FIELSDSPORTS CHANNEL

[Highlander]

This is an extract from an e-mail sent to me (and others) by TFC.

 

Incredible. The Sun newspaper ran a full page article saying how awful it was that The Fieldsports Channel www.fieldsportschannel.tv, showed Rugby League superstar Keiron Cunningham going deerstalking. ITV used a similar piece. What has happened to British journalism? Have they sent all the good ones to cover the GeneralElection?

 

So where is the new BASC comms centre in all this? Are they and/or the BDS on the case. Will they be hitting back with some positives?

 

And whilst I’m at it...TFC is a web based tv channel which some of us who actually live the country life can’t get because our Broadband isn’t fast enough! Typically all the major Broadband players concentrate their efforts in the major population centres and don’t give a toss about us country cousins! I’m sick and tired of seeing the ads on tv shouting about 20MB Broadband when we’re lucky to get 2.5MB!!! Some third world countries do better but then I guess the UK is fast becoming one of those!

[Diceman]

2.5MB? You lucky bas.....

We have to get by on 0.3MB, on a good day

I set itunes to download podcasts like the Fieldsports Channel overnight and watch it later. No chance of streaming even youtube clips.

 

The Sun doesn't employ any actual "journalists" anyway, you are unlikely to ever ready any real news in there. Same applies to most of the tabloids to be honest. Have you ever noticed that every time you read a newspaper article on a subject or story you actually know something about, they ALWAYS get at least one and usually all of the facts totally wrong? So what makes you think that the stories you don't know about are correct?

 

When I was writing my thesis many years ago I referenced an article in the Sunday Mirror which gave some frankly astonishing "facts" on a subject on which I had become something of an expert. I called the "journalist" responsible and asked how he had researched the article. He laughed, called me a very rude name and told me to f off. I've never believed a word I read in the papers since.

[john RFC]

I cant see what there problem is a stag on a hill generally dies quicker and with less distress than a cow in a slaugter house.the meat is going into the food chain. these ignorant hypocrites with there big macs **** me off

 

 

ps. Im in the middle of a big town paying for 8meg and only geting 2

[Colster]

I think to be able to judge you need to have read the article. I don't read The Sun but my dad does and he showed me this story. I have long been a critic of tabloid journalism (particularly The Daily Mail) and this displayed all it's usual hallmarks.

 

Looked at one way they could be just reporting the fact that an animal rights group (The League Against Cruel Sports) had stated

"It is sad a respected sportsman uses his public profile to promote killing animals for sport. It is disturbing someone can get such enjoyment taking pot shots at wildlife."

 

But being a tabloid they use words like "fury", "hit out" and "sickened", the above quote merely says it's "sad", so no idea where they get the rest of these highly emotive words.

 

In fairness, they do conclude that the RSPCA had confirmed that what he did was legal and that he was invited on to the land to cull the deer but it is rather hidden away at the end.

 

It would have nicer to see them ask the "League Against Cruel Sport" if watching Deer over breed and starve to death would be more agreeable and why they describe the shooting (when they have already reported that he stalked for 2 hours) as a "pot shot". I doubt it was anything of the sort, if you've stalked an animal for 2 hours you're hardly going to be rushing to miss are you?

[Beardo]

here's the Sun piece, though i can't currently open it for some reason

http://cma.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/...r-in-video.html

[Zapp]

Yet another reason (as if any were needed) to never, ever buy the Scum.

 

ZB

[cap1len]

the sun may be a lot of things but a newspaper it is not. dont buy it you are only helping murdoch try to control the world.

[Highlander]

Sadly I think you’ve all missed the point of my post...maybe the wording was too adult

 

My question was. ‘So where is the new BASC comms centre in all this? Are they and/or the BDS on the case. Will they be hitting back with some positives?’ When high profile sportmen who are in the public eye and are potential heros to many are prepared to stand up and be counted shouldn’t they expect some support from their peers? Sorry but this is going to be a long rant...

 

BASC have made much of their new comms centre ‘The Duke of Edinburgh Building’ I believe they’ve named it but as yet I’ve not seen much action from them in the media.

 

I read in the shooting press (NOTE shooting press as it doesn’t appear in the general press), often BASC own magazine about the time, effort and money the shooting fraternite put into conservation (private money, private time and effort which maybe as much if not more than the likes of RSPB do) and yet it doesn’t get a wider press. The public at large (as well as the fieldsports fraternity) need to be informed of our efforts that benefit wildlife and the countryside in general often in places the public never get to see (unlike the RSPB who centre their efforts in those high tourist areas where they’re most likely to encourage the public to part with their money).

 

I’m a BASC member and support most of their efforts but lately I’m beginning to doubt some of their actions. Their stance on rearing cages, their involvement in the lead shot debate and their lack of media clout even with their new all singing all dancing communications building.

 

Banning Rearing Cages and Lead Shot

It’s all just more nails in the field sports coffin! We think we’ve beaten the anti’s (more registered shooters/less LACS memberships etc etc) BUT they and others such as the RSPB are still there working away behind the scenes to extinguish our sport by this and other nefarious means. Unfortunately BASC seem hell bent on helping them instead of standing up to them. Having a ineffectual chinless wonder (as my Dad would have called him) like John Swift as chairman of the current lead shot debate is rather like having Lord Longford chairing a debate on hanging...you know the outcome before it starts!

 

We should wake up to the fact that we’re at war with these people and get stuck into the fray NOT sit down with them to debate a subject that they will NEVER EVER change their minds about. We will soon be shooting (if at all) with steel or some other less than perfect cartridges and then what...another debate about the length of seasons, or the damage steel shot does to trees, or rusty water courses etc etc. There’s plenty of ways the anti’s will think up and bring to bear to make field sports too expensive, too troublesome, or just plain too difficult for many and when the old stalwarts only number a few thousand we’ll lose the rights entirely.

 

By then of course BASC will be long gone as they won’t have the membership (and therefore the funds) to sustain any more debates and poor old Stanley Duncan (who unlike some on here did bother) will be turning in his grave at such a wasted effort!

 

Why oh why do the shooting organisations such as BASC continue to sit down and discuss with the likes of the RSPB about rearing cages and lead shot when it’s clear all these groups are against shooting and a ban on anything to do with shooting is another victoruy for their cause. When are we (fieldsports enthusiasts) going to say, enough is enough and stand up for our rights because it’s certain if we don’t at some point in the (not too) distant future we’ll lose the sports we love!

 

I read somewhere the other day (in a shooting mag) that the RSPB have banned deer shooting with lead ammunition on all their holdings...since when did the RSPB ever allow deer stalking on their land? Round here they flatly refuse to cull deer but charge the public to view the rut! Has any shooting organisation queried that? No!

[Simon Clarke]

The BASC media centre is in the process of being fitted out with video production equipment.

 

In this instance, I believe the people at fieldsports.tv made their film freely available to the media in order to generate publicity.

[Highlander]

Simon...answered just like an MP do you train for that?

[al4x]

personally I think the main issue they had was the statement about being 10 times better than try scoring, its not a good description though we all know the feeling. You just have to accept some people think of deer as Bambi and not rub it in their faces. In the current political arena it will at least be good to possibly have a PM who is into deer stalking. I'm not sure it needed a BASC response but fieldsports TV and the man in question should have released something defending the legal activity that is essential