SPEED CHANNEL

'SPEED Channel', sometimes known simply 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 things, usually motorized, that have four (or two) wheels, and move fast.
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 even 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, 24 Hours of Le Mans, and formerly the Dakar Rally until losing the rights to that event to OLN for 2005. Beginning in 2007, SPEED will be the exclusive home to the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series' All-Star race, the Nextel All-Star Challenge, and the Gatorade Duel (2 qualifying races that set the field for the Daytona 500). ^[1]

History

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.

Stylized "S" logo, used from 1999 to 2002. An earlier version was used from 1996 to 1999.

In its nearly four-year existence under its new name, SPEED has made an effort to show more live races. In 2002 and 2003, SPEED, along with CBS, was one of America's two networks broadcasting Champ Car races. In 2006, SPEED will air 8 Champ Car races, alongside CBS and NBC, who will broadcast 7 races combined, with 4 on CBS and 3 on NBC.
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 preteen and teen age. This angered some network viewers, who fear that SPEED is becoming ever closer to becoming an all-NASCAR channel and the lost of intelligence because of the collaboration of the executives. Liberatore left this message for SPEED viewers on the network's message board. 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 ringtones and wallpapers made by SPEED to their cell phones.
In late 2005, SPEED Channel rebranded themselves as SPEED, cancelling some TV shows including ''NASCAR Nation''.

Controversy

★ 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.

Former programs

★ ''7 Days''

★ ''Barrett-Jackson Car Search''

★ ''Behind the Headlights''

★ ''Build or Bust''

★ ''Cars at Carlisle''

★ ''Fifth Gear''

★ ''Formula 1 Decade''

★ ''Indy 500: The Classics''

★ ''Inside NBS''

★ ''I Wanna Date a Race Car Driver''

★ ''Legends of Motorsport''

★ ''Men Behind the Wrenches''

★ ''Motorsports Mundial''

★ ''MotorWeek''

★ ''NASCAR Nation''

★ ''NASCAR Classics''

★ ''NASCAR Past Champions''

★ ''NBS 24/7''

★ ''Payback''

★ ''Pit Bull''

★ ''Speed News''

★ ''Speed Racer''

★ ''Shooting Cars''

★ ''Texas Hardtails''

★ ''The Motocross Files''

★ ''The Reality of Speed''

★ ''The World's Greatest Auto Shows''

★ ''Tuner Transformation''

★ ''Two Wheel Tuesday''

★ ''WRC Rally Magazine''

SPEED Channel on-air personalities

★ 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

★ 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

★ Dan Woods

★ Lindsay Czarniak

★ Carl Edwards

★ Jeff Burton

Former on-air personalities

★ Connie LeGrand

★ Shannon Spake

★ Johnny Benson

★ Allen Bestwick

★ Chad Little

References

1. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051207/ap_en_bu/car_nascar_tv_deal_7

External links

★ Official Site

★ Official Site with content for mobile phones

★ That'sRacin.com: SPEED Channel suspends reporter over remarks

★ SPEED Channel Latin America (in Spanish)

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SPEED CHANNEL

History

Controversy

List of SPEED Channel programs

Former programs

Racing series SPEED Channel broadcasts

Specials broadcast by SPEED Channel

SPEED Channel on-air personalities

Former on-air personalities

See also

References

External links

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