The responses to a Plea to SPEED have been varied but I would like to remind us, as we speak of the money evolved in programming, that I don't pay extra to my satellite for any channel other than SPEED. It costs me an EXTRA $10 a month. Thats over FOX, ESPN, etc. Your economic arguement falls short when a fan as to pay over and above regular costs for programming and still can't get it. Now I'm done.......for now.
Poll, any one else have to pay extra to get Speed programming?

P.S. My father again.

I pay extra just get Speed. The only thing I watch is F1 and ALMS/24 Hours of LeMans. Other than that coverage the channels is terrible with programming geared to the lowest common denominator just like network programming. If the FOTA teams stick to their guns, I guess I can save myself a few bucks every month and drop Speed.

Live stock car racing is exciting but on TV, it's about Tony Stewart's new kitchen. TV NASCAR replaces the great noises with announcers that don't talk about cars. What's worse is that F1 is being dragged apparently in a similar direction. Jimmy V ROFL. Why is he so grumpy? My closest race is the Edmonton Indy and Bull Riding Contest. OMG, did I write that? Look there's a tiny little red thing over on the other side of the airport... oh feel the adrenaline!! SPEED's chat service is the best fun I've had with cars since I used to talk with fellow fans leaning on the fences of Mosport and the Glen. I'll pick and choose what's on TV just like everyone else. If you've got some live racing near your house, you are lucky.

There is so much good racing out there, but I understand Speed TVs perspective. they are a business after all.

StarFox - 31 May 2009 07:08 PM

Agreed. Split Speed into the NASCAR Network and The Automobile Channel. Then maybe someone will come along and revive Speed the way it was supposed to be.

Agreed on the hosts. Racecasts should be done by experts. They do that for football, baseball, hockey, basketball, and NASCAR broadcasts. It should apply to all sports.

The Automobile Channel? That seems a bit limiting what with motorcycles, offshore power boats, Euro semi-trucks to also fill up quality programming.

It would sure be nice to see Canadian Motocross, Dakar and WRC back on Speed too. I used to love watching the Canadian Motocross season in the Winter when it was too cold to go riding myself. I'd love to see the World Enduro Championship and the AMA National Enduro Series back on TV too (was it SPEED or OLN that carried those?). But alas we get NOPI and tow trucks instead. I'll admit to watching Super Bikes! on a semi-regular basis though.

The other night I was staying up late and left SPEED on in the background after F1 qualifying and then out of nowhere "KIT - An Autobody Experience" came on. What the HECK is this trash? I'd rather watch Jesse James tack weld a SPAM can for 5 hours than ever see this train wreck again. How did we go from Alain de Cadenet cruising around in classic Ferrari's to some hill-billies cutting up a Caprice Classic and shoving a fiberglass racing truck body on it? Who in the world cuts springs to lower suspension these days? Even when I was 17 and fairly poor I still managed to save up and get properly built springs for my '75 Capri when I wanted to drop it a bit.

I used to watch SPEEDVISION all the time and SPEED (minus cars going around in circles) quite a bit. Now I find less and less on to watch.

p.s. I'm sorry, but I just cringe when WSBK or MotoGP comes to the USA and I'm forced to listen to SPEED's announcers instead of the normal feed. It's REALLY an eye opener.

Speed like FOX has lost its rudder.Its all about the money. Look at Fox news,the most conservative news outlet this side of CBN. Now look at the Fox network with the most liberal shows on TV,even the cartoons are ones I wouldn't let my younger kids watch if I had any. For Rupert its always about the money. He firmly believes Sex sales,just look at his papers. Page six anyone. A true motorsports channel would work and be profitable you just need the right programs to fit the sponsors and there are tons of automotive related business out there. We have way too much NASCAR on TV and the ratings and attendance are proving that out. Look how stupid Speed is,the biggest fan base for the ALMS is Corvette owners. See any Corvettes in their commercial. Proves that its bean counters in control at Speed. One last thing Dave Despain is the lowest form of scum on the earth he almost single handed put the AMA out for the Racers. He should have HONDA tattooed on his butt because he sold out motorcycling to them. His remarks about Harley Davidson in the 80's and 90's will never be forgotten. So he can shove his goldwing up his &*(*&*^%%^+)

neilrr - 07 June 2009 11:45 AM

Speed like FOX has lost its rudder.Its all about the money. Look at Fox news,the most conservative news outlet this side of CBN. Now look at the Fox network with the most liberal shows on TV,even the cartoons are ones I wouldn't let my younger kids watch if I had any. For Rupert its always about the money. He firmly believes Sex sales,just look at his papers. Page six anyone. A true motorsports channel would work and be profitable you just need the right programs to fit the sponsors and there are tons of automotive related business out there. We have way too much NASCAR on TV and the ratings and attendance are proving that out. Look how stupid Speed is,the biggest fan base for the ALMS is Corvette owners. See any Corvettes in their commercial. Proves that its bean counters in control at Speed. One last thing Dave Despain is the lowest form of scum on the earth he almost single handed put the AMA out for the Racers. He should have HONDA tattooed on his butt because he sold out motorcycling to them. His remarks about Harley Davidson in the 80's and 90's will never be forgotten. So he can shove his goldwing up his &*(*&*^%%^+)

A couple points.

Fox own Speed, so they dictate what Speed shows. NASCAR is money, however much we may not like it.

Corvette don't advertise on television, never have and never will. They do little print advertising, for that matter.

I last posted on this forum two years ago. I cannot believe that shows like Pinks, Bull Run, Pimp your Ride (a very gross title) and Unique Whips have to do with real racing? I never watch any of them. I want Two Wheel Tuesdays back, I want World Rally Racing back, There should be live WOO Sprints shows, There should be Thursday night Thunder. Until you show racing, I will watch Speed only for the racing it shows, and I am not terribly interested in NASCAR any more other than Trucks and the NASCAR Modifieds.

How much profitability is there in WRC or DTM or BTTC or Aussie Super V8s when the viewer base is low? Like it or not, Speed is business first and personal choices of a relative few a distant second.

What I've railed on time and time again is the over-coverage of NA$CAR and related programming. Cut back on it; the fans of what we consider real racing as opposed to left-turn-only exercises and the quasi-reality shows could both be satisfied. Besides, what Speed and the other media that cover NA$CAR is doing is dangerously close to overkill and will ultimtately, I'd think and even hope, burn fans out. I know one it would happen to.

I really miss SpeedVision. Motor Mondays, Two-Wheeled Tuesdays, Water-Wednesdays. I can't recall the other 2 they used to say also.

Yes SpeedTV sucks now. The NASCAR coverage is too much to handle. Its as iof ther program directors were told to only show NASCAR related racing.