The death of the ITC (former DTM)

[Asa]

Just been reading the book called 'Bernie's Game' by Terry Lovell, it stated how the ITC went dead back in 1996.

It was to do with the FIA taking over all television rights outside the series' own country. When the DTM asked the FIA to allow them to become an international championship in 1996, straightaway they gave the TV rights to International Sportsworld Communications (ISC).

For a start, ISC failed to agree terms with RTL in Germany. In 1995, Japanese television companies could screen DTM coverage free of charge. In 96, they had to pay $15,000 per race. The Japan television companies were no longer interested. Also, ISC would not even allow the 3 manufacturers to shoot videos of their own cars.

In 1996, the TV coverage for the ITC was down 23% compared with the DTM in 1995. Viewing figures went from 237 million down to 146 million, almost 40%. This was the main reason why Opel and Alfa withdrew.

Contrary to popular belief, it has nothing to do with the costs of the flyaway races. They were just not getting the coverage that they wanted. And, the 3 manufacturers paid an independent company to produce the coverage for them!

The writer claimed that the DTM's popularity was beginning to threaten F1 so Bernie put it down. Believe it or not.

[Pete Fenelon]

Well, compare and contrast to the way the ETCC/WTCC was killed off a few years before - and replaced with the Bernie-controlled dead-duck ProCar... which was killed off in favour of the Bernie-controlled 3.5l sports car series... which was killed off......

BCE was very, very ruthless in his culling of any formula that might have challenged F1 between the mid 80s and mid 90s...

[Asa]

And the FIA keep saying it is the manufacturers' fault whenever a series is killed off.

Let's see how long the new WTCC will last.

[mountainstar]

Well hopefully bernie will be the next to go, rather than a good racing series. And I don't mean that in a bad way.

[429CJ]

FIA has recently made several stupid rulechanges on World Rally Championships, I wonder if Bernice have something to do with that.
And only ISC cameramen are allowed to shoot on the stages, much like on ITC.

[alesi95]

There was a similar situation with Truck Racing back in the late eighties (mention in Bernies game i think). Truck racing was and still is very popular on the continent.

[JAG]

Nowadays however, thankfully, the FIA has much less control over indiviual series with regards to TV, promotion etc.

An EU investigation into the FIA ensured that the FIA's role as a governing body, and the control of TV rights etc. needed to be seperated.

This is why nowadays you have figureheads running each major 'FIA' series. For example Bernie with F1, David Richards WRRC, Stephan Ratel FIA GT and the guy running the ETCC.

The FIA's role these days is purelly down to formulating and imposing rules and regulations, and areas such as safety.

I doubt whether the DTM organisers would hand over control of the series to the FIA these days anyway.

[Asa]

If the DTM wants to become a world championship to rival the WTCC, then they will have to hand over the controls. But I doubt Mercedes will commit the same mistake twice.

[JAG]

Do they have to become an FIA Championship if they compete on three continents?

If they stick to Europe, and the odd away race in Asia they can stay as they are right?

[Asa]

I think the FIA has some sort of rules that prohibit a national championship to have more than one championship race outside its own country. Once it becomes international it must receive FIA's sanction.

Even 1 overseas championship round requires the FIA's sanction. The JGTC's Malaysian round is an FIA sanctioned event.

[FIRE]

Originally posted by Asa
I think the FIA has some sort of rules that prohibit a national championship to have more than one championship race outside its own country. Once it becomes international it must receive FIA's sanction.

DTM has more races outside Germany (Zandvoort, Adria and Estoril), because of that it's not the Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft (German Touring Car Championship) but Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters.

[JAG]

Theres a difference between having an FIA sanction (which these days is virtually guaranteed as the FIA have been told not to restrcit competition by the EU) and having to becoming an FIA series.

The series prior to becoming the ETCC chose to became an FIA series, while still European based, unlike the DTM.
Any clarification.

The old BPR GT raced around the world but only became an FIA series in 1997 after the organisors accepted the FIA's invitation. They could have stayed independent I think.

Just a thought. Do you have to become an FIA series if you want to call the series a European or World Championship.

[redshoes]

Originally posted by JAG
Just a thought. Do you have to become an FIA series if you want to call the series a European or World Championship.

I believe that is true - the key word being "Championship". The old BPR GT series was a "series".

There's a certain amount of kudos in being an FIA Championship so not really surprising that the GTs and ETCC took that route. The downside I guess is it's difficult to have the sort of "gentlemen's agreement" to regulations that the DTM enjoys.

[Asa]

Ecclestone paid Peter (the P in BPR) settlement fees when the FIA took BPR GT under its wings, because the FIA demanded that BPR hand over the TV rights, and Peter decided to sue the FIA. Ratel and Barth refused to go along with Peter and became FIA personnel.

I think the rules are more relaxed now, but the FIA restrict the use of the word 'championship'. The Asian Touring Car Championship became the Asian Touring Car Series about 2 years ago, as all international championships are now run by the FIA, I think. It is just word play, though.

It will be safer for most organizers to stay as a national championship in my opinion. Once it became international the FIA will want to talk to you. And if you look at NASCAR and Aussie V8, they don't seem to suffer too badly staying national with an odd race or two overseas.

[1200Datto27]

Asa,

The Australian v*'s are running to FIA rules this year, due to the oversea's races.

[JAG]

This is from the FIA.com site

The FIA World Motor Sport Council

"All forms of international motor sport involving land vehicles with four or more wheels come under the jurisdiction of the FIA."

The World Motor Sport Council has responsibility for all aspects of motor sport. Like the World Council for Mobility and the Automobile, the elected members of the World Motor Sport Council come from all over the world. The Council's top priorities are:

-To promote continuously improving safety standards in all forms of motor sport

-To administer international motor sport

-To encourage and implement the adoption of common regulations for all forms of motor sports and series across the world

-To encourage and develop all forms of motorsport, especially amongst the young and in developing countries

The spread of activities encouraged and controlled by the FIA World Motor Sport Council is enormous and is not limited to the FIA Formula One World Championship, the FIA World Rally Championship, the FIA GT Championship or Formula 3000. Through its national member clubs the FIA's involvement extends to the millions of amateurs and professionals who enjoy motor sport in all of its variety.


I think basically the FIA has no control over national series, but once a series becomes international it has to comply with FIA safety standards etc.

In the past the FIA had the power to take control of internatioanl series (TV rights etc.)such as BPR GT, DTM etc. These days if a series stays as a 'series' and not a championship the FIA cannot interfere.