Viv Strangman
01-21-2014, 11:32 AM
Ever since the announcement by the TAB that Trackside was moving off free to air and on to Sky Tv, I have been waiting for HRNZ to lambast the decision and announce it would fight for its retention in its present format. The silence has been deafening. It is becoming increasingly obvious that the powers that be in HRNZ don't give a rats arse about the people that keep this industry alive--The Owners and Punters-- There are two major funders of Harness Racing in NZ--the owners who fork out thousands to our trainers and drivers to have their pride and joy trained and produced on racetracks around Nz and the tens of thousands of "Punters" whose betting on these races provides most of our stake money. In Nz in 2014 it for the love not money that owners are involved and to now make them pay to watch their horse race on Trackside will be the last straw for many. So why and how has the decision been made. In simple terms because Sky Australia has brought and owns the rights to broadcast Nz racing. Sky Australia brought these rights years and Nz racing has been at their beck and call ever since. Everyday issues such as starting times of races are made to fit in with Sky Australia's wishes.
Every day at the moment there are letters to the editor in the Ch-Ch Press expressing their disappointment with the decision and on their intention to spend their dollar elsewhere once the changeover to Sky happens in April. It is an open secret that a core group of less than twenty contribute more than 50% of TAB turnover in Nz. The average 'PUNTER" is becoming less and less important to the TAB as time goes by. The C.E.O of HRNZ Edward Rennell needs to state publically where HRNz and the executive stand on this issue. Are you with the the owners who provide the product for the races you run and for the "Punters" who bet on those races and fund the stake money or are you on the side of Sky and the TAB. Edward Renell has an industry wide reputation rightly or wrongly as a "seat warmer" who doesn't like to rock the boat. This time that just won't do. From feedback I've had and talking to people at races and trials, there is real anger in the harness racing community at both the decision and the lack of a response from HRNZ. So the message is simple. Start repersenting your stake holders while you still have some.
Every day at the moment there are letters to the editor in the Ch-Ch Press expressing their disappointment with the decision and on their intention to spend their dollar elsewhere once the changeover to Sky happens in April. It is an open secret that a core group of less than twenty contribute more than 50% of TAB turnover in Nz. The average 'PUNTER" is becoming less and less important to the TAB as time goes by. The C.E.O of HRNZ Edward Rennell needs to state publically where HRNz and the executive stand on this issue. Are you with the the owners who provide the product for the races you run and for the "Punters" who bet on those races and fund the stake money or are you on the side of Sky and the TAB. Edward Renell has an industry wide reputation rightly or wrongly as a "seat warmer" who doesn't like to rock the boat. This time that just won't do. From feedback I've had and talking to people at races and trials, there is real anger in the harness racing community at both the decision and the lack of a response from HRNZ. So the message is simple. Start repersenting your stake holders while you still have some.