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NASCAR

H

Hotseat

I was listening to MRN this evening and they mentioned their Charlotte affilliate AM 730. That's the best they can do in NASCAR's "hometown"? I know WSOC had them for years.
 
Doesn't get meters. People who like NASCAR aren't listening to it on the radio. WSOC would take a major hit vs. playing their tunes, so why do it? Same with WTQR in Greensboro. Same with WQDR in Raleigh. Plus, the "cramdowns" that MRN REQUIRED stations to run over the years (daily features, qualifying, etc.) were PPM napalm and were non-negotiable, which made it VERY EASY for stations to tell MRN "no" once the numbers showed how awful NASCAR is for ratings
 
They still do that. A lot of stations dropped NASCAR because of all the programs they make them air.

My FM sports station carries NASCAR and they have to carry two nights of programming every week, a talk show on Monday and Tuesday night from MRN and PRN, the two networks carrying races. They also have daily features they have to carry, and the local station also does the Nationwide races, so they have 70+ days of programming to carry each year.

They make money though so they keep them on.

The Braves are no longer on radio in the Charleston area because there is no space for them on our sports monopoly (an FM and AM who simulcast 90% of the time with ESPN, and a graveyard AM who cherry picks from the other networks).
 
Hotseat said:
I was listening to MRN this evening and they mentioned their Charlotte affilliate AM 730. That's the best they can do in NASCAR's "hometown"? I know WSOC had them for years.
Click to expand...

And 730 didn't even carry the Daytona 500 this year, so it really is a sad state of affairs for radio broadcasts in NASCAR's backyard.
 
I often wonder if MRN and PRN will go away in the next few years?, with more sources to choose from in viewing the races, is it worth keeping them on radio?
 
Times change for sure.. Not so long ago Nascar was a no brainer money maker and good income in the slow Feb-April months...If we ever had tech trouble with the races the phones would light up..I still listen if I'm on the road but we don't have a strong signal in Eastern NC for Nascar. 96.3 in Morehead is iffy & WPTF is not great east of Wilson. I still love listening to the races on radio but listenership is way down..I can remember alot of Sunday's back in the day it was radio or nothing for Nascar.My hometown station WGHB ran races for 27 years 1960-1986 and only dropped them in 86 because the station was sold and went gospel.
 
same for all sports, regarding broadcast radio.
back in the day:
1. the Atlanta Braves had local affiliates.
2. so did the Washington Redskins.
3. Nascar just survived longer .
 
Nascar was once actual vehicles that came down the same production line as a car you could buy.

There were always "special" and heavy duty parts, but these were available on production vehicles.

Now that there isn't anything in these vehicles that makes them equivalent in any way to production vehicles,
it's a lot less interesting to many people.
 
Tom Wells said:
Nascar was once actual vehicles that came down the same production line as a car you could buy.
Click to expand...

Richard Petty tells the story of his dad, Lee, driving his car to the race track, running the race, then driving it home. He said more than once they had to spend some additional time at the track after the race putting the car back together.

Tom Wells said:
There were always "special" and heavy duty parts, but these were available on production vehicles.
Click to expand...

All that began changing in the 60's with the introduction of more sophisticated safety equipment and specialty parts and engine makers like Holman-Moody. When factory participation was still popular you could buy some parts through their respective racing divisions but most could not be ordered from an assembly line configuration.

Tom Wells said:
Now that there isn't anything in these vehicles that makes them equivalent in any way to production vehicles, it's a lot less interesting to many people.
Click to expand...

While it's true the old Ford vs Chevy vs Mopar competition hasn't been heard in the stands like it used to be it is still true in the pits. Of course the factories don't participate in NASCAR like they used to do because racing isn't the purchase driver it used to be. About the only production item on the race cars these days is the front grill and other than that they are full blown race vehicles which bear no resemblance to production cars.

I'm not so sure it is the design of the race car itself that isn't interesting to most people but rather that the cars are so close in performance things like aero packages and drafting tend to make the race more like a basketball game. Although the races tend to be closer at the finish than ever before it is largely through the frequent throwing of the yellow that bunches them up throughout the race. The myriad of penalties a driver can obtain (with speeding in the pits being the most unnecessary and unfortunate) tends to remove marquee drivers from competition and displease fans.

Adding to on-track problems was the Great Recession and by the looks of empty seats this year the racing industry hasn't yet recovered. The IndyCar race at Texas yesterday was pitiful in the number of empty seats so it isn't just NASCAR.

I've been watching NASCAR racing since 1970 but these days I am usually doing something else while listening to it and will pay attention only if something significant happens. The restrictor plates have ruined the big tracks and the little bull rings are too small for 43 big race cars. That leaves the mile and 1.5-mile tracks that look and race pretty much the same. Boring! My two favorite races these days are Watkins Glen and Sonoma road tracks.
 
I don't have cable/satellite so at the half season when NASCAR goes to cable the only way I can catch a race is radio. ESPN3 is compatible with my ISP so that is out, too. But I'm 55 so I don't count anymore.
 
MarkL said:
Hotseat said:
I was listening to MRN this evening and they mentioned their Charlotte affilliate AM 730. That's the best they can do in NASCAR's "hometown"? I know WSOC had them for years.
Click to expand...

And 730 didn't even carry the Daytona 500 this year, so it really is a sad state of affairs for radio broadcasts in NASCAR's backyard.
Click to expand...
This post must have gotten lost after the big switch.

WRFX carried the Coca-Cola 600.
 
WZGV (730 AM) did not carry the Daytona 500 because they had a Charlotte 49ers basketball game. They are the flagship station for the 49ers.

PRN Sprint Cup races run on both WRFX-FM and WZGV. WZGV carries most Nationwide races. WRHM-FM in Lancaster, SC carries most NASCAR Races from both MRN and PRN. You can hear him pretty well in south Charlotte.

It is true that station numbers are down from the heyday but the Coca Cola 600 was on 425 honest to goodness radio stations. That is not a small network.

I think both networks are doing quite well.

hh
 
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