FCC Chairman Kevin Martin spoke enthusiastically Monday about the crash ofDavid Gilliland's car, Number 38, during a NASCAR race in Phoenix Sunday.The FCC had spent $355,000 to sponsor the car that sported a message toremind viewers that the switch to digital television will take place onFebruary 17. The use of taxpayer dollars for the sponsorship has beencriticized by numerous consumer groups and even by fellow FCC commissionerJonathan Adelstein. "The cars that crash get a lot of attention during therace itself," Martin told TV Week . "The cameras focus on it. What weare trying to do is get all the attention on this car." The telecast itselfprovoked controversy when ABC decided to cut away from the race in order notto delay America's Funniest Home Videos . It urged NASCAR fans toswitch to ESPN2 to watch the end of the race. The Birmingham (AL) News excoriated NASCAR for letting "the networks do as they please,"whereas the NFL has language written into its TV contracts barring such actsby the networks. "It's time for NASCAR to do the same and put America'sFunniest Home Videos into the wall."
11/11/2008
