Motty turned off

The Independent reports that BBC viewers are turning John Motson off by opting for alternative commentaries in greater than expected numbers:

A Five Live source said: "We're delighted with the ratings for the England game. There were a lot of listeners reaching us via the interactive television service. Motty is a national treasure but there are some people out there who would rather listen to the different style that is radio commentary. Now they can exercise that choice with the red button."....

The corporation leapt to the defence of its 61-year-old national treasure yesterday by insisting that it had no way of measuring how many digital viewers were indeed giving Motson the red button. But it confirmed that record numbers, including thousands among the 13 million who watched England's opening game against Paraguay on Saturday, had accessed digital options, including the alternative commentary.