That PortaStudio they knock up whenever we're on TV

[EPR]

Here's a radical way out investment idea. For a club with ambition, with a venue like ours; why not build a permanent TV studio; could be easily retrofitted onto the end of the West Stand press gantry.

Air time is obviously a big coup for a club, so why not go all out to try and attract it? I don't doubt for a minute that when it comes to the powers that be deciding which games to pick for live TV coverage the quality of the facilities is a factor (they'll say it's not but it must be).

So why not make the Madejski Stadium a venue that the presentation / production team want to come to rather, rather than somewhere they have to endure in the confines of a scaffolding / portacabin knock-up (does it even have a toilet?) next to the big screen.

[Ian Royal]

Interesting idea.

I'd wonder whether the TV companies prefer to bring their own gear and set up though.

How much would it cost to put it in? At the moment we'll get what? zero - two league games on TV a year, I can't see that going up beyond three. Unless we make the Prem, in which case we're even more small potatos and less desirable to feature, so I'd say it would make less of a difference.

I think it'd take a heck of a long time to make the money back when the current situation is going to be costing us peanuts.

Not with you on this.

Edit: might have an impact on swaying them into coming for cup games if its otherwise a tough call.

[Jackson Corner]

When the rugby is live they use an empty executive box. For the expense of putting up the portastudio would it not be cheaper to hire a box for the night? Unless they are all full for the season?

[Big Foot]

I'd wonder whether the TV companies prefer to bring their own gear and set up though.

I reckon this is the case - at most grounds they have a similar setup to ours. Noticed the Millwall v Bristol City game the other week they'd built something similar. Always used to (and probably still do) the same at West Ham.

[Hoop Blah]

Aren't they contractually obliged to broadcast a certain number of home games? Or is it just a number of Reading games fullstop?

As they have to go around the country covering a certain number of games I can't imagine that the investment would see much of a return. We already have the advantage of being, probably, the closest Championship club to Sky HQ and having the state of the art media centre and plenty of room around the stadium for them to set up their broadast trucks etc.

I'd say we're a pretty attractive prospect already.

[Svlad Cjelli]

We actually don't make very much money (and might actually lose it) when we're on TV - the facility fee in the FL is pretty poor - something like 40k or 50k, I think (I have the exact figure at home). But it doesn't take much of a drop in attendance because of the change to kick-off time or that people can watch in the pup to wipe that income out - in terms of ticket income, car parking. refreshments and programmes etc.

So I'm not sure that this is that great great a money-making scheme!

Even in the PL where the facility fee is the eye-watering sum of £485k per team, per match, there is a minimum payment of 10 guaranteed to eac club per season, no matter how few times you get televised. So that's make it not worthwhile.

[Nobby]

Shame it does not seem to be worthwhile.

That rickety black box in the corner does look like something you might have expected at Elm Park.

There is a room at the back of the press gallery where jounors go and pig their sandwiches at half time. Surely they could use that.

[Svlad Cjelli]

Shame it does not seem to be worthwhile.

That rickety black box in the corner does look like something you might have expected at Elm Park.

There is a room at the back of the press gallery where jounors go and pig their sandwiches at half time. Surely they could use that.

They can't easilty commentate on a match they can't see - otherwise they might as well sit in the mixing lorry or even in the studios at Brentford.

[Wimb]

I don't think it's in the club's interests to put one up full time nor would it really provide that much benefit to the TV studio.

As Dirkers mentioned TV companies will always need a temporary studio for some grounds so will always have that studio available. More to the point we wouldn't want to commit to fitting out an exectuive box and taking away the corporate facilities when there's always the off chance it might be hired for one game etc.

Maybe it can be built when that expansion finally gets done and we've opened Green Park train station

[Red]

Broadly agree with the sentiments in the OP, and always if not LOL then COL when I see this - it's a bit Elm Park, a bit old second division.