2CoolVK Posted August 18, 2007 Share Posted August 18, 2007 I think it's still possible to appreciate the fact that a broadcast is available and yet have an opinion as to how it's done. I personally don't think it's a "waste" but I do think that some of the changes haven't been for the better. I don't see how suggesting changes for presentation style is going to lessen the amount it "changes young peoples’ lives." (Actually, I agree that it can do just that. Watching the live broadcast is what got me interested in the activity.) Most of the dissent I've read has been in regards to style or time of broadcast. You seem to be taking a rather defensive stance to any suggestions for change (understandable with some of the "it'll just suck again" comments) but I don't think it's wrong to offer honest suggestions or opinions on how it might be better. The ESPN show is just one piece in what seems to be a pretty good all-around strategy for DCI... They offer live feeds of shows all summer (complete shows - some multi cam some hi cam only), they offer a live 5 hour show from Quarterfianls for something cheap like $18.00 (that's a few mornings at starbucks). Then they offer semi finals live on the web, you can buy the mid season DVD...and we still aren't happy with the free ESPN2 show that has a specific promotional purpose? Why? Becuase we all know better than the next guy, we're all network programers and creative directors for top entertainment shows. or we want what's free to be the number one product we consume each summer. It doesn't work that way. Feel free to disagree, but it ain't like they aren't giving us EVERYTHING we could ask for each summer. Oh, and when you all start to moan about watching finals live on TV....we had that for many years, but drum corps fans grew greedy and cheap and stopped supporting the local PBS stations with pledge dollars. PBS dropped DCI for that reason. WE BLEW IT AS FANS. Plain and simple. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
year1buick Posted August 18, 2007 Share Posted August 18, 2007 Oh, and when you all start to moan about watching finals live on TV....we had that for many years, but drum corps fans grew greedy and cheap and stopped supporting the local PBS stations with pledge dollars. PBS dropped DCI for that reason. WE BLEW IT AS FANS. Plain and simple. Saying you would prefer it is hardly moaning. Are you saying you would prefer not to watch it live? Do you actually prefer watching it a month later? That's really the crux of what I was saying--I had more fun watching it live. Are we absolutely positive that the switch to ESPN was necessitated by PBS, as a national organization, dropping DCI? (Honest question there.) I'd been under the impression that each individual station made the decision as to whether they wanted to carry the show and DCI made the switch for their own reasons. Again, this may be a fault of my own, but I don't recall reading any specific quotes from PBS reps (or DCI) stating DCI was dropped due to low donation revenue. (I don't read every artilcle on DCI.org and could very easily have missed it--or forgotten. If they're still there, I'd love to read them.) I found this article where Acheson mentions the difficulty of getting some individual stations to show the event (and that ESPN had expressed interest in owning the event), trying to make it more visible to the stations and offering free tapes to high school bands; this one announced the switchover. I couldn't find a mention of PBS dropping it due to greedy DCI fans, but I may be looking in the wrong places or just missing it altogether. Again, I'm not saying, in any way, that DCI isn't doing a great job of offering some pretty amazing content or opportunities to watch corps throughout the summer. Simply that the big enchilada, the main event, isn't as fun for me as it used to be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Brace Posted August 18, 2007 Share Posted August 18, 2007 (edited) Again, I'm not saying, in any way, that DCI isn't doing a great job of offering some pretty amazing content or opportunities to watch corps throughout the summer. Simply that the big enchilada, the main event, isn't as fun for me as it used to be. Is this simply because you cannot see finals live for free anymore? I used to get gasoline for 39 cents a gallon and I can't do that anymore. And school lunches used to cost 40 cents in the cafeteria. So, like I have said before, DCI has figured they can sell DVDs in November and enough people will buy them, The ESPN2 program seems to be successful for them and it appears like tey will report about 38,000 people attended finals night. So, I believe Dan and the folks as they discuss this season as they are packing boxes for the move to Indy will say...what's wrong? They will have a difficult time answering that question when it comes to the broadcast the DVDs and finals attendance. Now there are other things where they can spend a lot more effort on...Murphreesburo for one and the Div. II/III fiasco brewing for another. Edited August 18, 2007 by Tom Brace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dccorpsfan Posted August 18, 2007 Share Posted August 18, 2007 The ESPN show is just one piece in what seems to be a pretty good all-around strategy for DCI...They offer live feeds of shows all summer (complete shows - some multi cam some hi cam only), they offer a live 5 hour show from Quarterfianls for something cheap like $18.00 (that's a few mornings at starbucks). Then they offer semi finals live on the web, you can buy the mid season DVD...and we still aren't happy with the free ESPN2 show that has a specific promotional purpose? Why? Becuase we all know better than the next guy, we're all network programers and creative directors for top entertainment shows. or we want what's free to be the number one product we consume each summer. It doesn't work that way. Feel free to disagree, but it ain't like they aren't giving us EVERYTHING we could ask for each summer. Oh, and when you all start to moan about watching finals live on TV....we had that for many years, but drum corps fans grew greedy and cheap and stopped supporting the local PBS stations with pledge dollars. PBS dropped DCI for that reason. WE BLEW IT AS FANS. Plain and simple. Don't look at me. I didn't know drum corps exsisted when PBS stopped airing finals. If I were a fan (and of age to donate), I would have MORE than happy to give my money to PBS so they would continue to broadcast finals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
year1buick Posted August 18, 2007 Share Posted August 18, 2007 Is this simply because you cannot see finals live for free anymore? Yes. I don't say this out of some sense of selfishness, simply as an honest assessment of how I feel about. I realize that it is what it is... I used to get gasoline for 39 cents a gallon and I can't do that anymore. And school lunches used to cost 40 cents in the cafeteria.So, like I have said before, DCI has figured they can sell DVDs in November and enough people will buy them, The ESPN2 program seems to be successful for them and it appears like tey will report about 38,000 people attended finals night. So, I believe Dan and the folks as they discuss this season as they are packing boxes for the move to Indy will say...what's wrong? They will have a difficult time answering that question when it comes to the broadcast the DVDs and finals attendance. I never said it wasn't working well for DCI--I'm sure it is. As is $3/gallon gas for Exxon. (Just an analogy--I realize DCI is non-profit and a few billion dollars short of that company :) ) Still doesn't make me any crazier about the situation, though. (And when gas cost 39 cents/gallon, pay scales were lower too--sure, a dollar went further, but people were paid fewer dollars.) Are you saying DCI merchandizing is no longer adequate to allow for a live broadcast? (Those prices have increased over the years too, haven't they?) I'm almost getting a vibe that some folks feel that watching it live is only a privilege that should be afforded to those who can actually afford to attend in person and DCI has an obligation to do this in order to force people back into the stands. (e.g. the "blackout" analogy) Believe me, I'd love nothing more than to attend in person (I've marched in it three times and have yet to see it in person, simply as a spectator). Eventually, I'm sure I will. But I refuse to be branded by some (not you) as ungrateful/whining etc. simply because I say I miss getting to see the TV broadcast live, with more shots of the drill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uniformman518 Posted August 19, 2007 Share Posted August 19, 2007 Felt like this would be the appropriate thread to ask this question. Sorry if it goes away from what you guys were discussing. But... Do you guys think that the broadcast should give DIV II/III some coverage? I typically enjoy the broadcast personally, but it's always been something that always bothered me. I may be biased, but I mean come on. As far as I'm concerned I think Drum Corps International is better represented in the Div II/III what with Dutch Boy and Yokohama Scouts. But I digress. I think maybe they can cut some coverage of the individual stories and at least state the existence of the smaller divisions. Your thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morganhill Posted August 19, 2007 Share Posted August 19, 2007 It will NEVER be a replacement for ordering the DVDs. I'm sure that's on purpose. DCI likes charging fans money. Don't you mean DCI likes grossly over charging fans money, Tom? That they are good at!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morganhill Posted August 19, 2007 Share Posted August 19, 2007 That's 10pm Eastern - 7:00pm on the West Coast. Even at 7;00 PM, it's on a school night. And our first day back no less. Guess I'll have to set my DVD recorder to record it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tekneek Posted August 19, 2007 Share Posted August 19, 2007 (edited) I never thought about the time issue, but isn't it strange to have a program designed as a recruitment video shown at 10 PM on a Thursday night? I would think a recruitment video would be aimed at highschool kids, since I would think that most people that are likely to care about DCI already know about it by the time they are 18. Even under the old PBS broadcast situation, everybody I knew that was involved with marching band already knew about DCI by the time they got to college. Edited August 19, 2007 by Tekneek Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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