Television History
The race was shown on TBS from at least the mid-1980s to 2000. From 2002 to 2006, it was shown on NBC, and since 2007, it has been on ABC. The 2001 race was scheduled for NBC, but was moved to TNT just 30 minutes before the start when the United States government announced the start of hostilities against Afghanistan in retaliation for the September 11th, 2001 Attacks.
The 2002 race was also known for beginning a practice where, if a race broadcast on a network was running long and ran into prime-time hours, the broadcast would not switch to cable. In this case, the race began as scheduled in the early afternoon but was delayed for hours due to weather. NBC did not move the race to TNT, as it did the year before, and broadcast the race in its entirety; the race ended early Sunday evening with Jamie McMurray winning in only his second NASCAR Winston Cup start. Since ESPN took over the rights to the race and to most of NBC and TNT's former NASCAR package, that policy has been discontinued.
| Year | Network | Lap-by-lap | Color commentator(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | ABC | Allen Bestwick | Dale Jarrett and Andy Petree |
| 2011 | ABC | Allen Bestwick | Dale Jarrett and Andy Petree |
| 2010 | ABC | Marty Reid | Dale Jarrett and Andy Petree |
| 2009 | ABC | Jerry Punch | Dale Jarrett and Andy Petree |
| 2008 | ABC | Jerry Punch | Dale Jarrett and Andy Petree |
| 2007 | ABC | Jerry Punch | Rusty Wallace and Andy Petree |
| 2006 | NBC | Bill Weber | Benny Parsons and Wally Dallenbach |
| 2005 | NBC | Bill Weber | Benny Parsons and Wally Dallenbach |
| 2004 | NBC | Allen Bestwick | Benny Parsons and Wally Dallenbach |
| 2003 | NBC | Allen Bestwick | Benny Parsons and Wally Dallenbach |
| 2002 | NBC | Allen Bestwick | Benny Parsons and Wally Dallenbach |
| 2001 | TNT | Allen Bestwick | Benny Parsons and Wally Dallenbach |
| 2000 | TBS | Allen Bestwick | Buddy Baker and Dick Berggren |
| 1999 | TBS | Eli Gold | Buddy Baker and Dick Berggren |
| 1998 | TBS | Ken Squier | Buddy Baker and Dick Berggren |
| 1997 | TBS | Ken Squier | Buddy Baker and Dick Berggren |
| 1996 | TBS | Ken Squier | Buddy Baker and Dick Berggren |
| 1995 | TBS | Ken Squier | Richard Petty |
| 1994 | TBS | Ken Squier | Chuck Bown and Cale Yarborough |
| 1993 | TBS | Ken Squier | Neil Bonnett |
| 1992 | TBS | Ken Squier | Neil Bonnett |
| 1991 | TBS | Ken Squier | Neil Bonnett |
| 1990 | TBS | Ken Squier | Johnny Hayes and Chris Economaki |
| 1989 | TBS | Ken Squier | Johnny Hayes and Chris Economaki |
| 1988 | SCORE/FNN | Eli Gold | Johnny Hayes |
| 1987 | SETN | Eli Gold | Jerry Punch |
| 1986 | Jefferson-Pilot | Mike Joy | Ned Jarrett |
| 1985 | Jefferson-Pilot | Mike Joy | Ned Jarrett |
| 1984 | Mizlou | Ken Squier | Donnie Allison |
| 1983 | Mizlou | Ken Squier | Donnie Allison |
| 1982 | ABC-TV | Keith Jackson | Chris Economaki |
| 1981 | NBC | Paul Page | Johnny Rutherford |
| 1980 | NBC | Paul Page | Johnny Rutherford |
| 1979 | NBC | Paul Page | Johnny Rutherford |
| 1978 | ABC | Jim McKay | Jackie Stewart and Chris Economaki |
| 1977 | ABC | Keith Jackson | Jackie Stewart |
| 1976 | ABC | Keith Jackson | Chris Economaki |
| 1975 | ABC | Jim McKay | Jackie Stewart |
| 1974 | ABC | Jim McKay | Chris Economaki |
| 1973 | ABC-TV | Jim McKay | Jackie Stwwart |
| 1972 | ABC | Keith Jackson | Chris Economaki |
| 1971 | ABC | Keith Jackson | Chris Economaki |
| 1970 | ABC | Jim McKay | Chris Economaki |
| 1969 | ABC | Jim McKay | Chris Economaki |
| 1968 | ABC-TV | Jim McKay | Ned Jarrett |
| 1967 | ABC-TV | Keith Jackson | Ned Jarrett |
| 1966 | ABC | Jim McKay | Rodger Ward |
| 1965 | ABC | Bill Flemming | Rodger Ward and Chris Economaki |
| 1964 | ABC | Jim McKay | Chris Economaki |
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Famous quotes containing the words television and/or history:
“We cannot spare our children the influence of harmful values by turning off the television any more than we can keep them home forever or revamp the world before they get there. Merely keeping them in the dark is no protection and, in fact, can make them vulnerable and immature.”
—Polly Berrien Berends (20th century)
“Bias, point of view, fury—are they ... so dangerous and must they be ironed out of history, the hills flattened and the contours leveled? The professors talk ... about passion and point of view in history as a Calvinist talks about sin in the bedroom.”
—Catherine Drinker Bowen (1897–1973)