Re: "Just Asking"

[freshmanjs]

Here's my complaint to CBS on the form given above:


Your categories for complaints (to CBS TV) need some work: I notice there is no category for sports, although now I understand why. And I’m writing to complain about something I didn’t see on your network: namely, 75% of the second half of the Duke/St. Johns basketball game.

When one follows a team, it is important to see how it develops game after game. You deprived me of this opportunity and there was no alternative to see the game. I think this is an entirely amateurish way to approach sports on TV and I hope your competitors get a bigger role in broadcasting college basketball games in future.

I don’t watch a lot of TV, but I shall now make a conscious effort to watch fewer CBS shows when the opportunity presents itself.

Ok -- I wanted to watch the 2nd half as much as the next guy, but I don't really understand this argument. Wouldn't a big-12 fan have a much more legitimate complaint if their game wasn't shown? especially after it beacme clear that it was a close game and the duke game wasn't? i guess since CBS can only show one game at a time, eventually everyone will have to boycott ??

[Lid]

Although I was extremely disappointed to be switched (also in Atlanta), I can understand that the Ok St - Kansas game was more competitive. (Yay for that fact!) My big complaint is that they promised updates and didn't deliver. It seems ludicrous to switch away and then not put a box in the corner with the score, just as they do during the tournament. I would have been even more irate as KY fan, though, getting switched away from a close game...

[TwoaT]

After moving to TX from NC in spring of 2000, I was SHOCKED not to get every Duke game -- even in the NCAA tournament (always KU or Texas). Now I guess I'm just used to watching games online (don't get the Sunday night game either...).

But with regards to Saturday's game, not only was the KU/OSU game a really great college basketball game, it was pretty important for Duke fans as well: with both Kansas and Duke in the top 10, who knows what loss is going to send a team from a 1 seed to a 2 seed, or a 2 seed to a 3 seed. For that reason, after seeing the progress of Duke/StJ, I was glad to get to see KU and OSU -- and root hard for that Kansas loss!

Bartt

[diesel]

Ok -- I wanted to watch the 2nd half as much as the next guy, but I don't really understand this argument. Wouldn't a big-12 fan have a much more legitimate complaint if their game wasn't shown? especially after it beacme clear that it was a close game and the duke game wasn't? i guess since CBS can only show one game at a time, eventually everyone will have to boycott ??

You don't understand this argument? Let big-12 fans complain if they get equivalent treatment. I'm not a big-12 fan.

My complaint is about the monopoly CBS had on broadcasting this game, which precluded alternative access. If it had been ESPN, SN or even Raycom I'm sure I could have continued to watch the Duke/St. Johns game on some alternative channel on FIOS TV. I didn't have this opportunity.

[Johnboy]

Lost the game on the HD channel, but it remained on the local CBS affiliate.

Same thing happened here in Washington, NC.

[should_be_working]

Kentucky resident here (but #1 "I hate UK" fan) I found it hysterical that the UK game got cut off with only a few minutes left... and to Duke nonetheless. I could practically hear the onslaught of cursing, remote control slamming and TV pounding from the big blue nation.

But karma came back to bite me in butt, as my dukies got cut off with 15 or 16 minutes left to go in the second half. I've never seen a game get pulled that quickly in place of another game - the last few minutes yes, but not the nearly the entire second half. After seeing two losses i NEEDED to see this blowout. I guess that's what i got for laughing and enjoying the UK game getting cut

EDIT: and why one station gets to broadcast all games in the tournament is ludicrous. Much rather ESPN and ABC get the coverage - at least ESPN would cover all our games

[bcato]

We were switched in Birmingham, also missed the end of the Ky game

[Jfrosh]

As has been noted by others, in Central Florida on Direct TV I was swithced as well. I didn't have a big problem with it though. The networks want the highest audience and it makes sense to switch to a close game instead of a blowout. However, I am not a Kentucky fan (THANK GOD), but there is no way they can justify switching away from the Kentucky game with 10 seconds to go. If that were Duke in a 2 point game, I think my head would have exploded.

[Dukiedevil]

As has been noted by others, in Central Florida on Direct TV I was swithced as well. I didn't have a big problem with it though. The networks want the highest audience and it makes sense to switch to a close game instead of a blowout. However, I am not a Kentucky fan (THANK GOD), but there is no way they can justify switching away from the Kentucky game with 10 seconds to go. If that were Duke in a 2 point game, I think my head would have exploded.

Ususally directv gives you your local network's feed. You can request to recieve the national feeds (East Coast/West Coast), but it has to be approved from your local affiliate. I requested the national feed from all the networks near Lexington, KY because they did not offer the HD feeds through the satellite. Only CBS approved me for whatever reason, but I was approved to recieve the East coast HD feed. That channel showed the whole game.

[bjornolf]

yeah, I got lucky. My first week in my new house, my local feeds were all messed up. I called and told them this, and they offered to turn on the national feeds until my local feeds cleaned up during the next download cycle. They told me to just call when my local feeds came in so I wouldn't get charged. I just never called them back. I've had all the feeds for about 3 years now, and I pay for them, but I love them!

If you want them and don't want to lie, just wait until the next big storm when service goes funny. Call up, tell them you're not getting your local channels, and tell them you REALLY want to see show "X". Ask if they could activate the national feeds so you could see it. If you're lucky, maybe they'll do it for you. I still don't understand the big deal. I can understand not letting you refuse your local feeds for the national feeds, but if you're willing to pay for them all, I don't see why you shouldn't be allowed to. It's just un-American to not allow you to PAY for a service!

[jrvcace]

Your categories for complaints (to CBS TV) need some work: I notice there is no category for sports...

There's a link in the text at the top of the form for CBS Sports.

[Lavabe]

The game was switched in my Atlanta area code of 30327 early in the second half. I thought I had pressed the wrong button on my remote. When reality set in, I was steamed......and ready to kill.

-EarlJam

Same situation in the suburbs of Atlanta. Sorry it took so long to reply to this thread. My initial reaction on the snrubchat was an expletive-laden tirade. My wife's reaction (watching downstairs) was more vocal.

Pinheads at CBS!!

Say ... what happened in the OkSt game?

WHO CARES?!!?!?!?!?!

Better leave it at that, before I start earning BANNED points.
Boos,
Lavabe

[sagegrouse]

Ususally directv gives you your local network's feed. You can request to recieve the national feeds (East Coast/West Coast), but it has to be approved from your local affiliate. I requested the national feed from all the networks near Lexington, KY because they did not offer the HD feeds through the satellite. Only CBS approved me for whatever reason, but I was approved to receive the East coast HD feed. That channel showed the whole game.

I get the national feeds for both Fox and CBS (but not ABC or NBC). Howsomever, it is the western satellite (actually it is the local feed out of LA), so it was no help on Saturday.

XM radio did pick up the Duke radio broadcast.

sagegrouse

[Richard Berg]

Living in NC, we managed to miss the 1st 10.5 minutes due to the foul fest of VPI and GaT that would never end. I was more amazed at the contrast between the production and overall quality of RayCom (VPI game) and CBS. On HighDef the Duke game was so clear I could identify anyone sitting in the 1st 10 rows at Cameron - with the VPI game, on the same tv, Goldberg had hair.

We did get the entire last 3/4 of the Duke game.

Same here in Chapel Hell. Man, was that Raycom broadcast bad; and man oh man did the game drag on forever.

[Classof06]

Kentucky resident here (but #1 "I hate UK" fan) I found it hysterical that the UK game got cut off with only a few minutes left... and to Duke nonetheless. I could practically hear the onslaught of cursing, remote control slamming and TV pounding from the big blue nation.

But karma came back to bite me in butt, as my dukies got cut off with 15 or 16 minutes left to go in the second half. I've never seen a game get pulled that quickly in place of another game - the last few minutes yes, but not the nearly the entire second half. After seeing two losses i NEEDED to see this blowout. I guess that's what i got for laughing and enjoying the UK game getting cut

EDIT: and why one station gets to broadcast all games in the tournament is ludicrous. Much rather ESPN and ABC get the coverage - at least ESPN would cover all our games

Haha, so true. They switched games down in Miami as well. When they cut off the UK game for the start of the Duke game, I specifically remember thinking "Oh, the people in the state of Kentucky will love this!". That made me think twice about getting mad when they switched from our game.

As a Duke fan, I obviously wanted to see the rest of our game. But seeing the Kansas game wasn't the end of the world. I think everyone knew Duke had the game well in hand and as soon as they switched from CIS, I went to ESPN.com and opened up a real-time score for our game. It is what it is.

[skopi]

To those who are complaining about being switched to the Oklahoma St/Kansas, I guess you are NOT college basketball fans, but just Duke fans.

CBS is of course going to play the game which keeps most of their audience interested. In the NC market and presumably in NY, they would keep the game. Otherwise, why would they keep a blow on tv when people would change the channel?

I understand the Kansas game was a great game and as someone else pointed out, a good result for Duke's seeding anyway.

CBS has 2 or 3 regional games at the same time so they can switch to a more interesting game. It is all about economics...

[Karl Beem]

To those who are complaining about being switched to the Oklahoma St/Kansas, I guess you are NOT college basketball fans, but just Duke fans.

CBS is of course going to play the game which keeps most of their audience interested. In the NC market and presumably in NY, they would keep the game. Otherwise, why would they keep a blow on tv when people would change the channel?

I understand the Kansas game was a great game and as someone else pointed out, a good result for Duke's seeding anyway.

CBS has 2 or 3 regional games at the same time so they can switch to a more interesting game. It is all about economics...

So why did they switch away from a tied UK game in the last minute? Anyway, it wasn't CBS but their affiliates. Each affiliate had its own behavior. CBS wasn't prepared to do any kind of split screen production.

[mgtr]

As others have mentioned, both ESPN and Fox are prepared for such problems, and put one of the games on another channel. CBS, if they are serious about BB, needs mores channels.

[BlueHeaven]

We got switched in Florida. Very unhappily so.

[camion]

To those who are complaining about being switched to the Oklahoma St/Kansas, I guess you are NOT college basketball fans, but just Duke fans.

CBS is of course going to play the game which keeps most of their audience interested. In the NC market and presumably in NY, they would keep the game. Otherwise, why would they keep a blow on tv when people would change the channel?

I understand the Kansas game was a great game and as someone else pointed out, a good result for Duke's seeding anyway.

CBS has 2 or 3 regional games at the same time so they can switch to a more interesting game. It is all about economics...

You guess wrong. I am a basketball fan. If I had been expecting the Kansas-Ok State game I would have been fine with it, but that's not the game I tuned in to see. They showed 24 minutes of the the scheduled game, Duke-St. John's. That's not even trying, and that was on a North Carolina station where I was watching.

I am glad however that you explained CBS's scheduling strategy because they certainly didn't. They switched with about 5 seconds notice, no warning or prep. That's amateurish.

They promised updates on the Duke-St John's game when they switched. There were none. I might have been okay with the switch if they'd actually followed through with updates. I still wanted to know how the scheduled game was going. We got nada after the switch.

The Kansas-Ok State game ran about about 15 minutes longer than the Duke-St John's game. It wasn't like they were switching over to catch an exciting ending. They essentially switched at halftime when there was no way to tell if there would be an exciting ending or not.

Finally, it's possible to win the ratings battle on a weekend and lose the war over the course of the season. If they operate in a similar fashion on other occasions they will alienate a lot of people. It's like the old saying, "Friends come and go, but enemies accumulate." You just have to really piss people off once and you've lost them.