Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Networks tuned into racing fans' dislike of commercials

From: [email-masked]
Date: Thu, 07 Aug 2003 17:13:17 -0400

Networks tuned into racing fans' dislike of commercials

By Don Coble
Savannah Morning News

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. -- A recent study shows there aren't more commercials during a
NASCAR Winston Cup Series race since the $2.8 billion contract was signed with
NBC, FOX, FX and TNT in 2001.

According the MotorsportsTV.com, the amount of time spent on commercials has
increased only by eight seconds for each hour of coverage since the sport moved
away from its base on cable television.

"Commercials have historically been one of the primary targets of criticism from
NASCAR fans," said Mike McCarthy, editor at MotorsportsTV.com. Simply, NASCAR fans
hate commercials. The blockbuster TV contract in 2001 further raised fears and
suspensions among race fans. But the evidence shows that the TV networks have not
increased commercial time in order to pay for their significantly increased rights
fees."

MotorsportsTV.com studied every televised race from the 2000 season through last
week's Brickyard 400. It found the amount of commercial time in 2000 averaged 14
minutes, 39 seconds for each hour of broadcast. This year, the amount of time is
14 minutes, 47 seconds.

McCarthy said FOX and FX loaded many of their spots during its pre-race show. NBC
and TNT, which essentially broadcast the second half of the season, have 1 minute,
10 seconds more commercial time an hour during the actual race.

The most commercial time used during a race was on FOX at Michigan this year.
According the MotorsportsTV.com, the average was 18 minutes, 16 seconds an hour.

AT&T to stay

AT&T apparently won't keep its telecommunications off the circuit next year
despite restrictions set forth by new sponsor Nextel.

With Nextel set to replace Winston as the title sponsor the NASCAR's top level of
stock car racing in 2004, the only telecommunications companies allowed to sponsor
cars will be companies already on the circuit.

BAM Racing has a part-time sponsorship from 1-800-CALL-ATT, but Nextel decided to
add so many restrictions on AT&T, including the banishment of AT&T's famed global
emblem from the car and all of its marketing, everyone thought the deal was dead.

"It looks like AT&T will be with us in some form in 2004, and this offers another
tremendous opportunity for a sponsor," said BAM owner, Beth Ann Morgenthau. "They
appear to be very willing to work with our 2004 sponsors, develop cross-promotions
and marketing opportunities, and help whoever comes in with BAM Racing."

One way Morgenthau can make the AT&T deal work around Nextel's restrictions is to
promote the company's 800-calling plan, not its telephone service.

Bradshaw speaks

Car owner Terry Bradshaw last week said he was so unhappy with the way his NASCAR
Busch Series team was headed with driver Kerry Earnhardt, he considered pulling
his ownership away from the team if changes weren't made.

"I wanted to make the move (to fire Earnhardt) a long time ago," Bradshaw said.
"This is about performance, not a last name. I wanted something to be done, but it
was hard with all the sponsorship deals. And my partner (Armando Fitz) was more
worried about being politically correct.

"I finally said we got to do something different or you can do this without me."

Since Earnhardt, the eldest son of racing legend Dale Earnhardt, was fired, Tim
Fedewa has posted finishes of 12th, 13th and 13th -- the three best efforts for
the team this year.

"Hello?" Bradshaw said. "Does that tell you something?"

Road course warriors

There will be eight ringers in this Sunday's Sirius Satellite at the Glen.

Ron Fellows, Boris Said, Johnny Miller, P.J. Jones, Scott Maxwell, Scott Pruett,
Paul Menard and Joe Varde will attempt to become the first road-course specialist
to win a NASCAR Winston Cup Series race since Mark Donohue won the 1973 race at
Riverside, Calif., for Roger Penske.

Teams not competing for the Winston Cup Series championship often substitute a
road course specialist for the two road course races on the schedule.

Fellows, whose won three road course races on the NASCAR Busch Series, will drive
in place of Jeff Green in the No. 1 Chevrolet from Dale Earnhardt Inc.

Said, who won the pole two months on the road course at Sonoma, Calif., will drive
the No. 01 Pontiac for MB2 Motorsports, while Miller and Jones will drive the No.
04 and No. 4 Chevrolets for Morgan-McClure Motorsports.

Maxwell will drive the famed No. 43 Dodge from Petty Enterprises, while Christian
Fittipaldi will move over to a new car -- No. 44 -- built just for this Sunday's
race.

Pruett will drive the No. 39 Dodge for Chip Ganassi Racing; Menard will be in the
No. 33 Chevrolet for Andy Petree Motorsports; and Varde will be in his own No. 35
Chevrolet.

Pit stops

Crew chief Jeff Buckner was fined $1,000 for using unapproved axles in Hermie
Sadler's car last week at Indianapolis. Speedway Motorsports Inc., which owns and
operates speedways in Atlanta, Charlotte, Las Vegas, Fort Worth, Bristol, Tenn.,
and Sonoma, Calif., reported a 23-percent drop in second-quarter net earnings. The
company claimed poor weather and debt refinancing was the cause. The IRL IndyCar
Series will race next year at the Milwaukee Mile. That racetrack had been a CART
Champ Car World Series stronghold for the last 25 years.

http://www.savannahnow.com/stories/080703/SPTNASCARnotebook.shtml

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