Club Arnage

Club Arnage => General Discussion => Topic started by: Radar on June 20, 2012, 12:16:06 pm



Title: Radio Le Mans
Post by: Radar on June 20, 2012, 12:16:06 pm
Is it just me, or is Radio LM becoming increasingly pointless? Lots of anoraky chat about how wonderful the Deltawing was or how many laps of fuel the Pointless Entry in GT AM took on board at its last pitstop, but very few race updates. Time and time again I turned it on wanting to know what was actually happening in the race, only to turn it off again 20 minutes later none the wiser. It's a shame, because they're great for all the buildup before the event, but during the race they fell short.


Title: Re: Radio Le Mans
Post by: Steve TTTD on June 20, 2012, 12:32:06 pm
The signal seemed quite weak this year....
It was constantly dropping out and was  swamped at times by what appeared to be a radio rebroadcast of what the announcer was saying over the tannoy system.
This was on Bleu Nord, down by the Start/Finish line I was getting no signal for most of the day.


Title: Re: Radio Le Mans
Post by: termietermite on June 20, 2012, 12:35:28 pm
a radio rebroadcast of what the announcer was saying over the tannoy system.
That sounds like the French version, Steve, the UK version is on a different frequency.  IMHO, it's a great deal more informative, except when Bruno is up on the podium at the end when he completely loses it and behaves like a prat who has no idea how loud the system is when  the cars stop competing with it.  The more my French has improved over the years, the more respect I have for him and his colleagues.  It's a constant update of who is where, who is in which car and what is happening on track in all the classes.  The best bit about RLM this year was the feed from the race director which was excellent.  I don't know if this carried on after quali' as I only listened for half an hour or so while I was sitting in my car behind the grandstand.


Title: Re: Radio Le Mans
Post by: Steve TTTD on June 20, 2012, 01:02:58 pm
Must admit Termie, even though I can only understand about 5% of what Bruno is saying, his level of enthusiasm does 'Shine through'... ;D


Title: Re: Radio Le Mans
Post by: slash on June 20, 2012, 01:32:28 pm
Myself and another member of The Murvi Crew used to work on RLM during the 90's, and we have discussed the decline of this once great service at length. In short we have decided that it is now an American language sevice, targeted at internet listeners in the States, not an English language station for those wanting to know what is happening at the track.

The hourly updates are so confused, as to be no use, in fact we took to listening to the English language update on the French station, a situation RLM was set up to prevent.

Too much air time was given to sponsors thoughts and whims, gone are the Mad Friday campsite tours, no music you would care to listen to, no news bulletins from home, and precious little information about activity on the track because it is assumed that it is being listened to along with the TV feed.

Graham Tyler's absense was very noticable, let's hope he is back next year and offers some respite from the corperate musings that replaced him.

Trussers as always did a sterling job, he simply doesn't have the people around him to allow his knowledge and insight to come out.

Don't misunderstand me, I appreciate that money must be made, sponsors sought and satisfied, and professional staff paid. Unfortunately they have lost sight of the reason they are there in the first place, to keep us at the circuit informed.

End of rant!


Title: Re: Radio Le Mans
Post by: Nordic on June 20, 2012, 01:48:05 pm
Agree 100% with Slash.

Why are there 2 yanks on the station? (Lancia LC5 ffs) and the girl reporting from the pit lane seemed clueless to the point of comedy.

The station used to serve the people there, but the focus has shifted to those at home imho. Its still good and useful, but not to the same degree as it used to be if your actully onsite.





Title: Re: Radio Le Mans
Post by: ukcobra on June 20, 2012, 01:48:40 pm
The signal seemed quite weak this year....
It was constantly dropping out and was  swamped at times by what appeared to be a radio rebroadcast of what the announcer was saying over the tannoy system.
This was on Bleu Nord, down by the Start/Finish line I was getting no signal for most of the day.

Agreed, my usual Radio that has served me well for a number of years almost got chucked in the bin, there appeared to be a lot of crossover from a French channel at the back of the pits, and  a lower quality signal in the MB campsite. I will try a BlackBerry with FM built in next year.


Title: Re: Radio Le Mans
Post by: geoffd on June 20, 2012, 01:55:04 pm
The signal seemed quite weak this year....
It was constantly dropping out and was  swamped at times by what appeared to be a radio rebroadcast of what the announcer was saying over the tannoy system.
This was on Bleu Nord, down by the Start/Finish line I was getting no signal for most of the day.

Agreed, my usual Radio that has served me well for a number of years almost got chucked in the bin, there appeared to be a lot of crossover from a French channel at the back of the pits, and  a lower quality signal in the MB campsite. I will try a BlackBerry with FM built in next year.

Yup I pretty much gave up trying to listen at the track, but it was fine in the car, and, maybe because of the arial, it still worked at our hotel which must be a good ten miles from the track, whereas my little radio I've been using for years was pretty much useless most of the time.


Title: Re: Radio Le Mans
Post by: monkey on June 20, 2012, 02:47:25 pm
This subject pops up every year the week after the race. One year RLM actually got sort of involved and said they would improve the relevance of the coverage for those of us fortunate enough to be trackside. They didn't - I don't even carry a radio now and haven’t for the last three/four years - though do listen to RLM in the car while moving round the various viewing areas during the race (its traditional). The diamond vision screens made it possible to no longer need to try to get any meaningful information from the RLM ramblings - thank goodness.

RLM was a life safer in the 1980's and 1990's and for that I thank them. But now it serves those not lucky enough to be at the circuit and I wish them well with that for the future.

Monkey.


Title: Re: Radio Le Mans
Post by: JPS Beemer on June 20, 2012, 03:12:04 pm
There I was thinking I was just being grumpy.  But we all had the same discussion that RLM focused less on the actual race this year than ever before.

It really has turned into a back-slapping social for the team, talking incessantly about their passion for the race and how it is a part of their fabric.  But simultaneously failing to deliver any meaningful updates on the race itself.

I still found it necessary as the large TVs have taken to showing the positions in much smaller writing which I can't see!

I just wish Kangaroo TV would come back.


Title: Re: Radio Le Mans
Post by: Lazy B'stard on June 20, 2012, 03:23:29 pm
I'm quite suprised by some of the comments here. Ok, I wasn't trackside this year and I see that most gripes were from folk who were, so I can't comment from that perspective.

I've followed the race either trackside or at home for the last ten years with RLM and have always found the broadcasts to be excellent. This year, for me it was just as good. Yes, I missed Graham Tyler too and thought the new presenter (Shea??) to be not so great but it was her first time. She certainly had enthusiasm though and genuinely appeared to be in love with the place. Let's see how she gets on next year before we slate her?

The Yanks, Chuck Dressing and Jim Roller are to me part and parcel of the LM experience. I listened to them when I was a green first timer and really enjoyed their output. They love that race and it really shows. Sure there were a few cock ups but it's tough getting everything right over such a length of time.

Hindy and Trussers were a great as ever and I'm an anorak too and like to know geeky facts about tyre wear and how much fuel goes in.

The hourly updates give just the right level of info on who is leading, and also consider that if at home you usually have the timing screens up on your laptop, or if at the track you have the big screens. It's not hard to know who is doing what.

Of course there now needs to be sponsors, just as in the race, it's all gone corporate and you can no longer broadcast from an old stinky Eldis caravan round the back of the tribunes- it all costs and has to be paid for somehow. I remember my first trip almost ten years ago with the constant adverts for some German Bank, so we should be used to it by now. Try listening to the commentary on Eurosport and the constant rotation of the same 6 adverts for 24 hours and you will soon find RLM as the lesser evil.

No doubt the ACO make things harder and harder or RLM, as mentioned in another thread before the race. I can also imagine getting the sponsors to pay for everything, and the spiralling costs of the technology involved makes me ever more grateful that RLM continues. It would be so easy for them to walk away!

Personally I think they did a great job again this year and should be getting credit, not grumblings. The whole experience would be poorer without them.

Si


Title: Re: Radio Le Mans
Post by: Lawnmower Man on June 20, 2012, 03:24:14 pm
I found that I would get crossover from time to time.  But in general I found reception OK.  I use a pretty old Sony radio that is hand tuned rather than a digital turner once tuned in I put tape over the knobs to spot them moving. As for the quality of the commentary well I found that it came in handy to back up the Star Vision screens.

I rather have RML than nothing at all. 

Also it costs nothing and you don't get much for nothing these days.  :-)

t.


Title: Re: Radio Le Mans
Post by: monkey on June 20, 2012, 03:43:10 pm

Personally I think they did a great job again this year and should be getting credit, not grumblings. The whole experience would be poorer without them.

Si
[/quote]




All fair points Si - and if I wasn't trackside I would tune in to RLM in an effort to get some of the feeling for what I would be missing. But to me anyway as a must have at trackside? NA - I am happier not listening to it - the incessant ramblings drove me nuts to be honest.

But that's fine - as I mentioned above by targeting their commentary toward those not at the race then RLM has moved on - and as a result, so have I.


Title: Re: Radio Le Mans
Post by: Fran on June 20, 2012, 03:50:06 pm
I thought it was ok this year as a home listener (apart from a small glitch when I accidentally turned the sound off RLM and on for another feed that I had open (possibly the Audi website) and things all got a bit dry and technical!!).

There were a few times when they seems to miss their hourly updates (and commented as such) but by and large it gave me enough info for my needs - which are few!

One thing I did notice though was that they very quickly went off air after the end of the race... I know I usually am still listening to it whilst heading away from the track and they have a bit of a tired and emotional round up of the weekends events...

F


Title: Re: Radio Le Mans
Post by: Lawnmower Man on June 20, 2012, 03:54:46 pm

One thing I did notice though was that they very quickly went off air after the end of the race... I know I usually am still listening to it whilst heading away from the track and they have a bit of a tired and emotional round up of the weekends events...

F

Yes it was off air as we left BN at 16:00 not even the music tape or what ever it's called.

t.


Title: Re: Radio Le Mans
Post by: Lazy B'stard on June 20, 2012, 04:35:27 pm
Quote
the incessant ramblings drove me nuts to be honest.

You want to try an evening on Maison Blanche with me and Martini then. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D


Title: Re: Radio Le Mans
Post by: Fran on June 20, 2012, 04:37:53 pm
Quote
the incessant ramblings drove me nuts to be honest.

You want to try an evening on Maison Blanche with me and Martini then. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D


Oh no you don't!!   :-X


Title: Re: Radio Le Mans
Post by: Lazy B'stard on June 20, 2012, 04:47:02 pm
Quote
the incessant ramblings drove me nuts to be honest.

You want to try an evening on Maison Blanche with me and Martini then. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D


Oh no you don't!!   :-X

And yet again this year you are back for more. :-[


Title: Re: Radio Le Mans
Post by: Brad Zarse on June 20, 2012, 05:01:06 pm
I think it has to be remembered, that there is a hell of a lot more to running a radio station like RLM than meets the eye.  Not least the fact that the ACO have bumped the cost of the rights to broadcast hugely over the past 10 years.  With that bump in cost, have come further demands as to quality,  and as the quality grew, it started to get adopted for use over the top of TV broadcasts -- the ACO of course realised this was happening, and bumped the cost even further, because RLM has additional sales streams. Radio and TV are actually two very different mediums - and to me, this is the only down-side to RLM - the fact that really, you need a TV screen to be able to follow it.

I think the fact that RLM has changed SO heavily over the past few years, is actually another thing that can be put into the pile of things that the ACO have progressively done to ruin what should be the best event in the world - not just in the campsites, but around the track as well.   

Unfortunately, the ACO are determined to screw this event up - sterilising it, by moving spectators further and further away (there are barely any good viewing points at Le-Mans any more) and making radio companies such as RLM so expensive to run, that they have to get massive corporate backing all over all of the commentary, as well as sell the coverage to as many TV companies as possible, just to make coverage of the race possible.

John Hindhaugh is much more than just a commentator of the race - indeed - he is much more than just the voice of sports car racing - he's the man who makes all of the commercials work so that the service can continue.....but one can only assume that one day, even he will get bored of dealing with the arrogance of the idiots who run ruin this event annually - and for that, I believe sports car racing will become all the poorer.

I vote for a British coup, to take back our race from the incompetence of the ACO, and apply some common sense to proceedings - Before they ruin the race, that everyone knows is a british race, that happens to take place in France.


Title: Re: Radio Le Mans
Post by: Lazy B'stard on June 20, 2012, 05:18:03 pm
Do you really think us Brits could do a better job of running the race than the French Brad? Seriously?

If it ever got past the nanny H&S brigade it would be a shambles. We can't even do a decent job of putting on a Grand Prix and that's just 2 hours not 24.

As the recent Royal Celebrations have shown, and I'm sure that the upcoming Olympics will show (I can just see Boris fluffing his lines introducing Little Mix whilst billions around the world piss themselves with glee) that we cannot organise a piss up in a Brewary.

I know it's an annual CA tradition to slag the ACO off, but they still manage to pull it off year on year.


Title: Re: Radio Le Mans
Post by: Fran on June 20, 2012, 05:46:09 pm
And yet again this year you are back for more. :-[

Of course, wouldnt miss it for anything.   ;D


Title: Re: Radio Le Mans
Post by: Brad Zarse on June 20, 2012, 05:47:03 pm
absolutely I believe we could do a better job of it.  For a start, the H&S brigade would be nowhere near it - as the race is on foreign soil.  

The things that are bad about the ACO are the things we would do right.  Ticketing for example - the ticketing system the ACO use, isn't even a system! It's an absolute farce!  As for restricting beer onto campsites....F*** off!  We've paid for the stupid allocated camping areas - we've paid the over inflated entrance price - If either of those things were reasonable, we'd be able to pay for the over inflated beer costs...... I would bet it was probably 7euros a pint in the bars this year??  

My point however, is that it's perfectly possible for that race to be de-sterlised.  We don't NEED 100ft of gravel traps and 100ft of catch fencing to make the track safe.....  I sat and watch cars tipping 200mph on the infield of Sebring 3 months ago, with no catch fencing at all....surprise surprise - nobody died.  (although granted - one of our numbers did do his best to kill himself with excess alcohol consumption, and a rather nasty reaction to some caffeine tablets).    

As an example - why are there no areas where you can watch along the Mulsanne?  Why does that area even get restricted? I haven't seen anyone crash to the side of the straights for 13 years - surely this is an area of potential revenue growth for the ACO?  You're very much a captive audience if you're that side of the circuit - the french might pull the event off - but it has SO much more to give than it does currently.

Every year I go to Le-Mans, the ACO have taken away something else which was magical about the event - and my fear is that if they don't get their arrogant heads out of their own backsides, there'll be none of the things that used to make Le-Mans the best event in the world.   That includes Radio Le-Mans, The dirty fairground rides, and most importantly, actually being able to see the fecking race!!



Title: Re: Radio Le Mans
Post by: Lazy B'stard on June 20, 2012, 05:58:43 pm
Some fair points but a few I don't agree with.

1. Over-inflated entrance price.

British GP is around £300 per person this year if you want to keep dry. The race is always sh*t to boot and beer is always watered down sewage.

2. Catch fencing and run off areas.

Yes they get on my tits too, but McNish did a pretty good job of displaying their worth last year. No one wants to see 1955 again.


Title: Re: Radio Le Mans
Post by: Martini...LB on June 20, 2012, 05:59:43 pm
And yet again this year you are back for more. :-[

Of course, wouldnt miss it for anything.   ;D

I am going to log off now to practice some of my rambling... with and without shoes... or I might just sit and talk to myself - back to normal then  ;D

>Martini...LB


Title: Re: Radio Le Mans
Post by: Dirk3D_NL on June 20, 2012, 06:13:32 pm
I still think Le Mans is very cheap compared to other race classes (not including ALMS)

we can organise a wednesday-monday weekend including unlimited draft beer and food, campsite entrance (Maison Blanche) and trackview for 300 euro's not including the trip back and forth....

not bad, if you compare it to Spa F1 which is the same amount only for your ticket....

oh, beer was 5,50 for a 0,5 liter Kronenbourg trackside, i pay that in Delft as well when drinking a beer on a terrace...

and this year again we saw a car flying over the straight...


Title: Re: Radio Le Mans
Post by: Brad Zarse on June 20, 2012, 06:25:05 pm
Some fair points but a few I don't agree with.

1. Over-inflated entrance price.

British GP is around £300 per person this year if you want to keep dry. The race is always sh*t to boot and beer is always watered down sewage.

Not comparing apples with apples - F1 is the pinnacle of motorsports.  As much as I hate to admit it - Sportscar racing - isn't.  This is why you see most drivers who don't make it in F1, or who retire from F1 - ending up in sportscars.....McNish being the prime example - top sportscar racer - wouldn't be allowed anywhere near an F1 car (although there are those saying he shouldn't be allowed near a sportscar either!)


Quote
2. Catch fencing and run off areas.

Yes they get on my tits too, but McNish did a pretty good job of displaying their worth last year. No one wants to see 1955 again.

Motorsports is dangerous.  At Le-Mans though, you are SO far away from the action, that there was never even a threat of the McNish car causing damage to anyone.  Protect the public, yes, but one freak accident, shouldn't mean further sterilisation.  If we did that, how long before nobody is allowed to watch the racing - just in case.  We all sign up to the dangers when we buy the ticket.


Title: Re: Radio Le Mans
Post by: Brad Zarse on June 20, 2012, 06:29:28 pm
oh, beer was 5,50 for a 0,5 liter Kronenbourg trackside, i pay that in Delft as well when drinking a beer on a terrace...

£5.50??  That is actually quite disgusting - that must be what, 5 euros profit per pint all told??


Quote
and this year again we saw a car flying over the straight...

Over - not off of. 


Title: Re: Radio Le Mans
Post by: monkey on June 20, 2012, 06:31:12 pm
Sorry to hear you feel that way Brad - I can't help feeling that if I were so disillusioned with it - then I don’t think I would bother going. But I am not so am already making plans for next year.

As for RLM - like I said before they have moved on to new audiences. That is there judgement call. I wish them every success with that.  


Title: Re: Radio Le Mans
Post by: Lawnmower Man on June 20, 2012, 06:37:23 pm
I agree that these days at Le Mans you are rather distant.  But you have to remeber there have be a number of occasions in the recent past where Cars have managed to to make it past the Fencing or Armco. 

A few years back I went down to Mulsanne in the  morning and found that the a Porsche 935 had managed to get over the Debris fence and had squashed the concrete post and scaffold pole that marks the boundary of the spectator area.   Some poor soul had also lost his chair as that had been squashed by the 935 too.

Then there is the Flying Merc in 1999 was it?

Whilst they may be rather over the top with the distances I don't think they can wait for something bad to happen before they do something.

t.



Title: Re: Radio Le Mans
Post by: Dirk3D_NL on June 20, 2012, 06:54:58 pm
5.5 euro's brad , not pounds :)

so approx 4 pounds


Title: Re: Radio Le Mans
Post by: Dirk3D_NL on June 20, 2012, 06:56:12 pm
also the track being public road for a big part of the surface means extra protection is needed i am told (legally)


Title: Re: Radio Le Mans
Post by: Brad Zarse on June 20, 2012, 07:28:00 pm
£4.50....  The exchange rate must have gone up for £ to Eur.   ::)


Title: Re: Radio Le Mans
Post by: Dirk3D_NL on June 20, 2012, 08:00:02 pm
1.25 at the moment :)


Title: Re: Radio Le Mans
Post by: Barry on June 20, 2012, 08:39:09 pm
£4.50....  The exchange rate must have gone up for £ to Eur.   ::)

Average exchange rate over the weekend was 1.23€ to to £, so the beer was £4.47 for 50cl.

Still tasted like gnats by the Sunday though.


Title: Re: Radio Le Mans
Post by: Dirk3D_NL on June 20, 2012, 08:59:57 pm
still not bad for a pint :)

pay the same in my hotels in Hull/London

anyways, i will stop the bickering, it is a bit pointless since we both ventilated our points :)


Title: Re: Radio Le Mans
Post by: monkey on June 20, 2012, 09:08:19 pm
£4.50....  The exchange rate must have gone up for £ to Eur.   ::)

Average exchange rate over the weekend was 1.23€ to to £, so the beer was £4.47 for 50cl.

Still tasted like gnats by the Sunday though.


It was 6 Euro at Mulsanne - but tasted great on Sunday - so worth every cent in my humble..............see you all next year - well not Brad Z obviously.  :D


Title: Re: Radio Le Mans
Post by: slash on June 20, 2012, 09:25:46 pm
Brad, please stop behaving like the last 4 letters of your tag!


Title: Re: Radio Le Mans
Post by: Rhino on June 20, 2012, 09:48:57 pm
There are bits of radio le mans i like and don't like. Overall i think they do a good job. I sadly realise the expense has gone up so it's a global market they have to aim for.
Best bit this year had to be the playing of the Castro oil advert before the gpC race.


Title: Re: Radio Le Mans
Post by: Lorry on June 20, 2012, 11:21:30 pm
Did anyone have trouble with reception this year.  It kept breaking up due to the louder French commentary on the next channel


Title: Re: Radio Le Mans
Post by: Dirk3D_NL on June 20, 2012, 11:25:35 pm
had the same issues until putting it on manual FM frequenty search and locked on 91.2. no issues at all after that from tertre rouge to maison blanche


Title: Re: Radio Le Mans
Post by: mgmark on June 20, 2012, 11:45:32 pm
Given all the circumstances and pressures of setting up a radio station and putting on a commentary, I for one am bloody glad that I have the option to tune into a free english language commentary throughout qualifying and the race;  I couldn't put that together, let alone keep it running and I suspect there are few others around who can, so hats off to John Hindhaugh and the crew who do.

Yes, it's changed over the years, but so has what is acceptable and doable, particularly as it is now streamed over the net, rather than just being a very local circuit radio broadcast. 

The reception this year was variable but localised - around the start/finish area was the worst, with constant interference with the French commentary - but elsewhere it was fine for me.

Oh, and yes, I do remember the year when Hindy was broadcasting the commentary of the race, simultaneously with his commentary on the England/Denmark Euro qualifier that everyone was watching being broadcast on the big screens. 

Now how many of us could do that?  Let's be thankful for what is there....

MG Mark   


Title: Re: Radio Le Mans
Post by: Brad Zarse on June 21, 2012, 02:14:43 am
Brad, please stop behaving like the last 4 letters of your tag!

Thank you for your considered and worthwhile opinion.  Now please get back in your box.


Title: Re: Radio Le Mans
Post by: Brad Zarse on June 21, 2012, 02:24:30 am
£4.50....  The exchange rate must have gone up for £ to Eur.   ::)

Average exchange rate over the weekend was 1.23€ to to £, so the beer was £4.47 for 50cl.

Still tasted like gnats by the Sunday though.


It was 6 Euro at Mulsanne - but tasted great on Sunday - so worth every cent in my humble..............see you all next year - well not Brad Z obviously.  :D

You know what - you're right - you wouldn't see me there.

It's funny - It's not because I can't afford to pay the prices,  and those who know me will more than likely confirm, I'm no tight a*** - I just feel completely ripped off by it all.  Maybe I've been spoiled by my trip to Sebring in March? To give you an example, a bottle of Diet Coke at Sebring, was $2.50 - or £1.75.  A bottle of Diet Coke at LM is 4 Euros (and that was last time I bought one - so at least a year ago!) - That's DOUBLE the cost!

Maybe I'm getting old - Or maybe having seen a major event, which doesn't try and rip you off, even with a captive audience, I now feel even more begrudging of those who feel the need for such extortion at Le-Mans.  For me - it all started when the Euro came in - things which were previously 10 francs, were suddenly 2.5 Euros.....

Don't get me wrong - I'll still be there when I can be, and I'll still more than likely end up paying the prices - what I'm saying is it really leaves a bitter taste in my mouth - which even the sweetest, coldest beer, would never shift.

To bring this thread back on track - my view is that the ACO are to blame for inflating the price of the broadcasting rights at the same sort of rate as things like the cost of the beer - hence RLM have to sell their coverage to the TV companies, and to major corporates, just to survive.  What was once something which could be done on a shoestring budget, suddenly needs a really serious budget, just to break even - just another way that the ACO has served to hand one of the greatest events in the world, over to the corporate hospitality prawn sandwich brigade.  



Title: Re: Radio Le Mans
Post by: Fran on June 21, 2012, 08:25:34 am
Its also worth bearing in mind that the cost of living generally is higher in France than USA - in particular, some comparisonn sites indicate that domestic beer is +115%!!

I reckon the GA and camping tickets are pretty cheap and really great value if you get full use of the week camping and the qualifying sessions rather than just coming on Friday-Sunday for the race.

F


Title: Re: Radio Le Mans
Post by: Brad Zarse on June 21, 2012, 12:33:37 pm
Its also worth bearing in mind that the cost of living generally is higher in France than USA - in particular, some comparisonn sites indicate that domestic beer is +115%!!


Well at least it's consistent with what I've seen I suppose!?!

Maybe I am just a miserable old git - maybe I'm just still peeved at missing LM again this year (having really struggled with it in 2009, I didn't anticipate having to miss it this year and it cut pretty deep staying at home). 

In parts, I agree that the value level for tickets is still reasonable - perhaps again, I'm skewed by my experience in the States, and because when I started going, it was so very much cheaper - it always amazes me, that inflation is rarely any more than 5%, yet tickets for sporting events worldwide seem to increase by 10-15% per year.... That said - perhaps my view is also skewed by the increased value of the Euro.....

.....As with all things in the world, maybe the people to blame, are the politicians :)


Title: Re: Radio Le Mans
Post by: Dirk3D_NL on June 21, 2012, 01:06:00 pm
always good to blame the politicians :D


Title: Re: Radio Le Mans
Post by: lofty on June 22, 2012, 10:12:13 pm
sorry to bring back radio le mans.the price of beer is a subject close to my heart.john hindys reading of race personel,drivers,engineers etc just before the race started.very moving to hear an experienced comentator choking back the tears as he read names of our heros.trussy came on after and took a while to gather himself.a great job.miss mad friday.music not as good but better with rlm than without.


Title: Re: Radio Le Mans
Post by: Barry on June 23, 2012, 12:13:46 am
RLM may have changed over the years, but the race would not be as good without it IMHO.


Title: Re: Radio Le Mans
Post by: geoffd on June 25, 2012, 09:24:59 am
RLM may have changed over the years, but the race would not be as good without it IMHO.

Oh I agree, they are an intrinsic part of the event now.


Title: Re: Radio Le Mans
Post by: JDS on June 29, 2012, 08:41:44 am
We swapped between RLM and Eurosport commentary many times during the weekend - neither was better than the other, both had large chunks I thought irrelevant or just boring, but ...... can't take satellite broadcast stuff with you on walkabout (even if you preferred it to RLM) and despite the corporate bull and advertising, I'd rather be at LM with RLM than without them - do we seriously think we could do a better job camped in BN with a telly and an illegal transmitter? I think not.


Title: Re: Radio Le Mans
Post by: Lazy B'stard on July 11, 2012, 09:52:17 am
No Radio Le Mans at the Classic this year. And boy did we miss them. I was told it was a late pull out from a sponsor. The event was much poorer for their absence. We had absolutely no idea who was leading, who had gone off, why there were delays between races etc. When out on the campsite you became so disconnected from what was happening out on track.

If you were there I guess you really began to appreciate just how essential they have become. We should forget our little gripes and get behind them. LM without RLM isn't something I want to experience again.

Si


Title: Re: Radio Le Mans
Post by: Barry on July 15, 2012, 11:54:14 am
I would totally agree with Simon on this.
Really missed RLM at the Classic this year.
Can someone name and shame the sponsor that pulled out?


Title: Re: Radio Le Mans
Post by: Lorry on July 15, 2012, 08:25:00 pm
Whilst we criticise RLM :

1  They try their best
2  We'd be lost without them
3  The ACO don't help (well no change there then)

Having been before RLM, we just didn't have a clue what was happening after 20 minutes.  Not playing cricket, the French don't do scoreboards


Title: Re: Radio Le Mans
Post by: Martini...LB on July 15, 2012, 09:52:49 pm
RLM were sorely missed at the Classic this year, we had to (sometimes) leave the camp to watch the racing... to nearly know what was going on...

To be honest I think RLM only adds to the LM experience and if they have to pay to be there then that is disgusting for the value that they actually add.  I would ask though if they actually have to pay to be there or if they only need the sponsorship to cover their costs and wages?

The fact that you can sit around your camp and still know what is going on for the 24 hours is excellent, after going for so many years I think that the majority of us do not need to be at he track as much as a newbie and then you have to consider the time for visits to and from friends and generally walking around the place, along with visits to the shops when you can very easily keep up with procedures.

RLM is an integral part of LM and should continue/must continue.

>Martini...LB