NFL Network

The New England Patriots-New York Jets game last night could not be seen by anyone in Rhode Island who does not subscribe to a satellite service or who does not add the extra tier on their Cox cable system.  Fair or not?  If you live in Massachusetts and do not have a satellite dish or pay Comcast for the extra tier you were able to watch the game on the over the air WCVB channel 5.  Fair?  Let’s take a look.  In Massachusetts the NFL network will lift the local ban in a scenario such as this and allow an over the air station to show the NFL network feed. (Only if the Patriots are playing, if there not playing you won’t see any other NFL games)  Why doesn’t Rhode Island, which is closer to Boston that some parts of Massachusetts, not get this perk also?  Because RI is considered the Providence market and not Boston.  I do not feel upset for the people in RI who subscribe to cable and in order to watch the NFL network must pay the extra tier money.  Either anti up the extra $10/month for November and December, then cancel that tier, or get a satellite dish.  You have all year to plan on purchasing the extra tier and saving up the $20.

Stay away from Direct TV!

Last night about 9:00pm when I put the TV on I switched to my local providence  NBC affliate.  On the screen was a one page slate that read, not verbatem, “This channel is temporary unavailable and we are aware of this.  There is no need to call us”  Again!!!  This is beginning to be a weekly disclaimer from Direct TV.  I trhen switched to both the CBS and ABC affiliates.  Smae message.  Basically don’t call Direct TV to complain.  I then switched over to some higher channels and wooolaaa therre coming in.  Seems the only channels not coming in were the local channels.  OK, I can deal with this for now.  Come 10:oo when I put on channel 64, the Providence FOX affiliate there’s the slate again, only this time it ahs changed its wording, “To view your local channels: for abc go to channel 380 OR 382 (they don’t even tell us exactly which one!)  for CBS go to channels 384 OR 386,, etc,,, this went on for all 4 affiliates.  OK, so now that I know I can now watch the Providence news it didn’t really matter what channel it was one.  This was progress.  So I tune to channel 380 whatever and what do the great minds at Direct TV give me?  The New York FOX affiliate!!  Not Providence but the news from a city400 miles away!

I now switch to the 3 major networks which are still showing their 10-11PM prime time schedule.  The kick here is that Direct TV’s slate tells you to switch to channel 380 whatever but they don’t put that slate on all the channels that are not coming in!  Channel 10 NBC had the slate , Channels 6 and 12 did not.  Luckily I had tuned in to channel 64 earlier and knew where to find these lost channels.

11:00pm rolls around and now I want to watch the Providence news that I missed at 10:oopm.  So I eventually find channel 384 I believe which was CBS or ABC and whats on?  New York news!!   All 3 networks at 11:00pm were showing New York news!!  I’m hoping the Providence advertisers know that no one with Direct TV saw there ads last night.  Instead we got to see many New York City advertisers.

WPRI says bye to a reporter

Al Nall, a reporter for channel 12 WPRI in providence will be leaving the station.  Here is Al’s bio.
Al Nall