Clubs and fans fume at red V TV
  * Dean Ritchie
  * From: The Daily Telegraph
  * May 13, 2010
Source: The Daily Telegraph
HOW do we know it's Friday tomorrow? Easy, the Dragons are on Channel 9.
In a pattern that is infuriating rival clubs and their fans - and even some Saints supporters - Nine yesterday awarded St George Illawarra yet another Friday night match. The NRL yesterday released its round 19 draw, and to the surprise of no one, the Dragons will play South Sydney on Friday, July 16, at ANZ Stadium.
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It is the 10th time so far this season that St George Illawarra have been given a Friday night game. Tune in tomorrow night and you'll be able to watch the Bulldogs in action against ... you guessed it, the Dragons.
Rival chief executives were last night fuming at the club's ongoing free-to-air exposure, with Manly CEO Graham Lowe declaring: "This isn't just about Manly, this is affecting all clubs and needs to be addressed immediately."
Despite their good form, which includes a last-round belting of the Dragons, the Sea Eagles have been left embarrassingly behind in the exposure stakes on Friday nights.
In the 19 rounds scheduled so far, Manly have received just two Friday matches and two free-to-air Sunday games.
On the other hand, St George Illawarra have been given Friday night games in rounds one, two, three, four, five, six, 10, 12, 16 and 19 - that equates to a whopping 20 hours of Friday night footy involving the Dragons.
The club's round-seven match against the Sydney Roosters on Anzac Day was live-to-air in Nine's Sunday afternoon slot.
Nine officials correctly point out St George Illawarra are leading the competition and are a high-rating team.
Nine's highest Friday night ratings of the year so far - 523,000 viewers - came in round one, when the Dragons played the Eels.
But that may have had more to do with the blue and gold army than with the red and white one.
The next highest-rating Friday night match - clocking up 446,000 viewers - was the round-eight clash between the Eels and Bulldogs.
A Nine spokesman last night said there was "no need to look for a conspiracy theory under every rock".
"I am happy for The Daily Telegraph to do all the navel-gazing they like, but we do our scheduling for matches we think people will watch," the spokesman said.
But try telling that to the bosses of rival clubs.
"I wish they would give us a fair go," Panthers CEO Mick Leary said.
"We have to get the AFL structure where they allocate games evenly among all the clubs."
Newcastle CEO Steve Burraston added: "Free-to-air audience is vitally important to our sponsors."
Asked if Nine's Friday night scheduling had been unfair this season, Burraston said: "You'd think so.
"It makes it difficult. We'd just like a fair crack of the whip."
But Canterbury CEO Todd Greenberg has no problem with Nine's scheduling decisions.
"Channel 9 do what's best for their ratings," he said.
"They must see the Dragons as a strong ratings team."
The Seven Network believes Nine is "obsessed" with the Saints, but that's just fine by its boss.
"Our CEO David Leckie has no issues with Nine's obsession with St George Illawarra ... but he is a mad Dragons fan after all," a spokesman said.
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