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The 6pm News VS a sporting event!

A

argytunes

Guest
I'm sure this problem isn't exclusive to Northern New England...but for those of us who have BASIC CABLE (which doesn't include CNN or FOX NETWORK NEWS), how many Saturday & Sunday Local 6PM newscasts have been pre-empted by network sports?

For several months, CBS has aired basketball...NBC has presented golf or baseball...ABC occasionally has a basketball or a sports conflict...and FOX doesn't have a 6pm newscast!

Is it because the networks demand that these games be aired by their affiliated stations? Or is the revenue from the commercial availabilities better than what the local newscasts receive?

I find it pretty damn frustrating when I tune in at 6pm (EDT or EST) looking for local stories and a weather forecast...only to discover that I'm half-way through a basketball game! So the local news is automatically cancelled?

Does anybody have an answer for this? ???

argytunes
 
All I can tell you is that it's been happening for at least 35-40 years. When a network is showing a sporting event, they are contracted to show the event in its entirety. Especially since that famous debacle back in 1968 or so known as "the Heidi game" when NBC cut away from a football game to show the movie "Heidi." The team that was two scores behind turned around and won in a spectacular finish - and America missed it. An infamous moment in TV sports history.

So now, it's show the whole thing or none at all. And, in the case of NFL Football, the "whole thing" includes coverage until the last 4:15 game is finished. That's just how it is and I don't see that changing.
 
Since Time/Warner bought out Adelphia...most of the lower channel programming is either NBC, ABC, CBS or FOX...at least 3 shopping networks...and community access channels with infomercials tossed in! Channel 21 is ION...and Channel 22 is WGN....and that's where basic cable ends in Southern Maine! CNN is Channel 35...which requires an upgrade and a higher monthly payment! :eek:

argytunes
 
I assume you're talking about the so-called "Lifeline" level of cable service. That's only going to be the local broadcasters, public access and a channel or two which your cable service decides on. Here in New Britain, CT, we only get one of each commercial network. The only duplicate is with PBS, which we get from Hartford (WEDH-TV) and Springfield, MA (WGBY-TV).
 
KML-224...

I wasn't aware that "Lifeline" was the appropriate term for what are basically local channels? So thank you for setting me straight on this.

Aside from superstation WGN...our lifeline lineup includes WHDH-7 from Boston (an NBC affiliate) which happens to fall outside the 25 mile perimeter. The station has a very strong news commitment..and an awesomely attractive meteorologist (Dylan Dreyer) in the morning. :-*

argytunes
 
argytunes said:
Aside from superstation WGN...our lifeline lineup includes WHDH-7 from Boston (an NBC affiliate) which happens to fall outside the 25 mile perimeter. The station has a very strong news commitment..and an awesomely attractive meteorologist (Dylan Dreyer) in the morning. :-*
Click to expand...

So we've heard...

(Oh yeah... I'll catch y'all on the News/Talk board!)
 
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