and perhaps there is room to examine their approach to radio.


I would invite your members to continue to listen to ABC radio and become involved in discussions about our output.


Ian Mannix
Manager
ABC Local Radio
Victoria

 

[MrMOB]

AFLMA Reply to Mannix

Dear Mr Mannix,

The AFL Members Association makes no claim to represent or seek to represent the interests of all football supporters, just the 48,000 who are AFL Members.

We regret that it appears your decision will not be reversed, unless further funds for local radio are forthcoming. The last set of ratings figures for WSC indicates that a growing audience were "using" the program, and so are consequently disappointed about "losing" it.

I welcome your invitation to become involved in discussions about ABC radio's output. Unfortunately, it appears from your response that you would require our members to develop the talent of clairvoyance so we can write to you about programs you are going to axe before that decision is publicised in the media.

Yours sincerely,

Michael O'Brien
AFLMA Media Spokesman