This year looked like (one of the many) when people were suffering Glastonbury envy, but while only 140,00 people got to go, the rest of us could soak up some of the BBC's most excellent coverage. It reminded me again that we're lucky to have it at such a cheap price.
I write this, of course, after the BBC came underfire yet again at the weekend for what the Daily Mail and the Sunday Times were calling excessive coverage and the fact that it sent 407 people to cover the festival.
But worse than that...get this, some of those people went for free?! OMFG. Can you believe it, people working in the media went somewhere for free. Its shocking.
It would be nice to see a list of the freebies that the reporter's writing these stories had enjoyed. I can own up to having gone to Glastonbury in the past for free several times. Not to mention one or two other places.
Not sure about you, but over the course of the weekend I sampled BBC Glastonbury coverage on BBC Two, BBC Three, used the BBC's red button interactive service and listened (as always) to the most excellent Adam & Joe show on 6 Music. It was so well done (minus Jo Whiley who makes me want to destroy my TV set).
People moan about how Sky and ITV don't send anything like this to such events. Well no, of course not, for as good as these services can be they are not the BBC and they do not cater for the millions who tune in, turn on and chill out. Having caught some Bruce Springteen I even impulsed purchased 'Born in the USA' and a few 'Born to Run' tracks. Proving what a boost it is for the music industry.
The most boring thing about those attacking the BBC is that it is the same old faces: some Tory or other who took time out from his second/third job to vent his outrage and some alliance of tax payers whose mission in life is to spoil the party.
So thanks BBC; nice work
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PS Mark Byford should get in the back of a black cab, I mean seriously.
If, like me, you suffered ITV's coverage of the Isle of Wight Festival, you are probably rather grateful that the BBC decided to send so many people to Glastonbury.
I fully agree. I thought the BBC's coverage was excellent (although this is starting to sound like a sycophantic episode of Points of View). It's always good to see Tom Jones blasting it out - somebody get him a cape, he's a hero!
Red Button for Sky viewers was brill with 5 options, freeview (upstairs) caught up in the evening with 3 but there seemed to be an odd split...anyone know why the BBC show so many more streams through Sky? Extra available channels?
Either way, Glasto combined with Wimbledon coverage is making the BBC look good.
Great coverage from the Beeb. Turning Radio 6's entire weekend content over to the festival was a master stroke, especially with the live webcam stream online.
I'd like to see even more TV coverage, not less. Glastonbury is a national treasure and should be treated as such.
Fully agree with Martin on ITV's attempt at the IoW festival. That was dire. I recorded the whole thing, repeats and all and they only showed 3 minutes of one of the best received sets on the BigTop stage.
Am I right in thinking that Auntie Beeb is the official Glastonbury broadcaster, so they'll have sold the coverage round the world, thus probably more than covering the cost of sending 400 staff there on a 'freebie'.
And for Martin Byford... don't even bother with a cab. Get one of those fold up cycles. It'll help burn off those 'working lunches'!
Agree completely. Journalists going to football matches get in free. What's the difference...
Spot on Gordon. Also, the Beeb was the official global broadcast partner of the festival so will possibly recoup some of the production costs back beacuse of this.
Thanks for the comments, @Alan, I've asked the BBC to supply some figures just waiting for it to come back.
Gordon Macmillan
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