Crufts on Pay Per View TV?
Published on December 15, 2008 by Ryan O'Meara · No CommentsLet us fast forward in to the year 2011. Let us imagine a utopia that includes…
No congestion charging.
Our ecomony has rebounded big on the discovery that we no longer rely on foreign oil to power our factories, cars and homes as we use a fuel derived from pure Guinness. Wolverhampton Wanderers have been crowned Premier League champions. No congestion charging. Barack Obama’s decision to adopt a shelter dog has a knock on effect that leaves dog shelters bereft of dogs as the demand for rescues explodes. No congestion charging. Pedigree dog health is given its biggest ever boost thanks to some tough love from the BBC, RSPCA and others with welfare on their mind – the UK’s biggest dog show is ready to make a return to our screens.
But something’s different.
The BBC have been hurt. They have feelings too, you see. All those people who have pumped their virtual fist in the air and yelled ‘Yes! No more Crufts on the BBC, they did a rubbish job of covering it any way!”, all those people put the BBC off from wanting to air the event again. Sure, the BBC understands that a good deal of those people were really just protecting their pride – “No! YOU’RE dumped. Yes, I was going to dump you any way, I already have a new girlfriend/boyfriend lined up” before running home to cry in to their pillows – the BBC recognises that some people are just hitting out in anger and don’t really mean anything by it, but nevertheless they’ve decided to cut Crufts loose.
So, we enter a new era. A new era for pedigree dogs, major dog events and the broadcast of those events.
And all those people who felt that Crufts dog show had become a ‘bit of a circus’ and would prefer the event to make a return to basics, well now those folks have a chance to really put their money where their mouth is – for Crufts will be on a special Kennel Club run pay-per-view channel. You, the viewer, will decide what you want to watch, how you want the dog show to be covered, what you want to see more of and what (and who) you want to see less of. So the question is: if Crufts went on to pay-per-view on a special canine TV channel, would that tickle your fancy? Could the KC make a better job of covering its flagship event than good old Auntie Beeb?
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Ah Ryan, you paint a rosy scenario.
Utopia indeed to be able to turn on the TV and not be bombarded with the hype and exploitation of Crufts. To be able to tune into any channel and not have to put up with the ads, trailers, news items and coverage of an exploitative event run by an organisation that has been shown to have no real interest in the welfare of dogs.
Yes – next year, those of us that are involved in canine welfare and feel strongly that dogs should be able to live their lives under the basis of the freedoms outlined and granted in the 2006 animal welfare act, can look forward to spring.
We will not be sickened by what we see and hear on the box.
We will not be nauseated by a stream of drivel from breeders who are simply looking for the best buck for doing very little rather than getting a useful job that contributes to the needs of the dogs they stridently claim to love and respect.
To think that this may be the case for the whole of the rest of my life is, indeed, inspiring.
It's not that I hate the KC and all it stands for – I just don't see the point of their existence. I see no use for them.
Perhaps someone will come up with a 'pay to avoid' subscription service. A unique service for all right thinking people. A simple service, economical and tasteful.
A service that, once subscribed to, filters out all references to the KC from the life of the person subscribing.
That would tempt me.
Admittedly, I would lose the opportunity to respond to excellent articles like this one as I would never see them in the first place – but that would be a small price to pay to be able to feel that my life was free of the KC forever.