David Hill is responsible for what you see on Fox’s broadcast of NASCAR races in his role as Fox Sports Chairman and CEO and he doesn’t hold back on his opinions.

He rips Bruton Smith for suggesting NASCAR should blackout races in local markets. That's not all. Don’t like the race starting times? Hill wants to make them later. Don’t like the points system. Neither does Hill. Don’t like all those commercials. Sorry, but they pay the bills. And on and on Hill goes when he has the time.

Those are just some of the things we talked about in a phone interview Wednesday night for a future story. Here’s some of what he said in regards to racing and TV broadcasts.

Q: What did you think about Bruton Smith’s idea of blacking out races in local markets if the events are not sold out?

HILL: “I thought it was total bull … It just upset me. The fans have made Bruton a multi-billionaire. What he in effect was saying by blacking out, “Well, I don’t want the fans who can’t come and pay my money to watch the racing in Charlotte.’ I thought he had absolutely turned his back on the fans to do that. Let’s face it, there’s people who might not be able to afford to come. Just because he’s not making his numbers, why the (heck) should be disenfranchise people who live near the tracks and for one reason or another can’t make it there?

Q: There are a lot of people, particularly on the East Coast, who do not like the later starting times, do those later starting times still work for you and Fox?

HILL: I would like to see the races later in the day. That’s just simply because the later you go, the greater HUT (houses using televisions) levels you have. The greater HUT levels, the greater ratings you’re going to get. It stands to reason that at one o’clock on the afternoon that a lot of people are out and about and then as the day gets later and later, obviously more people go in. I would like to see late afternoon starts with the checkered around a quarter till eight (to lead into prime-time programming). I have communicated this on any given number of times to NASCAR, which was fallen on deaf ears.

“The one thing I’m pleased about is that they have changed the schedule. We had this absolutely ridiculous situation where the third week was a bye. The first time that happened I was told it had to do with phases of the moon. I thought, OK. I had never ever heard that before. Now, engineers have told me that sunspots are going to destroy the telecast but I’ve never heard phases of the moon. The second year around when I was told that … there was a free and frank exchange of views and I’m pleased to say that the problem with the moon obviously has been rectified because we now don’t have that third week bye. That really impacted us badly. We got off, we had Daytona and then would have the race in Fontana and there would be nothing. Changes like that in NASCAR happen with glacier speed, and I just hope with a little bit of financial uncertainity that the powers-to be at NASCAR realize that if they have to make changes, they make changes.

Q: Are you happy with the racing?

HILL: Yes, as a matter of fact I do. This Car of Tomorrow. Obviously Chad Knaus has got it right and a lot of guys don’t. So, it’s no good people who haven’t got it right saying this car is a piece of (garbage) because they can’t drive it. Well, hello, Mr. (Jimmie) Johnson can.

“I would like to see some changes to the points table for the Chase because I think everyone has figured out now that you lay in the weeds until the last 20 and then have a crack at it. This is something I talk at length to NASCAR about and it’s probably better than I keep that (to myself).’’

Q: How do you make the broadcasts economically viable for your network when you’re paying so many millions in broadcast rights fees?.

HILL: It is tough for us. We are a free-to-air broadcast network. Anyone with this new little digital box can get our signal for free and he can sit and watch it. Our revenue comes from one thing and that’s advertisements. So, the deal is and this is the deal America and television have had for 50 years, we’ll give you an hour of entertainment but we’re going to take back 15 to 20-odd minutes so that we can pay the bills. We are dependent on supply and demand. In the good years, there is a huge amount for a limited supply. In the bad years, there is very limited demand for what is obviously a huge supply. So far this year we are in much better shape than I thought we would be. How it’s going to go, I have no idea but it is something that I have definitely got my fingers crossed on. I can’t say. I’d like to remain totally optimistic and thus far that optimism is warranted.’’

Q: What about your announcing team?

HILL: “As important as Darrell Waltrip was to the sport when he was a driver, he’s 10 times more important to the sport right now. Darrell’s ability to communicate is very, very rare. He’s a natural teacher, and he’s a natural enthusiast and he’s naturally passionate about it and he feels sympathy for the drivers. There are a lot of announcers, especially when they quit who feel jealous of the guys who are still doing it, but Darrell doesn’t do that. When we put the team together, we had no idea they were going to be as potent and as strong as they were.

By putting Larry (McReynolds) and Darrell you had this wonderful ying and yang. You had the story coming from both angles. I do get complaints from English teachers from the Northeast how Larry (mangles) the English language. … I write back Larry is what Larry is and I love him and I’m not going to suggest he does anything in a one degree different from what he’s done.’’