Posted by madcityradio.com on October 16, 2008 at 19:28:21:
In Reply to: FCC's Martin addresses PPM publicly posted by madcityradio.com on October 15, 2008 at 15:47:18:
'Gentlemen, Start Your DTV Transition....'
The FCC has taken an unusual tack to alert Americans to the upcoming national digital television conversion -- advertising on a NASCAR race car. That's right, expect to hear announcers say, "The DTV transition Ford Fusion driven by David Gilliland makes another left turn" (which is what NASCAR drivers often do.) And you could see www.dtv.gov slapped on No. 38's quarter panel for good measure.
"The messages on the front hood and rear of car No. 38 will include 'Is Your TV Ready for Digital?' as well as an image of an old analog TV with a yellow diagonal banner across it that says 'Digital TV Transition,' and the transition date of Feb. 17, 2009, will also be featured," FCC spokesman Clyde Ensslin tells R&R. And he says the driver's uniform will have the Web address www.dtv.gov. There will also be DTV message banners at the track for each of the three sponsored races.
It's closing in on the end of a very long racing season (it began in the middle of February), and it's been a tough advertising year for the Yates Racing team with Gilliland racing around the country with a mostly white, advertising-less ride. So it's a good deal for both the driver and the feds to get the transition message out beginning this Saturday, when the FCC's DTV sponsorship debuts at Martinsville Speedway, followed by the races at the Phoenix International Raceway on Nov. 9 and the season ender at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Nov. 16.
(Radio & Records)