New channel confident of success

The media giants behind racing's new interactive digital channel, attheraces, insisted today that it will not suffer the same problems as ITV Digital.

A consortium of Channel 4, BSkyB and Arena Leisure has paid £307 million for the worldwide media rights to cover races at 49 of Britain's 59 tracks.

The channel, which will broadcast 14 hours a day, starts in three weeks and its launch comes at a time when ITV Digital has been placed into administration because it cannot afford to see out its three-year deal with the Football League.

But Chris Stoddart, chief executive officer of attheraces, said: "There is a huge difference between attheraces and, say, ITV Digital. We have a longterm contract of 10 years for worldwide rights. We aim to appeal to a mass audience, broadcasting on platforms already established rather than trying to make one platform work.

"We are not covering second-tier football but the premier rights to Britain's 49 main tracks. A sport's entire significant offering, coupled with interactive betting, has never before been available. Racing has also been undervalued in the past."

The channel today unveiled its team of presenters and they include three new names to the racing media - Zoey Bird, Lee McKenzie and Rishi Persad.

Born in Trinidad where his parents bred and raced thoroughbreds, Persad, 28, abandoned a law career to pursue his love of racing. He boasts broadcast experience with Sky Sports and Ladbrokes.

Keen horsewoman Bird, 25, was a presenterreporter for Channel 5 News and anchored ITN's newschannel. McKenzie, 24, joins after presenting news and sport for Border TV, having written about racing and rugby from an early age.

Brad Higgins, director of programming for attheraces, aims to broaden the interest in the sport. "Racing is glamorous and exciting. We want to share our passion for it with a wider audience, while still fully catering for its core followers," he said.

Some scheduling will be geared towards the novice punter, alongside more in-depth analysis and familiar programming for the seasoned enthusiast.

A talkback programme, encouraging viewers to share their opinions, is key to plans. "We want viewers to feel the station is theirs," said Higgins.

Racing's reactionaries have already criticised attheraces for pursuing an "easy on the eye" recruitment policy, despite equal representation among men and women on the team.

"I find that view quite objectionable," said Stoddart. "Yes, our channel aims to appeal to women as well as men, but we haven't picked presenters on the basis of gender.

"They have been employed for their expertise and ability to explain the sport to a new audience."