Canadians (up) in Arms

nitehusky · 4 Dec 2002, 20:24 (Ref:442776)

I recently wrote CART to voice my displeasure of how TSN (the Canadian sports network that runs CART races) treats CART.

This is the response I got. I urge all Canadians that are upset about this to contact TSN, as the response suggests.
-------------------------
Hello Luis,
Thank you and your wife for your continuing support of the CART series.
I
have had many, many emails from disappointed fans regarding the TSN
coverage
in Canada, most of them being from the Fontana Broadcast. Did you
write TSN
at audiencerelations@tsn.ca ? When I wrote TSN and asked where to
forward
the messages, that is the address they gave me. I also asked them why
they
do not show all the races live, basically this is what they said, (to
the
best of my recollection). They show what the ratings demand, the
ratings
for the CFL games, compared to the ratings of the CART events are
forcing
them to work around the CFL games, silly if you ask me. They also said
that
if fans write in with thier feedback, this is the best way to make sure
that
it does not happen for future races. I can completely understand your
disproval of the coverage from this past season, I send all these
messages
to the Director of Broadcasting for CART, and I would urge all
disappointed
fans to express thier views also to TSN, this will make a difference.
Thank
you for taking the time to contact us with your comments, have a happy
holiday!

Bizzo5000 · 4 Dec 2002, 20:32 (Ref:442782)

Try competing against the NFL in the states(which is carried on Fox and CBS) Since I don't get Speed, I'll never get another race after August.

Snrub · 5 Dec 2002, 04:53 (Ref:443046)

CBS played like 2 CART races all year. Football, golf, infomercials, grass growing, they all bumped CART. Remember CART pays CBS to play races!!!!

macdaddy · 5 Dec 2002, 05:51 (Ref:443058)

Liz and I wrote both CART and TSN regarding the Fontana coverage as well. But while TSN didn't even have the decency to reply to me, I got a more-than-adequate response from CART's Senior Manager of Broadcast Services, Don Helms.(As mentioned earlier in another thread). But I'm gonna keep on TSN's case about it. Count on that.

Liz · 5 Dec 2002, 12:09 (Ref:443206)

Me too. I'm going to write a paper letter to the Director of Broadcasting and ask him how in the world he expects ratings to improve when they tape delay the races, show only parts of races, and average 65 interruptions per race (including long-winded "sports updates" for things we are not watching and don't care about). I plan also to ask them if they will consider not blacking out the Speed Channel when they know full well they have no intention of running the complete race or suspect that they won't be able to.

nitehusky · 5 Dec 2002, 13:32 (Ref:443280)

MAcDaddy

Can you tell me the name of the post that has your response from CART.

I'm on a personal mission here to get this changed and am collecting as many forum responses as I can to this subject, which I will then forward to CART and TSN.

Liz, I could not agree with you more on the lifting of the blackout and have stated so in my response to CART. Spread the word fellow Canucks..

macdaddy · 5 Dec 2002, 16:34 (Ref:443434)

http://tentenths.com/forum/showthrea...threadid=29348

The email replies sent to both Liz and I can be found in there.

macdaddy · 5 Dec 2002, 16:43 (Ref:443442)

By-the-way, welcome to the forum Nitehusky!

nitehusky · 5 Dec 2002, 16:52 (Ref:443447)

Thanks MacDaddy, for the warm welcome as well as the info.

I'm compiling a list of all the posts on the subject (if you visit other forums, you'll see that I've posted similar threads). My plan is to take that list and send it to CART, TSN, SPEED and the CRTC (who actually enforces the blackout).

Maybe, just maybe, something will get done.

Liz · 5 Dec 2002, 17:22 (Ref:443464)

It worked for Formula One ...

Snrub · 5 Dec 2002, 22:38 (Ref:443736)

Another thing, why the heck doesn't Sportsnet, CBC or CTV pick up CART races? They've got nothing better to show on Sundays and have an equal or better number of homes receieving their channel. I'm sure CART would be more than happy to give/sell them the license if they promised to air all races live.

djb · 5 Dec 2002, 23:53 (Ref:443778)

Snrub, good point. Up until about 3 years ago, CBC used to play all the CART races at midnight on Sunday night. I hardly ever watched CART races live (still don't usually) and so for me it was great. I was sorely disappoointed when they stopped it, although my Mondays were probably more productive because I usually couldn't help myself and I would watch the race and go to sleep at 1:30 or 2.

Liz · 6 Dec 2002, 00:01 (Ref:443784)

Global runs the Canadian races. Of course their coverage is wretched.

macdaddy · 6 Dec 2002, 07:51 (Ref:443945)

Global's coverage is worse than wretched. In fact, that was brought up in my email to CART about the Fontana broadcast. None of their own personalities know anything about motorsport other than the first and last names of the Canadian drivers.

Allow me to tell a little story, if you'll bear with me. My wife and I were driving to a family reunion at the home of a certain Global-TV entertainment director, recently retired. Bob SomethingOrOther. If you're Canadian, you've possibly just figured out the "mac" in "macdaddy". Anyway, Jim Tatti (Global's Sports Director) is married to Bob's daughter, and he was there. 'Twas the second time I've met the guy. I'll admit that I was enthusiastic about the opportunity to score free tickets to the race in Toronto, which was just eight days away. Eventually my Dad and I went over and sat at the table, and when the opportunity arose I brought up the subject, trying to make it known that I was a huge fan. Know what he said? I can't quote, but I'll paraphrase. "Auto racing? I don't like auto racing. It's kinda stupid. In fact, I don't even have to go to the race next weekend. You see, I've got people to do that for me. I stay at the studio and select which tapes to edit." That's actually very close to a quote. And then, two years later, there's Jim Tatti doing the prerace show! I couldn't believe it! Called Dad straight away! He's staring at me from the TV screen, doing a very poor job of acting like he knew what he was saying. And he is Global's sports director, and our emcee for today's race.

That explains Global's coverage.

In one thousand words or more.

Liz · 6 Dec 2002, 10:15 (Ref:444010)

You could pick up any two guys on the street, including homeless guys who talk to Mars, and they'd do a better job. I wrote an editorial for our website about the serious need for Global to up their game, after Vancouver. When I saw the Speedvision coverage during the marathon it was like watching an entirely different race.

djb · 6 Dec 2002, 17:39 (Ref:444446)

and all that carries over to the Montreal GP also, with the CBC sports guy who always comes across as he is just reading the names and really doesn't know squat (and I can't stand him during the Olympics as well).

The whole stereotype of a "talking head" always comes to mind whenever a really mediocre "sportscaster" does his thing during a Canadian race.

a solution? haven't got a clue, I doubt that even complaining would help, given attitudes like MacD described, and the fact that these guys are in there and entrenched, and the union wouldn't dare let anyone else come in for a wild card announce. (unless it's that old Unser or whoever, who comes across just as phoney as the CBC guy)

macdaddy · 6 Dec 2002, 18:15 (Ref:444477)

I forgot to mention that I never did get any tickets!

nitehusky · 9 Dec 2002, 18:13 (Ref:446451)

I've set up a petition for this at:

http://www.petitiononline.com/CART/petition.html

Please sign it and tell others to as well. Lets see if we can truly make a difference.

Snrub · 9 Dec 2002, 19:16 (Ref:446470)

Now that I've signed, TSN will feel the wrath of all 11 signatures in the petition.

macdaddy · 9 Dec 2002, 19:27 (Ref:446476)

It was thirteen by the time I signed.
I admire nitehusky's determination.

nitehusky · 9 Dec 2002, 19:32 (Ref:446480)

Quote:

Originally posted by Snrub
Now that I've signed, TSN will feel the wrath of all 11 signatures in the petition.

It was posted about an hour and a 1/2 ago and there are 13 sigantures.

You gotta start somewhere. Its something to keep me busy for a little bit at least

Liz · 9 Dec 2002, 23:31 (Ref:446643)

I was No. 25! So that's a nice start.

Snrub · 10 Dec 2002, 04:29 (Ref:446746)

Quote:

Originally posted by nitehusky
It was posted about an hour and a 1/2 ago and there are 13 sigantures.

You gotta start somewhere. Its something to keep me busy for a little bit at least

I'm just kidding. The TSN forums should be swamped with links to your petition.

nitehusky · 10 Dec 2002, 13:46 (Ref:446965)

Quote:

Originally posted by Snrub
I'm just kidding. The TSN forums should be swamped with links to your petition.

I know you were joking. It is somewhat of a feeble attempt, but an attempt nonetheless. As for swamping the TSN forums...my problem is I can't get the link posted on there. They moderate their posts and of course won't allow it.

I gotta think of a sneakier way to go about it..

I'm open to suggestions

nitehusky · 10 Dec 2002, 15:12 (Ref:447009)

Pass it around guys.

Its been less than a day and we're at 39 signatures so far. We need more than that to make an impact...

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