[BC] Regarding Interruptions

[Milton R. Holladay Jr.]

Obviously, Congress should enact legislation requiring all weather events to
occur on a prearranged, known  timetable so that broadcasters could arrange
their program schedules and avoid all this hassle. (Since they can amend the
laws of physics via the FCC, this should be a snap for them.)
M
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Barry Mishkind" <barry at oldradio.com>
To: "Broadcasters' Mailing List" <broadcast at radiolists.net>
Sent: Friday, December 29, 2006 12:42 PM
Subject: Re: [BC] Regarding Interruptions


>
>          I think perhaps a 30 second interruption
>          would not be inappropriate, perhaps
>          even a little longer in a "re-run" - although
>          how do you know it is not the "first time"
>          someone is seeing that episode?
>
>          Although the network is going to take the
>          time from the program rather than the
>          commercial schedule, you would think
>          the net could "make up the time" with
>          a time compression box.
>
>          The problem with the interruption that
>          started most of this thread is that, in
>          the case of ABC, they never returned to
>          the program at all.  (Well, there was
>          ONE WORD uttered by a character between
>          the end of the News Brief of almost a half
>          an hour and the local news here - a very
>          poor switch.)
>
>          Those who were not watching live, but
>          recording on a VCR or DVR, came home
>          to half a program.
>
>          (For the record, now that many of us are
>          accustomed to recording programs for
>          later viewing, it is equally, if not moreso -
>          infuriating during a "first run" episode
>          when they "run over" into the next
>          time slot. Again, you are left with
>          no ending....   I've seen this happen a
>          number of times. It bespeaks of poor
>          communication between news and
>          entertainment. And, perhaps some
>          arrogance ...  A large number of
>          viewers no longer arrange their lives
>          around sitting during prime time.)
>
>          Finally, for the record: we have become
>          too erratic in this country regarding
>          weather. Weather happens. Each and
>          every front that comes through is not
>          the storm of the century, and should
>          not be "played" as if it is.