Well - it's happening for the first time this year - and I'm sure there are more to come. Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy are being preempted in the Lansing market. WILX (NBC) the local station who carries WoF and J are carrying a gubernatorial tonight at 8. So - to give WILX some credit, they are moving DoND to tomorrow at 7 - which unfortunately is when WoF and J are normally carried, and WILX is not carrying WoF and J at an alternative time. They do this several times a year for various reasons - sports coverage, Billy Gram specials, or informercials. I wish that when a station signed a syndication contract that they would be required to air all episodes - even if it is at a different time - even the middle of the night- that's why I have a TiVo! So thanks to WILX not caring about it's viewers - I'm just out an episode of each.

Thanks for letting me vent :)

Rich

What's surprising about that is that WKAR -- the local PBS station with which I have some passing familiarity -- is actually producing the debate and airing it live as well, as is every other PBS station in the state. So the only viewers who benefit from this pre-emption are the ones without cable who live in the Lansing coverage area but who can't get WKAR's UHF signal, nor that of any other PBS station. And, of course, the ones who fit that description and would rather watch a gubernatorial debate than two hours of game shows.

Usually, I'm the first to put game shows in their proper perspective, and would typically say that a gubernatorial debate -- especially in a hotly contested race -- would take precedence. This, though, seems like needless duplication on the part of the NBC affiliate when the originating PBS station essentially covers the same market.

Oh, yeah. My WOF/J affiliate (WNEM, CBS) would normally broadcast it as well here in Flint/Saginaw/Bay City, but they have a My station now, so they're using it to its fullest potential (wink, nudge). It doesn't bother me if something imporant like a debate pre-empts it, but a special on bullying or a Billy Graham powerhour? And, if anyone cares to hear my opinion, neither DeVos or Granholm seem like wonderful people. Have we an independent to vote for?

/will be seeing Matt tomorrow.

I'm not against TV stations preempting shows for valid reasons - and a debate I think is a valid reason. I just wish instead of not showing the preempted programming at all - just air it at an alternate time - like late at night or something. BTW - I will be watching the debate - on WKAR.

And chad1m - if you are seeing Matt tomorrow - you will be seeing me too. Good luck!

Rich

I'd just like to take this moment to point out how refreshing it is to hear from people who know how to place game shows in their proper perspective.

As opposed to, say, this or this.

wtf? People upset over weather warnings and safety concern? Even for mega-fans that seems a bit ridiculous.

I'll admit I can get upset over weather warnings and breaking news - but not so much because it's during my show - it's because I watch everything off of TiVo - and the warnings and news are no longer relevant to me. Of course I'd never get to the point, where I'd post about it in detail. Hopefully someday, technology will come, where breaking news/weather can be handled so that if a viewer isn't watching a show live, the recording of the show can not be interrupted. On a same note - I wouldn't mind somehow being notified when I'm watching a recorded show about weather news.

Rich

Wow. What honestly horrified me was this line:



That has got to be the most moronic thing I've read in a long while.

We're fairly sure at this point that Dixon was nothing more than a common troll, so take his diatribes with the mineral seasoning of your choosing.

Oh, I see. Still, has to be the least funny trolling ever.

For the record, for anyone fairly new to this forum, that's not me they're talking about.

I work at a TV station in Alabama where we have severe weather coverage at the drop of a hat because Alabama has severe weather at the drop of a hat. My job is to go out and shoot the video of the fallen trees and downed power lines at the very least.

The trouble (well, one trouble) with forcing stations to air everything they buy is that there are a fixed number of hours per day. Now, if they normally are off the air a few hours, that helps. Or they can cover informercials, but those, I assume, would then also have to be run elsewhere, refunded, or both... and either way, if something major knocks out a large enough chunk of the day there'd still be no room.

(I for one long for a day when *every* new show, once the original broadcast has finished or would have been if it aired at all, is available streamed online, or at least by something like the iTunes store, indefinitely. With older material added as it's rerun or whenever someone feels like it. )

I do agree that stations do work with limited time (Although with digital multicasting - they do have more flex room, like in my case, the station WILX that is preempting J and WoF are running a -2 digital channel with nothing but a logo on it - once that gets going, they could use that to air alternate programming). And I agree that shows will need to get bumped from the schedule now and then (and breaking news, and other unplanned events are different from preplanned events) (which I do give WILX credit for this time - they actually adjusted their schedules ahead of time, instead of surprising me), but at least for WILX, it seems that the programs that always get bumped are J and WoF. Why not bump Judge Joe Brown for a change and let someone complain about it on the TV Judges Forum :)

Rich

I noticed that WOF/J have a Saturday showing on WILX, I think you're just getting everything delayed by a day for the rest of the week.

As far as the debate being on two stations per market, I believe it is partially because the Michigan PBS stations don't quite follow the same market boundaries as the commercial stations, so this would solve market penetration problems. The debate was offered to all Michigan stations plus the state's FOX stations. Why WILX had it instead of WSYM is anybody's guess, I can't believe in this day and age UHF is really a factor anymore. WJBK (FOX) in Detroit carried it, and bumped prime-time by an hour.

Warning for the other debates. Wackiness may ensue:
Debate #2 is next Tuesday (the 10th) and is being offered to the state's NBC stations. WDIV (Detroit) and WOOD (GR) have picked it up.
Debate #3 is in two weeks (Monday the 16th) and will be offered to the state's ABC stations. WXYZ (Detroit) has picked it up.


--Mike

Thanks for this info mike - however - they regularly show reruns on Saturday - so I'm pretty sure they aren't bumping everything by a day - and plus I have emailed them about this and they didn't make any mention about shifting it a day (although they could have I suppose)

Rich

Rich, did you e-mail programming or the GM at WILX TV 10?. Or both. I think Fox 47 could have aired the debate instead of whatever reruns they have. When any station bumps WOF and J! for a debate or any breaking news like t-storm/tornado warnings or heavy snow or whatever it has some ripple effect on the week's ratings for WOF and J!.

Do you have cable Rich? I feel for you people who have Comcast in Lansing and East Lansing who can't get WWMT CBS 3 Kalamazoo-Grand Rapids or WDIV NBC 4 Detroit who air WOF and J! like TV 10. You could see it on there when WILX prempts the two. Or if you had Dish Network like me you could have seen last night's WOF and J! on satellite via WSBK TV 38 Boston. They too air WOF and J! from 7-8pm ET daily.

And here in Sacramento-Stockton , when KXTV ABC 10 has an out of town Kings game on the East Coast J! gets shoved to after Jimmy Kimmel and WOF gets El Bumpo. That stinks! At least I have satellite so I won't miss.

I would someday like to see them do WOF and J! and also TPIR online after their broadcasts for those who could not be home for the broadcasts. That would be cool.

All the Michigan stations AND the Michigan FOX stations? Man, that's a lotta stations!

Yes - I do use cable as my main programming source - although I did recently throw up an antenna to pick up the local digital stations for High Def. (Man I love my new TV). However, I can't get any other stations that carry J and WoF either from cable or OTA. Several years ago we could, but Comcast pulled some of the stations that were duplicate networks, so I lost my dual coverage of J and WoF. I do have a source to get the programs - so I should be all set if everything works out.

And I did email WILX to let them know that I was not pleased with their decision, and I do so everytime that something like this happens. Not that I ever think it will change things, but I always feel, unless I complain to people who could do something about it, I have no right complaining to other people.

Rich

[quote name='mathwhiz' date='Oct 3 2006, 11:48 PM' post='133369']
I did recently throw up an antenna to pick up the local digital stations for High Def. (Man I love my new TV). However, I can't get any other stations that carry J and WoF either from cable or OTA. Several years ago we could, but Comcast pulled some of the stations that were duplicate networks, so I lost my dual coverage of J and WoF. I do have a source to get the programs - so I should be all set if everything works out.

Rich, Comcast Battle Creek since the early 1990's has canned first WLNS 6 CBS, then WILX NBC 10 and more recently three years ago before I visited BC for my class reunion, WSYM Fox 47, although WKAR ,the MSU PBS station where our good friend Matt Ottinger is still on Comcast. Blame the Grand Rapids/Kalamazoo/Battle Creek stations for pressuring Comcast to not air any Lansing outlets which is the opposite of the Lansing and East Lansing Comcasts not carrying Grand Rapids/Kalamazoo/Battle Creek outlets. But you can get the Lansing outlets in the Cereal City with an antenna. I should know I have the WILX TV coverage map to prove it in my room. And Comcast BC should wake up and smell the coffee that 10 and Fox 47 and to a wee bit of a lesser degree 6 are significantly viewed in Calhoun County. Millenium which is in many parts of Mid-Michigan has both Lansing and Grand Rapids outlets as does Coldwater's Charter Cable.

That is a bunch of crap Rich when Comcast cans duplicate outlets so that in the event of no WOF and J! on 10 or a local signal craps out during ,say Sunday Football or The World Series you could watch the event or show on another channel.

Yeah, well, if I ran a TV station, during snow, game shows would be preempted so we could bring you a snowball fight between the staff outside the studios! :-)

Considering it hasn't snowed in Monterey in thirty-odd years, that would absolutely happen here. :)

Well now that I wouldn't mind - especially if it was the WKAR staff - hey Matt - how good are you at a snowball fight?

Rich

I grew up in Tennessee, remember? I don't understand snowball fights, curling*, and especially don't get hockey. Ice is something to put in your sweet tea.

*I like curling, I just don't understand it.

Florida, Texas and southern California all have NHL teams. Living in Tennessee is no excuse.

I grew up in Tennessee, remember? I don't understand snowball fights, curling*, and especially don't get hockey. Ice is something to put in your sweet tea.

Matt, what part of Tennessee did you grow up in? My mother grew up in Monterey, TN east of Nashville as did my aunts and my dad grew up in Chattanooga,after he moved up to there from Fort Payne, AL which is almost halfway between CHattanooga and Birmingham.

Now see, the way I look at it is that there's no excuse for Florida, Texas and Southern California to have hockey teams.

Talk about no respect, my ABC affiliate(WPVI TV-6) pre-empted J! & probably WoF last night for a Liberty Medal ceremony honoring former presidents Bill Clinton & George H.W. Bush. Trouble was, I had a late dinner & couldn't catch whether the shows would be aired later that night or simply flat-out cancelled for the night. I wouldn't have a provlem with something like that if it was on the 4th of July, but 3 months late? Give me a break! Yeesh!

At least gameshownewsmet & Buzzer! will hopefully fill that huge hole for me there.

No brainer here : The ceremony was more important than a game show hour.

No brainer here : You really don't have a grip on reality.

Did your TV survive the anger, or did you toss it out the window?

I was actually going to say that!

Hmmm...teams from Florida and Texas have actually won championships - and a California team could be next (San Jose and Anaheim are contenders this year!)

Hmmm...it's still hockey.

There's also a world championship for rock-paper-scissors. Doesn't make it interesting.

That's about as faulty a comparison as there is. If you don't get hockey, fine. But don't go comparing it to rock-paper-scissors.

I won't claim to speak for Matt, but my point was that cities where "winter" refers to the months where you have to wear long sleeves have no business fielding an ice hockey team.

Matt was responding, I believe, to the implication that the potential winning of a world championship might, in and of itself, make a sport interesting.

Also, I'm pretty sure that Matt is, you know, funnin' a little.

Also, hockey combines the thrill of soccer with the visual resolution of something a tenth the size of a soccer ball. And NASCAR, don't get me started . . .

There you go.


Now you're talking.


Shoot, boy, why'd y'all have to go an' make fun o' my racin'?

Spoken like someone who has never played or ever been to a hockey game. Doing either will change your mind forever.


--Mike

Agreed.....Although I don't have an NHL team real close to me.........The AHL is still extremely thrilling to watch (Hershey Bears)..

The AHL is good stuff. I used to have WHL season tickets, and it was fine, but it didn't compare to the Show.

So when you're talking about little-kid-hockey, the first two age levels are Mites and Squirts. So if Hershey were to field a city-wide All-Star team at the second level, would they be the Hershey Squirts? :)

It changed more than my mind. I threw up at the first hockey game -- the Rochester Americans vs. some team I can't remember -- I ever attended. (Memo to fellow members: do not go to a hockey game with a 102-degree fever.)

Minor League hockey can still be an excellent value and entertainment. I have very fond memories of being in college, and traveling the 45 minutes to Roanoke, VA to watch the now-defunct Roanoke Express of the ECHL. $10 to get in anywhere. $2 for a beer. Some of the best hockey that I've seen outside of Philadelphia. Ever been to a 5-OT game? I have. 2 of 'em.

And aaron sica, that's an outstanding arena to watch hockey in Hershey. So why did I giggle at the "Hershey Squirts" joke? :)

Neither do I.

($5 cybercash for the first one to point out, "Wait a minute. You live in Chicago." :) )

Doug -- and the countdown to 2300 continues

Okay, now THERE'S your humorous hyperbole. "Everyone in the universe would love this game, if but they would watch a game in person!" And it's not hockey per se, but I have always found attending sporting events in person to be much less interesting than watching/listening on TV/radio, at least in terms of being able to keep up with what's going on.

As for actually playing the sport? Ha ha, and again I shall laugh a self-deprecating laugh, ha.




Don't I get any free picks, Bill?

(You and David Letterman . . . *shakes head*)

Actually, I will be one of the first to admit that hockey on television is terrible. It cannot capture the essence of the game. Nor can I say that everybody will love the game. Personally, I can't stand basketball, but it's not like I haven't given it a try.

I just got back from the University of Michigan game where the Wolverines scored with 4/10ths of a second left in overtime. Yet another great game from a great sport. And you may notice someone you know in the boxscore.

Robert, I don't know how old you are, but on the last league team I played on there were two players who didn't start until their late 30s. I didn't play in my first league game until I was 29.


--Mike

Not an issue of age--an issue of being fat and ungraceful. (And absolutely nowhere near an ice rink.)

And, really, man--you don't have to keep trying to sell me on hockey. It's not my thing, but I'm sure it has its exciting elements.

I lol'd.

Hard to find a good boxing bout *and* a hockey game in between matches these days for only $10!!!

The funny thing is that the Blackhawks are the one Chicago team I will never root for. Even raised as a Cub fan (something I've weaned myself away from), I rooted for the White Sox in their World Series run a year ago. But it rankles me that you living in Seattle can watch more Blackhawk home games than me living in Chicago. You get every one with Centre Ice or the one telecast Versus will carry. We're blacked out on Centre Ice, and ownership is only allowing five home telecasts this year (which is more than we usually get, but still not nearly enough). Actually, it's six, with the one Versus game.

Therefore, I take pleasure at every Blackhawk misfortune.

Doug -- and the countdown to 2300 continues

Absolutely, I can't blame you a bit. And as long as that idiot Wirtz owns the club, that's how it's gonna be, because he's still married to the antiquated notion that denying the fans home game telecasts will get people to come to the arena to see the team. What he Just Doesn't Get is that what it actually does is stop people from being fans.

(It's nice having Center Ice in an area that is completely outside of the sphere of influence of any NHL team. Blackouts? What are those? :))

== TO ALL: ==
Game shows, no respect -- I don't know myself... *sigh* :/
Guess, to me, that is the question that will bug me -- and haunt me -- for the rest of my life.

I can see stations puttin' the info online and they'll get it there, or maybe put in a "crawlspace" on da' bottom and end it with something like "More news coming up next @ (time here) on (channel here)..."

However, taking up a whole hour or 2... no way.
Very stupid. Unless it's for a worthy cause.
Maybe for the SuperBowl... or Final Four... something WORTH watching...

You think about that. Why else do we have the Internet, right?

~JK~
JK @ MySpace