Author Topic: Why Can't Game Shows Get More Respect? (Read 10606 times)

mathwhiz · « **on:** October 02, 2006, 03:18:30 PM »

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

Matt Ottinger · « **Reply #1 on:** October 02, 2006, 04:10:43 PM »

[quote name=\'mathwhiz\' post=\'133196\' date=\'Oct 2 2006, 03:18 PM\']
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. [/quote]
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.

chad1m · « **Reply #2 on:** October 02, 2006, 04:19:10 PM »

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.

mathwhiz · « **Reply #3 on:** October 02, 2006, 05:44:51 PM »

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

dzinkin · « **Reply #4 on:** October 02, 2006, 06:01:16 PM »

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.

chad1m · « **Reply #5 on:** October 02, 2006, 06:15:42 PM »

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

mathwhiz · « **Reply #6 on:** October 02, 2006, 06:23:15 PM »

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

Allstar87 · « **Reply #7 on:** October 02, 2006, 07:03:42 PM »

[quote name=\'dzinkin\' post=\'133207\' date=\'Oct 2 2006, 06:01 PM\']
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.
[/quote]

Wow. What honestly horrified me was this line:

Quote

Therefore, I would've made all weather bulletins wait for the end of the show even if they actually did issue any warnings, and even if it meant costing more people their lives!

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

clemon79 · « **Reply #8 on:** October 02, 2006, 07:12:09 PM »

[quote name=\'Allstar87\' post=\'133212\' date=\'Oct 2 2006, 04:03 PM\']
That has got to be the most moronic thing I've read in a long while.
[/quote]
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.

Allstar87 · « **Reply #9 on:** October 02, 2006, 07:21:44 PM »

[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'133215\' date=\'Oct 2 2006, 07:12 PM\']
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.
[/quote]

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

cweaver · « **Reply #10 on:** October 02, 2006, 07:38:45 PM »

[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'133215\' date=\'Oct 2 2006, 06:12 PM\']
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.
[/quote]

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.

HYHYBT · « **Reply #11 on:** October 03, 2006, 04:56:45 AM »

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. )

mathwhiz · « **Reply #12 on:** October 03, 2006, 01:56:19 PM »

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

mmb5 · « **Reply #13 on:** October 03, 2006, 04:20:55 PM »

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

mathwhiz · « **Reply #14 on:** October 03, 2006, 04:24:55 PM »

[quote name=\'mmb5\' post=\'133323\' date=\'Oct 3 2006, 04:20 PM\']
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.
[/quote]

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

Author Topic: Why Can't Game Shows Get More Respect? (Read 10606 times)

dzinkin

cweaver