A bad night for WGN America

[fybush]

There are a few nights when the local WGN 9 O'Clock News doesn't get seen at 10 ET on WGN America because the 8 PM movie runs long.

This is one of those nights - the movie's scheduled to run until 10:30 ET.

Of course, it's also the night that the jury finally returned the (partial) verdict on Blagojevich...and whatever coverage they're doing in Chicago, it's not being seen in the rest of the country. But, hey, we get a Scrubs rerun at 10:30, so there's that... :

 

[gregg75]

I felt the same way last sunday night when that DAMN CBS golf game went into overtime. I'm sure golfers were glued to the set, but everyone else was throwing up.

 

[JayR]

If WGN America knows that a movie will go beyond the two-hour slot why don't they just start it earlier?

Oh...makes too much sense.

Nevermind...

: :

 

[KeithE4]

Of course, it's also the night that the jury finally returned the (partial) verdict on Blagojevich...and whatever coverage they're doing in Chicago, it's not being seen in the rest of the country. But, hey, we get a Scrubs rerun at 10:30, so there's that... :

There was no reason whatsoever for WGN America to cut the movie short. Yet another crooked Illinois governor being found guilty of a crime is of zero interest to anyone who has no ties to that state.

Those in Illinois who get WGN America instead of Chicago's Very Own Channel 9TM on cable could get the story on one of their local stations. Those of us outside of Illinois can get the story from multiple newspaper or TV station websites, or streams of Chicago radio stations (WGN, WBBM, WLS, WBEZ).

 

[brian77]

There was no reason whatsoever for WGN America to cut the movie short. Yet another crooked Illinois governor being found guilty of a crime is of zero interest to anyone who has no ties to that state.

Then why did CNN, FNC and MSNBC cover it?

 

[KeithE4]

There was no reason whatsoever for WGN America to cut the movie short. Yet another crooked Illinois governor being found guilty of a crime is of zero interest to anyone who has no ties to that state.

Then why did CNN, FNC and MSNBC cover it?

Because it's a news story - a local news story, the only national angle being Obama's indirect involvement (his former Senate seat). I didn't see any of them (I no longer have cable), but I'll guess that Fox was all over it in a negative way.

But they are channels who's existence is to cover current events. WGN America is an entertainment channel that just happens to carry a couple of newscasts from the "mother ship" as well as Chicago sports.

 

[cowboybud]

We'll soon see the day when all Chicago content (except maybe the Cubs) is removed from WGN America. The Blackhawks' Stanley Cup parade didn't air on WGN-A.

 

[ROBGv1]

NHL Network ran the Blackhawks' parade that Saturday?

 

[nathannah]

There are a few nights when the local WGN 9 O'Clock News doesn't get seen at 10 ET on WGN America because the 8 PM movie runs long.

This is one of those nights - the movie's scheduled to run until 10:30 ET.

Of course, it's also the night that the jury finally returned the (partial) verdict on Blagojevich...and whatever coverage they're doing in Chicago, it's not being seen in the rest of the country. But, hey, we get a Scrubs rerun at 10:30, so there's that... :

Totally agreed here. It made no sense to air that movie at all and it should've been pre-empted with something like a "Barney Miller" marathon to show the news at 10pm. I also noticed that "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" is a 116 minute movie. Surely there could've been cuts here and there, and many of these movies draw minor-league stadium sized audiences so no one would have weeped about a pre-emption.

Thankfully though the local WGN has realized that they might be contractually obligated to not air some newscasts on WGN America (I never understood the whole 'Syndex' argument at all and think it was made up so America can just carry their own ads), they don't have any restrictions on the web. I watched the verdict coverage on their website in the afternoon because they stream every newscast on both their website and via their iPhone app.

The best thing about that option? No more Arm & Hammer cat litter ads and having to hear WGN America's annoying five-note sounder on infinite loop ;D.