Champ Car on verge of new TV deal

UPDATE #3 [Editor's Note: This report agrees with the rumors we have heard, with the race schedule being released while Champ Car is on the other side of the world in Surfers Paradise. The good news is that the rumored TV deal with CBS may be announced in NY City, which we suggested should happen. See below for other details on this rumor.] A source familiar with the negotiations revealed to ESPN.com that Champ Car management has reached a basic time-buy agreement with CBS that will see at least six races televised live on the network in 2005, growing to as many as thirteen races in 2007. The Long Beach Grand Prix may be added as a seventh network race if logistical differences can be ironed out. Scheduled on the final day of The Masters (a CBS institution), the Long Beach start could be moved up to as early as 11 a.m. to facilitate live coverage. The event could be shown on a tape-delay basis [Editor's Note: AutoRacing1 hears that it will be shown taped delayed on CBS in 2005, probably the following Saturday, and live in 2006 and 2007] or shifted to Champ Car's cable partner, which is expected to be SPEED Channel. Champ Car's 2005 race schedule is slated for release on Oct. 21 while an announcement of the TV package is being planned for Nov. 1 in New York. ESPN.com 09/30/04 Another reader chimes in, Dear Autoracing1, I just read the comments in the Rumors section concerning the reports, "Champ Car on verge of new TV deal." I feel that your reply is a bit harsh, and yes, I too am concerned that the inability of a consensus decision is hurting the future growth of Champ Car. What the series needs now, more than ever before is a strong leader (singular person a la Bernie) to drive through a vision toward an ultimate goal. A group cannot and will not make sound decisions unless each voting individual has his best interests in mind. A dictator can make decisive moves and correct the resulting problems later. It is much easier to control a ball if it is rolling than it is while it is static. Los tres amigos need to hand over the power to a singular person to drive the series toward success. What have we learned from the Spike TV deal is that it does not best serve Champ Car. That decision is in the past, and it is time to move forward, NOW. Dan Wilk, Grosse Pointe Park, MI 09/30/04 A reader writes, Dear AutoRacing1.com, I can't watch another Champ Car race on SPIKE TV. It's just horrible. Is the CBS deal really going to happen for 2005? Stanley Myhoff, Vancouver Dear Stanley, Last we heard the CBS deal was close to happening, however until it's signed we suppose anything could happen. We don't know what the delay is but can only surmise it's the same problems that eventually brought CART to its demise, internal disagreements. If OWRS manages to blow it and snatch defeat from the jaws of victory yet again, perhaps it's just time to pull the plug and put its many fans out of their misery. Mark C. 09/21/04 Leaked by Robin Miller briefly on his radio show The Truth, this week, we hear that Champ Car will not be on the all-men's channel Spike TV in 2005, which was a bad idea in the first place. An all-men's channel cuts out 50% of your viewing audience immediately (i.e. few women viewers) and their TV ratings suffered because of it. How clueless is Spike? Their website still says – "Spike TV is the cable television home for the 2004 CHAMP CAR WORLD SERIES. The network telecasts the entire 16-race schedule of one of the most popular racing circuits from venues all over the world, from Long Beach, CA, to Seoul, South Korea." Psst, someone tell them there's only 14 races this year, not 16, and if they send their camera crews to Seoul, they won't have much to film. Champ Car was talking to NBC but those talks never got real serious. We hear a deal is close that will see Champ Car back on CBS and SPEED TV in 2005. Qualifying will be back on SPEED as well, but it will be a shortened, tape-delayed show. The exact number of races on CBS is not yet finalized but we hear around 6 or 7 for the first year back on network TV. After a horrible 2004 international TV presence, an excellent international TV deal is also in the works, including a new deal in Mexico. Attempts are on-going to finish the deal in time for an announcement this weekend in Las Vegas, along with the 2005 race schedule, but it is not certain the deals will all come together in time. Champ Car will be missing out on one of their biggest PR opportunities in their history if they don't get this deal done by Las Vegas. After that they will be stuck with a simple press release announcing the deal because doing it at the last two races of the year out of the country will be a waste of time. Many times in the past Champ Car has been good at snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. Will history repeat itself? Mark C.