Fox officials said that they "are working" with NASCAR
to create The NASCAR Channel (TNC) to debut in February
2001, according to Mike Mulhern of the WINSTON-SALEM
JOURNAL, who reported that NASCAR has four mobile TV
production "rigs under construction for next season's
operations" to be based in Charlotte. Mulhern wrote that
TNC "would probably feature at least" eight hours per day of
new programming "floated through" each 24-hour shift to be
run by a crew of more than 100. But "time may be running
out" on NASCAR to launch TNC, as one deadline could be
August 1, the "point when most major" TV sponsors "will make
their budgets final" for 2001 (W-S JOURNAL, 5/29).
ON THE MARK: Meanwhile, Turner Sports President Mark
Lazarus discussed his ratings expectations for the net's
NASCAR coverage at Street & Smith's Motorsports Marketing
Forum in Charlotte last Friday: "The first year [of the new
TV deal is] going to take some getting used to. I think, in
years two and three you should start seeing some significant
growth. [But] ... growth is all relative. If you look at
what's going on -- in not just sports, but in entertainment
and television -- if you're flat, and everyone else is down
10%, that's pretty good. [But] that's not our goal here --
we believe we'll grow our ratings." Lazarus added, "Every
Winston Cup race that is on NBC or TBS will re-air Monday
night, late in the evening" (THE DAILY).
IS NASCAR PEAKING TOO SOON? BARRON'S Bill Alpert writes
that motorsports investors "may be wondering when their
stocks will pull out of their slump," as shares of ISC and
SMI "have fallen by nearly half" since last fall. Alpert
writes that though there "are signs" NASCAR's "growth has
peaked," the "industry and its fans on Wall Street say this
is a transitional year for media promotion, noting that
current broadcasters are putting little horsepower behind
their last season" (BARRON'S, 5/29 issue).
