Is SpeedTV deliberately trying to run off F1 fans?

I don't really mind getting up early for the European races, especially now that I am on mid-west time, having moved from the Pacific coast. After the race I take a little nap and then have the entire day to do what I want, rather than have it bust up my time for a mid-day telecast. We are, indeed, a select group. If you don't believe it, check out hotel/motel rooms in Indianapolis at this late date, for what may be the last Indy F-1 race. There are still good places for reasonable prices. Can you imagine what it will be like if we have to go to Las Vegas in June or July? And Indianapolis does a really nice job on the Saturday afternoon Concours.

 

I've always been pissed that they couldn't show DTM or BTCC or SuperGT during the normal season. I guess showing re-runs of Texas Hardtails, Powerboat racing, pinks and Truck competition is more important....

 

+1000000000000000000, lets re-run these shows that nobody watches into the dirt, instead of showing the shows for our loyal fans. I have yet to meet one person that follows professional power boat racing btw.

 

Let your feelings be known directly to SpeedTV, do not waste your time venting on this forum. The reality is, F1 fans are way in the minority inthe USA. We are lucky that any network is airing the races live.

Very lucky.

 

What gets me is SpeedTV is owned by FOX. Why can't FOX put the NASCAR stuff on FOX or F/X - which they also own - and put the "other" types of motorsports on SpeedTV? Or spread the programming amongst their three channels?

 

Revenue. NASCAR keeps SpeedTV alive. I am thankful for that, otherwise, there would be no live F1 on American TV.

 

Well FOX does have NASCAR on FOX. FOX shares the NASCAR season with NBC. FOX airs the first half of the season and NBC airs the second. That's the contract. The two networks trade off Daytona every year. So what keeps FOX from showing NASCAR all the time? Regular programming on the week nights, FOX is ahead in the Neilson ratings this season, and the weekend is devoted to the NFL, Baseball, or NASCAR. FX is not a channel dedicated to motorsports. Speed is and the number one motorsport in the USA is NASCAR. That's were the money is and that's what's going to be shown.

 

Most anyone can tape these races so why waste valuable air time(probably so when you look at their audience) when other programing, that keeps the lights on, can be slotted in.

 

That's a valid point, but when you record & playback the race, you don't get the benefit of sitting there while viewing both the race on tv and the F1 Live Timing & Scoring feed on your laptop. You only get the race playback. I like having both at the same time, so what the ultimate solution is, I'm not sure.

(Footnote: the "live" tv race feed is actually a few/many seconds behind the real-time data feed. By the time Varsha, Hobbs and Matchett make a tv comment on something, you already saw it happen on your laptop).

 

i prefer the ITV broadcast and usually wait till it's posted on the internet before i watch.

 

It could be worse:

According to the demographics, they could very easily change 'Speed TV' to 'Soccer TV', and be justified in doing so.

 

It looks like speed is going to replay the Spanish gp again at 10 pm and The Monaco gp at 7pm. See below. If you guys in the USA want more choices then latch onto a free to air sat reciever and then you can watch the race on TSN, the Canadian scources for F1 races from Europe. They will be replaying the Spanish gp at 2:30 sunday afternoon. By having to differant channels available (3 with the french canadian) you can avoid most of the commercials too.

05/13/07 7:30 am ET Spanish Grand Prix
05/13/07 10:00 pm ET Spanish Grand Prix
05/27/07 7:30 am ET Monaco Grand Prix
05/27/07 7:00 pm ET Monaco Grand Prix

 

AKA "NECKCAR"

 

You can sleep easy, FOX already has an all soccer channel.

 

Bob Varsha was at T-Rutlands last weekend, and said that Speed is committed to an F-1 program, and thats why they are expanding the coverage. also that they are now paying for Pete Windsor is also a huge sign and that the FIA is giving them the access.

FOX who is behind Speed is who is driving the air times, and its around sponsors - so you have to grin and bear it ... and local affiliates have some control over air time for the tape delay races too.... as for trying to kill F-1
they ( FOX) have done big "air buys" for F-1 in prime time Sunday to show Montreal, USGP, England and France... so if anything they are investing more and more.

Bob's other comment is F-1 will never grow much in the USA untill there is a succesful American Driver / team... and that does not seem to be anywhere on the horizon.


P.S. Bob's son Matt is looking for a drive... and sponsorship... anyone wanna help or have connections ... send me a PVT message & I'll get you in contact.

 

I don't have the energy to express all my complaints about SPEED. So I'll just say I agree with 95% of the NASCRAP-related comments and I would change the channel big time if I owned the channel.

 

I agree. I've been to every Indy race since 2000. We skipped last year cuz the idiots scheduled the race over the 4th of July. Why?? One of the worst driving weekends not to mention a very important family get-together weekends. Now the race is back in June. I miss the late Sept. date. It was a nice cap to the summer. Bernie is ruining F1. SpeedTV is a joke. I would drop it if it weren't for F1. Too bad we couldn't just the races in HD through one of the download services. I'd rather pay for that than help support Nascrap. BTW, are any races in HD in other countries?

 

Don't know if you have Speed on a digital feed (cable channel above 100), but the quality on Comcast in Nashville is near HD. Very clear and vibrant picture...

 

Buy a TiVo, set it to record it at 3am or whichever ungodly hour it airs the have your friends come over and watch it whenever.

Not as good as a bar maybe, but a good option

 

Anyone wanna call Dave Despain to ask him why nascrap is taking over TV?

 

...and no Isle of Man TT, no Goodwood Revival, no Paris Dakar Rally, etc., etc., etc......

Jack

 

Have you bothered to read any of the prior posts ?

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

People, viewers, are where the money is, and that's the way it is.

 

And you would be totally broke in a couple of months if not sooner.

 

can't stand Speed...especially during F-1 races....watched the last race on Hong Kong ESPN instead...two...yes, TWO, short commercials the ENTIRE race...never going back to watching it on Speed TV...commercial every 3 laps...that and the commentating...awful...

 

Little creativity here:

* Talk to the mgr of your favorite local pub.
* Line up a herd of paying customers.
* See if the mgr would let you hook up your Tivo to one of his big screens.

Most restaurant/pub mgrs would love to have ca$h walking through the door late morning/noon on a Sunday.