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The following message was posted recently on the Florida Stock Car Racing Message Board:

SHORT TRACK USA - needs your help. The NEW "1010 The TEAM" currently has plans to keep the shows airing Saturday and Sunday mornings, as is. After having called other radio stations, such as, AM-570 and AM-1250, I find that these broadcasters believe that the Dayton Andrews Dodge - SHORT TRACK USA program, has not got enough listeners to support a prime time slot. At least not enough to beat the current programs. I say that's malarkey! Racing fans from Lake City to Hialeah and coast to coast have listened to the show for many years. NOW it's time to act, contact "1010 The TEAM" at there main office number (727) 576-6055, or the request line at 1-800-992-1099 and tell them, (VERY NICELY, OF COURSE) "If they play it, you will listen", if they give the show a chance, it will prove it's self. Also, contact AM-570 WHNZ at (727) 577-7131, this station has picked up the Paul Porter show, "The HOME TEAM", so their breaking into the sports market. Their SIGNAL reaches more places than the 1010 signal, and we would really drive their ratings up, just listen in Saturday morning to the current shows, THEN CALL. With your help and a solid call in campain, we will be back on the air in no time.-----Meanwhile listen into AM-570 on Saturday morning between 10 and 12 for the 11:40 Sunshine "ACTION" Speedway Update by yours truely, and I"LL SEE YOU AT THE RACES!!!---- P.S. Call several times through the weekend, and twice on MONDAY, let's get their attention, Thanks Again.

The poster is avid short track fan and announcer at Sunshine Speedway, Bill Green.  I like Bill’s attitude. I’m sorry I missed his invitation to be on his first SHORT TRACK USA show, but I foolishly lifted some heavy planks while helping a driver unload his car, and my 50 year old back simply gave out, keeping me in bed for a few days. What does that have to do with the above post you ask? That, in my belligerent opinion, is where most of the traditional media should stay, as most of them, (not all of course) are completely worthless at doing what their job descriptions pronounce.

The above post illustrates the frustration many race fans feel at the token bits of attention many outlets including radio, television, and newspapers give to one huge sporting and entertainment industry, namely stock car racing.  Not to mention the economic impact. “If it ain’t NASCAR it ain’t racing” seems to be the mantra from the local sports writers and radio hosts.  In Florida our stock car racing venues entertain over 2,000,000 fans a year, which makes it a bigger deal than the small print and buried results it gets (if that) in your average local rag.

If there was ever a reason to say “what’s wrong with this picture?”, this is the time! Take 2 million plus visitors to Florida’s short tracks a year and multiply that times the average family expense of 40-60 dollars to to go to the track,  and a sixth grader can tell you that’s a lot of money.  Factor in the 4000 or more drivers and their expenses for a year, all of the hundreds of subsidiary businesses who make money one way or another from stock car racing, and the advertising revenues generated as speedways try to lure the fans away from their television sets (and computers), and you have one huge industry.  A much larger one than the average editor or reporter ever thought about. Guaranteed!

Joe golfer makes a hole and one, and he gets front sports page with his picture near the article. If sports news is slow, the liars who vouched for his lucky effort get included too.  300 people show up to watch a community college basketball game and the local sports media spews forth glutinous accolades for the heroes who won the day for the student body. Ever wonder why the guy gets front page sports for catching a bass, snook or trout, while the race driver who just finished a grueling 35 race schedule to take the Street Stock Championship at his local track never gets a mention?

Having been involved with the traditional media for over 20 years as public relations consultant, business owner, promotion director, advertiser, activist, and sometimes free lance hell raiser, I have had the occasion to learn quite a bit about what makes the media tick. I once had a sports editor  explain to me how if he did a story on one high school quarterback, his phone rang off the hook and his mail piled up as the alumni, parents, coaches and teachers from the other schools raised cane because their quarterback wasn’t profiled instead. There’s clue number one!

Just for grins pick up the phone some day and call your local paper and ask for the sports department before 3 PM in the afternoon. Guess what? Chances are about as good for finding someone in the office as I have of winning the Florida lottery.  That’s clue number two!

Now I could go into the inner workings of the media for hundreds of pages, but there’s plenty of good books already available that detail the inadequacies of the newspaper, radio, and television media. One of the funniest things these days is the jealousy and nose up in the air attitude those in the traditional media have towards Internet news sources. That’s clue number three! They are scared to death that people who don’t have that degree in BS called journalism are outshining them. And guess what? It’s happening in a big way. The local newspapers are going broke trying to sell more advertising, protecting local favorites, and printing the latest sensational sleaze that picks on the unfortunates of our world. That’s clue number four!

Radio stations over the last 15 years have gone in a spiraling buy and sell game that makes your head swim. Notice how often they change their format and have new ownership. Radio stations are more important as commodities that as entertainment. Television is slowly being swallowed by the Internet, which is probably a good thing.

You may ask at this point how is knowing any of this going to help the SHORT TRACK USA show or get your track more TV time or more coverage in the local paper.  Here’s how. It ought to make you madder than hell that the sport you love and the drivers who thrill us every weekend get ignored. If you’re not mad enough you won’t have the guts to do what it takes to change things. You don’t want to display the anger, just feel it inside.

By way of example, in the early 80’s I became incensed over the media coverage, actually the lack thereof, of the AIDS problem, which was just beginning to manifest itself in our communities. I got real mad! Without going into the politics of the situation, I’ll just tell you that the barrage of letters, calls, showing up at media offices got results. I organized a small group of 15 people statewide who blitzed certain media outlets with facts and polite demands that they cover the human side of the AIDS story in Florida. And guess what boys and girls?  It worked. And I’ve repeated that senario many times on different issues and subjects.

Bill Green’s post above issues the correct call to action. But not just for SHORT TRACK USA. I see fans on message boards all over the Internet complaining about about the poor media coverage. Arm your self with the economic facts, pick up the phone and call your local sports editors, e-mail them where possible and continue to do so until they listen. And trust me they will listen. It just takes numbers and persistence. Call the television stations, radio stations, and continue to get more people to do it. If 20 people call the same station every day for a month, their policies will change. if the sports editor receives 20 letters a day, and it continues for a few weeks their policies will change. Don’t waste your time asking them a bunch of “why don’t you questions”. Tell them the economic and demographic facts.

How do you think the Christian Community got rid of Dr. Ruth on Channel 13 in Tampa a few years back?  By a barrage of calls and letters demanding that their wishes be heard. It’s the “squeaky wheel” thing.

So let’s get busy and support Bill Green’s efforts to save SHORT TRACK USA, and not stop there. Organize your own local efforts to get the radio, television, and newspapers to cover your local stars. You will feel so much better about yourself, and will learn the power you all have. I promise you that.

                                                   -Jack Smith

Postscript: Be sure and thank the people at the papers, radio, or TV stations when they cover short track racing.  If you need any help, ideas,  or information on getting results in your area let me know and I’ll help you as much as I can.
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