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Storm Warnings Yes, but why not put Network Coverage on Subchannels?

E

epmarkr

I understand the necessity of local TV stations allowing storm warnings (especially tornado or floods) to take over the "dot one" channel. However, why don't these same channels give viewers "the national feed" on the "dot two" (or whatever) subchannel (and even promoting that "NBC coverage continues on 8.2" on a scroll)? Getting pretty tired of 3 channels devoted to a possible tornado 3 counties away, while they could easily put the network feed on a subchannel (or can they legally not do that)? Our FOX channel did a split screen with the World Cup, but of course audio was of the storm warning.
 
I know this has been done, because the NBC station I worked for did it for a time. I don't know if the networks have told affiliates not to do this in the decade since I got out of TV.

Fundamentally the problem is that the .2 channel usually not carried on MVPDs (cable, satellite, and the streaming equivalents), and that's how almost all viewers watch ABC/CBS/NBC/Fox these days. So moving the network programming to a subchannel doesn't really provide a good fix to the viewers.
 
epmarkr said:
I understand the necessity of local TV stations allowing storm warnings (especially tornado or floods) to take over the "dot one" channel. However, why don't these same channels give viewers "the national feed" on the "dot two" (or whatever) subchannel (and even promoting that "NBC coverage continues on 8.2" on a scroll)? Getting pretty tired of 3 channels devoted to a possible tornado 3 counties away, while they could easily put the network feed on a subchannel (or can they legally not do that)? Our FOX channel did a split screen with the World Cup, but of course audio was of the storm warning.
Click to expand...

typical, people kvetch about the lack of local programming or content then when it interrupts their favorite progrums, they kvetch some more.

TV stations have a large viewing area thanks to cable and whos to say the audience is watching the main channel?
And with severe thunderstorms/tornadoes, things can very quickly and easily change or spin up that you werent expecting and easily cross ove into the next channel.

Go complain to a TV meteorologist and see what kind of response you get lol
 


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