Crappy Hotel Report - La Quinta Pittsburgh Airport

[ding12]

RE: MSNBC
It's also a Dish Network situation.

Originally, CNN and CNN HLN were in Dish's original package.
FOX News and MSNBC were added, and put into a new pkage, America's Top 60, or 100.

When SkyAngel starting offering secular programming, Fox News Channel was briefly bundled, but not CNN and MSNBC. Sky Angel later ceased satellite offerings. However, Fox later negotiated with Dish so that FNC was moved into the most basic package.

So, today, CNN and FNC are available to the most customers.
If hotels are using Dish Network for service, and only picking up 10-20 channels, the channels in the lower package likely have a better chance of getting included.

I generally prefer it when the hotel uses cable than Dish. More channels are included, and neighboring market channels, if the cable system carries them.

 

[cyberdad]

hmmm....I never noticed that. Does it work both ways? (the bluer the state, the less likely they'll have Fox?)

No....Fox is pretty much everywhere. Regardless of how blue a state may be. I attribute this to Fox having the stronger brand. I want to also be clear that there are no shortage of red states hotels where MSNBC is available. My only point is that I find it more likely to be missing in a red state. Too bad, because I like to hear both sides of the political debates.

 

[DToTheJ]

RE: MSNBC: It's also a Dish Network situation.

... Fox later negotiated with Dish so that FNC was moved into the most basic package. So, today, CNN and FNC are available to the most customers. If hotels are using Dish Network for service, and only picking up 10-20 channels, the channels in the lower package likely have a better chance of getting included...

This makes me wonder about Dish's brief impasse with The Weather Channel earlier this year. Remember when they briefly dropped TWC in favor of their own channel? Now, you know that TWC has got to be cleared on most hotels' cable channel lineups, just for the purpose of traveling alone. And I know that in the bigger picture, satellite TV customers take precedence over temporary residents, but the bottom line is, it's all about exposure. I am not sure how much TWC's presence on hotel cable lineups had to do with TWC's diligence to bury the hatchet with Dish and agree to stop airing movies like "Misery" that are remotely related to weather.

Of course, if, for some reason TWC is not in Dish's lower package, then everything I just wrote doesn't make sense.

 

[cyberdad]

For whatever it's worth for those unfamiliar....

TWC has become pretty much universal in hotel TV lineups (as one might expect).  But you usually get the generic version with no local forecast.  Certainly, this isn't all bad for travelers, since during the "local" breaks you get a localized forecast view for multiple
destinations.

Canada's answer to TWC,  "The Weather Network," is just as ubiquitous in hotels up there.  But IME, you DO always get a local forecast....and in the winter it typically comes with a regional map of winter driving conditions on major highways.  Very useful...even if you happen to be watching the channel's French version!  ;D (Most systems have one or the other...some have both.)

 

[BRNout]

For whatever it's worth for those unfamiliar....

TWC has become pretty much universal in hotel TV lineups (as one might expect). But you usually get the generic version with no local forecast. Certainly, this isn't all bad for travelers, since during the "local" breaks you get a localized forecast view for multiple
destinations.

True, though when I am in a hotel I am either planning to drive or fly out soon or I am interested in the weather for the local area. In either case, I still prefer to see the local forecast as opposed to the generic stuff that is offered from the dish.

Canada's answer to TWC, "The Weather Network," is just as ubiquitous in hotels up there. But IME, you DO always get a local forecast....and in the winter it typically comes with a regional map of winter driving conditions on major highways. Very useful...even if you happen to be watching the channel's French version! ;D (Most systems have one or the other...some have both.)

The Weather Network IS better than TWC if you're simply interested in weather. What is interesting about TWN is that the French and English versions come off of the same feed. How? Because each gets 50% of the airtime; when the English version is going, the French version of the local forecast is triggered at cable systems, so that's what's shown on cable. When the French live weather is being shown, the English language version is in the local forecast period - again, triggered at the cable system's control room. If you ever see the channel by satellite, you actually see alternating live forecasts in French and English. By the way, ads are nested in during local forecast time - that how you don't get ads in the other language.

Ingenious, if you ask me. (and no one did. )

As someone who has had many occasions to drive long distances in Canada during the winter months, I can tell you that their driving condition maps are very welcome and are quite accurate as well.

 

[FreddyE1977]

Maybe we can turn this into a Scavenger Hunt? Who can find a hotel out there with
CurrenTV on the in-room channel lineup?

 

[azumanga]

What is interesting about TWN is that the French and English versions come off of the same feed. How? Because each gets 50% of the airtime; when the English version is going, the French version of the local forecast is triggered at cable systems, so that's what's shown on cable. When the French live weather is being shown, the English language version is in the local forecast period - again, triggered at the cable system's control room. If you ever see the channel by satellite, you actually see alternating live forecasts in French and English. By the way, ads are nested in during local forecast time - that how you don't get ads in the other language.

Actually, it hasn't been like this since 1994, when TWN and MétéoMédia began broadcasting on their own feeds. And on the small dishes, TWN and MétéoMédia are on separate channels.

 

[BRNout]

Actually, it hasn't been like this since 1994, when TWN and MétéoMédia began broadcasting on their own feeds. And on the small dishes, TWN and MétéoMédia are on separate channels.

Really? Thanks for letting me know. I am shocked that it was that long ago because we had a C-band dish as late as '96 and I swear that they were still doing this at that point.

Not saying I don't believe you - and I am grateful for the correction. But, if you're in a place where cable offers both channels (like in eastern Ontario), you'll notice that the timing still seems to alternate as I described. An old habit, perhaps.

 

[azumanga]

One thing I forgot to mention was that TWN and MétéoMédia originated in separate cities by 1998 -- TWN from Mississauga (near Toronto), and MétéoMédia still in Montreal. When both channels originated in Montreal, they could pull the "two channels on one signal" thing very easily, as they shared studios and equipment.

 

[DToTheJ]

Maybe we can turn this into a Scavenger Hunt? Who can find a hotel out there with CurrenTV on the in-room channel lineup?

The only logical area where you might find something like that could be San Francisco... :