Blood on the floor at Trackside - coverage to be decimated and long time callers victims

TAB staff cuts will see Trackside’s coverage of racing decimated after a “blood on the floor” meeting at Petone headquarters today.

While the Racing Industry Transition Agency has made no official announcement yet inside sources say there will be no on course presenters at race meetings, except for up to 20 marquee events.

The knife has gone through almost every contractor, meaning even a long-time respected race caller like Dave McDonald has lost his job.

All casuals and non essential contractors will be terminated, leaving a window open for the retention of Central Districts caller Tony Lee.

Only extremely limited race meeting previews will be done and the TAB will cut its on course staff to seven.

Instead of having four or five cameras to portray the action, there will be only one, so the pictures will look like they’re from outback Australia. Three other cameras will be there but solely for judicial angles. Gone will be the close up vision at the start and the winner returning to scale, and also cameras that improve vision of preliminaries, finishes and replays.

Mark Claydon … 33 years experience.Former floor manager and latterly Radio Trackside presenter Mark Claydon, with 33 years experience, has lost his job as has floor manager Sharne Connolly, a veteran of 16 years.

Only three commentators will be used in the North Island - only two of George Simon, Aaron White and Peter Earley will be retained, with Simon and White expected to call Auckland and Cambridge greyhounds as well if Earley is lost, as expected.

Mark Rozanowski will call the Central Districts greyhounds, but the versatile Jason Teaz is gone.

In the South Island, four callers will be used, including two in Canterbury, Matt Cross, Justin Evans and Trevor Wilkes are safe.

Only eight staff will be used in the studio - the 10 people vying for the jobs include Bevan Sweeney, Brendan Popplewell, Greg O’Connor, Aidan Rodley, Marc Cookson, Pip Morris, Darryl Robinson, Pat Comerford, Nicole Simms and Emily Bosson.

Craig “The Whale” Thompson, who drove harness turnover with his Whale Watch and on-course interviews is gone as is Mick Guerin.

Trackside will essentially turn into wall-to-wall racing and directors will keep their jobs as the TAB plans to import more meetings from overseas to fill in the time. It currently airs for 217 hours a week.

Special coverage around racing carnivals will be scaled back with senior programming producer Maryanne Twentyman a casualty. Magazine style shows like The Box Seat, The First Call and Dogzone are all gone.

In further cuts certain to dilute the promoton of racing and breeding, Trackside will discontinue covering key events like awards ceremonies and yearling sales and won’t provide colour materials for websites.

Radio Trackside, suspended last month, will not be reinstated on any AM and FM channels.

Staff have until Saturday to come up with counter proposals before final decisions are put to the board on May 25.