Fans using scanners have access to transmissions between producers and TV/radio announcers, which means that many of them heard Foxs announcers instructed not to make any on-air reference to the fact that a red flag immediately came out after the 25-car crash. The information eventually came out the race was halted for 43 minutes, 21 seconds but why deprive television viewers of valuable information? Was it some cheap ploy to keep viewers from changing channels?(Gaston Gazette), wondered that myself, the same thing happened at Phonix when the red flag was out for over 6 minutes when power was out, I heard about it on the radio coverage, it was mentioned in passing on TV, AFTER the fact…I was like..what gives….the what happened at Talladega…why does NASCAR wanna hide the fact there is a red flag…makes no sense [or cents].(5-3-2005)
UPDATE: Television viewers can now expect to know promptly when a NASCAR race has been put under the red flag after having that information temporarily withheld on the past two Nextel Cup telecasts on Fox Sports. During last week’s Aaron’s 499 from Talladega Superspeedway, announcers were told over Fox’s internal communications not to mention the term “red flag” through two segments following a 25-car wreck on Lap 133. When The Charlotte Observer this week asked for an explanation of the practice, that request set off an in-house discussion of the practice that went all the way up to David Hill, chairman and chief executive officer of Fox Sports. “It was a stupid thing to do,” Hill said. “I’ve never heard anything so ridiculous.” Apparently, personnel in the Fox production truck erroneously believed it would make a difference if some of its commercials could be aired before viewers were actually told the red flag was out. “This situation is proof that a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing,” Hill said. “The time a race goes under a red flag has nothing to do with when a network says it. We can’t change the time the red comes out. That would be like us saying the New England Patriots didn’t score a touchdown when they did, but they scored three minutes later.” Hill said producer Neil Goldberg and his crew now have a clearer understanding of the situation.(ThatsRacin.com)(5-7-2005)
