Contract Terminated deal : Horse racing best coach just announced……
was out of kilter to have racing covered daily while Today covered a much wider array of sports – as opposed to when the tips started.
Instead, the BBC will focus tips on the high-profile races of the year, including the Cheltenham Gold Cup, Grand National, Epsom Derby, Ascot Gold Cup and King George VI Chase at Kempton.
The Daily Mail reported last year that BBC executives were considering dropping Today’s daily racing tips, saying that senior BBC executives were understood to regard it as an anachronism, with some also arguing that it was irresponsible to be seen to be encouraging gambling at a time when it is a politically sensitive subject.
After Monday’s announcement, Michael Dugher, chair of the Betting and Gaming Council, told the Racing Post: “This is sad news but unsurprising. It also says a lot of about the current standing of the sport at the BBC.
“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.”
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