 Poster: A snowHead
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A couple of years ago the Ski Club of Great Britain launched a web-based video channel called Ski TV which focuses on snow reports, news magazine content and other features. According to the Club's published data the channel has 35,000 subscribers.
Are you one of them?
Are you watching Ski TV ... and, if so ... how often and for how long?
Do you watch any other ski video sites?
I guess we've grown up on this site, and other ski chat sites, to mainly deal in text and still photos. I was therefore also wondering how many people take the trouble to shoot interesting ski video on an amateur basis and upload it to the net?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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David Goldsmith,
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guess we've grown up on this site
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hmmm! Some more than other's 
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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True. I'm still watching Blue Run Peter ... and Teleski Tubbies
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Are you one of them?
Yes
Are you watching Ski TV ... and, if so ... how often and for how long?
No - stopped long ago
Do you watch any other ski video sites?
No except when pointed at one by a snowheads link.
I guess we've grown up on this site, and other ski chat sites, to mainly deal in text and still photos. I was therefore also wondering how many people take the trouble to shoot interesting ski video on an amateur basis and upload it to the net?
I don't - but then I don't take videos.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Yes, I watch ski TV. Snow news used to be very well reported. There are also various tution clips that are of interest.
I do not watch other ski channels.
I do not make ski videos or post them on the net.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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No. I watch Sky TV.
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I have phases of watching it. Some of the tuition and fitness clips are very good.
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| laundryman wrote: |
| No. I watch Sky TV. |
That prompts a statistical comparison (if the two can be compared):
Sky TV has (according to the only figures I could find in an instant) around 8 million subscribers. I guess that means they'd actually received 8 million payments to watch it.
Ski TV has - as mentioned above - 35,000 subscribers. I'm not quite clear what this figure comprises. According to a figure given at the last SCGB AGM, 133 non-members had paid the £10 subscription for the service. The Club's membership - which includes Ski TV access in the package - is 19,139 subscribers (33,566 gross membership including family members).
However the number of "users" of Ski TV was given as 3446 in the 2007 annual report. I guess quite a number of SCGB members don't use the internet, or use the internet but clearly don't watch Ski TV.
Personally, I watch Ski TV occasionally but I wouldn't regard it as a membership benefit that I value particularly. The instructional videos are the most popular, according to comments at the AGM, but I don't know how many people watch them.
The cost of providing Ski TV was given as £31,971 for 2006-7. Don't know the budget for this winter. It's therefore not a massive cost (roughly £9 cost per user) but I'm puzzled by that 35,000 subscribers figure. I think 'subscribers' should mean 'users', which is how I imagine Sky TV would reconcile its figures - you'd be unlikely to pay a Sky TV sub if you weren't going to watch it.
Of course, one way that any membership organisation can test the demand for a specific service is to charge a premium on the membership to gain the benefit - say £5 to £8 extra to receive Ski TV. If about 5000 to 7000 SCGB members decided to pay the premium the costs would therefore be covered.
Did anyone around here pay the £10 sub?
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I did last year. I haven't renewed at the moment, although I may well do so.
I found quite a lot that I enjoyed or found useful, and downloaded copies of most of the instructional videos.
The main other ski video site I watch is Snowfix, of which I have seen every episode.
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| David Goldsmith wrote: |
[
Did anyone around here pay the £10 sub? |
Yes. One of my sock puppets.
Another one of my sock puppets watchs it down the pub for free.
He says it is not as good as those Greek TV with English commentary Premier League football matchs.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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David Goldsmith, The £10.00 sub, (which I guess is the point of this thread) I was tempted but didn't bother having seen what was on offer at the time. Perhaps a zero sub for say a month to show me that there is some up to date and interesting newsy stuff as well as the predictable content may reel me in and make the £10.00 seem worthwhile.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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I watch Extreme Sports, channel 419 Sky TV
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| boredsurfin wrote: |
| David Goldsmith, The £10.00 sub, (which I guess is the point of this thread) ... |
Not really. I was just curious to know roughly how many of the 35,000 subscribers or 3446 users of Ski TV are snowHeads.
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You know it makes sense.
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I always watch the Snowcast! Think it has developed well over the last couple of years. Much more than just a way of reporting snow conditions now. Think some of the Snowcast extras are great as well 
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Sadly can't get Sky TV anymore. Its all cable cable cable where we live! 
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Poster: A snowHead
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David Goldsmith, ah, so this is this month's (or did you forget it was a leap year, and think it was already March?) bash-the-SCGB thread. I am not sure it is sH business to worry about SCGB funding. But who knows? I might be lucky enough to have admin himself pop up to tell me he thinks it is.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| achilles wrote: |
| David Goldsmith, ah, so this is this month's (or did you forget it was a leap year, and think it was already March?) bash-the-SCGB thread. |
So far not much SCGB bashing, so far I've learned that there are some useful instructional videos and the snow casts are interesting.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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davidof, excellent - but from the drift in David's conversation I detect that this tread is an angle on to SCGB funding. I could be just too cynical for my own good, of course.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| achilles wrote: |
| davidof, excellent - but from the drift in David's conversation I detect that this tread is an angle on to SCGB funding. I could be just too cynical for my own good, of course. |
Well I was dubious about the whole thing but the limited feedback here seems quite positive to me. David G. is probably interested in the cost to produce vs. the number of viewers aspect but I'm only guessing so don't want to put words in his mouth.
I'm not likely to splurge 10 quid for ski tv but I guess if you were thinking of paying 20 quid on an instructional video it my be better to pay for the ski club service for a year. Amazing they've done it on a budget of 32K.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| Latchigo wrote: |
| Yes, I watch ski TV. Snow news used to be very well reported. There are also various tution clips that are of interest...... |
Ditto
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I used to watch the wombles does that count?
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David Goldsmith, I am sure the club would like to thank you for advertising their web-based services
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| achilles wrote: |
| David Goldsmith, ah, so this is this month's bash-the-SCGB thread. |
No, it's Friday Night 'Bash the Keyboard' ... with a warm welcome to all members of the Fun Police.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| DB wrote: |
| I used to watch the wombles does that count? |
Not if there wasn't any skiing in it
Underground, Overground, Wombling Ski,
The Wombles of Wimbledon SCGB.
Making good use of transceivers we find,
Lift passes the everyday folks leave behind.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Hullite wrote: |
| I have phases of watching it. Some of the tuition and fitness clips are very good. |
Ditto
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| achilles wrote: |
| David Goldsmith, ah, so this is this month's (or did you forget it was a leap year, and think it was already March?) bash-the-SCGB thread. I am not sure it is sH business to worry about SCGB funding. But who knows? I might be lucky enough to have admin himself pop up to tell me he thinks it is. |
No, in fairness, I think David is doing a user survey (albeit possibly for his own anti-SCGB purposes) and snowHeads happens to be a handy user group which is easy for him to tap into. Seems fair enough to me.
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Yes, I like that - "a user survey".
Hopefully these posts aren't interpreted as "anti-SCGB" [yourself] or "bashing the SCGB" [achilles]. Having worked on the Club's magazine for most years of the past 3 decades, paying the annual membership subscription, I simply support the case for reform in certain areas.
As far as Ski TV is concerned (which is funded by the public, the Club's members and the advertising community) it may be a good idea for everyone to be clear about the goals and results.
The original financial projection (2006 SCGB AGM) was based on 30,000 users benefiting at a net cost of £45,000 (£1.50 per user). The number of subscribers has since been given as 35,000, but the number of users as 3446 (i.e. one user per 10 subscribers).
So far, 5 posters above have reported watching Ski TV this winter, out of 10,000 registered users of snowHeads, but this may not be representative at all.
Anyone else care to comment on their viewing activities, or the content of the channel?
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You know it makes sense.
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David Goldsmith, I've watched a few recently, but only if I see any which catch my eye when accessing the SCGB site for other purposes. i.e looking at snow reports.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Poster: A snowHead
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tried watching it but it was very lame. I prefer SNOWFIX.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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boredsurfin has spotted an offer of a free week's viewing of Ski TV, reported on this thread:
http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=37338
It would be interesting to know the conversion effect of that offer. If you take up the free trial maybe let us know if it's persuaded you to join the SCGB or to pay the £10 Ski TV sub.
[In passing, achilles, I've never been on the staff of the SCGB.]
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| David Goldsmith wrote: |
| ..In passing, achilles, I've never been on the staff of the SCGB..... |
Are you getting a touch semantic?
| David Goldsmith wrote: |
| .......the editor of Ski Survey through the 80s was Elisabeth Hussey (I was equipment editor) |
The point is that you were part of the Ski Survey (predecessor of Ski + Board) setup - and regularly remind us that in your opinion the SCGB's journalism no longer reaches the lofty peaks attained in contrast to the your heyday.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| achilles wrote: |
| ... and regularly remind us ... |
Oh really? You've already got one fact wrong, O'Reilly. Now illustrate the basis on which you made that one up.
Stating the obvious, it is true that journalism and presentation will be the make or break of Ski TV - great stories, action, content, advice - so I don't disagree with some focus on that aspect of things!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| achilles wrote: |
The point is that you were part of the Ski Survey (predecessor of Ski + Board) setup - and regularly remind us that in your opinion the SCGB's journalism no longer reaches the lofty peaks attained in contrast to the your heyday. |
I think you claim that he "regularly reminds us..." rather more often than he actually does so.
And you seem to be searching for anti-SCGB comments in his posts, even when it takes quite a strecth to find any.
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David Goldsmith, my names not O'Reilly. But you knew that. I am not sure I did get a 'fact' wrong. There may be a semantic point over payrolls, but I think most people would think it a 'fact' that you were on the Club's staff, since you were on the editorial team of the magazine.
As to the rest, do these help?
Ski Survey's sales.
A paragon of ski testing.
Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Mon 3-03-08 12:42; edited 1 time in total
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alex_heney, could be. Perception is in the mind. 
My own view is that he has actively criticised the SCGB, in terms of its accounting, the reps, the behaviour towards him at an AGM, and commercialism. Mind you, as a lot of his correspondence was in the Club forum - perhaps there was less in snowheads. Forgive me for not doing a comprehensive trawl to check that.
Bit late for Lent resolutions - but I shall try to ignore DG posts for the rest of Lent!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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If we can return to reality and avoid the personal stuff, the stated facts (SCGB published data in the year it was published) for Ski TV are as follows:
Projected number benefiting (2006): 30,000
Actual users (2007): 3,446
Ski TV subscribers (2008): 35,000
Ski TV £10 subscriptions (2007): 133
SCGB members (subscriptions, 2007): 19,139
Now, only one of the figures above is published on a page which carries the logo of ABC Electronic, the internet division of the Audit Bureau of Circulations. Can anyone guess which one it is?
I remain puzzled as to how 19,139 + 133 = 35,000. Can anyone help with the maths here?
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I remain puzzled as to how 19,139 + 133 = 35,000. Can anyone help with the maths here?
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It does seem a trifle odd, but does it really matter to anyone outside SCGB?
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FAQ
