Express. Home of the Daily and Sunday Express. HOME News Politics Royal Showbiz & TV Sport Comment Finance Travel Life & Style Football Tennis F1 Boxing UFC Cricket Rugby Golf Racing NFL NBA Other The BBC have ended a 47-year horse racing custom. 11: 35, Thu, Jun 27, 2024 | UPDATED: 11: 35, Thu, Jun 27, 2024
The BBC have axed their daily horse racing tips on the Radio 4 Today programme (Image: GETTY)
The BBC have been accused of snobbery after deciding to axe their daily horse racing tips on the Radio 4 Today programme. The morning show had been providing betting tips to listeners for the last 47 years.
The organisation’s decision to scrap the tips was announced by presenter Amol Rajan earlier this week during a live exchange on the programme with sports reporter Mike Williams.
But the change hasn’t gone down well among some racing fans and listeners of the Today programme.
And now, the betting and gaming council chair Michael Dugher has taken the opportunity to attack the BBC after issuing his say on the matter.
“This is sad news but unsurprising. It also says a lot of about the current standing of the sport at the BBC,” he exclaimed.
“I suspect there have always been people at BBC Radio 4 that regard the racing tips as a bit ‘below stairs’ and, if they like racing at all, they only care about the big ‘dressing up’ meetings like Royal Ascot or Cheltenham.
“Millions of ordinary people enjoy a regular bet – whether that’s on bingo, the lottery or sports like racing. There’s definitely more than a hint of snobbery from the Today programme with this decision.”
Amol Rajan announced the BBC Radio 4 Today programme changes earlier this week (Image: GETTY)
Rajan stunned some listeners as he told his BBC colleague: “No racing tips from you today, Mike. That is because we have decided to break the tradition of having racing tips every day of the year. Instead we’re going to reserve the tips for the biggest days in the racing calendar.
“We will very much continue to cover horse racing, as we do so many other sports, not least through interviews with leading lights in the racing world.
“And we will sometimes continue to broadcast from the big ticket events like the Grand National festival, or Cheltenham Gold Cup week.”
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The Daily Mail first reported that BBC executives had held talks about scrapping the daily tips nearly 18 months ago.
And at the time, former BBC racing correspondent Cornelius Lysaght lashed out by saying: “At a time when racing’s media profile has been eroded and racecourse attendances have been falling this is another kick in the teeth for the sport.
“It is massively disappointing news, but probably not a complete surprise. Any publicity racing can secure is valuable and the Today programme audience is huge.
“Anything related to gambling clearly prompts debate at the moment and rightly so, but the tips are just a bit of fun rather than serious advice to bet and to suggest otherwise would be to misunderstand them.”
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