November 10, 2002

Twice this week, my inbox overflowed with rants from fellow race fans and colleagues regarding the rumored moves TNT may be making with next year’s race coverage.

For those who have been living in a cave these past few weeks, rumor has it that TNT is planning to move some (or all?) of the NASCAR Winston Cup race broadcasts to a new channel entitled TNT Plus. Now, with the arrival of a new channel to its family, TNT plans to charge cable providers 10% more to carry the TNT channels. The cable providers may make a choice not to carry the channel, and the Winston-Salem Journal has reported that TNT is prepared to black out the races in those markets where the cable company does not accept the rate increase. In the midst of all this panic arose new speculation – that the only way a race fan in those markets could watch races is on pay-per-view. The plot thickens, race fans.

NASCAR’s VP of Broadcasting, Paul Brooks, tried to put the rumor to rest. In his statement, Brooks noted, “Turner has informed NASCAR that they are going through their normal cycle of negotiations with cable affiliates and they feel confident that these negotiations will results in renewed agreements and that NASCAR programming will not be affected. We look forward to giving NASCAR fans even more NASCAR programming in 2003.”

Now, NASCAR already upped the ante by offering complementary information available on a paid subscription basis to fans. These include RaceCast/Trackpass – and next season, the new PitCommand. Plus, NASCAR signed up some marquis drivers for in-car coverage available only on iNDemand. A half-season of watching from your favorite driver’s perspective only costs you $99.

But this is all auxiliary information – radio traffic, on-track position as each lap is run, scoring pylons, lap-by-lap points calculations, a view from inside the car as the car makes laps.

Those are all “nice to have” extras that the folks who want them can pay for if they so choose. Those offerings, however, did not prevent the fan who wants just the race from watching it in the peace, quiet, and comfort of his home.

So all this talk of blacked out races and pay-per-view – despite NASCAR’s attempt at placating the fans and reassuring us that coverage would continue – has created quite the fervor among the loyal.

The first email read: “If I have to start paying to watch NASCAR is when I start listening to the radio … When is enough jack enough. If I want inside and stats, I will pay for it. But I will not pay-per-view any race. After the deal NASCAR struck with how many networks? They have the best product going right now, next to the NFL, why are they trying to screw it up?”

Good point, race fan. If races are blocked out and race fans are forced to pay to watch the event, who does this benefit? My guess? MRN. To paraphrase my response to my friend and fellow race fan who sent me the above rant over this whole TNT issue:

Put down the adult beverage, and step away from the computer. No, no, no ... No clicking, no surfing, no typing. Step back, I say!

Now, is it really all bad if they go pay-per-view? (You're probably saying, "Who are you? And what have you done with L.M.?" Bear with me; I have perspective on this since I freaked out about two weeks ago on this one.) I think it might be a good thing ... For MRN.

How many fans are REALLY going to pay for races either all season or when they're blocked out in their home area for whatever reason? I don't think even the new money fans NASCAR really wants are going to PAY FOR RACES. If we all realize that it is OK to not pay for races, and it’s OK not to see them on TV. We can just stick with MRN.

Unfortunately, MRN is owned by ISC which is owned by NASCAR and the France family. So, in the end, even that benefits NASCAR.

Then, the next email from a fellow racing writer arrived noting that an interesting detail is missing from the 2003 schedule. Go to www.nascar.com and check out the newly announced 2003 Winston Cup schedule. See any TV stations listed? Wonder why that is. As my friend noted, “Now, *if* the contracts are really already in place, like NASCAR says they are, then *why* will they not publish the TV station and the radio stations?”

Good question. And did you notice the phrasing of the “reassurance” from Paul Brooks? Perhaps we’d all feel a whole lot better if it said, “Turner Sports has guaranteed us that race coverage will not be affected” rather than “they (Turner) feel confident that these negotiations will results in renewed agreements and that NASCAR programming will not be affected.”

And while I pondered that little thought, the petition arrived. Fan notes to “NA$CAR and TNT,” as portrayed on the online petition, range from pleas for consideration for those regular working folks who are sole supporters to harsh criticism that just breaks down reality for NASCAR. From “Another ripoff by Turner and the France conglomerates” to “If you do this then you are no better than what was done to baseball,” the fans’ perspective on this petition is quite clear.

We can only sit and wait for this little game to play out. Don’t look for owners and race teams to stick up for the average race fan. With NASCAR’s profit-sharing, they stand to make quite a pretty penny off a pay-per-view arrangement.

Just remember that according to nascar.com, you can always contact them at Fanfeedback@nascar.com “to ask questions and share opinions on NASCAR rules, regulations, and any issues…”

In the meantime, perhaps we should all prepare for a time when MRN is our only source for free race coverage. So, we won't be able to see pit stops, see them beatin' and bangin' for a win. We won’t be able to watch this Rusty-Jeff bump 'n' run challenge they seem to have going on these days. Big deal.

So we won’t be able to watch Junior just being Junior with folks like Ward and Olive Oil and Robby. So we won't be able to actually watch bump-drafting at Talladega and Daytona. Who cares?

So we won't be able to see the replays of wrecks and figure out who caused it. OK, the MRN professionals can tell us who caused it.

So we won't be able to actually see great finishes like Harvick's six-one-thousandths of a second win over Jeff Gordon at Atlanta in 2001, Dale Jr.’s triumphant return to Daytona with that emotional victory celebration after winning the 2001 Pepsi 400, or Jamie McMurray’s record-setting win in Charlotte last month. But we CAN hear it all, just not see it.

OK, slide an adult beverage this way, please. Enough is indeed enough.

You can send feedback to L.M. Burke at: Insider Racing News

Seriously Sunday

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The thoughts and ideas expressed by this writer or any other writer on Insider Racing News, are not necessarily the views of the staff and/or management of IRN. Although we may not always agree with what is said, we do feel it's our duty to give a voice to those who have something relevant to say about the sport of auto racing.

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