(Guardian) World Cup 2010: BBC may offer vuvuzela-free matches

[Ruby the Liberal]

Source: The Guardian (UK)

The BBC was investigating the possibility of transmitting an alternative "vuvuzela free" version of its World Cup coverage tonight, as the fierce debate over the buzz of the horn looked set to be heading for football grounds all over Britain.

As players, fans and coaches weighed in on whether the loud drone of the plastic horns was an annoying irritant or joyful expression of African culture, South African organisers hit back and encouraged visiting fans to export them back to their own countries.

SNIP

The drone of the vuvuzela has sparked an international debate since the tournament's launch on Friday, with broadcasters inundated with complaints and arguments raging on radio phone-ins. The BBC has received 220 complaints and, while it is committed to reflecting the atmosphere in the stadiums on its main coverage, it is believed to be looking into providing a so-called "clean" feed that would strip out the majority of crowd noise, via the red button.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/jun/14/bbc-vuvuzela-free-world-cup

---

For all those struggling to watch the games given the noise... Relief may be on the way!

[madrchsod]

1. it really is annoying....

i don`t mind crowd noise,chanting, or singing but the horns.....

[rug]

2. They'll have to pry my vulvuzela from my cold dead lips.

[jgraz]

15. Um... interesting spelling error.

:D

[Jennicut]

3. I was wondering what that noise was when I watched some of the games.

Still, it is part of their culture and they have every right to use them. But I would admittedly rather watch a vuvuzela-free game.

[BeyondGeography]

4. Vuvu defenders, here's the problem

-Can't hear the national anthems
-Can't hear the crowd react to game developments, even the goals
-Can't hear the crowd break into song
-Can't hear anything natural, just the damned vuvu's.

It's hell on the fans there, too. South Africa has run out of vuvu-blocking earplugs:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5igo9D53fURBxh3vYNImUSWRfdNuQ

That said, outlawing them or filtering them out seems to me very problematic. This will go down as the vuvu cup and, hopefully, the rest of the world stays vuvu-free.

[kiva]

5. I would hunt down the BBC broadcast to get

a vuvuzela-free commentary. I've only watched all of one match - England/US - because it's not worth it to listen to that noise.

[NRaleighLiberal]

6. we muted the broadcast. Not much of interest is said, anyway.

[rabs]

7. Cape Town flaunts its giant vuvuzela at the world

It's going to blow everytime a goal is scored. So sponsors say.

[fascisthunter]

8. so that's what they are called

my partner was wondering what that annoying noise was... I kind of just ignore it, but when I don't, it is a bit annoying.

[Tx4obama]

9. Ear damage...

They said on the news that anything over 85 on the machine that measures noise can medically affect your ear drums. Those horns show a number over 125 on the machine. They said the noise from the horns it is as bad as standing behind an airplane jet engine.

They should be banned due to public safety.

[Ishoutandscream2]

10. The horns keep me awake if someone has the game on

[FailureToCommunicate]

11. Encouraging news! Doesn't seem like a big technical problem at least for the TV

announcers: wouldn't a semi sound resistant booth cut the noise?

PS We LOVE the games!

[Zavulon]

12. That will be the only way to get me to watch. (NT)

[theHandpuppet]

13. I've had to hit the mute button just to watch games

Those stupid horns have turned soccer stadiums into giganto beehives. It's annoying as hell, second only to our homegrown irritant, the "tomahawk chop".

[yowzayowzayowza]

14. The Red Button:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/digital/tv/tv_interactive.shtml

[alp227]

16. I have an idea(r). Show a live camera feed of the stadium

but the commentators watch the feed from the studios and call the game from there. Compromise?

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

17. Another idea

Tell South Africa that if they don't get their act together and be gracious hosts, this will be the very last time the World Cup will be held there. Ever.

They can blow their uvulas or whatever outside the stadium.

[Ruby the Liberal]

18. Someone on twitter said that BP should confiscate them and dump them all into the Gulf

in the hopes of fixing 2 international issues with one swoop.

:D

[B Whale]

19. they kill the atmosphere. its like playing a game in a saw mill