Media Relations Disintegrate

In a new turn of the battle between club and media, the Post have gone live with an article today that talks about how Forest have now decided on a complete media blackout. No interviews, no post match reactions, no pre game build up interviews.

The Post in an article that is meant to be revealing though, just write it in a manner that is more than ever so bitter. They say “No post-match reaction on Radio Nottingham, no player reaction in the Post, either online on in Monday's newspaper.” But just remember that Radio Nottingham have started using Paul Taylor recently in its coverage. Relations between those two are good.

I tend to think that the club can do as it pleases. But that it should as part of its club – fan relations should at least entertain the local media’s overtures to providing staff for PR. However, they have no obligation, other than the stipulated pre and post match press conferences. They are set down in stone by the League. But for the rest, well media access is a privilege, not enshrined in stone.

However, the post write such a one sided piece on this suggesting that basically in ignoring a paper that is regularly out of touch, and has in the past been critical of Davies, suggests it’s the fans the club is letting down.

It forgets the majority of fans have access to the internet, which Forest have finally started to realise the potential of, utilising YouTube for club fan communications.

Why have the Post done this? Because for circulation they rely on Forest, whether for sales or to click links. If they aren’t getting Forest news then they aren’t selling papers to Forest fans. So they need to suggest the club is almost making an evil play.

The Post clearly points the finger at Price, who is becoming a divisive figure. That divide isn’t 50/50 though. As long as the club do well, the majority of fans don’t care, save for Vital who are on a bizarre rampage of “truth” about which no-one cares.

But why have Forest have done this? Well, you already have to see what Radio Nottingham did this week. The club have clearly decided that all media is going to be shunned. And for me it’s not a huge surprise, when you consider the generally bad press that was being chucked around in February.

I’m not excusing the club though; it is quite a petulant response. Throwing the toys out of the pram, but to be honest they hold the power here. They hold what the media wants in the interviews and access. In not providing that, it severely restricts what might or might not get out, especially if you consider if you believe Twitter just how many leaks there must be at Forest.

It could backfire though. Without those column inches being filled by articles related to players and suchlike, the Post will have to fill them somehow, and it has already started to do so by the article in question. It will be merely a first of many.

What I really dislike is the Posts angle on it though that the club are letting the fans down. I don’t agree there at all. Not in the modern era where newspapers are a dying breed. The Post has had a revamp, as many local papers have done, and all because they are struggling.

Is this a game of cat and mouse? Undoubtedly. Both know that the Post without decent Forest news won’t get revenue. Both will know the struggles of local papers. The club really would do well to keep the Post on side and use them more wisely. But their attempts to do this are fairly extreme. Their attempts to control what is in the media, well it’s slightly clandestine to be honest.

The Post will contend that this is all Forest, and can’t understand why the club would make this move. They point out “Since Davies – and Price – returned, the paper has been nothing but supportive.” Making out that they are the innocent party, but neither side is.

But remember these words the Post printed back in 2011 “But the simple fact is, Nottingham Forest had to Part Company with the outspoken Scotsman. They had no choice at all... His position had become entirely, emphatically untenable.”

That’s not supportive in the slightest, and makes no mistake Davies will remember such lines and have taken note. Now yes a different time and a different era, but would you maintain good relations with a paper that revelled in your dismissal?

To be honest both sides are in the wrong. Forest should use the media, and the Post shouldn’t take its access to the club as a right. I’m not saying what we get is a sense of propaganda to be fed, but you can understand with all the negative press coverage in the past year why they might do this. They clearly think new Media is the way forward. Hence the al-Jazeera deal. But in the mean time they need to remember traditional forms of communication are still used. And they clearly forget that now the Post are embittered towards Forest.

The Ongoing Media Feud Escalates

Radio Nottingham, after nearly not getting their coverage renewed have this morning turned their course and fired shots at Forest. An “investigative” piece into Jim price, the General manager f the club, it merely seems to have inflamed opinions and annoyed people.

The timing I find to be ridiculous. The club have started well, so spirits are high, the station just agreed a new deal, and would you’d hope try and build some bridges. But no, it seems now their feet are back under the table they can start doing as they please.

Already pretty much shunned by the club save for matchday coverage, it just seems to be the last vestiges of respect between station and cub will have been used up now, in a piece going out earlier on today. One has to question what the motives are.

Anyone who has ever Googled Jim price could easily find out what about what happened at Ross Brown. The Law firm from Glasgow where he was a Senior Partner was forcibly closed by the Scottish Law Society (essentially) for financial irregularities. The accounts didn’t match up with the legal aid it had received basically.

Now Radio Nottingham have decided to rake this muck up for no other reason than the shunning of the radio seems to come from a similar time to Price’s arrival at the club. We all remember Billy bringing up his lawyer all the time in Radio Nottingham interviews, well that’s Jim Price.

So now the Radio feel the need to question his role and who he is, forgetting that many many people have shadier pasts in football, and ones that aren’t always Google-able. It’s not as if Forest haven’t had their fair share in the past, Wray and Scholar and all that went on then, Maurice Rowarth and his offences. Hell just a months ago there was a high level clear out at Forest, that is allegedly to do with embezzlement and financial mishandling of the clubs former employees. No-one ever questioned that, because I guess they were on Radio Nottinghams side, they weren’t throwing up barriers to them, or forcing their hand commercially.

But because Price has, Radio Nottingham feel a need to do this piece, which is also extremely notable in its timing. As if it’d been prepared for a while but held off till the ink dried on the contract. The fact they précis it by saying many fans have questioned his role, which I have only ever seen a few people do, and in passing, not to do Panorama-lite and claim to be all investigative, whilst probably all from the comfort of a desk with Google open.

I just read a blog piece that kind of implies its not all Ross Browns fault anyway, not they weren’t without guilt, just that they were a prominent fish to catch in a pond of many. As I say I’m not saying all is above board, it’s just that the BBC hwere seem to be trying to claw attention and expose someone who doesn’t need exposing just because they don’t happen to get along.

What will be apparent is that media – club relations will suffer again. There have been plenty of other fall outs (Rob Dorsett) so you potentially see why they are starting to cherry pick the journalists they do like and give them the stories, rather than see people with axes to grind report negative stories. It’s no worse than many other big businesses would do. I don’t want to blindly defend the club, and regular readers will know I question plenty of what goes on there, but this time it just seems a desperate ploy by the BBC to point score.

It makes you just want to bang their heads together and tell them just kiss and make up, but I feel we are far beyond that. As long as the current regime stays in place, relations won’t mend. The club will just boycott any Radio Nottingham contact and that ultimately shoots the Radio in the foot.

The result is now many fans see Radio Nottingham as trying to rock the boat for the sake of a gripe, and it’s angered many. If this all because of a childish gripe then its ridiculous. We should be talking about the great start the clubs made (as I did Monday) instead of this pointless petty squabble.

The Radio Nottingham Situation

I have largely ignored the whole Radio Nottingham debate so far, merely guessing that something would surely get sorted at some stage, and that it was just a simple game of Football Radio Coverage Chicken.

However, we are now on the Tuesday before the game and nothing has been confirmed. Might it be Saturdays are longer spent listening to Colin Frays coverage?

Now this had led some fans to go into a mini melt down on what they are to do without their usual regime, how the drive to the game, or drive home post game will be ruined, as if Radio Nottingham wouldn’t be able to even talk about the game before hand or present some post match summarising (it would merely jeopardise live match coverage)

No, a great many have simply decided the whole match day experience is going to be ruined. And I for one would lament the loss of local radio coverage.

But it wouldn’t mean there is no options. This is the day and age of football being a business and with FFP any source of cash is going to be used. If that means making sure people get Forest Player and having an in house service, then if it pays better than the radio, then Forest are well within their rights to look at it.

This isn’t me justifying it I hasten to add, just that this is the day and age we live in.

The benefit of an in house service financially begin to become clear. Advertising. And lots of it. Not just “this commentary is brought to you by” but anything and everything could be sold. This means not only might Forest sell the rights to commentary, but also the rights to advertise before, after and during half time, maybe even during the game (and player X is booked, and if you’re ever in trouble get yourself down to Y & Y Lawyers”) Again this is me taking things to an extreme and there’s no guarantee it would happen. Just could.

I think for so long we have been so spoiled with local coverage that this very idea is so alien as to appear more scary than what it might be. There were the days remember of cutting away from the match for County and Stags updates and perhaps missing something vital.

Now maybe this is Forest playing hard ball. Pushing Radio Nottingham into a corner so far as to crumble to club demands (and the fear mongering spread about Davies relationship with local radio based on nothing more than ignoring it) and almost become a club spokesman themselves.

Additionally in these trying times the BBC looking to cut corners may have cut back budget to spend on local football coverage, they may have a maximum price they can go to that Forest are deeming too low.

It is a dangerous game. Not having free to air Forest coverage on the radio risks jeopardising a future generation of fans unable to stay tuned to games, and not become so attached. That said, if we do get the supposed deal to broadcast every game on Kuwaiti TV, then most games would be available to stream for anyone with the simply tech savvy to know how.

I think the regime misunderstand the good will carrying on a contract with radio Nottingham even for a loss would bring. You can weight up financials or maybe a falling out all you want, but a lot of fans especially on away days count on this service for providing them with the coverage to follow the club the al-Hasawi’s own. That support is needed to sell tickets, shirts, etc. Distancing a set of fans from being able to follow on weeks they can’t attend in person might be a dangerous game, and it might over estimate what lengths people will go to. Everyone has a radio, but does everyone have easy access to streaming commentary, what about those who are driving for a start?

But now we have the extreme angle where people are tweeting at Radio Nottingham, the BBC in general, Fawaz, Jim Price, Forest Official, and Robin Chipperfield demanding answers, when the reason you aren’t getting one is that right now, there is no answer.

I can foresee a situation where if not in the day or so before hand, but in the 2 weeks between the first home game and the next games a compromise being reached. It just seems a case of obstinance for the sake of it, and although I can understand why the club would seek new revenue, it risks alienating a whole branch of fans.