Update: With the first portion of the Fox Sports telecast complete, SPEED now resumes the regular cable TV coverage of the Rolex 24.
Many local Fox TV stations chose not to air the early coverage. Some stations indicated it would air on a tape delay, actually while the live SPEED telecast was in-progress. Other stations had the race listed on their program schedule, but chose to show local programming.
The TV markets affected by this lack of coverage included Los Angeles, San Diego,
Honolulu, Seattle, Denver and San Francisco. We will keep working on this story, and bring updates when more information becomes available.
This year lots of NASCAR stars are going to spend the weekend on the road course at Daytona. The Rolex 24 is a sports car race featuring lots of different classes of cars and a whole lot of traffic. 24 hours of racing is a lot of laps at Daytona.
The race kicks off on Saturday at 1PM on Fox Sports, and then transitions over to SPEED for extended coverage both Saturday and Sunday. SPEED and Fox will be using a bevy of announcers for this one, both in the booth and on pit road.
Since the NASCAR presence at this event has increased significantly, I thought it would be a good idea to post a story that could serve to host your comments as you watched parts of this multi-hour telecast.
Please focus your opinions on the TV part of this event, and what you like and do not like about the coverage. SPEED has done an excellent job with this live race in the past, and sometimes the drama of the final hours is worth the wait. Anyone who watched Tony Stewart try to limp his car home a while back will attest to that.
Have a great time with this first live race of the season, we look forward to your thoughts as live action from Daytona returns to TV.
The Daly Planet welcomes comments from readers. Simply click on the COMMENTS button below and follow the easy instructions. There is nothing to join, and we do not require your email address. Thanks again for stopping by.
77 comments:
I think it is amazing that a network would attempt to broadcast a 24 hour event. I realize that they break the coverage into segments, but that is still an amazing feat. Espeacially considering all of the pre race preparation and then wrapping everything up after the race. Then you factor in the weather and coordinating shifts, I think SPEED deserves a lot of credit for attempting the level of coverage that they provide for this race. It would be much easier to just put on a highlight show.
That being said, I am a bit greedy. I wish there was some way to broadcast the entire 24 hour race non-stop. That's not too much to ask...is it?
JD, will the FOX portion of the broadcast be in HD?
Also, I hear SPEED is already broadcasting HD programing with on DirecTV. I don't have direcTV, so can anyone with the HD package tell if the race is in HD with SPEED on DirecTV?
Anon 12:12PM,
In the info that I got about the event, it did not mention HD.
The SPEED HD roll-out begins shortly and will take some time to ramp-up. The DirecTV customers will have it as soon as it becomes available on a 24 hour basis.
JD
JD, we may have a problem. It is 10am PST, and the FOX affiliate in San Diego is airing children's programing. The program guide says this station (XETV) should be airing the race, but that is not what I see on my TV screen. What is going on?
Same here in Colorado. Fox31 in Denver is showing some program about apes. This is not how I wanted to start 2008.
Drat!
Even though my on-screen cable guide clearly shows the Seattle Fox station (KCPQ) is supposed to be broadcasting The Rolex 24, they're showing their Saturday morning block of kid's programming. Instead of racing, I'm watching "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles".
*sigh*
I guess no-one in Seattle got the memo. Thankfully, the feed will be switching to SPEED in 90 minutes.
--KarenB in British Columbia
Anybody else got no racing on the West Coast? Please tell us your local Fox Station call letters and location! Thanks.
JD
I guess none of the broadcasters on the left side of the continent got the memo. I feel your pain, guys. :-)
KarenB in British Columbia
Fox29 in Philadelphia has it in broadcasted in HD
Did you guys call your local stations? What was the response?
I am the one from San Diego. I had a feeling this could be affecting most of the west coast. I am trying to find out if KTTV, the FOX affiliate in LA, is having the same problem.
Also, earl06 mentioned the FOX station in Denver. That stations call letters are KDVR.
GS
KTTV - Los Angeles (Local Fox) is showing Ninja Turtles, when it says the Rolex 24 is supposed to be on.
Fox station KHON in Honolulu is showing kid's cartoons.
Makiki
Hey - has anyone heard why Tony Stewart isn't running the Rolex 24 this year? Just curious. Thanks.
West Coasters- green flag is in a couple of minutes. Maybe the stations will switch over then. Good Luck!
So, Honolulu - Los Angeles - Seattle - San Diego - Denver.
Those are the TV markets where the Fox local stations are not showing the live Rolex start.
Keep updating us please about what they say on the phone to you when you call. I am trying to get the SPEED guys on site to dial up this blog.
JD
pbump-Tony said that with testing running so close together, he needed to focus on his Cup car.
From the XETV Website program guide: The Rolex 24 at Daytona will air a 1pm PST.
Upon calling XETV they say they will air the race tape delayed at 1pm PST.
Why would they do that? That means it will not correspond with the programing on SPEED.
GS
Just to clarify, XETV is the FOX affiliate in San Diego.
GS
There are federal rules on "children's television" that unfortunately affects the West Coast coverage of the Rolex.
San Diego and Brownsville have a unique situation. San Diego is served by a Tijuana, Mexico station (XETV), noted by the first letter of its call sign (X). Similarly, the Rio Grande Valley situation is similar, as they are served by a Matamoros (Mexico) affiliate, XHRIO. Because they are Mexican affiliates, Televisa, which owns the stations, must receive a special waiver from the sports sanctioning body that airs games (FIA, Grand-Am, NASCAR, NFL, and MLB) to air the games because they are Mexican stations, have Mexican transmitters, and Mexican call letters, not American stations.
They are Fox affiliates in Mexico
It is extremely dissapointing that Ninja Turtles are more important in the #2 TV market than this race. Shame on you KTTV.
FOX Honolulu will show the Rolex at 4-5:30 Eastern Time.
I'll be watching SPEED's coverage then.
Makiki
Both my on-screen guide and KCPQ Seattle's website say the Rolex 24 should be broadcasting right now. There's nothing about tape delay. I'm still watching cartoons. Well, not watching, but I still have my TV on Fox just in case they switch.
Darn, this is killing me!
--KarenB in British Columbia
Karen,
Did you call or email them?
JD
Thanks for the update, Lisa!
Bobby, XETV regularly airs all FOX sports programing LIVE. I don't see why today would be any different.
Also, regarding the Federal laws about children's programing, I thought stations were free to move this programing around as long as they always include a certain number of hours per week.
I have DirecTv here in NY and it is on live on the NY Fox out of NYC. When I look at the Fox out of LA (which I pay for also on DirecTV), the guide shows that cartoons and stuff are scheduled, with racing scheduled to start on it at 5pm EST.
BillWebz
Fox Carolina in Greenvile -Spartanburg, SC is showing South Carolina vs. Kentucky college basketball. WHNS.
It's on their site schedule. Auburn at Alabama game is next.
John, I just emailed them. I'd rather not call, since I don't have a long-distance calling plan. I rarely use my phone, so I didn't bother to spend the extra money.
--KarenB in British Columbia
Anon 1:50PM,
Thanks for that info. Seen Connie LeGrand around down that way?
JD
No Rolex 24 on KTVU (San Francisco Bay Area).
The Houston Fox channel came on just when the green flag flew and missed the beginning controversary and the broadcasters were mentioning something about rain tires versus dry tires and some cars on pit road but of course we missed it here. At least I saw the green flag for at least a second I guess that's a good thing. I'm enjoying the team in the booth, Diffie, Schroeder & Hobbs.
There's timing and scoring on grandamerican.com/rolex for those of you who don't have the broadcast yet.
I just tried to get on to the Grand Am website (http://www.grand-am.com/) and it's unavailable. Must be everyone in the Mountain & Pacific time zones trying to watch the race.
Btw, the Denver CBS affiliate is showing a basketball game so I don't think KDVR-Fox31 is showing kids programming under some federal mandate, they just don't feel like it.
John, I'm not sure how to contact KDVR from here, we're only getting their feed because our local affiliate burned to the ground last Sunday.
Wow, this reminds us of the problems with the ABC affiliates and NASCAR last season.
I am trying to get a better explanation of things, but what I am being told by a former GM is that each local station has contracts that deal with local station programming.
The decision to move a program for a network feed is up to the station, unless it is made mandatory by the network as a part of the affiliate agreement.
What a shame for SPEED to lose so many big TV markets for this live broadcast.
Please keep reporting in if the Rolex is not on in your area.
JD
JD
Do you know who is handling / supplying the cameras for this race? Is it the same team that do the Nascar races? It seems to be better than a Nascar race, the angles, steadiness etc.
BillWebz
Earl06 try www.grandamerican.com/rolex
JD, I have seen Connie, but not often. She's on the 5:30 news and I usually flip around the news stations at 11, (or sometimes 6 p.m.) so I mostly miss her newscast.
She looks great when I see her.
"Earl06 try www.grandamerican.com/rolex"
Tried that too. No dice. Thanks anyway.
You can also get to live timing through the DIS website.
http://laptrax10.racersites-cluster.com/OrbitsServer/jsp/TimingBasicView.jsp?sid=85
If my link doesn't work, go the DIS site and and you will see the link.
Earl06 I have it on that's funny maybe just go to the grandamerican.com and look for the timing & scoring. Lots of more things added this year on that link too.
Racing just started here in the SF bay area on speed. Fox did not have coverage, some cartoons and other crap.....
Glad to be able to catch some at least.. What a joke though...
well the broadcast is now on SPEED. Hopefully everyone can see it now.
JD, Do you have any more information on the affiliate problems?
Yay!
I'm now watching on SPEED. The Fox affiliate never did make the switch from cartoons to racing.
--KarenB in British Columbia
truck series fan,
Thanks for the site.
elena :>)
Nope, I have messages into SPEED and also Fox, but you know how responsive local stations are on the weekends.
I just think some Central and West Coast stations just chose to run their normally scheduled local programming.
That is the big problem with local TV stations. Remember when the ABC guys left with the NASCAR race in progress for local news at 6PM? And that was a race during The Chase no less.
I certainly will follow-up on Monday, but what a shame. If I was a SPEED executive and found out that LA, SF, Honolulu, San Diego, Seattle and Denver were "in the dark," I would have simulcast on SPEED regardless of the consequences.
After all, this is the Daytona 500 of this series, their biggest event of the year and those local station viewers missed the start.
You can always count on TV to make it interesting.
JD
Thanks a lot to those readers that stepped-up and provided Internet link information.
I think back on the column about "convergence" and how much better this program would have been to remain on SPEED and simulcast live on SPEEDtv.com.
JD
Getting onto the actual coverage: The announcing team is good. I like how honest they are when someone screws up. When there was that dumb wreck at the beginning of lap one, Schroeder said "That was embarrassing. No need for that." and Hobbs agreed.
Fox Philadelphia showed it live and in HD
Just caught the Fox Pre-Race at 1:30 MST. Interesting and informative, would have been nice to see it before the race.
JD, I agree. What is Fox gaining by showing the first hour of a 24-hour race?
JD- I really do enjoy watching the Rolex 24, but cannot watch it all, so I am taping parts. What really frosts me is the absence of any coverage from 10:00PM to 6:00AM, especially since I most enjoy watching the racing at night. I think I can appreciate the added cost & problems of full 24 hour coverage - BUT the race is much more interesting than watching paint dry ( AKA Unique Whips) and I really do not understand why SPEED could not have some interim updates of some sort between 10:00 and 6:00, even if nothing more than just a scroll. Many thanks for your post.
The race broadcast is now airing on XETV in San Diego.
While I am just barley about to see the start of the race. SPEED is showing 21 hours left in this 24 hour race.
Also, why is it in HD in Philadelphia as anon at 1:18 said, but not in San Diego? Is it just the pre-race show that is not in HD?
GS
It make more sense for Fox to show the first hour and the last hour in my opionon.
The race has just started but, XETV does not have the in HD.
I find it interesting that in is in HD in other cities as Ryan and anon at 1:18 said, but not in San Diego. Can anyone who has or is now watching the FOX portion of the race tell if it was in HD or is this a problem with XETV?
GS
to anonymous watching on XETV:
Not all local stations have the ability to record an HD feed for delayed broadcast yet, so they probably had to record the SD feed when it aired and show it later.
I also think it's ludicrous NO OVER NIGHT coverage...at least give the West side folks a chance to watch until 11pm or Midnight? I am a chronic insomniac and can always hit the VCR button to tape.
But why should west coast folks have to lose viewing at 7pm??
And don't get me STARTED on the rubbish on SPEED :( that's run instead. Oy Vey
An my fave show now gone.
KVVU in Las Vegas aired the beginning of the race in HD. The SpeedHD feed is up and broadcasting the Rolex 24 in HD.
@SophiaZ123 5:16pm:
I think you are being a little unreasonable in your request for 24 hour TV coverage. In the overnight hours, very few people would watch. Additionally, you would need to double up on the TV production crew (2 of every cameraperson, director, producer...etc) All that effort for little additional revenue..not a sound business decision. Can't you follow the race online anyways?
Anonymous said...
The SpeedHD feed is up and broadcasting the Rolex 24 in HD.
January 26, 2008 6:05 PM
I knew it! Someone had told me that even though SPEED HD had not officially launched, they were airing a few programs in HD on the cable/sat operators that already carry the HD feed in preparation of the official launch.
I wish they broadcast all 24 hrs. I wouldn't even mind overnight coverage without commentators. Just a video feed and a scroll would be fine with me.
Anon @ 12.17
Regarding the broadcast being in HD on Speed: even though it is showing up as 16:9 for Speed on DirectTv, it may not be in HD. Barret-Jackson was broadcast in 16:9 as well, but according to an e-mail response from Speed it was not in HD it was just in 16:9 as they were getting used to the new formatting. Either way I am looking forward to the season this year on Speed. The 16:9 with or without HD looks great.
I have been checking in and out on the coverage and it has been very enjoyable with Varsha and Hobbs coming over from F1 to anchor the coverage.
Thumbs up to SPEED.
Anon
UNREASONABLE??????????
No where did I state they should broadcast ALL 24 hrs.
I just thought the folks on the WEST COAST (I live on EAST COAST TIME) should get better scheduling is all. Most got gypped out of the morning coverage.
Sometimes, it's not just about US but fans in the other part of the coverage.
I have no idea what you mean by following "online"? I do not pay for online stuff like following cartoons cars. :-)
Besides, even if FREE ONLINE, my computer is in the computer hospital. I am using house mates puter for this....
:-)
To the person who said broadcast just with video and no commentators, I would go for that if that could cut the budget. Just put stationary cams all around the track, lol.
Just wanted to clarify I was not being a narcissist thinking it's "All about me". Just thinking of the fans on the opposite coast of where I am at.
Can confirm KTVU channel 2 FOX (Oakland/SF, east bay area, north bay area) Showed the start of the race at 3:00pm pst.. We would be one of the stations as you put it JD. "Some stations indicated it would air on a tape delay, actually while the live SPEED telecast was in-progress". They only showed the first hour and a half. Now “Planet X” (skateboarding X game stuff) is on.
I never left the SPEED coverage. Thank goodness for SPEED.
I called and got a voice mail. I’ll call again on Monday. I also sent an email.
Not much I can say but...
Mercy......
I guess it may have been cool for the folks who don’t have SPEED.
JD, I agree. What is Fox gaining by showing the first hour of a 24-hour race?
I think the reason the first hour is on FOX is so it promotes the series and the SPEED network. If you notice, its called "SPEED On FOX". It previews the network to the people. To be honest, we now have SPEED Channel just because all the hype and racing that was on it. We got it about two years ago and im glad we did.
In my opinion. I think it would make more sense to show the first hour and last hour on FOX. But I think the last hour on SPEED is some of the most highest ratinga for the network. I predict in a few years that most of the Rolex 24 Hours will move to network TV.
KTVU Channel 2--Oakland, S.F. chose stupid turtle show for kids instead of Rolex 24 hours at Daytona start. After waiting several weeks to watch the start of this race, I got shut out by a kiddie show.I'm pissed!!!!
Regarding the coverage, I liked the way the booth teams answered questions submitted by e-mail during the race. This was a brilliant move. Each question educated not only the asker but the entire audience about this form of racing. It provided some interaction between the crew and the fans. It gave the booth something to talk about during those longer runs when the field was too separated for battles for position.
The networks providing NASCAR coverage should consider doing this for those races known for long green flag runs when the field gets well-separated. Pocono leaps to mind.
It's generally been a basic rule that you don't preempt programming that's been promoted.
Obviously, these Fox stations don't get that.
I have no idea what you mean by following "online"? I do not pay for online stuff like following cartoons cars. :-)
I do pay for live scanner transmissions and telemetry, however.
I guess it depends on how important knowing exactly what's happening on the track is to you.
JD,
I emailed Fox 31 in Denver. Still waiting for a response. I thought Denver was a little more "racer" friendly-there I go thinking....I'll forward their response if it ever comes.
The coverage has been very good in my opinion - although they could use a few more commercials in the rotation. I watched all of the coverage Saturday and have been with it most of Sunday. I can't believe they didn't provide any television coverage overnight.
Once again, if SPEED wants racing fans to take them seriously they should at least show LIVE racing they have the rights to show...
It's even more ridiculous they "preempt" live IMPORTANT racing they own to show more of their crap lifestyle shows.
I think the coverage has been so so.
Bob Varsha is the best play by play guy in the business. period. However, the others on the broadcast team could use some swapping in-out. What is up with Calvin Fishs glasses, come on, be professional. Do you have a sunglass deal too??? He comes across with such an ego. Andrew Marriott is awful. Keep Dorsey,Varsha,Hobbs, and get rid of the rest. I'm glad to have the race on TV, but why not make it something to watch? It comes across as Charlie Browns teacher. Plus, way too much inside stuff, I've missed so many stories due to the expectation that I should know it.
Speed and Grand Am had another great chance to educate and grab new fans, and once again they blow it.
Overall, I give them a C.
Why not include Dave Despain, he was the guy at TBS who brought us the 24 hour coverage in the 80's, and he's still the man.
ScottB / Atlanta, GA
I have to disagree and say the broadcast was very good. But I was disappointed that they went off the air at 10 PM ET. The group that they have doing coverage are the same ones back when it was SPEED Vision. There is no need to swtich the broadcast team. They are all professionals. I have only started watching the 24 hours in the last three years and it is due to SPEED Channel. The coverage has made me want to watch. They recieved one new fan and thats me.
Itoo thoughtthe coverage was good. The announcers didnt get in the way of the racing, and the interviews they did were "timely" and pertained to the action on the track.
The concept of having 2 different divisions running on the track at the same time and having 2 different races is somethign that would be interesting to see used in Nascar. Imagine an All Star race that had the 15 best Cup, Nationwide and Truck racers racing each other at the same time with 3 different winners. It would be an interesting thing to see.
In an earlier post, someone mentioned not wanting to pay for racing online. It got me to wondering if anyone knew if a schedule for who would be on Hot Pass this year was available so I could decide if it would make more sense to pay a little extra to Directv then to pay for the Nascar Trackpass just to listen to my drivers scanner (JG). A side question, are you able to Tivo the Hotpass (for rewinding during the race)?
BillWebz
"Plus, way too much inside stuff, I've missed so many stories due to the expectation that I should know it. Speed and Grand Am had another great chance to educate and grab new fans, and once again they blow it. "
Isn't that what NASCAR fans complained about all last season? That the broadcasts were dumbed downed for new fans. I'm glad it was presented as it was, and I'm no expert. I actually checked some things on the speedtv sports car boards to read more about it.
The coverage was excellent - except for one of the pit reporters (I don't know his name) was just mediocre. He completely ignored Memo Rojas before the race yesterday -walking past him as he was standing in the middle of teammates Montoya, Pruett, and Franchitti who all got interviewed. Very bad taste.
But today, the reporter decided to interview Rojas - I suppose he discovered Rojas existed since he was on the winning team and all.
I may be in the minority or majority, I don't know. However, I kind of agree with the post concerning the coverage being mediocre. And I totally agree with the earlier post about calvin fish blowing past memo rojas, wth was that about? I remember how good the coverage use to be near the end of the IMSA days and then the split. I think it's gone down hill, and in a big way.
Brian from Orlando
Bill H said:
"The concept of having 2 different divisions running on the track at the same time and having 2 different races is somethign that would be interesting to see used in Nascar. Imagine an All Star race that had the 15 best Cup, Nationwide and Truck racers racing each other at the same time with 3 different winners. It would be an interesting thing to see."
It would especially be interesting at Road America in Elkhardt Lake, WS.
Isn't that what NASCAR fans complained about all last season? That the broadcasts were dumbed downed for new fans. I'm glad it was presented as it was
I am, too--and I learned a lot!
You're right--people on this board complained that ESPN was "NASCAR for Dummies," and I hated that, too.
So I was pleased this race was not dumbed-down for me.
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