The Official Bi+ch about TV blackouts thread

[sabre31_98]

I hate national games. Why do they always insist on taking the damn game off!

[blugold43]

motherf#ckers!!!

[RayFinkle]

CenterIce continues to be on top of the situation and is still blacking out the game. BRILLIANT!!! Do you think maybe during the playoffs they could pay some due minimum wage to change the feeds???!!!

[Hirly5]

This is brutal

[Bmwolf21]

Why the fudge isn't someone at CenterIce paying attention? They have to know NBC, TSN, etc are going to pull the sh!t...

[Hirly5]

www.nhl.com for the radio feed ... atleast it is RJ

[Corp000085]

Game 2, TSN screws the flyers and sabres fans, switches to the devils game.

 

game 6, buffalo up 3-0 halfway through the third, NBC switches to the avalanche game

 

 

 

Start calling center ice, directv, nhl offices, local cable provider, and lawyers. talk about a screwjob for those with a personal or financial (talkin about those watching on the center ice feed) interest in this game and/or these teams.

 

 

After the game, someone please provide all the necessary contact info for the parties involved...

[shrader]

They could've at least said we're going to switch over. But no, they do it with no warning at all.

[RayFinkle]

Beer for the game: $15

Sending the wife shopping this afternoon: $100

NHL Center Ice package: $160

Missing a period in 2 of the last 5 playoff games: Priceless

[Bmwolf21]

Here are some I have been able to track down so far:

 

http://www.indemand.com/sports/nhl2005/talk.jsp

 

http://www.indemand.com/about/contactUs.jsp

 

http://www.nhl.com/nhlhq/centerice/index.html (click on "Contact Center Ice")

 

Questions for NBC Sports

Email to: sports@msnbc.com

 

It seems to me that while Center Ice has no control over the national networks (NBC & TSN) switching feeds, they have to know it is a possibility and should be ready to switch to the other feed if necessary. In my eyes they are as much to blame as NBC & TSN...

[winkydog]

I'm glad that I am not the only one pissed about the NHL center ice package. 2 out of 5 games taken off during the game is ridiculous. I guess the only way to see an entire Sabres playoff game is if it goes into overtime or if they are losing. I called directv during game 2 to vent my frustration about the game being switched and could only speak to several customer service reps who had no idea as to what I was saying. They did offer to take $5 off of my bill. I want another $5 taken off after today.

[Corp000085]

I'm glad that I am not the only one pissed about the NHL center ice package. 2 out of 5 games taken off during the game is ridiculous. I guess the only way to see an entire Sabres playoff game is if it goes into overtime or if they are losing. I called directv during game 2 to vent my frustration about the game being switched and could only speak to several customer service reps who had no idea as to what I was saying. They did offer to take $5 off of my bill. I want another $5 taken off after today.

 

 

I'm very pissed at directv and center ice... When i called last tuesday, they applied the "sports package" to my bill so it was $20 more than it should have been... When i got that taken off, i got an extra $5 charge for tivo, which i've never had in 4 years of having directv. So, now i have ammo when i call back on monday to get that tivo charge reversed...

[shrader]

Again, you can't blame center ice for this one. The blame falls squarely on the shoulders of NBC. They can't lose precious ratings by allowing center ice to broadcast these game.

[Corp000085]

Again, you can't blame center ice for this one. The blame falls squarely on the shoulders of NBC. They can't lose precious ratings by allowing center ice to broadcast these game.

 

 

There were two games on nbc at the same time, also being broadcast on two seperate center ice channels. One was blacked out due to being shown on the local nbc channel and one was broadcast on CI... NBC is to fault for initially switching from the sabres game to the avs game, however CI can be faulted for not having someone on a trigger to switch the CI feeds by blacking out the one game and broadcasting the other from NBC... (that is, if they had the ability to switch...) If they couldn't switch, then type something and send it to the guide so that the paying customer knows what's going on.

[Bmwolf21]

There were two games on nbc at the same time, also being broadcast on two seperate center ice channels. One was blacked out due to being shown on the local nbc channel and one was broadcast on CI... NBC is to fault for initially switching from the sabres game to the avs game, however CI can be faulted for not having someone on a trigger to switch the CI feeds by blacking out the one game and broadcasting the other from NBC... (that is, if they had the ability to switch...) If they couldn't switch, then type something and send it to the guide so that the paying customer knows what's going on.

My thoughts here...first, they were able to switch feeds the night TSN screwed us, so we know its possible...

 

Here in Orlando, Center Ice had two channels "reserved"...one for Avs-Stars game, and one that was blacked out. I don't know why the second channel was blacked out here in Orlando, as local blackout rules don't apply (especially since Tampa was eliminated last night :P ) I guess my question is why, if NBC switched their main fee to Col-Dal, couldn't they switch the Center Ice feed to Buf-Phi?

 

As for not blaming Center Ice (from an earlier post) you absolutely CAN blame them, IMO. This situation has already reared its ugly head once in this series (and we don't know if it has happened in any other series) so they should have been prepared. I think they even promised some of the posters here that they would use regional feeds to avoid this same situation from happening again. I understand they want to grow ratings, show the best matchups possible, etc., but don't try to grow new markets at the expense of old ones.

[PromoTheRobot]

java script:popRestricted('/nhlonline/nhl?service=page&context=EmailPage&location=http://www.nhl.com/nhlhq/broadcasting/index.html', 'emailPage', 400, 550)

 

Here is a link to the NHL TV dept if you want to bitch. I did.

 

PTR

[Taro T]

My thoughts here...first, they were able to switch feeds the night TSN screwed us, so we know its possible...

 

Here in Orlando, Center Ice had two channels "reserved"...one for Avs-Stars game, and one that was blacked out. I don't know why the second channel was blacked out here in Orlando, as local blackout rules don't apply (especially since Tampa was eliminated last night :P ) I guess my question is why, if NBC switched their main fee to Col-Dal, couldn't they switch the Center Ice feed to Buf-Phi?

 

As for not blaming Center Ice (from an earlier post) you absolutely CAN blame them, IMO. This situation has already reared its ugly head once in this series (and we don't know if it has happened in any other series) so they should have been prepared. I think they even promised some of the posters here that they would use regional feeds to avoid this same situation from happening again. I understand they want to grow ratings, show the best matchups possible, etc., but don't try to grow new markets at the expense of old ones.

I think it stinks that people didn't get to watch all of the game, but I don't think it is Center Ice's fault.

 

I don't know that they are allowed to switch feeds when NBC has the priority broadcast rights. The other switch around at TSN was for a Canadian national feed (which does not have priority over OLN nor NBC in the States). TSN did not have ANY contractual RIGHT to be shown in the US over a regional feed (to the best of my knowledge), whereas NBC DOES have EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS to show a particular game where they want to show it. My guess is that the way the NBC contract is written CI can not be shown in areas where NBC claims to be showing the game (or has the rights to be showing the game); kind of the way how a couple of Sabres games were blacked out on CI and not shown in WNY because MSG didn't show them even though the other team's feed WAS on CI. (The dreaded "Program not available in your area.")

 

I think the blackouts wrt the NBC feed works like Sunday Ticket blackouts. If the US national network claims to be broadcasting a game in a certain area the cable / satellite additional feeds contractually can not take precedence over the network feed. This issue happened with the Bills - NE season opener when Buffalo won 31-0. People in the Buffalo and New England area stayed with the game all the way through. People in NYC had the game on their local CBS affiliate (so no Sunday Ticket coverage for them) but the NYC feed switched away after the score was 31-0. Bills and Patsie fans in NYC were hosed because of a decision BY CBS, not by DirecTV nor Sunday Ticket. NBC stayed with the Sabres game in Ra-cha-cha (at least it looked that way when I fast forwarded through the 3rd, I went to the game so didn't know 1st hand), but hosed people that were out of town.

 

If it isn't something contractual with the NBC NHL contract that kept CI from unblacking out the Sabres feed, then my bad. I just would be extremely surprised if CI were allowed to broadcast the NBC feed to areas that NBC CLAIMS to be broadcasting it but in fact aren't.

 

Once again, I am sorry people got hosed on the telecast.

[Bmwolf21]

Losing the Sabres games in the playoffs is getting real old, real fast. I am not saying that CI should have switched to the MSG or Comcast feed, but why would CI (and NBC, for that matter) continue broadcasting the feed of Col-Dal on CI after switching its main national feed to the same game? CI, TSN and OLN showing multiple broadcasts of the same game is ridiculous; the same network feed available through two differnt providers is laughable at best.

 

Dave - I am not sure about the blackout rules and how they apply in this situation, and I appreciate your insight and attempt to explain why it might be happening. Personally, I'd like for someone at NBC Sports, Center Ice, or the NHL to explain why we keep getting hosed because some suit wants to show a different game, but IMO, there needs to be some sort of change(s) made.

 

Right now I am scared to death that TSN is going to switch away from the game on Tuesday for coverage of the Car-Mon game.

[Taro T]

Losing the Sabres games in the playoffs is getting real old, real fast. I am not saying that CI should have switched to the MSG or Comcast feed, but why would CI (and NBC, for that matter) continue broadcasting the feed of Col-Dal on CI after switching its main national feed to the same game? CI, TSN and OLN showing multiple broadcasts of the same game is ridiculous; the same network feed available through two differnt providers is laughable at best.

 

Dave - I am not about the blackout rules and how they apply in this situation, and I appreciate your insight and attempt to explain why it might be happening. Personally, I'd like for someone at NBC Sports, Center Ice, or the NHL to explain why we keep getting hosed because some suit wants to show a different game, but IMO, there needs to be some sort of change(s) made.

 

Right now I am scared to death that TSN is going to switch away from the game on Tuesday for coverage of the Car-Mon game.

Someone posted in another thread that the MSG feed will be the CI feed for Game 6. (On the off chance that h*ll freezes over and game 7 is necessary, the CI feed will be the MSG feed as well.) So I expect that you can breathe easy, but also would not blame you for not believing it until you hear RJ's dulcet tones.

 

To answer your initial question, CI would end up having even more people ticked off if it tried to start navagating through which individual network affiliates switched games and blacking out the previously nonblacked out channel than by just leaving that feed alone.

 

In an ideal world, when the local affiliate switches games in mid-stream, the CI feed should be nonblacked out. Maybe that will happen some time down the line, but I doubt it will happen as the network (NBC in this case) is trying to protect it's affiliates. It won't let CI show the game the affiliate is showing to protect the affiliate's ad revenue; and then switches the local affiliate to a game it THINKS locals would prefer to see, to keep people from switching off the affiliate. My guess is, your best bet is to send a letter to NBC and also to your local affiliate, indicating how unhappy you are with their extremely poorly thought out scheduling processes.

 

Personally, I think all broadcasts should be available to CI subscribers and if TSN, MSG, and NESN are broadcasting a Sabres - Bruins game; we should be allowed to watch whichever feed we darn well choose. Unfortunately, that would significantly increase the cost of CI as the various regional (and national) providers would claim that their local market is being "violated".

[HurlyBurly51]

I'm not sure what NBC did today, but I watched the NBC national feed on DirecTV and they kept the entire game on. Now I know not everyone can get the national networks on D*, but the point is the New York NBC affiliate never cut out of the Sabres game to switch over to the Avs, so that's weird that the CI NBC feed did. I thought what NBC did would affect the entire country.

 

More reason to be PO'd at CI for again using a feed that switches out of the game you're paying for. Both times, there was an alternative full time feed available that never cut out (MSG, then NBC out of NY).

[Taro T]

I'm not sure what NBC did today, but I watched the NBC national feed on DirecTV and they kept the entire game on. Now I know not everyone can get the national networks on D*, but the point is the New York NBC affiliate never cut out of the Sabres game to switch over to the Avs, so that's weird that the CI NBC feed did. I thought what NBC did would affect the entire country.

 

More reason to be PO'd at CI for again using a feed that switches out of the game you're paying for. Both times, there was an alternative full time feed available that never cut out (MSG, then NBC out of NY).

My understanding of what happened is that local NBC affiliates that had been showing the Sabres game switched to the Avs game without CI swapping the blacked out game for that particular area. If that is the case, it ISN'T a CI issue, it is an NBC / NHL national TV contract issue. Areas such as Buffalo, NYC, Filadelphia, etc., where NBC would have expected the locals to have a definite preference to watch the Sabres game would not have switched. However, places like NC and Fla, where NBC would not expect to see a particular allegiance to that game appear to have been switched. (Heck, the local affiliates may have REQUESTED the switch, AFAIK at this time.) Since the local NBC affiliate would be the designated provider of 1st resort, if they switch away (for whatever reason) CI is out of luck, and far more importantly - Sabres fans in that affiliate's territory are out of luck. :(

 

If you are correct and CI made a poor choice of feeds, then shame on them; I expect they will be seeing a class action suit in the near future. If, however it was an NBC decision, CI's hands were tied. NBC gets dibs on games on the weekend and their decision to hose their viewers is not something that CI is responsible for. Also, if it was a CI feed that skipped part of the game, then NEVERMIND. (I don't think that was the case though.)

[Bmwolf21]

Dave - thanks for trying to ge the voice of reason here. I understand what you are saying about how it might be the local affiliates, etc., and that the different markets might have requested the change. I still think, however, that since we are talking about the playoffs (and a day when there were just two games going on) CI should have been able to produce both feeds, just in case, or be able to switch on the blacked-out feed if NBC decided to switch coverage. Then NBC can switch back & forth until the cows come home, for all I care.

 

Like you said, I am going to worry about the coverage of Game 6 until I see the MSG feed coming through. I did send email complaints to Sports InDemand, NHL Center Ice, and NBC Sports, so I'll keep you guys posted if I hear anything back (I'm not holding my breath.)

[bottlecap]

I was P-Oed that they cut off the end of the game yesterday

to go to the Dallas-Colorado game. I wanted to see the

final humiliation of the Flyers as the seconds ticked down.

 

Here's the contact info for complaining to NBC, they should

understand that on the east coast, no one cares about

Dallas-Colorado. Write in everybody!

 

sports@msnbc.com :angry: :angry:

[BuffalOhio]

I was P-Oed that they cut off the end of the game yesterday

to go to the Dallas-Colorado game. I wanted to see the

final humiliation of the Flyers as the seconds ticked down.

 

Here's the contact info for complaining to NBC, they should

understand that on the east coast, no one cares about

Dallas-Colorado. Write in everybody!

 

sports@msnbc.com :angry: :angry:

 

The didn't cut it off here in DC. Got to see the whole shabang. I can't believe they would cut it off in Buffalo. That's absolutely ridiculous!

[elcrusho]

They didn't cut it off until it was over on my TV...