FCC's Martin: DTV ad gets mileage in race car crash

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin is pleased that the FCC's highest-profile digital television transition ad crashed and burned. A nine-car NASCAR pileup may have wrecked the vehicle sponsored by the FCC, but it gave the agency more mileage in advertising the imminent switch to digital TV signals, Chairman Martin said. The FCC spent about $350,000 to sponsor the car in the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing event on Sunday, to advertise the TV signal switch mandated by U.S. lawmakers to free up airwaves for public users such as police and fire departments. NASCAR driver David Gilliland accidentally crashed the car in the Arizona race. Asked if it was a bad omen for the switch, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin told reporters it was more of a silver lining. "Except for the cars that win the races, the cars that are in wrecks get a lot of attention," he said.