What the...SpeedTV has done it again

I'm glad I'm not the only one who realizes how much they suck.

Did anyone else notice how often the commentators made stupid mistakes (Ex. confusing, among others, Trulli as Barrichello), and how, according to Speed's program info, the event took place in Selangor instead of Kuala Lumpur?

Then there's the fact that they can't seem to get their air dates straight. Apparently, unlike the rest of the world, they don't observe the transition to next day after midnight...

 

Geez, give 'em a break. Their watching the race on TV too

 

You need to remember that SpeedTV is really NASCAR TV !!!!!!

Sure they broadcast F1 and ALMS, but most of the programming is focused on NASCAR or other dumb Hillbilly stuff.

God forbid they put a good show on like Top Gear!!! The best show ever made by the way!!!

 

NASCAR keeps them afloat. I'm happy for that because F1 couldn't carry a station in the US.

As far as TopGear is concerned: You're right on! Best show ever. Should be made mandatory for any car buff.

 

Thank you, Andy. That arrogance looks really good on you.

s/Old Guy, apparently just a dumb hillbilly.

 

A digital rights issue no doubt. They'll pay X$ for broadcast of the F1 race live, but without the right to re-broadcast or supply it on demand.

Mr Ecclestone again I'm afraid.

It does seem that they've improved the quality of the broadcast, but why isn't it in Hidef? I can see the nostril hairs on football players, but the most "technology-tastic" sport in the world is still shown in low-def in the US.

 

Hmm, maybe we don't have to be so concerned about spoilers in thread titles. 24 hours after the race happened it is done for as far as Speed TV is concerned.

 

Get TiVo!!!

 

<sigh> another thread b!tching about the only station willing to step up and create something for us to watch. Let's see what I tivo'd last weekend...

F1 Practice (live? not sure...think so for the second session)
F1 Qualifying (live)
F1 Race (live)

Now...the *combined ratings* on all of these I am sure doesn't equal any of their NASCAR programming, probalby not even their Truck coverage. Yet they do so because they are at heart, racing fans. Would you prefer that we can WRC style coverage? One program summarized and sanitized for our viewing late on Sunday nights? Oh wait...WRC already has that so I guess we would be on Monday nights.

Count your blessings if you live in the US. SpeedTV is doing it's best to give us coverage of F1 in a country that doesn't give a rat's @ss. Ask someone that has not seen coverage of any F1 race to name three current drivers and I would bet they would get two at the most. Do the same for NASCAR and I am guessing that number is going to be close to 10.

Yes, it is better in other places...yes, it is better in HD...yes, it would be great to have the sat coverage so we could select the camera...but guess waht, we don't even have that for the biggest racing series in the US right now so why would SpeedTV dump dollars into the US f1 sinkhole to do that?

As for replays...they are only allowed to show it when they do because that it their contract with Sir Bernie...and as we all know, Bernie only gives what he can get for a price.

For me, I wish they could do more but I am not going to poke them in the eye for giving me all that they do now. SpeedTV essentially donates this to us... As for the hillbilly reference, please take comfort in knowing that the "hillbillies" are paying our way to F1 enjoyment.

- JMG

 

We cannot compare rating of ANY show aired at 3:00 am PST with a show that airs almost every sunday at about noon.

You also have to remember that F-1 was on Speedvision before NASCAR. So the whole "Thank NASCAR for supporting Speed" is a load of .,,

 

Before Speed TV the races were shown on ESPN. Or not. Before ESPN, well they weren't shown at all. Speedvision and later Speed TV made F1 a somewhat stable institution.

When Speedvision was new I used to call it "the military channel" as it showed more tanks and jet fighters than race cars. They had to fill the time somehow as they grew bigger and better.

I don't have any insight into their numbers, but I'm sure they could live happily ever after without F1, focusing solely on NASCAR. So in essence they do us a favor here. It is not Speed's fault that NASCAR is more popular in the US than F1. That's just a fact of life. One I neither like nor understand, but one I have to live with. I'm sure soccer fans feel similar about other sports popular solely in the US (I bet there is more Golf coverage than soccer and in my book golf is not even a sport, but a skill).

 

$$$ not passion is what keeps stations like that on the air, passion is what drive the programming. And the $$$ in automotive programming are in NASCAR right now. So no, it is not a load of cr@p but a simple business fact.

I have been following F1 for close the 30 years...ESPN used to cover all the races but necessarily live and ABC carried Monaco and the US races before that. Trust me, it is the best it has ever been in the US in terms of overall coverage right now.

- JMG

And btw, just to preempt the b!tching that will come when San Marino, Spanish, Monaco and British Grands Prix end up live on network television, remember taht Bernie makes that decision...not Speed.

 

And I will biatch the loudest when my local CBS affiliate decides to replace the F1 coverage with a knitting competition.

 

Use bittorrent. The races are up easily within 24 hours after the live ITV feed. It's very good quality, too, and fits on a single CD to burn. Of course this is just what I heard...

 

I *HEARD* a similar thing about "TopGear" btw.

 

Who owns SpeedTV?
FOX!
What does TV coverage have in common with Race Car drivers?
Talent walks, Money Talks.

Appearently only a few of us watched F1 before ESPN.
For those who don't remember IT WAS ONLY MONOCO on ABC.

Unless you had a C-band satellite receiver and you searched the sky,
trying every transponder on each satellite until you found a feed in the clear.
I even found that ESPN was doing 'LIVE" broadcasts that were not truly live.
There were about an hour delayed while the race was still not over.
Dish has that now but it is just a few minutes. How do I know that I was talking to a friend that has cable and was watching SpeedTV during a commerical break and the race was over for him and trophy presentation
was taking place. When the (DISH) comerical was over for me I saw the end
of the races and presentation.
Yes it could be better (what can't?).
But it is night and day for what it was.

stephen

 

Mondial's point is the one to remember. We're fortunate that there is any access whatsoever to Formula 1. Despite the fact that, globally, it out-swings NASCAR in every way by a factor of 10, in the United States it is nothing more than a niche sport. We may as well be fans of bicycling or yachting. And don't forget that, no matter how much or how often 20 members of FChat spew venom about NASCAR, it's a major force in American sports and television. And if TV programming had anything to do about passion then there would be more to watch than Survivor, American Idol and 37 variations of Legal/CSI shows. You want to blame someone? Blame ourselves. Americans obviously enjoy idiot entertainment. A smart show like Arrested Development gets cancelled, and along comes a dumbed-down version like Sons & Daughters. Why do you think BernieCo came up with this qualifying format where cars are "eliminated" every ten minutes? Our society prefers Nascar-style racing because it's easier to sit there, watch the cars all the way around the track, drink your beer and "woo-hoo" every 30 seconds. F1 doesn't register because it requires thinking. And Americans increasingly look to shed thinking when it comes to their entertainment. Movies? Music? It's all about what can be slapped together quickly, packaged all nice and pretty and look good on the side of a McFlurry Happy Meal. End of rant.

 

I don't mind it that much but the main things that piss me off
Nascar races repeated 500 times
The shows related to Nascar...all 50 of them
Lawnmower races...comon....I mean really
There LIVE coverage of Sebring consisted of 2-3 breaks in which Nascar was showed

With a crowd of 300 million in the US I understand why they focus on Nascar. Get back to your roots....SPEEDVISION

 

Yawn, all of this "SpeedTV bad" crap..... please. Let see, I got to watch (Tivo) Speedvision GT and Touring races all year, 12 hours of the SCCA Runoffs, Trans Am races, F1 practice, qualifying and races, Grand Am racing, AMA racing, Isle of Man TT, American Le Mans Series, 12 hours of Sebring and 24 hours of Le mans,Atlantic Championship Series, Australian V8 Supercars, Champ Car,Champ Car World Series,GP2 Championship Series, Grand-Am Cup Series, Legends Of Motorsport ,Rolex Sports Car Series, Star Mazda Series,Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain. Yes, poor us. I ,for one, am happy to have it, beats the alternative for some of us.

 

It was so much better when ESPN had it or Fox Sports net

 

Its actually quite amusing to see the NASCAR commentators butchering the names of the F1 drivers when they are transitioning between the two series.

 

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

He who can ante up the most money wins.

Several years ago I approached ESPN to get a local race on TV, and they told me if *I* could find a sponsor for the show, that they would shoot it and air it.
This was 17 years ago, and the price back then quoted to me was $40,000. For 30 minutes, if I remember correctly.

They (Speedvision) are not showing those reruns for free.... someone is paying....

 

So here we have Billy-Bob Montoya taking out the Mac-Laren out of the pits for the first time. Mike Schumacher seems to have put a fast lap .. hooley-sheet ... phtooey (spitting out the tobacco) .. this here boy is doggone good ... git r done."