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WFSB isn't even trying today
- Thread starter MarcB
- Start date
"Epic"?
The schedule shows five hours of paid programming and an hour of filler stuff on my local CBS affiliate between noon and 6 today, too...and so what? It's going to be 85 and sunny here this afternoon. I'm not going to be inside in front of my TV during those hours anyway, and if I were, there's auto racing on ABC and the US Open on NBC.
What else would you have WFSB programming during those hours, and how would the expense of acquiring that programming pay off better than the revenue WFSB will get from the paid programming (which can subsidize better programming in timeslots when viewers are actually using TV)?
The schedule shows five hours of paid programming and an hour of filler stuff on my local CBS affiliate between noon and 6 today, too...and so what? It's going to be 85 and sunny here this afternoon. I'm not going to be inside in front of my TV during those hours anyway, and if I were, there's auto racing on ABC and the US Open on NBC.
What else would you have WFSB programming during those hours, and how would the expense of acquiring that programming pay off better than the revenue WFSB will get from the paid programming (which can subsidize better programming in timeslots when viewers are actually using TV)?
Wow. This is not WLNE "Wonder Bra" channel 6. This is the number 1 station in Connecticut. Can't they put on the "Big 3 Movie"? ;-)
Seriously, I wonder how much longer broadcast TV will last. The broadcast networks could distribute their programming via cable and I wonder how many people would even notice.
Sad.
Seriously, I wonder how much longer broadcast TV will last. The broadcast networks could distribute their programming via cable and I wonder how many people would even notice.
Sad.
PaulRAnderson said:
If CBS was distributing their programming via cable, you'd be seeing... infomercials. Or a test pattern. Or black.
What else do you do with this timeslot?
- Buy decent syndicated programming?
But you're spending good money on something you won't use most weekends. Big waste of $$ -- and actually hurts the viewers who would enjoy that show, but can't see it on your station because it's pre-empted for sports most of the time, and can't see it on any other station because you have the rights tied up.
- Air public-domain movies or other cheap syndicated programming/movies?
Not as bad for the bottom line, and fewer people will complain if you're tying up the rights to programming nobody wants to watch. On the other hand, nobody wants to watch it! -- you're still going to get the "why are they airing that crap?" complaints. You're going to have to spend money -- not as much as for decent programming, but *something* -- and you're going to get next to no revenue.
- Run local news?
Invoking lots of OT for a timeslot where nobody's going to watch. And invoking the "why are you doing the same fluff stories over and over?" complaints -- because in the end, not much newsworthy happens on weekends...
The infomercials probably elicit fewer complaints than anything else they could do! -- and bring in revenue. Hard to argue with that.
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The failure lies not with WFSB but with CBS, which isn't much of a player in televised sports this time of year. Sports is about the only remaining draw on broadcast TV on weekends save Sunday prime time; local affiliates know this all too well. It'll pretty much be the same infomercial-filled wasteland tomorrow. There are good and bad things about being a CBS affiliate; this is one of the bad things, at least until pro football and college basketball kick into high gear again.
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