could Tony G pull the plug on ABC..............

[Indianapolis500]

and switch to CBS or NBC, could he make more money, is not showing IRL races a breech of contract...

[sifaka]

Originally posted by Indianapolis500:
<STRONG>and switch to CBS or NBC, could he make more money, is not showing IRL races a breech of contract...</STRONG>

<STRONG>Troll alert</STRONG>
Of course, he could just buy the time like CARt does.

[jkg]

I wish people would calm down a little about some affiliates not showing the first race of season. This ABC deal is a good deal in the long run for the league. As johnk and others have pointed out, it simple economics why local affiliates don't show Indy races.

When you consider that outside of Indy, the series gets <1.0 ratings at times, the deal is as good as can be imagined. Even without some affiliates, the reach of ABC dwarfs all cable carriers in potential viewers.

Hopefully, this is a one race deal. The rest of the races for a while are on Sundays and college basketball will soon be exclusively on CBS.

ABC/ESPN has been loyal to the Indy 500, and has allowed the IRL to become what it is today. We need to be a little more patient with them and see how this deal plays out throughout the season.

[ February 25, 2002: Message edited by: jkg ]

[BuckeyeDave]

500, ABC is not in "breech of contract." It's the stupid affiliates that are CHOOSING not to show the race. ABC can only do so much. They can only wield the hammer on them so many times before they say, "so what." As I said in another thread, call the affiliates and annoy the living cr@p out of the producers. If you do it long enough and loud enough they may just give in and at least show it tape delayed, but insist on a reasonable hour. Don't take no for an answer, but please stop blaming ABC. It's not their fault that some affiliates are run by idiots.

[indyracefan]

....you know, it's not that some affiliates are neglecting to show the race that irks me(of course I'm in Indy so I'll get to see the race!!). That's their right and if they have events that will pull greater ratings then so be it.

What chaps my arse is that there is no practice & quals televised either live or tape-delay on any of the networks. And that there is no rebroadcasts of the races. :mad:

I was one that thought the television deal was a good one.............'duped' again.

With all the members here & their resources.....couldn't we all band together and create our own open-wheel racing channel?!?

[Lucky161]

I would agree to contacting those program directors, but I would draw the line at annoying the heck out of them. What would you do if someone, even a customer or potential customer came into your place of work and annoyed the heck out of you?
Of course if they don't know how many of us there are out there, just letting them know will be enough. If it turns out that there are not enough of us, which may very well be true, annoying the heck out of a PD might fix it to where he would never consider showing the IRL.

[jmart]

Months ago when the ABC deal was announced, we all felt pretty good thinking this was a great deal. Now we're all ticked off. But if at the end of the year we start pulling 2's and 3's regularly (along with maybe a 6 for Indy) because of the ABC deal, what we we say then? Conversely, if there's no measurable ratings change, what then?

I know this hits hard because we've waited so long for the first race, but lets not lose focus and throw the baby out with the bath water. Give it a year to see how it all works out.

jmart

[Racewriter]

If the IRL begins pulling 2s and 3s, that makes the IRL a force in motorsports television. But, how will that happen? Remember, Bob Reif had his much-ballyhooed goal of a 2.0 for each race. Didn't happen. Not even close.

The question is, what will the IRL do differently this year to ensure different results? Don't kid yourselves about Penske helping, or the increased car count. The amount of people who actually give a squat about the drivers in those cars - and I'm including Penske's guys in this - won't even register a change in the Nielsens. OK, so what about increased media "buzz" or increased broadcast promotion? Nope - amount of publicity is about the same as last year, and TV broadcast promotion is nonexistent. As John said on RPM2Night, "Check your local listings." If the first race's lack of support in major markets is an indicator, ratings may actually be WORSE than last year.

My point isn't to post doom and gloom. It's to say that I truly don't think IRL management CARES what the ratings are outside of Indy, otherwise they'd be doing things differently to build their series. This is a huge disappointment for me.

[indyracefan]

Originally posted by Racewriter:
<STRONG>
My point isn't to post doom and gloom. It's to say that I truly don't think IRL management CARES what the ratings are outside of Indy, otherwise they'd be doing things differently to build their series. This is a huge disappointment for me.</STRONG>

....a big disappointment to me as well. :mad:

And I don't understand it as far as not promoting the series,.....you'd think that they'd want to make the series every bit as big as Indy. If that were the case wouldn't that make Indy an even bigger draw,........making all the advertisement & everything else about IMS & May even that much more pricier??

[Turn13]

The network deal is a gamble. It's one I'm glad they made. The season isn't over yet... hasn't even started.

CART and the IRL are pursuing two different strategies. Heck, I hope they both work.

I saw as much carping from CART faithful at 7G when Joe announced the SV deal. I said at the time I thought it could be a good one.

I also think it's good that at least the two series are no longer being ignored in the same place .

I disagree with the notion that TG or the IRL doesn't care about anything but Indy- the whle idea was to create a viable series- I think they understand the symbiotic relationship, or they wouldn't have started a whole new series.

And they shore wouldn't be adding events every year .

I remember pre-split years, and missing a lot of races because I was in places that didn't have cable, or if they had cable, they didn't have espn. Of course, now it's much more ubiquitous, but still...

Heck, I remember the last few races being on the radio only, and that was without NASCAR being as dominant as they are now. I think we'll live, and like I said, I think it was worth the gamble.

May still be

[ February 25, 2002: Message edited by: Turn13 ]

[dironstarr]

We weren't complaining about the TV deal when it was announced because we all assumed coverage would be at a minmum like last year. Instead, we have seen Quals cut, re-broadasts cut, and I don't see Road to Indy listed either! And Jack Arute says this was to save cameras from being dropped from race coverage! Maybe it was done to allow (afford) Paul & Gerry to comeback, who knows. If we knew then what we know now, nobody would have been cheering the TV deal.

[MS]

I agree that this is an affiliate slight to the IRL and not an ABC Network slight.

Our ABC affiliate in Decatur, IL has been known to show a LOCAL TELETHON instead of open wheel racing. The Phoenix race for many years has been pre-empted.

The only thing you can do is barrage the affiliates. PROVE to those stations that there are more IRL fans than Big Ten hoops fans, or telethon fans.

Now is not the time for the IRL to tear up the TV contract.

[mnkywrch]

IMS/IRL needs to promote the series.

TV ads.
Print ads.
Radio ads.
PROMOTE SOME OF THE DRIVERS.

As it is, they've wasted whatever momentum they thought they had with CART's 2001 "Season of Shooting Foot".

You think Penske will stick around in this series long? I don't - and I don't expect to see other CART teams come over, either.

[Jimmy Hendricks]

Plus I know Tony and company ain't happy about ABC's forced change of broadcasters. That deal stinks no matter how they spin it.

ABC=Always Bad Coverage

[gforce]

Originally posted by mnkywrch:
<STRONG>IMS/IRL needs to promote the series.

TV ads.
Print ads.
Radio ads.
PROMOTE SOME OF THE DRIVERS.

As it is, they've wasted whatever momentum they thought they had with CART's 2001 "Season of Shooting Foot".

You think Penske will stick around in this series long? I don't - and I don't expect to see other CART teams come over, either.</STRONG>

Oh, come on, this is hyperbole. Penske is racing where he knows best. The IRL has grown every year in it's exsistence. Maybe not as fast or as well as you might like but it has still, and is still, growing.