When I was with Cap OTB we typically would show 4 signals during day hour and 4 at night, with a bit of overlap, making the 3 o'clock to 5 o'clock hours very busy. We were obligated to show NYRA live, including pre race prattle and post parade. That meant that everything else needed to be squeezed in.
Once NYRA was over, it was a free for all. I used to draw up a weekly list of "key" races which were designated to get priority, meaning that while Parx might be the "4th signal" typically, the Cotillion would get priority over a claimer at Santa Anita. You cannot please everyone. The guy holding a live P4 ticket at SA is more concerned about the claiming race to finish the sequence than about the battle for the 3yo filly Eclipse taking place at Parx.
Racing in general is now in the same boat as the Breeders' Cup. National networks proclaim that very few are interested in watching the broadcast and they proclaim racing to be "dead." However, handle is strong. The fact is that streaming and simulcasts provide the horseplayer (not the "fan, the horseplayer) with a far better experience.
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RIP Monroe.
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