>>Not that it affects me here in the
>>USA but I know the pain of shoddy F1 coverage and too many
>>interruptions for adverts (ESPN).
>Just a query (and we're getting way off topic for this newsgroup -
>sorry), but how (or maybe even _why_?) do you put up with this in
>America. I watch the Indycar races on Eurosport and they get the ESPN
>feed. Now Eurosport takes far too many breaks for my liking, but they
>actually provide their own commentary through most of the ESPN breaks.
>What with all the yellows yesterday, the Amercians can't have actually
>seen more than a few minutes of racing :(
SNIP!
>Richard
If I can stay off-topic for just another minute or two.
The truth of the matter as to why we put up with it is because
we have no choice. Personally I watch the ESPN2 broadcast live with
all the adverts, sometimes driving me to shouting at the TV for cutting
to a commercial when some important pass or move is going on.
Luckily, later at night I can watch and usually tape the Canadian rebroadcast
of the BBC coverage which is much better.
Actually we are just glad to be able to see any racing on TV. This year
the local ABC television station decided to show a telethon for Muscular
Distrophy (SP?) instead of the Indycar race one weekend, and not rebroadcast
the race at all. When I called them to ask when they were going to show
the race, I got a m***explanation on how helping sick children is more
important than some car race. Not that I disagree with this, but it would
not be too hard to rebroadcast the race in the early hours of the
morning.
Here in the USA autoracing receives very little respect or airtime, only
the big 3 sports (baseball, basketball, football) get good TV coverage.
So you see why F1 has only a hidden acquired following here in the USA,
when even Indycar doesn't seem to yet receive a wide audience, though this
seems to be on the increase in the last few years.
With more and more racing sims coming out, I think more people will be
exposed to the e***ment of auto racing and hopefully the TV coverage
will also grow.
I just hope ITV doesn't***up your coverage next year, and that at least
they pick up Murray Walker as the announcer.
Cheers.
--John
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John (Joao) Silva
http://www.racesimcentral.net/~jsilva
Seattle, Washington USA.