70 replies to this topic

[JayGee]

tozmervo, on Jun 15 2009, 02:38 PM, said:

(long live free! down with the cable companies!)

I hate TWC as much as the next guy but, man, broadcast TV has become even more of a vast wasteland than it already was.
At least there's some variety on cable, I mean where else can you watch "Modern Marvels - The History of the Wrench".

On another note, I turned on WCNC News at 5:30 and saw two misspellings on the screen graphics in less than a minute!

[tozmervo]

Modern Marvels is available on Netflix Watch Instantly =)

Seriously, though, any program I miss on cable I can usually find between Hulu, Joost (both free) and Netflix.

[Batou]

Cable (Just all the stuff on channels 2 - 99 except HBO because they went and cut that off)is part of my rent so that's what I got on my old 27in Sylvania analog set. I don't have any kind of antenna or nothing so I wasn't actually able to see it happen.  But yeah I like Hulu and "other sources" myself too.

[monsoon]

I am reminded that on rainy nights like tonight you get to hear The Chicken, The Eraser Head (or Goober), and The Cadaver spew out technobabble about the pretty colors on their radars all evening.    They all forgo the nightly reading of the police reports, stories about 3 legged dogs, and the manditory words of wisdom from a local redneck.     Of the three, Channel 3 is the funniest as you get to look at the back of the head of weather annunciator as he plays with his computer while the anchors stand over him acting as if they are interested.  They win the award for drama.   Channel 36 wins the award for most useless info as they tell you stay away from trees and to wrap yourself in blankets.

[JayGee]

monsoon, on Jun 16 2009, 06:25 PM, said:

I am reminded that on rainy nights like tonight you get to hear The Chicken, The Eraser Head (or Goober), and The Cadaver spew out technobabble about the pretty colors on their radars all evening.    They all forgo the nightly reading of the police reports, stories about 3 legged dogs, and the manditory words of wisdom from a local redneck.     Of the three, Channel 3 is the funniest as you get to look at the back of the head of weather annunciator as he plays with his computer while the anchors stand over him acting as if they are interested.  They win the award for drama.   Channel 36 wins the award for most useless info as they tell you stay away from trees and to wrap yourself in blankets.

Ah, yes.  I was thinking the exact same thing.  But it can't be that bad, they haven't started double-teaming yet.

[monsoon]

I agree about the not so bad part if was just a matter of turning off this nonsense.   However all 3 channels preempted the national news which I do have an interest in.  (such as it is on ABC, NBC and CBS)    There is only the potential new revolutionary change in Iran, war with N. Korea, the continued issues with the economy that might be a bit more important.   Fortunately there is the BBC, PBS, and of course the internet as mentioned above.  

This kind of self importance of these stations has led to these channels losing 50% of their news audience in the last 10 years.  Oh and the really annoying commercials where they scream at you at the top of their lungs to purchase cheap-ass Korean cars in Monroe or bubble headed baby talking women, the kind with voices that are as pleasant as squealing brakes,  squawking about rugs in SC.

[JayGee]

monsoon, on Jun 16 2009, 08:20 PM, said:

I agree about the not so bad part if was just a matter of turning off this nonsense.   However all 3 channels preempted the national news which I do have an interest in.  (such as it is on ABC, NBC and CBS)    There is only the potential new revolutionary change in Iran, war with N. Korea, the continued issues with the economy that might be a bit more important.   Fortunately there is the BBC, PBS, and of course the internet as mentioned above.  

This kind of self importance of these stations has led to these channels losing 50% of their news audience in the last 10 years.  Oh and the really annoying commercials where they scream at you at the top of their lungs to purchase cheap-ass Korean cars in Monroe or bubble headed baby talking women, the kind with voices that are as pleasant as squealing brakes,  squawking about rugs in SC.

TV Weather is big business, no doubt.  That's why they get a new Super Duper Woppler Doppler every couple of years, whether its useful or not.  I think they upped the rain intensity colors awhile ago to get more yellow and red on the screen which really gets your attention.  And when they take off their jackets and roll up their sleeves, man, its really serious.  Then they report on the days abundant sunshine from the 'severe weather center'.  Gag.

It's theatrics, plain and simple, but that's the state of TV news these days, broadcast and cable.  Actually broadcast is more restrained than cable, with their video walls, magic screens, annoying wipes and of course the video game sound effects that go with them.

[monsoon]

^I could even forgive them this if they actually provided a service that people could rely on if there is bad weather.  But the way they handle it, bad storms only happen between 5 - 7 pm on weekdays.     Let there be a bad storm on, say,  the weekend, and they are no where to be found as sports programming is an even bigger money maker and they won't preempt that for anything.   (though they might cut in AFTER a tornado blows something down)  Even on their dedicated weather channels you won't find them giving live block to block coverage of bad weather.

[JayGee]

monsoon, on Jun 16 2009, 09:37 PM, said:

^I could even forgive them this if they actually provided a service that people could rely on if there is bad weather.  But the way they handle it, bad storms only happen between 5 - 7 pm on weekdays.     Let there be a bad storm on, say,  the weekend, and they are no where to be found as sports programming is an even bigger money maker and they won't preempt that for anything.   (though they might cut in AFTER a tornado blows something down)  Even on their dedicated weather channels you won't find them giving live block to block coverage of bad weather.

Or during the 'soaps' heaven forbid.

[tozmervo]

Poor Morgan Fogarty. Before long she's going to be the only one left at FOX Charlotte.

[DigitalSky]

tozmervo, on 21 January 2011 - 11:35 PM, said:

Poor Morgan Fogarty. Before long she's going to be the only one left at FOX Charlotte.

Strange happenings over at Channel 18...