CBS PULLS A 4.8/10 OVERNIGHT FOR NASCAR EVENT IN PRIMETIME

          CBS' telecast of Saturday's Pepsi 400, which marked the
     first primetime telecast of NASCAR on a major network,
     pulled a 4.8/10 overnight Nielsen rating (CBS).  In Houston,
     David Barron wrote that CBS "played to NASCAR newbies," as
     Producer Eric Mann "showed off the network's bells and
     whistles with 12 camera angles during the first lap." 
     Announcers Mike Joy and Dick Berggren "kept things more
     basic than in most races, explaining" NASCAR terminology in
     detail.  CBS Exec Producer Terry Ewert: "We realized that a
     percentage of the audience had never sampled a NASCAR race.
     ... So we wanted them to get comfortable before we told the
     story of the race" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 7/4).  
          REAX: In Richmond, Jerry Lindquist wrote that "too much
     was made of CBS telecasting" the race in primetime and said
     CBS "overdosed viewers on commercials" and there "was no
     continuity."  Lindquist: "Bottom line: When NASCAR
     negotiates its next TV contract ... it should consider its
     fans and bag broadcast network prime-time coverage"
     (RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH, 7/5).  In Orlando, Larry Guest
     noted the race finished under a caution flag and wrote:
     "It's hardly the nail-biting climax NASCAR officials would
     have preferred for the landmark CBS-TV show."  More Guest:
     "Finishing a race behind a pace car is a little like the
     Super Bowl teams playing 'touch' football the last two
     minutes" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 7/4).  And in Toronto, Chris
     Zelkovich wrote that announcer Greg Gumbel's introduction to
     the race "was so overblown" (TORONTO STAR, 7/5).