What NASCAR Needs To Fix - Part 4

by 4ever3 on Jan 7, 2008 12:35 AM EST

Part 4: Media Coverage

Although recent events in the U.S. have drawn more awareness about this to most NASCAR fans living below the 49th Parallel, we fans in Canada have suffered from poor media coverage of NASCAR on a daily basis for years.

I mentioned the other day about how good Canadian media coverage is when it comes to hockey. In fact, nobody can top Canadian media when it comes to hockey, but as good at covering hockey that it is, the Canadian media is equally as bad at covering NASCAR, and any other form of auto racing for that matter.

As I've said in the past, the nation's self-proclaimed sports television network and U.S. based ESPN affiliate, TSN, is lacking in their coverage of NASCAR even though they are the 'official' broadcaster of NASCAR in Canada.

All TSN really does is pick up the live broadcasts coming in from the various U.S. based networks like FOX, ABC, TBS, ESPN, and the like, and uses Canadian commercials instead of U.S. ones during commercial breaks. As far as their 'real' coverage about NASCAR goes, we the sports fans, are lucky to see a 30 second clip of all of the weekend's NASCAR racing, including the new Canadian Tire Series - although there are a few more seconds added if there is a spectacular crash.

Even when they are showing hi-lights during Sports Centre the sports anchors/analysts even get some of the driver's names wrong, yet in contrast each and every broadcaster can say Datsyuk, Kovalchuk, Khabibulin, and Ponikarovsky (to name a few Russian hockey players) without so much as a stumble or slight mispronunciation. I mean how hard is it to say Juan Pablo Montoya or Bobby Labonte? Really.

The print media is no better. Did they have anyone at the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Banquet in Toronto when it was held? Not to my knowledge - not even the Toronto print media was there, let alone TSN who's studios are located in Toronto.

Another example is when Tony Stewart showed up for a personal appearance at a local Home Depot in Hamilton and the local newspaper didn't even send a photographer to get a shot.

Or how about this; according to an employee I know at our local Lowes, Jimmie Johnson showed up in Hamilton the Monday after the Awards Banquet in New York to give a 'pep-talk' to the Lowes owners, managers, and selected employees just before their official opening of 4 stores in the Toronto-Hamilton area, and the Hamilton Spectator, whose office is a short 5 minute drive from the Hamilton Convention Centre, didn't even get a photo op, or quick token interview with Jimmie on his way to, or from, the airport.

Now here is the big question; did the Spectator even know about these appearances? I don't know. Could NASCAR been a little more proactive in getting more media coverage of these events? Certainly. I know, NASCAR isn't in the business of keeping up with driver personal appearances, but they should have somebody in charge of promoting NASCAR and at least be aware of certain situations where a quick photo op/interview could be made, after all we just had two two-time Champions (and current Champ I might add) in our area within 3 months of each other and no one really was aware of it.

Anyway you slice it, the media coverage of NASCAR in Canada, or at least in Ontario, sucks and if NASCAR does not wake up and get proactive about it, they just might loose a pretty solid fan base in Canada.

Can anybody say, "Hello Speed Car Series"?

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Comments

Is it Jim Hunter or John Darby who is in charge of the NASCAR media contracts? Whichever it is, someone should light a fire under his azz. Austrailia seems to get better NASCAR coverage than Canada. It should be up to Canadian TV to get a contract with NASCAR for broadcast rights, but Hunter or Darby, whichever it is, needs to get up there and talk to them.

by RevJim on Jan 8, 2008 4:07 AM EST reply actions

Common Sense would tell you that if NASCAR wants to grow in Canada, they would be very proactive in working with, and courting, the Canadian media. Of course, using "common sense" and "NASCAR" in the same sentence is silly.

Maybe they should bring some of the top sports people, whether broadcasters, writers or executives, down to Daytona for a couple weeks in February to let them get a taste of NASCAR.

by TSRFan John on Jan 8, 2008 11:00 AM EST reply actions

Revjim,

I think TSN does what NASCAR and the other US stations allows them to do re: broadcasts, what my problem is with TSN is that is all they do - they don't do anyting on their own that is NASCAR related.

tsrfan john,

You know, that is a great idea. TSN could also send one or two of their guys/girls down there as well and report back to sportsdesk each night.

Hey, if they are hard up on knowledgable staff I could do it for them.

by 4ever3 on Jan 10, 2008 12:37 AM EST reply actions