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SPEED Channel
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| SPEED Channel | |
|---|---|
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| Owned by | Comcast/News Corporation |
| Headquarters | Charlotte, NC |
| Formerly called | SpeedVision |
| Website | speedtv.com |
| Availability | |
| Satellite | |
| DirecTV | Channel 607 |
| Dish Network | Channel 150 |
| Star Choice | Channel 406 |
| Cable | |
| Verizon FiOS | Channel 71 |
| Comcast | Channels Vary |
| Time Warner Cable | Channels Vary |
| Charter | Channels Vary |
| Cox Cable | Channels Vary |
| Cablevision | Channel 56 and 69 |
| Bright House Networks | Channels Vary |
| Shaw Cable TV | Channels Vary |
| Midcontinent Communications | Channels May Vary |
SPEED Channel, commonly referred to as SPEED, is a cable and satellite television channel broadcast to various parts of North America, but primarily the United States. The channel, based in Charlotte, NC, is primarily devoted to coverage of various forms of auto racing.
Programming includes live Formula One racing, NASCAR-related shows, how-to programming, auto-related movies such as The Fast and the Furious, auto shows, less-popular racing series, a weekly news show, call-in shows, and reality shows. Bobsledding, luge, and skeleton events are shown during the winter months. SPEED is also the exclusive United States broadcaster of the 24 Hours of Daytona, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Petit Le Mans, the NASCAR Sprint Cup All-Star Challenge and the Gatorade Duels at Daytona.
Contents |
The channel which eventually became SPEED Channel was launched on New Year's Day 1996, by Roger L.Werner Jr., E.Roger Williams, Nickolas Rhodes and Robert Scanlon under the name SpeedVision. Ownership included Cox Communications, Continental Cable and AT&T. Under their management, SpeedVision became the fastest growing cable network of all time while delivering the highest male viewing audience per household of any cable or broadcast network in existence. In the summer of 2001, Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation purchased one-third of Speedvision. In August 2001, they negotiated to acquire the stakes owned by Cox and Comcast, thus giving them majority ownership. Fox leveraged the network as a negotiating tool for NASCAR television rights which were split with NBC. The plan was to morph the channel into a 24-hour NASCAR network. This plan was ultimately shelved in the fall due to Fox management's unwillingness to place NASCAR races on the channel.
On Monday February 11, 2002 at 7:59 p.m. ET, SpeedVision relaunched as SPEED Channel. The first program of the new format was a special launch show and 2002 NASCAR preview focusing on Speedweeks 2002. News Corp.'s FOX had a year-old relationship as a NASCAR broadcaster, many NASCAR shows began airing on SPEED Channel, a move that was unpopular with some of the network's viewers. However, with the increased NASCAR programming, viewership is at all-time highs, with the channel being added to many regular cable lineups.
In its nearly four-year existence under its new name, SPEED has made an effort to show more live races. In 2001, 2002, and 2006, SPEED broadcasted select Champ Car races. In October 2002, SPEED bought out the remaining year of ESPN's three-year contract for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, and in February 2003, began showing live exclusive coverage of the series. The network's coverage of the Truck Series' Florida Dodge Dealers 250 for February 18, 2005 scored a Nielsen rating of 2.1, the highest-rated program in the network's history. Another SPEED staple is WindTunnel with Dave Despain, a live call-in show that has been on the network since February 2003.
Since its inception in 1996, there has been a racing series which was created by Werner, Williams and Scanlon, named after the network-the SPEED World Challenge, formerly named, not surprisingly, the SpeedVision World Challenge. SPEED also runs a very short segment during its commercial breaks, titled, "My First Car", in which celebrities like Ron Howard, Pierce Brosnan, and George Lucas (who has a great love for Fiat) and SPEED Channel viewers talk about the first set of wheels they ever drove.
SPEED made news with the 2005 firing of network president Jim Liberatore, who had been with the network since FOX bought it in 2001 when it was still SpeedVision, reportedly because Liberatore had wanted to reduce the number of NASCAR-related shows on the network, and the network brass wanted more NASCAR-related programming. In 2002, SpeedVision had collaborated with Disney, causing the channel to resemble the Disney Channel in some ways, making the channel targeted for younger viewers in the pre-teen and teenage. This angered some network viewers, who feared that SPEED was close to becoming an all-NASCAR channel. However, NASCAR programming continues to draw viewers to the network. Some SPEED viewers have suggested a second channel for non-NASCAR programming, just like ESPN has with ESPN2.
SPEED is primarily a satellite and digital cable network, although many areas in the U.S. do have the network in their basic cable packages. It is also available in Canada and in Brazil. Racing coverage, particularly that of Formula One, is sometimes subject to blackout outside the U.S. In the spring of 2006, SPEED launched SPEED Mobile, where fans can download ring-tones and wallpapers made by SPEED to their cell phones.
In late 2005, SPEED Channel re-branded themselves as SPEED, canceling some TV shows including NASCAR Nation. In early 2008, SPEED will launch in high definition. Direct TV will be one of the first to carry this new channel.
- During the October 7, 2006 edition of the NASCAR opinion show Tradin' Paint, Ray Dunlap made a racially insensitive remark about Hispanics during a discussion about diversity in NASCAR. SPEED suspended Dunlap for a week for his comments. The news came the same week Fox Sports fired baseball analyst Steve Lyons for controversial comments about Lou Piniella's Hispanic heritage.
- SPEED Channel has also been criticized for narrowing its offering of professional motorsports, in particular after it quit coverage of WRC, due to its current NASCAR contract.
- In American Muscle Car episode 'The Fastest Musclecar Engines of All Time', a 1966 Dodge street Hemi engine, built and tuned under the factory stock condition, produced 820 HP and 689ft·lb of torque...at least this is what Hemi supporters would like to be carved into stone as gospel truth. In actual fact, Darren Tedder who works at Engine Systems in Tucker Georgia, and who worked with the producers of the show had this to say about the episode:
We built 3 motors for the show titled “the fastest muscle car engines of all time”. We did an L88 Chevy, a 427 tunnel port FE Ford, and a 426 HEMI for them to dyno test. The motors were to have things done to them that would have been done by places like Yenko, Mr Norms, and so on. I have no idea what kind of spin will be put on this show, but I can assure all you guys that MOPAR will be properly represented. Though the Hemi is a pump gas motor, it may have a couple more twists of the wrench than the others, but don’t tell any of the Chevy or Ford brethren. Everything had to be put together from the parts we had available. The end result should please all you guys. Yes that motor has more work in it than it should, but we used what we had at the shop for motors in progress. (note: a 500 cubic inch short block was in the shop at the time...) Remember television is for entertainment, much like the internet, so don't read too much into it. Also, it's not like it was a secret kept from the production. I worked most of my life in underwater production. Every thing I've ever shot has had some unrealistic spin put on it by, post production, or an executive in the production. Unfortunately in most cases (not saying this is the case here) the people in post don't know the first thing about the subject matter. It's just a fact of TV. Two of the most discrediting things said about anything are: I saw it on TV, or read it on the internet. Enjoy it for what is, have a good laugh, and be glad YOU guys know something the VAST majority of viewers don't.
And some opinions posted in response to Mr. Tedder's post:
820 HP out of a stock HEMI? Can you say "SUPER STOCK"??!! If we have a hard time believing it what are the Ford and Chevy guys thinking? 820 H.P. "BLUEPRINT" I SMELL A RINGER. The Ford was cool. Cool show, nice motors, but I'm thinking I spent a lot more money than I should have to make the 800 hp mine puts out. Stock motor w/ inline Pro Systems Holleys? What was I thinking? I could have gotten stock heads, stock cam, stock intake, and only 426 cubes to make 820 hp. That show was supposed to prove who was the baddest of the bad? It proved nothing at all in my opinion.
Original post and comments at Moparts discussion
Which is to say that the SPEED channel is for entertainment purposes only, and not to be taken seriously.
- A1GP
- AMA Superbike
- AMA Supercross
- American Le Mans Series
- ARCA RE/MAX Series
- Australian V8 Supercars (Winter months only)
- Champ Car World Series
- CORR
- Craftsman Truck Series
- Crown Royal IROC Series (series on permanent hiatus)
- Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship (Winter months only)
- Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
- FIM MotoGP Series
- NEXTEL Cup Series (Gatorade Duels at Daytona & NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star Challenge)
- FIM Superbike World Championship
- Formula 1 (4 races per year on FOX)
- German Touring Car Masters (Winter months only)
- GP2 Series
- IHRA
- KONI Challenge Series
- Rolex Sports Car Series
- SPEED World Challenge
- Star Mazda Series
- Summer Shootout (Winter months only)
- USAR Hooters Pro Cup
- USHRA Monster Jam
- World of Outlaws
- 12 Hours of Sebring
- 24 Hours of Le Mans
- 24 Hours of Daytona
- Barrett-Jackson Classic Car Auction
- Knoxville Nationals
- Michael Waltrip Celebrity Poker Tournament
- Nextel All-Star Challenge
- Petit Le Mans
- Race of Champions
- SCCA National Championship Runoffs
- NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown
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This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please improve this article if you can. (May 2007) |
- Rick Allen
- Rick Benjamin
- John Bisignano
- Steve Byrnes
- Greg Creamer
- Derek Daly
- Alain de Cadenet
- Dave Despain
- Bob Dillner
- Brian Drebber
- Ray Dunlap
- Calvin Fish
- Nicky Grist
- Sandy Heng
- David Hobbs
- Bob Jenkins
- Drew William Johnson
- Mike Johnson
- Vicki Johnson
- Mike Joy
- Kazzer
- Tommy Kendall
- Nicole Manske
- Steve Matchett
- Toby Moody
- Chris Neville
- Phil Parsons
- Craig Reynolds
- John Roberts
- Elliott Sadler
- Dorsey Schroeder
- Ralph Sheheen
- Michele Smith
- Jimmy Spencer
- Ken Stout
- Brian Till
- Jim Tretow
- Bob Varsha
- Wendy Venturini
- Krista Voda
- Kenny Wallace
- Darrell Waltrip
- Michael Waltrip
- Greg White
- John Willenborg
- Peter Windsor
- Rutledge Wood
- Lindsay Czarniak
- Carl Edwards
- Jeff Burton
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Brands: NFL on FOX • Major League Baseball on FOX • NASCAR on FOX • Bowl Championships • Cotton Bowl • Formula One |
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