Thứ Bảy, 28 tháng 1, 2017

Rally coverage in jeopardy on Speed Channel.... part 1

Subie Gal 11-06-2002 02:00 PM

Rally coverage in jeopardy on Speed Channel....
quoted from special stage:

[quote]Urgent Notice To all American Rally Fans and Competitors

As the Rally season comes to a close, I believe a certain group of people need to be commended on a particularly good job. What we have seen with this season's coverage of both the WRC and SCCA Pro Rally has been absolutely superb. As many of us have been worried about the fact that Speed TV will be predominantly NASCAR in the near future, now is the time to tell them that you want more rallying.

This morning, I spoke with the producer of WRC for Speed TV. [b]I was informed that they may have to cut back on Rally coverage [/b]due to low ratings. With this, Speed TV suggested a 2 hour show to air 1 week after the event. Although, they also suggested moving the time slot forward to 8 pm so they can possibly gain more viewers.

With the recent visit of Nicky Grist to the WRC television coverage, the program has taken another leap forward with an exciting and new view to this sport. Perhaps next season (with your input to Speed TV) [b]we can have Nicky Grist coverage all season[/b] and perhaps get to see him on screen here in the United States and maybe even at our own SCCA rallies.

If people can take just a quick moment of time and email the producers of Speed TV and let them know that theyre doing a great job, and that you would like more Nicky Grist commentary, more WRC coverage, and more SCCA Pro Rally, we can continue to enjoy the sport we all enjoy so much.

Please send all your comments to the following address.
Email: [email][email�protected][/email]

This address is monitored daily by everyone from the top execs. at Speed TV to the program producers. Your comments really do matter!!

[b]If we dont show them feedback we will lose rallying on TV![/b]

Guys and Gals pass this on and post it where ever you can.......You WON'T be stricken with bad luck or anything , but it is very important -Thanks Marty[/quote]

loyal rally fans...
better do WHAT you can..
while you can.....

i'm on it!! composing email now...
cheers
Jamie
[url]www.subiegalracing.com[/url]
[url]www.suibegal.com[/url]
MajinWRX 11-06-2002 02:15 PM

i don't even get speed tv... my cable has suck. i only get nascar crap, and a little bit of drag racing on espn:mad:
TyrannoSullyRex 11-06-2002 02:22 PM

Here's my e-mail, and I think it's pretty good.

[QUOTE]
This is just an e-mail to commend SPEED on the coverage of rally (WRC, SCCA, etc.) this year and hope that you keep it up. I had serious fears (and still do to a smaller extent) that the ONLY motorsport to be covered by SPEED would be NASCAR and it's ilk. Thankfully, there has been fair to excellent coverage of various forms of motorsport from around the world and I hope that SPEED can keep this up.

Just a word about my viewing habits, on a WRC weekend I typically work my life around the WRC coverage, in other words, I don't go out on a weekend until after 11PM (i'm in the Central Time Zone). The same thing occurs for Formula1 in getting up early to watch the race, qualifying, etc. I had a really unproductive day when you aired the Petit LeMans. I can really do without NASCAR coverage as I (personally) consider it an inferior form of motorsport compared to ALMS, F1, WRC (rally in general), CART, Touring Cars (British, Japanese, German, American, etc.) and coverage of special events such as Pikes Peak (woefully undercovered this year in my opinion).

Please keep up the good work and remember that diversity of motorsport coverage is always a good thing.

Thanks.
[/QUOTE]
Subie Gal 11-06-2002 02:23 PM

i have taped a lot of the shows...
if you want to see some of the SPEED rally bits...

let me know... if you buy the tape/shipping....
i'll copy some for you when i get a free moment :)
so you can see what it's all about.

Jamie
[url]www.subiegalracing.com[/url]
Thug 11-06-2002 02:30 PM

Done and done.
ConeMasher 11-06-2002 02:31 PM

Mail sent! Thanks for the heads up.. I need my 5 nights of rally!

-- Gary
Gil 11-06-2002 02:33 PM

Thanks for the heads up Subie Gal.

I made sure to tell them that 11pm may not be the best time, commended them for F1 coverage & the bike races and begged them to not let it become all NASCAR.

- Gil
Subie Gal 11-06-2002 02:42 PM

awesome guys!
this is mega important to the growth of Rally in this country!!!

if we are ever to see an FIA round, we have to show them
that we WANT IT :D
and part of that will be gauged by tv ratings, rally attendance etc.
if sponsors cant get anything out of their coverage,
there will be no sponsors, thus no tv, maybe no series at all!!!

keep it up and pass the message to other lists...
cheers all!
thanks again!

jamie
[url]www.subiegalracing.com[/url]
BOY 11-06-2002 03:42 PM

gave them a piece of my mind. I'm sick of left turn only racing. ***fighting urge to start anti-NASCAR thread***NASCAR SUCKS

[I][SIZE=1]Please don't post inflamatory links like that again.[/SIZE][/I]
MulletSlayer 11-06-2002 04:20 PM

After seeing Speed fork out the money for Nicky last week I thought things must be on the up and up. I guess not.

My email has been sent.

Thanks for the heads up.
Opie 11-06-2002 04:21 PM

E-mail sent! :D
Jon Bogert 11-06-2002 04:37 PM

If I send them any more e-mail, Rupert will have a restraining order put on me. :D
BOY 11-06-2002 04:37 PM

Opie, what gives? That website was posted at one of our autocrosses (at Texas Motor Speedway for pete's sake). So much for any tongue and cheek humor.
gtguy 11-06-2002 04:45 PM

:rolleyes:

Trust me, SpeedChannel is not going to become all-NASCAR. I had quite an in-depth talk with an exec there, who says that they are fully aware of the support for the WRC (and F1) coverage, and reiterated that SpeedChannel will not become an all-NASCAR channel.

Keep in mind, however, that channels bid for the rights to this stuff. If you see any reduction, it's generally because people are getting greedy, Ecclestone for example, who had a greater view of the value of F1 in the U.S. TV market than the folks at SC.

Speed Channel might tweak the rally coverage, but it isn't going to go away, for a couple of reasons: 1) the value of the NASCAR franchise is more than SC can handle, given the fact that they are bidding against real networks. The station is only in 70 million homes, though this coverage rate is increasing, and 2) doing away with the channel's core programming would lose its core subscribers. They haven't (and won't) acquire enough subscribers exclusive to SC, because the channel is, on 90% of cable/satellite systems, part of a premium tier.

Finally, truth to tell, when I edit my four hours of coverage down to the pertinent bits, it fits perfectly onto a 2-hour videocassete, at the fastest (highest quality) speed. The move forward in the time slot to gain viewers is also a good one. When people are exposed to WRC, they like it, but at the time it is now showing, you have to know about it, or accidentally run across one of the re-airs (which are going to be reduced in number next season). More people see WRC, it becomes more popular, and if it is reduced at all, because of this increased popularity, it returns to its lofty, 4-hour status. That's how TV, especially commercial TV, works.

Let's be absolutely clear about what's going to happen, before we go tilting at windmills. This happened before, and I imagine that those people, with 4.5 hours of rally, live F1, CART, British and German Touring Car, and more motorcycle coverage, are eating their "SpeedChannel sucks) words.

Kevin
fluffybunny 11-06-2002 04:49 PM

email sent. an exerpt (insert the usual question here: can i spell?):

"SPEED is the only place I can watch it, and the only reason I subscribe to the cable company I use. It would be easier to watch if it wasn't on so late in my viewing area, but I guess NASCAR gets those honors, being predominantly oval track, repetative style racing. Do what you need to pay the bills, but please continue to offer programing that highlights some of the best driving/racing in the world."

fluffy
WRXMaster 11-06-2002 05:16 PM

Sent! Also 8 of my college buddys that stuff themselfs in my room to watch the wrc.
WRXedUSA 11-06-2002 07:32 PM

Ya think they can edit out some of the John Basdow infomercials?? I notice different advertisers are onto WRC now liek Corona, Toyota. This may be a sign of things too.

I sent my support email via [url]www.wrc.com[/url] to viewfeeback at Speed Channel.
CobraKLR 11-06-2002 07:44 PM

Email sent.

It still boggles my mind that NASCAR is so popular in the states. I can't think of any motorsport competition that is less exciting. An appropriate amount of coverage in my mind for NASCAR would be a once a month 1 hour program to cover the crashes and a 30 second period or so when the winner crosses the finish line, other than that it is all the same. If we could drum up enough support for rally maybe we could get a FIA event. They are even thinking about adding an event in mexico, but no US-come on.
WRXMaster 11-06-2002 08:17 PM

Its all media coverage! When they didnt have good media coverage no one watched it!
wrrrx 11-06-2002 08:36 PM

Thanks for the heads up, Jamie.
I'll send them my missive shortly...

gtguy- it sounds like you're doing what I want to; reduce the "4.5 hours" of coverage, cut out the ads, and all that duplicate in-car footage (what is up with that??), and come out w/ a stellar 2 hr tape. Cool.

Here's my question- does anyone know what the relationship is between Britain's WRC coverage (ch 4? I think) and Speed's?

Last year, I just assumed we lifted their coverage, complete w/ Brit commentator. This year, I thought was the same- but replacing the original narration w/ Ralph Sheheen's shouting, but mebbe not?

Russ
WRSport 11-06-2002 10:08 PM

I sent another email, BUT, like Jon Bogert, I''m pretty sure emails from me to SPEEDvision get filtered into there own "special folder" by this point.:lol:

I actually had speedvision the first year they came out (6-7 years ago) and they didn't have an email address at the time. I called and left voice mesages 3 times regarding adding F1 coverage.:lol:
gtguy 11-06-2002 11:36 PM

Hey Russ, we get the Brit coverage, with Shaheen's voice-over.

The condensed, commercial-free rallies are nice! Each hour-long show winds up with about 38 minutes of actual coverage, and the Monday wrapup usually yields about 4-6 minutes of stuff that you haven't already seen. Voila, one 2-hour tape. The only thing cooler are the DVDs that Clegg (another i-Clubber) burned of the 2001 season.

Kevin
YoungWilliams 11-07-2002 01:48 AM

My email:

To whom it may concern:

I am writing to express my gratitude for your wonderful WRC coverage this year, with especially large kudos for last week's Rallye Australia. Getting Nicky Grist on-board as a commentator was a stroke of genius!

I am also writing in regards to a rumor circulating that SpeedTV is considering reducing/delaying their rally coverage next season. This disheartens me, as I cherish my monthly dose of rally, and I would hate to avoid the media until the coverage is scheduled. SpeedTV, and specifically SpeedTV's rally coverage, is the only reason I subscribe to my area's digital cable package. If that coverage went away, I would not hesitate to quit watching SpeedTV.

WRC is a wonderful change of pace from Speed's normal coverage of predominantly NASCAR oriented programming. I do not care for NASCAR at all. However, in the past year, I have converted two die-hard NASCAR fans into WRC fans as well, and they now watch religiously as well.

WRC has a quite large fan base already, and it is steadily growing. With Subaru having finally brought the WRX to our shores along with rumors of the STi, and Mitsubishi already planning to bring the EVO to the States, that growth in interest can only accelerate.

So, in short, keep up the good work! It's really appreciated.

Cheers,
Grant Williams
ellisnc 11-07-2002 06:28 AM

Another thing to consider is if you look at how many times they replay every stage or day it adds up to be quite a lot. I recently sent an email to them comending the rally coverage and asking for coverage of the JGTC as I've never seen a race, but I hear that the racing's pretty good. I watched German touring car the other night too and that was pretty cool.

I guess the main thing I'm saying is I really like the rally coverage but I'm not going to stay up until 11pm to watch it when I can watch it the next day at 2pm or whenever they show it and I'm not going to watch Rally extra more than 2 times. Currently they show it like 5 or something. So yeah when you look at cutting back coverage that way it doesn't look so bad.
YoungWilliams 11-07-2002 11:48 AM

I got a reply pointing to this link:

[url]http://insider.speedtv.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=Forum&file=viewtopic&topic=2726&forum=14&0[/url]

Message received....:lol: :lol:

Cheers,
Grant
Subie Gal 11-07-2002 12:26 PM

that's awesome!
we're making an impact!

i love it! :D

go rally fanatics!!!!

Jamie
[url]www.subiegalracing.com[/url]
GQ 11-07-2002 01:30 PM

SPEED has done an excellent job of covering WRC this year. I hope they continue to provide the same great coverage of WRC, F1, Sports Car, and Motorcycle GP that they always have. E-mail sent to Jim Liberatore.
WRSport 11-07-2002 07:49 PM

LOL, I love it...
wrxracer 11-07-2002 08:43 PM

rally 4 life...
well sent my 2cents in. hope it all helps.. come on we need more e-mail to let them know...thanx subie gal your my hero:D
meebs 11-07-2002 11:15 PM

8pm
8 pm?? I already get it at 8pm. :D DirecTV goes by EST times... :) Is there a "west coast" version of Speed TV on cable?
gtguy 11-07-2002 11:31 PM

But note, that the Speed Channel person's response was that they were NOT planning to reduce WRC time, but were going to re-jigger things in an effort to get more viewers for it. Hence my admonition to watch those windmills. Save the ire for the real fights. :D

Kevin
YoungWilliams 11-08-2002 12:12 AM

Yeah, from his pretty cryptic response I gather that they're not really thinking of cutting the [I]amount[/I] of coverage. However, I think they're definitely thinking of getting rid of the same day coverage, which I think blows....

But that's just me. :D :D

Cheers,
Grant
mclmk8d 11-08-2002 11:05 AM

Jamie, thanks for the heads-up!
Done...
"...First, I want to thank Speed for increasing the amount of coverage of both WRC and SCCA Pro rally. We are all rally fans in this family, and I have some suggestions for next year's coverage.
1) Keep the amount of WRC coverage you had...DO NOT REDUCE IT!..rallying is a difficult but exciting sport...it needed the details and highlights that you provided...good job; perhaps an earlier time slot...maybe 8 PM or 9PM EST...my son loves to watch and 11PM is too late for him.
2) Show more outside the car footage, between-stage repairs at the carparks, etc.
3) More Nicky Grist and less Ralph Shaheen. Nicky is an incredible commentator, and adds some much more to your coverage...perhaps John Buffam or other American Rally driver can be added to replace Shaheen.
4) More SCCA coverage, and more timely...closer to the actual race dates.
5) Perhaps coverage of the Canadian Rally season.

Again, thanks for the great coverage...keep up the good work!.."
Joe Longworth 11-08-2002 12:24 PM

What's wrong with Sheheen? He's a far lot better than any of the other commentators that they've had this year (save for Nicky, of course).
WRXedUSA 11-08-2002 05:51 PM

Sheheen bashers.......
Ralph's great.

Dave Despain is not. Did you listen to Kenya or Cyprus?? He didnt even know what he was talking about 1/2 the time!!!!
Jewbaru 11-09-2002 01:56 PM

I think it was Motor Trend who did the survey, but the #2 most watched motorsport in the United States, after NASCAR, was WRC. :)
gtguy 11-09-2002 10:56 PM

Ahem...
[url]http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=272482[/url]

Kevin
Idjiit 11-11-2002 11:23 AM

I guess maybe all of us here are the hardcore Rally-Fan contingent... But I've always assumed that people were watching the same-day coverage, as I do...

I'm starting a poll on it, but I suppose it doesn't matter considering Speed has the numbers to back up their assertion.

[url]http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=273134[/url]

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