There’s no further proof of a story then when an editor receives phone calls from different reporters on the same topic.
I fell into that position on Friday afternoon as a number of the Shannonside Northern Sound sports department rang me about a twitter storm developing over the Athletics Ireland streaming service for their national championships.
To sum up in as short a story as possible, Cathal Dennehy athletics journalist and broadcaster of some note including winning sports writer of the year; tweeted on Thursday evening that he and team members Ronan Duggan and Ger O’Donnell had been cut without explanation or notice as commentators on the official Athletics Ireland video stream for their national championships.
Dennehy, Duggan and O’Donnell – that’s Ger O’Donnell the national medal laden Carrick-on-Shannon hurdler - had been commentating for Athletics Ireland (AI) for the previous seven years on numerous championships and competitions.
The three had made a name for themselves with athletics fans as knowledgeable and passionate. The news of the end of their association with AI was not met with any approval from athletes or in fact a number of very high profile journalists and broadcasters.
Dennehy would later explain the reasoning for AI’s decision was to widen their pool of commentators.
It is not my place to tell AI who or how their own coverage should be maned, however Dennehy, Duggan and O’Donnell’s experience is one where the “streaming” sensation of over the top broadcasting is laden with dangers.
For instance AI think they’re onto a winner by producing their only live stream, where to be honest the numbers have been so high they have not reached the lowest listened to programme on the Shannonside Northern Sound schedule.
When I viewed their stream on Friday night, not once did the live views on Youtube reach 1,000.
The reality of the streaming service that is offered by some sports is they only work to a niche audience. The League of Ireland service WatchLOI never released official viewing figures, but reported figures stated their subscriptions at 11,000 – these reports were never denied.
While many sports believe this is the way forward, the result is pitted with dangers, pitiful viewing figures being just one.
Last Friday night Shamrock Rovers refused LMFM rights to cover their home game with Drogheda United as it would affect their streaming subscriptions.
Dennehy, Duggan and O’Donnell have fallen on a second sword, the AI didn’t like their style. Dennehy himself believes an article he wrote for the Irish Examiner reporting on a track and field meet in Belfast not receiving necessary clearance for a European permit as the reason for the parting of ways.
Athletics Ireland have some form in muting the criticising voice. Long ago Irish Runner magazine was an outspoken voice of the sport. It was one of the best performing magazines on the Irish sports market and carried what you would expect from an interesting sports publication.
Finding a 30-odd-year-old copy, I found it interesting a letter to the editor from then BLE (AI predecessor) PRO defending the selection process used for a European championship team.
Real opinion and journalism was offered in Irish Runner, it was in touch with its community and carried letters and articles as you would expect to hear on the Joe Finnegan show.
In 2007 Athletics Ireland bought the Irish runner! Privately three previous contributors have told me they left the publication after AI suits prevented publication of their pieces which questioned decisions by AI top brass.
As such the Irish Runner magazine is still on the go, but no one reads it. Its loyal fan base disappeared, Athletics Ireland sold the magazine to a publishing house in 2018 bust and broken. It will never regain its status.
This is standard business practice to be fair, like the old trick of the company hiring the troublesome trade union rep, better to have them on the inside then the out.
This is the danger of streaming services or the over the top model. Where Shannonside Northern Sound and other media will question bad decisions, why would the in-house product question their only employee?
Like the FAI in 2018; Martin O’Neill spoke to both Stoke City and Everton about their vacant manager positions. O’Neill didn’t get either job and some weeks later signed a contract with the FAI which was sitting on his table for months.
O’Neill gave one interview and one interview only to the FAI youtube channel. The hardest question asked, “how tricky will the Wales game be?”
At this stage Irish soccer fans were angry with O’Neill’s management, angry with how he didn’t seem committed. Why, why would the FAI publically quiz their own man on his commitment?
There has been plenty of air on social media regarding Dennehy, Duggan and O’Donnell’s omission and demand for their reinstatement, it immediately reminded me of Mickey Harte.
Harte was publically critical of RTÉ’s decision not to make Brian Carty their main GAA commentator, even going to the lengths of not speaking to the national broadcaster.
As Ciaran Whelan wrote in his then newspaper column, “there is no way the RTÉ suits will change their mind now, they won’t want to bend to Harte”. Whelan was right and Carty never became number one.
Dennehy, Duggan and O’Donnell were the spark of the AI’s product, they made up for poor camera work and unprofessional sound production and this to the athletics fan base was supposed to be making up for a perceived lack of coverage in the wider media.
I think it is important to publically record that Athletics Ireland have not sent a media release to Shannonside Northern Sound in the nine months. Even though we cover on site various athletics events covid permitting.
Ger O’Donnell was an excellent addition to our coverage of the European Indoor championship last March.
We were not informed of any athletics fixtures for 2021. While the athletics community complain about a lack of coverage it is time they questioned their own governing body on how they are addressing the promotion of their sport.
While we receive communiques on a daily basis from national sports bodies, Athletics Ireland are an absentee. When approaching one provincial body for cross country results a couple of years ago I was informed they would be available in at least three weeks.
Athletics Ireland has the fourth biggest membership of all the sports associations in the country, a mighty fine achievement and in non-covid times a sport with good competitive activities and possibly the sport which bemoans a lack of media coverage most.
For my commentating colleagues, unfortunately the house always wins, for those running the Athletics Ireland house they’re becoming the noisy neighbours you ignore.
