My letter to local CBS

[original]

I know this won't do any good, but I sent it to my local CBS to voice my displeasure.:


I have been a loyal watcher of your channel since 1976 and listened to your radio stations during the same time.  My family, as I grew up, enjoyed WINK's programming and we were all tuned in for our news.  Due to choices made this last Sunday, I will no longer be tuning in.

I was one of many of the fans who were watching the Tampa Bay Buccaneers game this Sunday.  It was bad enough that CBS doesn't broadcast all the football games in HD, but what followed is just dumb.  During the 4th quarter, with about 45 seconds to go in the game, a local voice comes on and says, Due to contractual obligations, we must switch to our regular scheduled program.  Then for about two minutes there was commercials, followed by Phil Simms talking about the Dolphins game that was about to start.

My disappointment isn't that you had to change the game as much as it is that in the two and a half minutes that commercials were showing and the time that Simms talked about the game to be the Buccaneers game had ended.   Me, along with all my fellow fans missed a comeback and the 1st victory of the season.  I know you had to change the game, but by choosing the people over the all mighty buck would have allowed two groups of fans to be very happy.  By the time Kickoff happened the Bucs game was over, and not a minute of the game program would have been missed, Just a few of you Buck making commercials.  The only solice I can take is that most of the Tampa games will be on FOX where I get to see the game from beginning to end.

My family will no longer watch your station or listen to your radio stations hurting your precious ratings.  We will also encourage fellow Buc fans to do the same and  let advertisers know how little your care about your viewers.

Disappointed Bucs fan

[Garv]

Good luck with that but if the Bucs or any other show I want to watch happens to be on CBS, I'm viewing.
It must have SUCKED for those affected though.

[drywallbuc]

i watched the whole game on cbs. i must have missed where it is that you are from. sorry about your bad luck, and good luck getting anyone too hear you.

[pewtersurf]

CBS sucks as an HD provider for the nfl.  Only 3 or 4 games a week are in HD.  They are money grubben aholessssssssss.

[original]

i watched the whole game on cbs. i must have missed where it is that you are from. sorry about your bad luck, and good luck getting anyone too hear you.

I am in Ft. Myers.

[pewtersurf]

I am in Ft. Myers.

I went to FGCU down there in the Fort.  1998 to 2002.  At least they are showing games now, they use to not show but a handful of games a year down there.  I was so pissed that they rarely showed the Bucs on Fox, they would show the popular game of the week instead.  unbelieveable.  After the Superbowl, I think they changed down there.

[mjs020294]

Due to contractual obligations, we must switch to our regular scheduled program. 

There is the key.....they didn't have any option. 

[Garv]

CBS sucks as an HD provider for the nfl. Only 3 or 4 games a week are in HD. They are money grubben aholessssssssss.

LOL That's true, I hadn't noticed before DVRing the bengal game. After HD, it just doesn't cut it. Surprised a network like CBS would cut corners like that for the NFL afterall the money spent. Not too bright IMO.

[original]

Here is their response:

WINK-TV apologizes that we were unable to carry the entire Cincinnati @ Tampa Bay game due to CBS' contractual obligations with the NFL.

 

For your information, our TV market, Ft. Myers-Naples, is classified a Peripheral Market for the Miami Dolphins and, according to CBS' agreement with the NFL, WINK-TV was required to carry Sunday's  Miami Dolphins @ New York Jets game in its entirety (referred to as the Mandatory Kickoff Rule).

 

We apologize for the fact that this NFL rule forced us to switch to the Miami game before the end of the Tampa Bay game but WINK-TV had no other option.  This rule is in effect throughout the NFL for Home, or Peripheral Market, teams for Sunday 4PM games, no matter which teams are playing in the earlier game, or what the score is at the time of the required switch to the second game.  The break between the games was to cover the mandatory switch of the satellite feed performed by CBS.

 

WINK-TV will file a formal recommendation to CBS, and the NFL, to change the Mandatory Kickoff Rule so that stations be allowed to televise the conclusion of a first game on a NFL double-header Sunday.   

 

Sincerely,

 

Gregory Stetson
Program Director

[TURBO]

lip service, but I'm surprised you got a response at all...

[mjs020294]

I am sure they have that response in a template ready to go.

[original]

I thought after the Jets christmas Fiasco, the NFL changed the contracts to finish the games.

[Boid Fink]

That does suck eggs.

To lop off the tail end of a comeback, to broadcast the start of a game, is about the most ridiculous thing I have heard of.

The almighty dollar wins.  Always.

Oh wait, was that a political jab? (JK! JK!)

Oh wait, was that a political jab? (JK! JK!)

Ban 'im.