NO PROMOTER – BUT WRC CONTINUES
author: Leon Botha
The FIA announced on Friday that it withdrew from the current negotiations with various parties, such as I presume Eurosport, for the pormotional rights of the WRC series.
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Will someone please bring another umbrella? We need cover(age)
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They undertook to sponsor or finance the Timing and Tracking equipment for events to ensure continuance of the events.
The statement issued read: "The FIA regrets to announce it has not proven possible to find an international promoter as well as a global broadcaster for the 2012 World Rally Championship season at this stage in time," the body said in a statement on Friday.
"The Federation has been involved in lengthy and detailed discussions with interested parties but a series of issues proved impossible to reconcile, and it finally had to take the decision to withdraw from these negotiations."
"Teams, manufacturers and the other stakeholders have all been informed of this situation," it added.
"The FIA will now open discussions with all the other parties which have expressed interest in the promotion of the WRC in order to guarantee the future development and growth of the FIA World Rally Championship."
In a move that is seen by some as a move back to the “dark ages” individual countries had been told that they would have to find their own TV deals!
This whole fiasco reflects very badly on the sport, but in a sense it is also a bit of poetic justice considering how important some of the FIA delegations became. They had a sort of “don’t phone us, we will phone you!” attitude and believed that there series were untouchable!
All this has proven again is that even the best product in the world can be destroyed if you place it in the hands of the wrong people?
One thing that counts for the FIA is that at least they inform the players immediately albeit after they realise they did actually screw up?
If I am allowed a short prayer on direct line to the gods of rallying (whom I believe is the King of Sporting Gods) I want to ask for a bit of a miracle – that somewhere someone – even in SA will come to the fore and write out a good cheque to get this incredible series back on line.
The fact that North One Sport was actually still liquid despite the fact that their holding company went into administration, must at least indicate that there is money to be made? The 4th last word of the previous sentence may even have brought some light to the eyes of some of our own so-called administrators?
The next rally is in Sweden from Feb. 9-12.
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