Direct TV Listing for Blockbusters

[curtking]

The "info" listing for this morning's Blockbusters:

"(1996) Contestants battle it out on this classic student quiz show."

Obviously, this is a reference to the UK version, but how does the US provider (Direct TV) get this listing?

[mmb5]

Laziness in their content provider.  Usually, one service provides what's actually on (such as Titan TV) and another provider gives a file with the descriptions and they're usually matched by title if Titan TV did not provide a description, which is quite common with reruns.  The providers generally do listings for multiple countries, since Blockbusters is still on the air in the UK.

You'll also notice that Match Game '75 is from 1962, Newlywed Game and Lets Make a Deal are from 1967.  A while back, when America One was showing CrossWits, the host was given as Jack Clark even though it was the '80s version.


--Mike

[tommycharles]

[quote name=\'mmb5\' date=\'Oct 19 2003, 09:46 AM\'] Laziness in their content provider.  Usually, one service provides what's actually on (such as Titan TV) and another provider gives a file with the descriptions and they're usually matched by title if Titan TV did not provide a description, which is quite common with reruns.  The providers generally do listings for multiple countries, since Blockbusters is still on the air in the UK.

You'll also notice that Match Game '75 is from 1962, Newlywed Game and Lets Make a Deal are from 1967.  A while back, when America One was showing CrossWits, the host was given as Jack Clark even though it was the '80s version.


--Mike [/quote]
 Note also that a few of those Match Game Monday marathons were of MG '98, aparently. But yet they differentiate the Dawson/Combs feuds...

[trainman]

[quote name=\'curtking\' date=\'Oct 19 2003, 07:15 AM\'] Obviously, this is a reference to the UK version, but how does the US provider (Direct TV) get this listing? [/quote]
 DirecTV gets its information from Tribune Media Services, which also provides U.K. listings data to whatever clients they have over there, and TMS apparently keeps all show listings in the same database.  (Makes sense when you consider how many shows cross the pond.)  Looks like the first time they had to deal with "Blockbusters" was the U.K. version, so that show's description became their "generic" version.

[Tim L]

I set up Titan TV yesterday..There are some good things about it but they have WIVM-LP 52 (Canton) listings as if they are affiliated with ABC, when in fact they have programming from America One(Has been known to show You Bet Your Life Occasionally) Urban America TV, Faith TV, Harvest TV and Local sports and programming.  They couldnt afford to affiliate with the big 4 networks nor would it make sense, with Cleveland so close.

Tim Lones

[sshuffield70]

The CS'78 and "86 descriptions came from CS 2001.  IDIOTS!!!!

[zachhoran]

[quote name=\'sshuffield70\' date=\'Oct 29 2003, 10:20 AM\'] The CS'78 and "86 descriptions came from CS 2001.  IDIOTS!!!! [/quote]
 And the Love Connection description came from the Pat Bullard 1998-99 version, which had a website where some studio guests were set up on dates with one of three people, from those who logged on to their erstwhile(?) website.