ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, February 15, 1997 TAG: 9702180019
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: SPORTS EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: ON THE AIR
SOURCE: JACK BOGACZYK
CBS will televise the Daytona 500 on Sunday. It will be a live telecast. Just how lively will it be, however?
That's been the question throughout ``Speedweeks'' at the famed NASCAR track, as Winston Cup rules changes have brought complaints from numerous drivers about their inability to pass on the 2.5-mile oval.
``I'm thinking we're going to see a different type of racing than we saw last weekend in the Busch Clash,'' CBS analyst Ned Jarrett said on a conference call from Daytona earlier this week. ``We're talking about running 200 laps.
``Once we see tire wear and a slicker track, then we're going to see the good chassis come into play. That's going to make the difference on who's in contention.''
Jarrett, a former Winston Cup driver and father of two-time Daytona winner Dale Jarrett, was asked where NASCAR should curb its tinkering in trying to level the racing field.
``Maybe there is a limit,'' he said, ``and maybe they are getting close to that.''
The subject does give the CBS crew a story line for the four-hour telecast (noon, WDBJ), for which the network has installed an incredible 87 cameras.
``That sounds like we've lost our minds,'' said Bob Fishman, the Daytona telecast director.
No single-day TV event is covered by more technical equipment than Daytona. The network has even installed cameras that will pop-up from the earth, and retract, at the inside edges of some turns.
Also in use on today's Gargoyles 300 Grand National race (noon, WDBJ) and the tape of Thursday's twin Daytona qualifying races will be the Akela Plus, the largest crane camera in the world. Developed one year ago, it has been used only on feature films and music videos.
It will enable CBS to use a head-on shot in the backstretch. The number of cameras also is bloated because each of the in-car camera carriers - 10 at Daytona - actually includes three cameras.
Still, CBS knows it's going to be up to the men on the track to provide a compelling telecast, for which, under a new contract with Daytona, CBS is paying a Winston Cup record $6.5 million rights fee.
``The changes made will favor those who use racing smarts,'' said Ken Squier, who will anchor the CBS show and call the race. ``Another question is whether what's been done will gather up more cars for a finish.''
KICKOFFS: The 1997 telecast plans for the Big East Football Conference are still in discussion stages, but two early season Virginia Tech games figure to be aired.
The Hokies' Aug.30 opener at Rutgers will be an ESPN game, likely an early afternoon date, although there has been some discussion about moving it to the previous Friday night.
Big East assistant commissioner Tom Ojakjian, who handles the league's TV plans, said Friday that Tech's Sept.13 home date with Syracuse is a likely prime-time ESPN telecast, with CBS selecting Arizona State-Miami for its afternoon season opener that date.
Those two games, plus Tech's dates with Boston College, Miami and West Virginia are probables for one of the Big East's three TV packages.
The Hokies' Nov.29 date at Virginia will be on ESPN if it isn't chosen by ABC. That gives coach Frank Beamer's team at least six TV exposures.
TOUGH TALK: A year ago, Virginia Tech faculty member Bob Denton received ``the most mail I've had in nearly six years'' after his weekly ``At Large'' telecast on public broadcasting's WBRA dealt with the troubles with the law in the Hokies' football program.
Denton, the director of the Center for Leader Development at Tech, said that on a recent show on the same topic, after even more arrests.
In wrapping up the half-hour, Denton's remarks were very strong:
`` ... Ultimately, it's the coach's responsibility to establish team rules, standards and enforcement. Coach Beamer simply let us down, and some of the players simply should not be on the team, in school, or even in our community.''
Denton's conclusion was that Tech President Paul Torgersen, athletic director Dave Braine and Beamer ``are under the microscope ... as well they should be.''
GROWING: The fastest growing cable network in the '90s is ESPN2. The February Nielsen report determined that ``The Deuce'' added 2.66 million homes in January, bringing its potential audience to 44.45 million, or 46 percent of the nation's TV homes. ESPN has 71.1 million subscriber homes.
Meanwhile, the Golf Channel continues to grow, and is now in seven million homes. The Orlando, Fla.-based network is trying to add to its viewership by offering free 18-inch satellite dishes and one free year of the network to the first 1,000 PGA golf facilities to switch to Pepsi products.
A CUSTOM: With less than a year until CBS begins its 120 hours of coverage from the Nagano Winter Games, network officials went to Japan for a tour of Olympic facilities and found the Japanese custom of removing your shoes before entering a home isn't just for home anymore.
While touring the Olympic sites, still under construction, CBS staffers were asked to take off their shoes, and then issued hard hats. Then they were given slippers to wear, said coordinating producer Bob Matina, ``so we wouldn't track mud into the construction site.''
NO TUNA: When it appeared recently that Bill Parcells might be between NFL coaching jobs, his name was being mentioned for several network TV jobs. That wasn't likely to happen because of his last TV stint.
When Parcells worked for NBC between his New York Giants and New England Patriots coaching year, he lied on the air when he denied speaking to then-Tampa Bay owner Hugh Culverhouse about the Buccaneers' vacancy.
Parcells later tried to say it was no big deal, because he had a gentleman's agreement on confidentiality with Culverhouse. Then the Bucs' owner ripped Parcells for reneging on an agreement to coach Tampa Bay.
ROCK 'EM: The telecast of Sunday's NBA All-Star Game ranked second in viewers in the game's history, but it was more than hoops that NBC's Marv Albert and Bill Walton saw in Cleveland.
They headed for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Walton promised to wear his Jerry Garcia necktie and tie-dyed T-shirt while seeking the Grateful Dead's display.
``I'm looking forward to seeing the Belmonts and Del Shannon,'' said Albert, while also lobbying for his rock and roll favorite, Jay and the Americans.
``They weren't even nominated,'' Walton said.
``And this is an outrage,'' Albert concluded.
LENGTH: Long : 117 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: (headshot) N. Jarrett KEYWORDS: AUTO RACINGby CNB