Channel 10

[XR6_ED]

http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,8659,...8-23770,00.html

As quoted below

"V8 SUPERCAR fans will miss out on live television coverage of what looms as the year's championship deciding race in favour of an American sitcom, a cooking program and an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie.

Channel 10 won't televise the 6.30pm Saturday twilight race at Eastern Creek next month, in which Ford's Marcos Ambrose is almost certain to wrap up back-to-back V8 titles, until at least 11pm that night.

Instead Ten says it will show comedy Ed at 6.30pm, TV chef Jamie Oliver at 7.30pm and the oft-repeated Schwarzenegger film Kindergarten Cop at 8.30pm on Saturday, December 4.

Ten's general manager of sport David White said V8 Supercar racing was not strong enough to command a prime-time television slot.

He said V8 bosses had always been told if they proceeded with plans to hold a twilight race as part of the Eastern Creek program, Ten would not show the race live.

But White also doubted the current scenario, in which Ambrose needs 42 points to wrap up the championship and needs only to finish race one to do so, would make the twilight race worth televising live anyway.

"If you are Marcos Ambrose and you have to finish 12th to wrap up the championship, how hard are you going to go?" White said.

"My point is about 6.5 million TV homes. We've got to make sure we've got the most entertaining programming available.

"I'm not sure that scenario paints such an exciting picture."

V8 Supercar boss Tony Cochrane said he was disappointed with Ten's decision, while Ford officials are angry at the snub.

Cochrane said AVESCO had always planned to hold the twilight race on Saturday to add spectator appeal to the Round 13 Grand Finale.

But with Ambrose's failure to wrap up the title in Tasmania last weekend turning the race into the pivotal one of the championship, he felt Ten may soften its stance for TV viewers.

Ten has refused to budge, saying it would only show the race live if AVESCO rescheduled the race to afternoon.

"From the board's point of view, we're not at all happy with this decision," Cochrane said.

"From our point of view, we can't change the timeslot.

"We've committed to the general public and sold a lot of tickets."

Ten had also been sounded out by AVESCO about a delayed telecast starting at 8.30pm or 9.30pm.

But White said there were no plans to dump Schwarzenegger's 1990 movie, in which he plays an undercover policeman assigned to teach toddlers, for the V8s.

The twilight race is scheduled after the network's late news and Sports Tonight program.

A spokesman said the replay of the race was likely to start between 11pm and 11.30pm, depending on the duration of Kindergarten Cop.

Ten will show the top 10 shootout live that afternoon as part of its scheduled V8 Supercar coverage, as well as races two and three on the Sunday.

[XR6_ED]

And then channel 10 change their mind

"THE Ten Network will broadcast what looms as the championship-deciding V8 Supercar race nationally on prime-time TV after doing a u-turn on plans to snub live cover.

Ten said today it will show the twilight race from Sydney's Eastern Creek on Saturday, December 4 in a prime-time evening slot in all markets.

Ford driver Marcos Ambrose needs just 42 points to seal the championship, and only needs to finish that opening race of the final round in a moderate position to claim his second successive V8 title.

The race will be shown live in Sydney and Melbourne from 6pm-7.30pm, with delayed telecasts in the same timeslot in Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth because of time differences and daylight saving.

It will be the first time Australian motor sport has been shown on prime-time television, entering a timeslot that only AFL, rugby league, rugby union and swimming occupy regularly on commercial TV.

Ten general manager of sport David White said yesterday V8 Supercar racing wasn't a strong enough product for prime-time and told AAP it would not budge on its decision.

Today, after meetings with Ten's head of programming, David Mott, the message was somewhat different.

"We have received strong support for prime-time coverage of the race and in the spirit of further growing the sport we will be broadcasting from Eastern Creek immediately following Sports Tonight at 6pm," White said in a statement.

It is believed pressure from fans and would-be advertisers – especially Ford – led Ten to rethink.

Ten will show the top 10 shootout live from 4pm-5pm, followed by its news and Sports Tonight, before the V8 coverage resumes.

It had been planning to show American sitcom Ed instead of the race.

V8 Supercar boss Tony Cochrane said the decision gave the sport and its fans the chance to show motor racing belonged in the top echelon of Australian sport.

"Now what we'd like to do is for our fans to tune in, produce healthy ratings figures and show Channel Ten that their faith in putting us on prime-time television is justified," said Cochrane.

Ten will also shows races two and three from Eastern Creek live around Australia on Sunday afternoon.

"

[Guest]

So whens Jamie on then???after 10 is

vik

[ducatijb]

It's amazing what can happen when advertisers threaten to pull the pin...

[GOLDIE]

We will be in sydney that weekend for anita's dad's birthday will have to watch it at his place on saturday night than.

Will have to see where we will be on sunday afternoon as to weather we watch the rest of the races.

Ian

[DallasQLD]

John Lawss was the one who got this doen after call back outrage yesterday on the airwaves........

[MISSXR]

I'll be at Eastern Creek, so I don't care what channel 10 do.... whooo hooo can't wait

Go Ambrose !

[BlueXR6Turbo]

Still gonna be 1/2 hour delay here. Why the f**k can't the TV networks get their acts together and show programs live across the whole country, rather than just the eastern states. Who gives a *beep* if it means that our news is on half an hour earlier!

<end of rant>

[Typhoon]

What else is new 10 treat there views like crap four minute com breaks every 10 mins plus they skip laps on v8s and moto gp they suck big time I hate 10

[ktford]

  DallasQLD said:

John Lawss was the one who got this doen after call back outrage yesterday on the airwaves........

I can't believe that there are v8supercar fans that listen to Long John the DJ made good. What a joke he is.

Scotty