NASCAR Senior VP/Marketing Brian France said NASCAR
made a "mistake" in trying to control printed material and
images from NASCAR events after the media objected to the
wording on recently issued media credentials (See THE DAILY
1/24), according to Mike Bianchi of the FLORIDA TIMES-UNION.
France said the credentials "had some bad wording": "We
never intended to control the stories or film of the
legitimate media. ... We are headed into new territory with
the Internet and some other areas. We were simply trying to
protect our marketing rights. We were trying to stop
unauthorized commercial use. Every other professional
league does the same thing." But Bianchi wrote, "What we
have seen in the last few weeks is an organization that has
clearly become too big for its bib overalls. ... This racing
giant is attempting to get its tentacles on every
potentially profitable aspect of its sport" (FL TIMES-UNION,
2/13). In Winston-Salem, Mike Mulhern noted that the "new
language NASCAR has been trying to use in safeguarding its
property rights has struck some raw nerves" and the "growing
suspicion is that NASCAR may have signed away, perhaps
unwittingly, more than it bargained for" with its new $2.4B
TV deals with Fox and NBC/Turner. Also, the "crux of the
matter" is that NASCAR is "now trying to get a hand on some
of the lucrative driver-team marketing rights." Mulhern:
"Now NASCAR may have to deal with more than it anticipated.
The media can always be placated, but drivers and owners may
be a tougher sell" (WINSTON-SALEM JOURNAL, 2/13). In
Nashville, Larry Woody wrote that there is "growing concern
that NASCAR ... is getting power-hungry." France: "We're
not trying to control the media. Frankly, we'd like to see
the media take off the soft gloves more often and tackle
some of the tough issues." More France: "We heard that we
would confiscate fans' cameras and video equipment. That's
nonsense" (Nashville TENNESSEAN, 2/12). A BUSINESS JOURNAL
OF CHARLOTTE editorial states, "The media plays a huge role
in widening the public's interest in racing. ... The media
needs to be free of constraints to continue that role" (THE
BUSINESS JOURNAL OF CHARLOTTE, 2/11 issue).