NASCAR.COM: FOX says Equipment Malfunction Caused Slip

Manion’s use of profanity on team radio aired during Bristol telecast

By David Newton, NASCAR.COM – March 29, 2006

FOX Sports used the same excuse for profanity creeping into Sunday’s broadcast of the Nextel Cup race at Bristol Motor Speedway as CBS did for Janet Jackson’s breast being exposed during halftime of Super Bowl XXXVIII.

“We’ve talked to FOX Sports and they told us there was a malfunction, that it wasn’t deliberate,” NASCAR spokesman Jim Hunter said Tuesday. “They told us there’s some sort of system in play where there’s a delay.

“For whatever reason, it didn’t work. They assured us they’re looking at ways to make sure that doesn’t reoccur.”

..

FOX Sports issued the following statement: “As Mike Joy immediately told our audience on Sunday, we’re very sorry that comment escaped our screening process. We take audio very seriously and make painstaking efforts to offer only the best.”

FOX Sports does not air live NASCAR broadcasts on a five-second delay as NBC instituted following Earnhardt’s slip in 2004. FOX officials said there are no plans to change that policy, although it constantly is being reviewed.

Hunter said such decisions are left up to the network.

FOX’s in-car radio communications typically are taped and edited before played back. In Manion’s case, there was a breakdown in the process.

Glover said that is no excuse, that FOX should have followed NBC and gone to a delay system for everything aired during a NASCAR broadcast.

(End of excerpt from NASCAR.com article)

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MORE INFORMATION:

Read the entire NASCAR.COM article here:
http://www.nascar.com/2006/news/headlines/cup/03/28/fox_manion/

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