NYC locals in Bucks County, PA

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Other folks don't seem to understand that the system is DUMB. I don't care if WXXX and WYYY have the rights to the programming in my area. They produce an INFERIOR product. If we PAY for TV, we should get top quality. Some locals are not HD. Some markets are missing networks. Others screw with the schedule ALL THE TIME. During any weather/news event, said locals are covered with tickers and banners and other garbage. If locals want to do news, do news/weather coverage and dumb tickers on the subchannels. Even if Directv had subchannels, putting network programming on a SD bandwidth-starved subchannel is simply not acceptable.

Most people have seen locals from various markets. The variance in quality is simply unacceptable. If my OTA ABC was the only ABC I had, I probably wouldn't watch anything on there. WVNY sucks, the games are unwatchable. Jimmy Kimmel is blurry. Local news (and WFFF which is basically the same thing but Fox, both Nexstar) are fine. My local CBS (WCAX) is only DD 5.1 when they feel like turning it on for primetime. Nothing else is 5.1, all forced 2.0. Garbage. My NBC looks like someone turned the brightness all the way up and it's not HD all the time. They do our SD CW, too, that Directv doesn't carry. What year is this? 1999? That is simply an unacceptable offering for PAY TV. Free TV? Sure, better than nothing. Not pay TV. Why should I pay the same as my brother would in Boston and he has so much more? Local channels have zero incentive to produce a better product because they don't have to. No competition means we, the consumer, suffer.
I agree with you.
I think it's Bull.
 
Other folks don't seem to understand that the system is DUMB. I don't care if WXXX and WYYY have the rights to the programming in my area.

I understand your point, but if you boil the argument down, it comes down to a toddler's temper tantrum.
Weather and news are available online from every TV station in the US everywhere in the US with an internet connection. Many stations have live streams, all have some sort of video clips. So watching OOM TV for news, weather, and other wholly owned programming is never an issue as long as you have an internet connection. The issue comes when SOMEONE ELSE owns the program. The argument "I don't care who owns it, I want it anyway" holds no sway.
 
I understand your point, but if you boil the argument down, it comes down to a toddler's temper tantrum.
Weather and news are available online from every TV station in the US everywhere in the US with an internet connection. Many stations have live streams, all have some sort of video clips. So watching OOM TV for news, weather, and other wholly owned programming is never an issue as long as you have an internet connection. The issue comes when SOMEONE ELSE owns the program. The argument "I don't care who owns it, I want it anyway" holds no sway.

I don't know what OOM TV is. I still don't care who owns it. When a local affiliate decides to break network for the same pointless news over and over, that is not my fault that my local sucks. This is a major issue for many markets. Local channels ruin TV.
 
OOM=Out of market.
As I said... break down the argument and it turns into a toddler's tantrum. "I don't care what the reason is I can't have it. I want it anyway" {stomp foot).
I'm not unsympathetic. But it's not as if there aren't other entertainment options including being able to watch the interrupted program later through several other distribution methods
 
OOM=Out of market.
As I said... break down the argument and it turns into a toddler's tantrum. "I don't care what the reason is I can't have it. I want it anyway" {stomp foot).
I'm not unsympathetic. But it's not as if there aren't other entertainment options including being able to watch the interrupted program later through several other distribution methods

It's hardly a tantrum when you pay for something that you don't get.

Where was the CBS Duke game on other sources that someone wanted but snow was more important?
 
I sympathize, but it is exactly a tantrum. "I don't care the reason, I want my basketball!!!"

You aren't paying for CBS. You did not pay for the Duke game You paid for a subscription of channels that include your local channels. Your local channels are determined by a mutually agreed on arbiter (nielsen mediea research) The parties affected are the rights holders, broadcasters, advertisers (who are really the ones paying for the programs on broadcast TV, not you), and the government that has to simplify the tangle of conflicting private contracts so everyone can play nice.

Your local channels own the programming they broadcast in their assigned area and no one else owns those programs for broadcast. Importing and distributing the same programming from another source in that market "just because" is breaking contract exclusivity the broadcaster owns and using distributing a product without permission from its owner. If the owner of the program wanted it to be available by other means, he could sell it as non-exclusive. But they rarely do. It is really just that simple. It is NOT public property.

I know the Duke game was online somewhere for a fee (I think ESPN.GO, or CBS Online http://www.cbssports.com/video/player/cbk-live), Had you paid for that game on that service and IT was interrupted by something else, THEN you would have a beef with that service.
Again. I Sympathize.
 
If a local channel's network has the rights to something but doesn't broadcast it and doesn't offer a reasonable alternative (not online... That's not the same thing.)... That's the consumer's fault?
 
I sympathize, but it is exactly a tantrum. "I don't care the reason, I want my basketball!!!"

You aren't paying for CBS. You did not pay for the Duke game You paid for a subscription of channels that include your local channels. Your local channels are determined by a mutually agreed on arbiter (nielsen mediea research) The parties affected are the rights holders, broadcasters, advertisers (who are really the ones paying for the programs on broadcast TV, not you), and the government that has to simplify the tangle of conflicting private contracts so everyone can play nice.

Your local channels own the programming they broadcast in their assigned area and no one else owns those programs for broadcast. Importing and distributing the same programming from another source in that market "just because" is breaking contract exclusivity the broadcaster owns and using distributing a product without permission from its owner. If the owner of the program wanted it to be available by other means, he could sell it as non-exclusive. But they rarely do. It is really just that simple. It is NOT public property.

I know the Duke game was online somewhere for a fee (I think ESPN.GO, or CBS Online http://www.cbssports.com/video/player/cbk-live), Had you paid for that game on that service and IT was interrupted by something else, THEN you would have a beef with that service.
Again. I Sympathize.

Sorry, but this isn't right. There are contractual retransmission fees in play. We all pay for locals.

I can sympathize even more, as WCBS, the NY affiliate, preempted the preceding UConn game, when their market includes Connecticut! Luckily, the Hartford / New Haven affiliate provided the game, even commenting during their news coverage that they wouldn't interrupt the game.
 
If a local channel's network has the rights to something but doesn't broadcast it and doesn't offer a reasonable alternative (not online... That's not the same thing.)... That's the consumer's fault?
Well in that boat what is considered a "reasonable alternative"?

When the Vikes played on Thursday NIght Football this year (NFL NET exclusive) WCCO Minneapolis had the game. Thats the CBS affiliate. They moved the NEW programming to subchannel Decades. But satellite folks dont get it. Some cable companies outside of Comcast and Mediacom dont carry it. So folks are screwed.
(in the past they tape delayed it as CBS O&O stations didint have subs)
 
That is what I said in the comment you quoted. We pay for LOCAL CHANNELS... not CBS.

My CBS is O&O, so still wrong. :)

Really splitting hairs, though - non-O&O's pay into a monopoly system that the local is the lowest point in. It's really the same thing.
 
Sorry, but no... I'm not wrong on this. Not even a little. And ho hairs are being split either. It is cut and dry. You are paying for your local channel, not CBS. Your local channel may be owned by CBS, but your local channel is NOT CBS. It is a local channel that shows CBS programming. There is a very real difference.

The original point still remains. That channel (whoever owns it) has the rights to programming and no one else can show that programming because the owner of the program (which is not public property) and YOUR local channel made a binding agreement that that program would not be available on any other TV channel in their area. It is just that simple.
 
Well in that boat what is considered a "reasonable alternative"?

When the Vikes played on Thursday NIght Football this year (NFL NET exclusive) WCCO Minneapolis had the game. Thats the CBS affiliate. They moved the NEW programming to subchannel Decades. But satellite folks dont get it. Some cable companies outside of Comcast and Mediacom dont carry it. So folks are screwed.
(in the past they tape delayed it as CBS O&O stations didint have subs)

A reasonable alternative would be to give us what their network obligations include on a channel that people actually get. I remember the Boston locals showing snow coverage last year and this same thing happened. It's pointless to have all the major network programming cut into, with no other options, while the lesser networks and independents are showing their regular programming or paid programming.

My "moved" CBS also aired the Thursday night Patriots game. But all is fine because CBS programming airs on my 38 WSBK in glorious HD. Everyone is happy. But when they're on Monday night, both ABC affiliates (WCVB and WMUR) air the Patriots game and stick ABC on the MeTV that some people have but most have never heard of.

Just like Sunday Ticket games, I always root against my locals carrying them. The Sunday Ticket feeds have proper audio and video, no tickers, no local commercials going over the alloted time, no snow coverage, no interruptions.

It is clear that the consumer is the least important and last-considered part of the idea of DMAs and local channels.
 
The most amount of eyeballs watching commercials is the most important thing. If more people will watch snow coverage than the scheduled programming.... guess what?
And looking at the ratings book, more people watched snow coverage than normally watch TV that night. So, I guess it worked.
 
Sorry, but no... I'm not wrong on this. Not even a little. And ho hairs are being split either. It is cut and dry. You are paying for your local channel, not CBS. Your local channel may be owned by CBS, but your local channel is NOT CBS. It is a local channel that shows CBS programming. There is a very real difference.

The original point still remains. That channel (whoever owns it) has the rights to programming and no one else can show that programming because the owner of the program (which is not public property) and YOUR local channel made a binding agreement that that program would not be available on any other TV channel in their area. It is just that simple.

I do disagree with this. I understand that the channels have the right to programming for a particular area but I, as a consumer, should have a right to watch what I is more relevant to me especially if I am willing to pay for it and the capability exists to deliver that content to me. Rather than have a monopoly and force me to watch something I don't want or need, make your programming good enough where I want to buy it and not be forced to watch it.

Its just the evolution of free markets - In the past you couldn't port your phone number. But people started demanding the ability to be able to take their number with them and now I can have a 212 number as a landline in PA if I want. People used to be forced to watch their local sports teams only, now you have MLB extra innings because people wanted to watch the teams they want to watch. Similarly if I want to watch locals channels of NY because it makes more sense for me AND I am willing to pay for it, I shouldn't be prevented from doing so simply because some other local affiliate is worried about loosing money and keeping a monopoly. That's not how free markets work. No one is attempting to remove those local channels but we as consumers should have a choice. If you can only make money because you are running a monopoly, then you should go out of business. Heck, charge people for it: If I live in a "Philly market" but really want NYC channels, charge me extra and reimburse the local affiliate a part of that extra monthly fee if that makes them feel better but don't deny me a choice as a paying customer.
 
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I do disagree with this. I understand that the channels have the right to programming for a particular area but I, as a consumer, should have a right to watch what I is more relevant to me especially if I am willing to pay for it and the capability exists to deliver that content to me.
But the person who OWNS the product you want is NOT WILLING TO SELL IT TO YOU!
The technology exists for me to go to the Atlanta headquarters of CocaCola and for me to get a truckload of CocaCola from Atlanta and drive it up here for resale. However CocaCola has an exclusive contract with a bottler here in the city meaning if ANYONE wants to sell Coke, they HAVE to buy it from the local bottler. Same holds true for programming.
Another example, SunBeam bread has a bakery down south that makes "Barbecue Bread". The yummiest thick bread on the planet. Sunbeam has another bakery in Ft. Wayne, Indiana that does NOT make this yummy product. I just happen to be in that bakery's area. I CANNOT get barbecue Bread unless I to Tennessee because of the exclusive contract.

TV is no different. It sucks. But that's the way the OWNERS of the PRIVATE PROPERTY want it.
 
But the person who OWNS the product you want is NOT WILLING TO SELL IT TO YOU!
The technology exists for me to go to the Atlanta headquarters of CocaCola and for me to get a truckload of CocaCola from Atlanta and drive it up here for resale. However CocaCola has an exclusive contract with a bottler here in the city meaning if ANYONE wants to sell Coke, they HAVE to buy it from the local bottler. Same holds true for programming.
Another example, SunBeam bread has a bakery down south that makes "Barbecue Bread". The yummiest thick bread on the planet. Sunbeam has another bakery in Ft. Wayne, Indiana that does NOT make this yummy product. I just happen to be in that bakery's area. I CANNOT get barbecue Bread unless I to Tennessee because of the exclusive contract.

TV is no different. It sucks. But that's the way the OWNERS of the PRIVATE PROPERTY want it.

Why do people defend business practices that are bad for everyone?
 
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