If, like me, you arose last Sunday morning to see images of the Original Mountain Marathon blazoned across your TV screen & felt excitement that perhaps you might actually be able to watch it on mainstream telly, you will also have surely felt slightly sick to find that it was only there to receive a right royal kicking from the news media!
The patronising nature of almost all reports about this event must surely rile outdoors enthusiasts. Particularly the accusations that we are somehow selfish, mad or negligent when venturing into the hills in conditions many people wouldn’t even walk down the street in. Fell running has a rich heritage of pressing on regardless. It’s what makes the sport the pinnacle of mountain running & should be maintained.
Sure, conditions were extreme on this occasion & the organisers cancelled the event when the forecasts proved to be correct. But what would have happened if they had cancelled the event in advance only to find that the weather had abated? Wouldn’t they have failed in their obligation to the entrants, many of whom had travelled long distances to compete in, potentially, these conditions? Where do you draw the line?
To those who complained about the cost of the “rescue operation” I simply ask: how much does it cost the Police Service to maintain even a basic low risk presence at a single football match anywhere in the country week in, week out?
What this has all shown is how little the outdoors community can rely on the mainstream media to help it grow & prosper. We may get some good shows on telly with various personalities having a go at climbing or canoeing & this will give us a brief view of our sports in fabulous high definition. But there is a fundamental fault line in the media's understanding of outdoor pursuits & we need to accept that the relationship could fail at any moment.
Broadcasters will always look at the bigger picture which is, for them, the sensibilities of the wider mass audience. If ‘Indignant of Islington’ feels that a fell race in torrential rain is down right insanity, the mainstream broadcasters will reflect that view because they have more to gain by following the pack than the lone wolf. Of course we all know that what they should do is to deliver a balanced, well informed summary of fact. But then that doesn’t make for very good television, does it!
With the serious outdoors community numbering the hundreds of thousands, if not millions & the health benefits of outdoor pursuits potentially being a cure for many of the nation’s health issues, shouldn’t we be seeking to nurture a sense among people that taking on a challenge like the OMM, in conditions just like this, is something to aspire to, not ridicule?
Why is it that scaling Everest as a ‘tourist’ climber is seen by society as an acceptable achievement, perhaps even one of the ‘top ten things to do before you die’, inspite of the very serious risks & yet allowing 2,000 runners to go well prepared into the mouth of a storm in the Lakeland fells is criminally insane?
Maybe only we understand. Maybe it should become the sole aim of all outdoors enthusiasts to get more people to share our understanding?
Roger Burlinson
Director of Programming - Outdoors TV
Tuesday, 28 October 2008
Friday, 24 October 2008
Outdoors TV Facebook Pages
This week has been mostly taken up with the creation of a number of Facebook pages, allowing us to connect & communitcate with viewers of the various main programme strands on Outdoors TV.
So, we now have a page dedicated to: Race Day - our competition profile programme; Out There - our non competetive event coverage programme; The Gear Room - our product & equipment profile programme & Hidden Forest - our forthcoming chill out music video slot. We've also created a page for the channel itself, giving an overview of what's going on.
The greatest benefit from all this work will be our ability to encourage those who are interested in following the channel's progress to become "fans" of the pages, allowing us then to regularly send updates to them, leading them back to Facebook, where additional information will be waiting.
We've also been extremely impressed with the video playback quality on Facebook & we'll be producing some special short clips to go exclusively on the page, rather than on the channel or our You Tube channel.
So, we're pleased to announce here & now, to anyone who may be listening (reading), that the Outdoors TV Facebook pages are, officially, OPEN!
OK. This is all nothing new & just as Blogs have been quietly getting on with the task of allowing people to air their views, so too will our Facebook pages simply get on with the task of telling the world what we're up to. However, we have found that the particular structure of the Facebook pages suit our needs & the ability to produce special videos & photo albums to help us tell the story of the creation of Outdoors TV is a pleasing development.
Roger Burlinson
Director of Programming - Outdoors TV
So, we now have a page dedicated to: Race Day - our competition profile programme; Out There - our non competetive event coverage programme; The Gear Room - our product & equipment profile programme & Hidden Forest - our forthcoming chill out music video slot. We've also created a page for the channel itself, giving an overview of what's going on.
The greatest benefit from all this work will be our ability to encourage those who are interested in following the channel's progress to become "fans" of the pages, allowing us then to regularly send updates to them, leading them back to Facebook, where additional information will be waiting.
We've also been extremely impressed with the video playback quality on Facebook & we'll be producing some special short clips to go exclusively on the page, rather than on the channel or our You Tube channel.
So, we're pleased to announce here & now, to anyone who may be listening (reading), that the Outdoors TV Facebook pages are, officially, OPEN!
OK. This is all nothing new & just as Blogs have been quietly getting on with the task of allowing people to air their views, so too will our Facebook pages simply get on with the task of telling the world what we're up to. However, we have found that the particular structure of the Facebook pages suit our needs & the ability to produce special videos & photo albums to help us tell the story of the creation of Outdoors TV is a pleasing development.
Roger Burlinson
Director of Programming - Outdoors TV
Monday, 20 October 2008
Climbing Everest by canoe?
It’s interesting how humans can become used to pain or discomfort, especially when enduring a major challenge. It’s also curious how those of us observing such exploits can become complacent about the achievement of those taking part.
Climbing Everest is practically derided nowadays as a tourist trip and yet, in spite of the assistance most climbers receive, this is still a challenge that can take you to the very brink of existence. Once upon a time, running the London Marathon was a major achievement, now it seems that if you haven’t yet run it, you are somehow not complete!
Is it because of the perceived ubiquity of these challenges or is it media over saturation? Does this mean that, as a society, we have simply become numb to acts of great adventure – have we got ‘achievement fatigue’?
I hope not, because we’re going to be making a documentary next year about one of the toughest inland water challenges going – The Devizes to Westminster canoe marathon. This is an event that caught my imagination as soon as I heard of it & I must admit I’m really looking forward to spending four days living out of the back of a van filming it!
There are a couple of categories to the ‘DW’ but the main race is the non-stop doubles race – 125 miles without rest & going right through the night in sub zero temperatures. The current record is a little over 15 hours & 30 minutes. The canoeing community call this the Everest of canoeing. While the conditions may seem a bit more welcoming than the Lhotse Face, the gruelling nature of the challenge, surely justifies the comparison.
Tactics will play a major role as well. All paddlers will have to plan to arrive at Teddington Lock in time to catch the flow of the tide up to Westminster. Otherwise, they’ll be on a wet & turbulent tread mill!
This will be our first major documentary following the public launch of the channel next Spring &, hopefully, it will be an inspirational story to counter that ‘achievement fatigue’.
Roger Burlinson
Director of Programming - Outdoors TV
Climbing Everest is practically derided nowadays as a tourist trip and yet, in spite of the assistance most climbers receive, this is still a challenge that can take you to the very brink of existence. Once upon a time, running the London Marathon was a major achievement, now it seems that if you haven’t yet run it, you are somehow not complete!
Is it because of the perceived ubiquity of these challenges or is it media over saturation? Does this mean that, as a society, we have simply become numb to acts of great adventure – have we got ‘achievement fatigue’?
I hope not, because we’re going to be making a documentary next year about one of the toughest inland water challenges going – The Devizes to Westminster canoe marathon. This is an event that caught my imagination as soon as I heard of it & I must admit I’m really looking forward to spending four days living out of the back of a van filming it!
There are a couple of categories to the ‘DW’ but the main race is the non-stop doubles race – 125 miles without rest & going right through the night in sub zero temperatures. The current record is a little over 15 hours & 30 minutes. The canoeing community call this the Everest of canoeing. While the conditions may seem a bit more welcoming than the Lhotse Face, the gruelling nature of the challenge, surely justifies the comparison.
Tactics will play a major role as well. All paddlers will have to plan to arrive at Teddington Lock in time to catch the flow of the tide up to Westminster. Otherwise, they’ll be on a wet & turbulent tread mill!
This will be our first major documentary following the public launch of the channel next Spring &, hopefully, it will be an inspirational story to counter that ‘achievement fatigue’.
Roger Burlinson
Director of Programming - Outdoors TV
Tuesday, 14 October 2008
Rumble in the....woodlands!
Recently, a rather nice golden egg fell into our laps! Being based on the edge of the New Forest has, so far, been a bit of a hindrance in the production of our programmes for Outdoors TV. I joked once with a rock climber I was filming that I lived roughly half way between the Alps & the Scottish Highlands. “Ah yes”, she replied “but not close to either”!
She was right of course, but in reality, I don’t have a problem with that. I need to be relatively close to London for clients & also we have some great facilities & recreation opportunities down here. The forest itself is the most divine space. OK, it’s not as wild as Snowdonia or Scotland but it IS a real wilderness & can provide wonderful isolation if you know where to look.
So what about that egg? We’ll, the golden egg came in the shape of the New Forest National Park Authority’s Draught Recreation Strategy…………… Anticipating your confusion, let me explain!
Recently, the National Park Authority (NPA) published its plan for the future of recreation in the forest. Instantly the local newspaper published warnings that the end of the world was nigh!
For us, having a major outdoors news story on our doorstep is a great opportunity! Very quickly, we made the decision to produce an investigative documentary about the whole issue & to look at whether it might set a precedent for other National Parks. Being local, we would be able to devote a great deal of time to the programme & tackle some of the issues in detail, in order to get to the truth.
So far, we’ve filmed at two public gatherings, both of which seem to indicate that there is a significant subtext to the debate that has nothing to do with the specifics of the proposals – the question of whether the NPA should even exist.
So far, this question has been the main thrust of the argument made by the two local MPs and the ‘consultation process’ does seem to be getting increasingly political. So, the battle lines have been drawn & I’m not entirely sure that the NPA quite realises the full extent of the can of worms it has opened!
Keeping an objective viewpoint on these matters can be difficult, especially when proposals are being made about the area you live & play in. It is already clear to me that there are questions to answer about the proposals but whether the threat is as real as some are suggesting remains to be seen.
The big issues seem to be more about competence in the composition & publication of the report & how proposals can be made when there is so little factual evidence on which to base them, rather than any real & present danger to forest access. For instance, incendiary remarks have been included when at this stage there really is no need & the reaction of locals & the media could surely have been predicted.
So, after round one, the NPA has already received a cut under the eye & will need to take stock of the reaction to the report if it is to win round local people. I suspect from some of the remarks coming not just from the crowd at the last meeting but from the MPs & other officials, that this might be an impossible task. Whatever happens, producing this documentary is going to be a thoroughly engaging process!
Roger Burlinson
Director of Programming - Outdoors TV
She was right of course, but in reality, I don’t have a problem with that. I need to be relatively close to London for clients & also we have some great facilities & recreation opportunities down here. The forest itself is the most divine space. OK, it’s not as wild as Snowdonia or Scotland but it IS a real wilderness & can provide wonderful isolation if you know where to look.
So what about that egg? We’ll, the golden egg came in the shape of the New Forest National Park Authority’s Draught Recreation Strategy…………… Anticipating your confusion, let me explain!
Recently, the National Park Authority (NPA) published its plan for the future of recreation in the forest. Instantly the local newspaper published warnings that the end of the world was nigh!
For us, having a major outdoors news story on our doorstep is a great opportunity! Very quickly, we made the decision to produce an investigative documentary about the whole issue & to look at whether it might set a precedent for other National Parks. Being local, we would be able to devote a great deal of time to the programme & tackle some of the issues in detail, in order to get to the truth.
So far, we’ve filmed at two public gatherings, both of which seem to indicate that there is a significant subtext to the debate that has nothing to do with the specifics of the proposals – the question of whether the NPA should even exist.
So far, this question has been the main thrust of the argument made by the two local MPs and the ‘consultation process’ does seem to be getting increasingly political. So, the battle lines have been drawn & I’m not entirely sure that the NPA quite realises the full extent of the can of worms it has opened!
Keeping an objective viewpoint on these matters can be difficult, especially when proposals are being made about the area you live & play in. It is already clear to me that there are questions to answer about the proposals but whether the threat is as real as some are suggesting remains to be seen.
The big issues seem to be more about competence in the composition & publication of the report & how proposals can be made when there is so little factual evidence on which to base them, rather than any real & present danger to forest access. For instance, incendiary remarks have been included when at this stage there really is no need & the reaction of locals & the media could surely have been predicted.
So, after round one, the NPA has already received a cut under the eye & will need to take stock of the reaction to the report if it is to win round local people. I suspect from some of the remarks coming not just from the crowd at the last meeting but from the MPs & other officials, that this might be an impossible task. Whatever happens, producing this documentary is going to be a thoroughly engaging process!
Roger Burlinson
Director of Programming - Outdoors TV
Friday, 10 October 2008
Welcome to Outdoors TV
Post number one on the Outdoors TV blog!
Outdoors TV is launching to the public in spring 2009. It will be a channel for all outdoors enthusiasts of the UK/European variety, rather the US type (with fishing & hunting etc). That's not to say we disapprove of these pastimes or don't want North American viewers, it's just that over here outdoors is mostly about camping, walking, mountaineering etc & over there, it has a different meaning, so we just want to make that clear from the outset!
Outdoors TV will cover mountaineering, rock climbing, walking, hiking, wild camping, mountain biking, canoeing & kayaking, triathlon, trail & fell running &, in fact, any other pursuit or issue that will be of interest to outdoors people. There will be documentaries, magazine programmes, event coverage & destination profiles. The channel is for the adult audience &, as such, will show proper programmes, not just video clips or DVD promos.
Everything that goes on the channel will have been produced specifically for Outdoors TV. You might think of it as a kind of BBC for outdoors enthusiasts, just without all the celebrity dancing! We're committed to producing interesting material that will provide informative entertainment for those times when you can't be outside.
We're forming links all the time with organisations who can help us get the style & content just right for each interest group & we're also open to invitations from clubs & organisations to make programmes with or about them. Inclusion is a big issue for us & we want all outdoors enthusiasts to feel that Outdoors TV is THEIR channel.
So how will it all work? We'll, for starters, in the UK & Europe, outdoor pursuits are largely free (apart from buying the kit you need). So, it seems logical that, to gain & keep our audience's support, the programmes should be free to view & that's the way it will be! No registering, no loging on, no passwords. Just go to the site & watch, because, after all, that's what you do in the outdoors. You don't go to the base of Helvelyn & enter your username & password into the stile to start your walk, so we don't want to put any obstacles in your way before watching our programmes.
What this does mean is that we will be including commercial elements in the programmes themselves, which will basically allow us to exist! Producing original programmes costs a lot of money & we think it is better to sell a little product placement or to have a programme sponsored by an appropriate organisation & to keep our independence & free programming.
In reality, commercialisation of programmes will have a minimal impact on the viewer's experience. Almost all outdoors DVDs have some form of sponsorship & this doesn't detract from the subject or the endeavour.
We will also be managing expectations in order that the channel can grow organically, which is the way we preserve our principles & deliver quality programmes. When you try to provide a daily schedule of programmes from scratch, that's when the quality & originality starts to slip. So, from the outset, we will be aiming to deliver a new programme every week & as the channel grows, so too will the variety of the schedule.
We hope our viewers will understand our desire to provide only new material & that this takes time to produce. We also hope that they will appreciate that this channel offers them something new & that in the long term, with their support, Outdoors TV will be a channel delivering an exciting schedule of programmes to satisfy their needs.
We'll be charting the channel's progress over the next six months in this Blog, giving you an insight into developments leading up to the launch. There are sample programmes showing on the channel already, so do take a look, if you haven't done so already. Otherwise, I'll see you next time.
Roger Burlinson
Director of Programming - Outdoors TV
Outdoors TV is launching to the public in spring 2009. It will be a channel for all outdoors enthusiasts of the UK/European variety, rather the US type (with fishing & hunting etc). That's not to say we disapprove of these pastimes or don't want North American viewers, it's just that over here outdoors is mostly about camping, walking, mountaineering etc & over there, it has a different meaning, so we just want to make that clear from the outset!
Outdoors TV will cover mountaineering, rock climbing, walking, hiking, wild camping, mountain biking, canoeing & kayaking, triathlon, trail & fell running &, in fact, any other pursuit or issue that will be of interest to outdoors people. There will be documentaries, magazine programmes, event coverage & destination profiles. The channel is for the adult audience &, as such, will show proper programmes, not just video clips or DVD promos.
Everything that goes on the channel will have been produced specifically for Outdoors TV. You might think of it as a kind of BBC for outdoors enthusiasts, just without all the celebrity dancing! We're committed to producing interesting material that will provide informative entertainment for those times when you can't be outside.
We're forming links all the time with organisations who can help us get the style & content just right for each interest group & we're also open to invitations from clubs & organisations to make programmes with or about them. Inclusion is a big issue for us & we want all outdoors enthusiasts to feel that Outdoors TV is THEIR channel.
So how will it all work? We'll, for starters, in the UK & Europe, outdoor pursuits are largely free (apart from buying the kit you need). So, it seems logical that, to gain & keep our audience's support, the programmes should be free to view & that's the way it will be! No registering, no loging on, no passwords. Just go to the site & watch, because, after all, that's what you do in the outdoors. You don't go to the base of Helvelyn & enter your username & password into the stile to start your walk, so we don't want to put any obstacles in your way before watching our programmes.
What this does mean is that we will be including commercial elements in the programmes themselves, which will basically allow us to exist! Producing original programmes costs a lot of money & we think it is better to sell a little product placement or to have a programme sponsored by an appropriate organisation & to keep our independence & free programming.
In reality, commercialisation of programmes will have a minimal impact on the viewer's experience. Almost all outdoors DVDs have some form of sponsorship & this doesn't detract from the subject or the endeavour.
We will also be managing expectations in order that the channel can grow organically, which is the way we preserve our principles & deliver quality programmes. When you try to provide a daily schedule of programmes from scratch, that's when the quality & originality starts to slip. So, from the outset, we will be aiming to deliver a new programme every week & as the channel grows, so too will the variety of the schedule.
We hope our viewers will understand our desire to provide only new material & that this takes time to produce. We also hope that they will appreciate that this channel offers them something new & that in the long term, with their support, Outdoors TV will be a channel delivering an exciting schedule of programmes to satisfy their needs.
We'll be charting the channel's progress over the next six months in this Blog, giving you an insight into developments leading up to the launch. There are sample programmes showing on the channel already, so do take a look, if you haven't done so already. Otherwise, I'll see you next time.
Roger Burlinson
Director of Programming - Outdoors TV
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
