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BBC considers ‘vuvuzela free’ World Cup coverage
The BBC has received over 500 complaints about the horns' noise (Photo: Coca-Cola)
The BBC is looking into whether it would be possible to broadcast a separate “vuvuzela-free” audio stream during their coverage of the South Africa tournament.
The corporation is said to have received at least 545 complaints about the sound of vuvuzela horns during its World Cup broadcasts and may offer an interactive option where viewers can “filter” out the noise of the African instruments.
The broadcaster is said to be considering offering viewers the choice to select a noise-free stream via their ‘red button’ interactive service.
“If the vuvuzela continues to impact on audience enjoyment, we will look at what other options we can take to reduce the volume further,” a BBC spokesperson said yesterday.
Experts, however, are sceptical that such a system would be able to function without affecting crowd noise and the broadcaster’s commentary.
Meanwhile, FIFA president Sepp Blatter has ruled out banning the horns, claiming that they are simply part of Africa’s “different sound.”
“I don’t see banning the music traditions of fans in their own country,” Blatter said on Twitter. “Would you want to see a ban on the fan traditions in your country?”
“I have always said that Africa has a different rhythm, a different sound,” added the FIFA president.
Cristiano Ronaldo has become the latest player to voice his concerns over the noise, saying that it can affect players’ concentration on the pitch.
“It is difficult for anyone on the pitch to concentrate,” the Portugal captain said in a press conference. “A lot of players don’t like them, but they are going to have to get used to them”
And if you can’t get enough of that vuvuzela drone, why not bring the South African sound to your internet browsing by visiting Vuvuzela Time.
Why would anyone want to get rid of them? Have you seen the awesome atmosphere they are creating in the stands? Everyone should get one
For my thinking capacity,it will never happen a point were there is more than 50 culture and tribe will correlate and enjoy what orther person or orther culture enjoy,its margic opportunity for African let leave them enjoy and cerebrate on it please,it will be unfair enough to African if they decide to stop vuvuzela.
its creating polluyion for some time but that is the way on how they are cerebrating bad lack enough most coplainer are white,yes they have right to say about the noise but they have been prepared and arrenged for practicing vuvuzela for a along time,to stop therm this time it will be unfair let therm enjoy .
I think they should be made to retune the vuvuzelas to a different frequency so it’d allow broadcasters the option of lowering the volume during the games.
Let’s hope this happens from the BBC. At least it then gives you a choice…
There are a couple of petitions online to ban the vuvuzela from the World Cup. Here’s one:
http://www.petitiononline.com/2010WC/petition.html
:)
Who would honestly want to watch the game without the sound of the crowd and the atmosphere??? What is wrong with having a bit of fun at the game, it’s not like the world cup is every year!
England can’t make watching football as boring as tennis!! I bet that’s how it got so boring, as they banned all the fun from Wimbledon!
Open your hearts to the sound of the Vuvuzela’s and don’t be afraid to soak in a bit of African culture!
they are soooo annoying
thats just irritating, they should do somethin about this!
Well, if the BBC can offer that service as an alternative then fair enough but as a BBC viewer I won’t be using it. The vuvuzela is a big part of the atmosphere of this World Cup and hopefully the South African team will give their fans plenty to celebrate in their final group match.
Vuvuzelas? What a stupid way to spoil the World Cup (note the name, not the African cup). These ridiculous horns do not create an atmosphere as claimed, instead they drive players and also supporters both inside the ground and across the world crazy with their incessant drone. The African response is to give two fingers to the World and ignore common sense. Hopefully South Africa will be eliminated at the group stage and real football fans can get back to the football. After 2010 the WORLD cup will hopefully not be in Africa again for a long time and we will not have to put up with such nonsense.
Even if SA are eliminated at the group stage, that won’t stop the Vuvu Zela’s that’s how they are in Africa, they have big hearts and will continue to support other countries so don’t worry the Vuvuzela’s won’t be going any time soon!!
Thank goodness for that! Wouldn’t want the rest of the world to think that if they whine long enough they will get their own way! Give it up now and stop spoiling everyone’s fun by complaining!
It takes a mature mind to understand what it means to be in the spirit. You can only complain about what you dont know. Take time to imagine if you were there and your team scored a goal then you will see the beast in you which is just spontaneous. This is the first African world cup and its a thing of Joy. The VUVUZELA is fantastic. If only it would be allowed in the 2012 Olympic….Hmmmmmmmmmmm. Even if the SA goes out the VUVUZELA remains because that is the spirit. You need to be there to know what is like, if you dont have one then you are not a supporter of who you represent.
I can certainly complain about a constant B-flat drone coming through my TV made by vuvuzelas at the world cup.
Great to see many cricket grounds over here have already moved to ban them, the Millennium Stadium has also banned them, and rightly so. Nobody wants vuvuzelas ruining the magnificent singing.
Only someone ignorant of traditional South African football culture believes that those annoying one-note horns are part of African or South African football tradition. They just started in South Africa a few years ago.
They block out the rest of the natural sounds from the crowd that makes a sport event interesting, they block out the natural sound of the ebb and flow of the crowd with the game, the singing, etc..
Plus most people, including many in Africa, hate them.
Also, they cause hearing loss, worse than rock concerts or airplanes taking off. Doctors warn against them.
For those reasons, the horns should be banned.
Just ban them. Collect all the horns at the gate and toss them into a shredder.
If the person won’t give up the horns, he doesn’t get in.
If someone sneaks one in and starts honking it, guards are dispatched to remove the horn (with attached owner) if needed.
I tried to watch the games, but the noise from all the honking idiots makes me change channels in a few minutes.
Argentina performing well in this Tournament, I think the improvement is due to the new coach Diego Maradona.
So I am sure that Argentina is going to win the FIFA 2010 Tournament.
Re.England’s disallowed goal in last night’s match;surely at least one of the German players saw that the ball had crossed the line by a significant margin.So why did the Germans not take the chance to show that they have a semblance of fair play by telling the referee that the goal was good?Or is that simply asking too much of the wretched people who play such a perverse and unentertaining game.I wonder if the Germans are happy to be plunged into the same stinking cesspit of cheating and self-deception as the Argentinians.
The horns did not start a few years ago. In fact they are incredibly old in tradition, 10 years ago I parped on one, and I was hardly the first…
To call anyone ignorant for believing in heritage and tradition well wow… wouldnt that then make one arrogant instead?
At the end of the day, its a SA vibe, and if people were at any match they would know what joy these horns bring, people are having fun and it is that instrument thats assisting in creating that enthusastic and fantastic environment. Things do not always have to sit in a perfect box for others to enjoy.
Its incredibly rude to try to disallow culture in the hosting country, surely that itself is the arrogance here.
no one complains about the YOB behaviour in Europe! vanidalism, defication etc. Not to mention The discriminatory chants in EU stadiums.
relax…. try to abosorb something kind and different…
learn something new…. less selfish…. everyone is happy over here…even though their team does not win he he….
I dare you haters…
btw: The England camp are not the most scrupulous players. Peter croutch pulling hair of Trinidad rastaman.
Let us face it …. germany outclassed you guys!
