Originally Posted by Mark Petch
Hi Rodger,
It will be no surprise to you that I agree with you sentiments, and that's the root of the problem. I was at Hampton Downs both weekends and thoroughly enjoyed myself wondering around talking to a great many people I have not seen for years. I must admit other than watching Kenny demolish the only real opposition, et al. Proctor and Ross, I did very little spectating but just enjoyed the great atmosphere that existed over two very hot weekend's.
I even saw Crunch Bennett and his young son soaking up the same atmosphere, so at least one member of the MSNZ executive is in touch with reality.
There is no one common denominator, that can explain the demise of Tier One, racing save for the WFC in 2008, however, I can point to things going wrong with Tier One as far back as the 2006/2007 season when from memory TMC turned over nearly $4 Million in revenue and under Martin Fine's management thought it was bullet proof.
The decision they took to ditch TV1 in favour of TV3 [and no I am not taking potshot's at the coverage or quality of one versus the other] was the turning point in the slippery slide to oblivion amongst all the lies and deceit that went with it.
The fact is that TV1 were paying TMC a $400,000 annual "Broadcasting Fee", plus they supplied their most senior sport producer David Turner, at no cost to TMC to direct, produce ,and edit all the footage provided by TMC's private video contractor's.
However, when TMC believed they could do better by jumping ship to TV3 under a deal brokered by TV3's then head of sale's Colin Caldwell, who also happened to be a budding Porsche Competitor, and who it is alleged eventually lost his job because of the resulting 'smelly' mess, things very quickly turned pear shape.
TMC believed that in accepting a heavily discounted 1.2 million pa. in contra advertising, for the Series broadcasting rights, would mean that they, TMC, stood to make a net profit on their TV coverage [if they could successfully sell the contra] enter one Geoff Short, who was handed the contract to sell the Contra in return for being given 20% of the advertising space to sell of to his own account.
MSNZ was equally to blame because they owned the controlling interest in TMC, but were mere dancing puppets to the grand master of the "Punch and Judy" show.
MSNZ, not TMC, had a 10 year contract with Toyota NZ and when the number of TRS fell below 15 cars they failed to hold Toyota NZ to account.
MSNZ also gave the unproven Toyota 86 class National Championship status without a season's trial and despite never fielding more than 10 cars it continue's to have MSNZ Championship Status. Even Martin Fine was against class proliferation.
I have no issue with Toyota's TRS series and applaud the opportunities they have given many of our very talented young kiwi driver like Brendon, Mitch, Rich'y, and Earl Bamber etc, the opportunity to move overseas's to further their careers. However, MSNZ failed to understand that the TRS Series is commercially un-promotable, so trying to tie other Tier One Classes to the TRS Series is commercial suicide, LIMO.
Test cricket does not need spectator's, it just need TV coverage to attract sponsorship and in turn the broadcaster to make it all pay through advertisers, Toyota NZ is big enough to do much the same as Cricket does for its TRS Series.
The rest is history, I could and should right a book about what went on but hey it wont change anything so why bother.
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