GLEE #48: Pot O' Gold

[GrayLinnorm]

We're back finally! Preempting Glee for this long after it had just come back after a FOUR month hiatus is just cruel! The worst part was that Glee wasn't even preempted for baseball but for the piece of crap show known as The X Factor, a show that I now officially hate. (Two more observations: 1) Four months without new shows is WAAAYYY too long. If July is a sweeps month, they should have new shows. 2) The Super Bowl rotates through all the networks, why can't the World Series?)

Sorry about that. Getting back to the topic: In tonight's episode another Glee Project contestant, Damian, turns up. He plays an Irish exchange student who stays with Brittany, who thinks he's a leprechaun (hence the title). Meanwhile, the second glee club starts to take shape, and two more girls from New Directions will end up joining (I know one of them, but I'm not telling; you've probably heard about it anyways).

The playlist:

Blaine and New Directions sing "Last Friday Night", originally performed by Katy Perry.

Mercedes and Santana sing "Candyman", originally performed by Christina Aguilera

Puck sings "Waiting For a Girl Like You", originally performed by Foreigner

Damian sings "Bein' Green", originally performed by Kermit the Frog

Damian sings "Take Care of Yourself", originally performed by Teddy Thompson

 

[Thunderfoot]

<SNIP> 2) The Super Bowl rotates through all the networks, why can't the World Series?)<SNIP>

Actually, Fox owns the rights to both of them. It comes down to contractual agreement, when the contract is up (for every sport) everyone bids on it until the last network is standing, the only stipulation is that non-satellite/cable users can see it. However, the public airwave broadcasting ceased during this contract, so no telling where it could end up in a few years.

OCTOBER 2021
Welcome to the SPICE channel's coverage of the World Series, brought to you by Vivid video and Trojan....

 

[Fast Learner]

However, the public airwave broadcasting ceased during this contract, so no telling where it could end up in a few years.

Are you referring to the switchover from analog to digital broadcasts? I assure you that public airwave broadcasting continues.

 

[Thunderfoot]

Are you referring to the switchover from analog to digital broadcasts? I assure you that public airwave broadcasting continues.

Yes, but digital receivers have all but disappeared in favor of purchase TV (cable, sat, etc). Yes, it is possible to receive TV without a contract purchase, it just isn't very feasible outside of large market areas.

 

[Umbran]

Yes, it is possible to receive TV without a contract purchase, it just isn't very feasible outside of large market areas.

Well, that was the case before digital broadcast as well, but I think maybe you overstate it a bit. In Columbus, OH (not what I call "large market"), you can still get 7 digital broadcast channels - NBC, ABC, CBS, Fox, CW, PBS and TBN are all available.

You can check what your reception should be like here: The Digital TV Transition: Reception Maps

And, interestingly, I know several folks who, though they have cable TV, also have an aerial for broadcast reception. The cable itself can only carry so much data - and the cable is carrying both internet and TV signals in many areas. So while they do send digital, HD content, the signal is sometimes a little squished to fit, which can yield artifacts on your HD TV. The airwaves are not so limited, which can lead to better HD picture quality.

 

[Thunderfoot]

Well, that was the case before digital broadcast as well, but I think maybe you overstate it a bit. In Columbus, OH (not what I call "large market"), you can still get 7 digital broadcast channels - NBC, ABC, CBS, Fox, CW, PBS and TBN are all available.

You can check what your reception should be like here: The Digital TV Transition: Reception Maps

And, interestingly, I know several folks who, though they have cable TV, also have an aerial for broadcast reception. The cable itself can only carry so much data - and the cable is carrying both internet and TV signals in many areas. So while they do send digital, HD content, the signal is sometimes a little squished to fit, which can yield artifacts on your HD TV. The airwaves are not so limited, which can lead to better HD picture quality.

Well, we receive the "big 4" and that's about it, our "local" PBS station isn't even carrying the same signal strength it did prior to the conversion.

And Umbran by contrast, Columbus has about 1/2 again the population (357k+) in the city proper as my whole rural area (7 counties (212k+)) when I mean small market, I mean small (my entire county is fourth largest with 18k+).

Regardless of all that - FOX, ABC, CBS, & NBC (mass market) were the only stations that were able to be awarded contracts under the old standard, if that gets dropped, then we'll see a shift in sports programming (ESPN has my vote as the one to try for it), otherwise, every playoff season becomes a time to get disappointed.

 

[GrayLinnorm]

Bad news. Glee isn't going to be on again next week because the brain trusts at Fox, not satisfied with taking their Tuesday comedies off for the kudzu called The Ecch Factor for a whole month, is doing it again! And they wonder why ratings are going down!

 

[Crothian]

Or ratings might be down because so far this season just isn't as good.

 

[Umbran]

And Umbran by contrast, Columbus has about 1/2 again the population (357k+) in the city proper as my whole rural area (7 counties (212k+)) when I mean small market, I mean small (my entire county is fourth largest with 18k+).

Yes, but as I said, poor reception in rural areas isnt' new to digital broadcasting. My undergrad school ran cable into the dorms, and just wrapped basic cable into the cost of doing business, because you could get two stations on broadcast on campus, and one of them was grainy.

A quick web search says that, as of 2008, 82% of the US is urban or suburban. So, while for you reception might be difficult, it probably isn't for most people.

Or ratings might be down because so far this season just isn't as good.

I'll admit that they seem to have lost some of their way in terms of plot and character coverage, it isn't like jerking around the schedule has ever helped the ratings on a program. They most certainly can blame some of the drop on the scheduling. So long as they recognize this internally, that's not a big deal.

 

[Fast Learner]

I know several people (me included) who have "cut the cable", no longer paying for cable TV. I get local stations through a $25 digital over-the-air tuner and watch most other stuff through Netflix, Hulu, iTunes, Amazon, network websites, etc. The digital tuner is great, super useful.

Locally we get 7 or 8 English-language non-religious channels (and another 7 or 8 Spanish-language and religious). Not too shabby for free ad-supported viewing.

(A few shows are recorded by my girlfriend on her cable company provided DVR, but we expect to be able to cut that cable within a year or so.)