Thank you for writing back to me, I appreciate it. I must take issue with the following statement:
As to this week's SNL broadcast, NBC master control messaged our local master control just before 11PM on Saturday night to tell us that SNL would be sent as 4x3 centercut on the HD service. Apparently this particular show was shot in 4x3 (not 16x9) and up converted to HD in which case you would see pillars on each side. We do not know why this was the case but that really doesn't matter as it was not available to us in 16x9.
Do you get your NBC HD feed from a different place than WHDH Channel 7 in Boston? I am lucky enough to receive NBC on both WCSH-DT and WHDH-DT. Saturday Night Live was in High Definition on WHDH. So I don't believe that SNL was shot in 4:3 and upconverted. Either someone fed you a line or you are feeding me a line. And let me state once again that I have absolutely no background in television or broadcasting. I am just an average consumer who does my own research. I will call and email TV stations around New England or around the country (and have on occastion) if it will help me figure some things out.
When I toured another television station in Portland that was having similar issues, I was invited to that TV Station to talk to them and see their setup. On their master control panel, I saw the "button" that had to be toggled to switch over their broadcast from SD to HD. Unless your setup is extremely different from theirs, I just don't understand what process you go through, for example, after the 11:00 pm news when an HD program come on (Whether it be The Tonight Show on weekdays or SNL on Saturday night).
So why exactly would WHDH have SNL in HD and WCSH would not?
You have to understand why I am, and why others are, skeptical about whether or not we are getting honest answers or the run-around. I have called WCSH on several occasions. I would have to estimate that in the past year and a half (it took me a few months after buying my HDTV to figure things out) I have called WCSH at least 25 times or more to say "Hey, you're not in HD and you are supposed to be". I tell my friends about it and they say "Oh boy, not again, tell us what happened". On one hand I get frustrated that I have to call, and on the other I feel it is my duty, for some reason. Maybe it's because a lot of people rely on my research that gets posted on my web site. When I call I am very nice and professional; I am usually questioned as to my intentions, nobody ever asks for my name or phone number, and as soon as I call, the problem is magically fixed regardless of what is perceived to be some uncontrollable issue. I usually get hung up on as fast as possible. Ask some of the folks who are there if they get phone calls about programs not being in HD when they should be. If you have an honest bunch, they will tell you the truth.
While I understand completely that your email was meant to put a fire out, all I really received was 1) an excuse that doesn't make sense, 2) somebody else to call or direct my questions to, and 3) the standard thanks for being a customer.
Of all the TV stations in Portland that I have dealt with, I must say that WCSH has been the worst in responding, and only a few minor points behind WMTW. For some reason, both Doug Finck from WPME/WPXT, and Terry Cole from WPME are supportive of my web site and the work I am doing. They are open and honest about their deficiencies and achievements and are willing to openly discuss them.
I don't think I know how to get through to you folks, I don't think I ever will. Television stations are used to answering to advertisers, not the public. Right now, there are a lot of frustrated people out there and where there is frustration, there are people looking for someone to blame. Right now, the targets are the FCC and local TV stations. That is where you come in. I have contacted the FCC and the Maine Association of Broadcasters. They were somewhat helpful but to be honest, from the public's perspective, the faces and voices of the local TV station is what the public sees first. I would think the last thing you want is a bad reputation in the eyes of the public.
I will put it right on the table. I wish that WCSH was more willing to be transparent about the transition to Digital, and the issues around High Definition. Any programming that is not a simple passthrough from NBC won't be in HD. You local news isn't in HD. And even the simple passthroughs (and let's not make them more complicated than they are, let's be honest, it is the simplest part of HD broadcasting) seem to still be difficult for your station.
I apologize if what I have written comes off too strong, but I am at my whit's end about these issues. I don't want to be slinging mud; I have better things to do. I can only hope that you take these issues more seriously than you are right now.
I know this email is long-winded but I will end with the following comment regarding this statement in your email response to me:
Please know that the conversion to digital is fraught with details, high in expense and difficult to manage as we run both analog and DT services
The details are what you pay your staff to take care of. There is no reason at all that you have to continue hour analog signal. As far as the FCC is concerned you can stop any time beginning November 15, 2008 and even earlier if you ask them (and they have said they will not refuse anybody if asked). Based on your response to me you can't possibly be all that concerned with what the public thinks so why not just pull the plug on analog and wipe that off of your to-do list. And as for the expense, digital TV and the conversion to it has been around for more than 10 years. I would think that somebody should have budgeted for some capital expenditures a long time ago. Did you think that viewers just wouldn't care, or just wouldn't notice?
Thanks for your time
No comments:
Post a Comment