Have my Rights been infringed upon?

[Rich Parsons]

My Cable recently has started to display

Pursuant to FCC Rules. The Program airing on XXXX at this time must be deleted by this cable system. This program is available on another cable channel. Please check your interactive guide, TV Guide Channel, or Local Listings for Program Schedules.

**** XXXX represents the channel call sign, which I substituted the variable, and also the message always appears in all caps, just for reference.


**** I have not been able to find anything on the net in the last 20 minutes on this. I guess I am not using the search programs right. I have found references that go back to superstations and such for Satelite in 1999 and Cable in 2000, but nothing that talks about multiple local channels, and only recently.

My concern, is if I do not like the local channel which seems to be the channel to have the duplicate being shown, and want to watch the nearby channel not the most local, but I cannot because of this deletion of programing.

Just curious if anyone can find a recent ruling explaining why it was recently just implemented, and also are my rights to view something being denied?

 

[Andrew Green]

We got a similar thing in Canada, but instead of a message like that the local station will broadcast over the non-local channels channel.

The reason has to do with advertising, local companies pay to advertise durring that show and if everyone is watching commercials from a different city it benefits none of the people paying.

 

[elder999]

Kill your television.....

 

[Andrew Green]

I did... well sort of...

Still plays dvd's and stuff but the cable got dumped as it was a waste of my money.

 

[BlackCatBonz]

i always thought it was crap when there was something on tnn in the states, but the program wouldnt be available in canada, the local cable would take over the channel for the duration of the show you wanted to watch and play something else.

 

[arnisador]

Is this a case where there are, say, two NBC channels, and one must bump the program? I get that a lot with the Indianapolis affiliate.

 

[Phoenix44]

Another possibility: There was a recent complaint about AMC airing movies that are relatively new, rather than true "classics." They were accused of breaching their contract to air mainly older, classic movies.

 

[Lisa]

i always thought it was crap when there was something on tnn in the states, but the program wouldnt be available in canada, the local cable would take over the channel for the duration of the show you wanted to watch and play something else.

Yeah, like all James Bond movies.. for what ever reason we get to watch VIP. It sucks!

 

[Rich Parsons]

Is this a case where there are, say, two NBC channels, and one must bump the program? I get that a lot with the Indianapolis affiliate.

This is exactly it. I shop more in the Detroit metro area than I do in the Local Flint Area. Yet, I cannot watch the Detroit Metro Channel, in favor for a Flint of Saginaw/Bac City Channel.

Here is the problem, Saginaw and Bay City are considered local, but I hardly ever go there, and if I do it is to go through, not to shop, and so if any commercial were important to me, they would be on the channel being blocked, that in some cases actually are closer to me.

Oh well I guess, I will have to be more diligent, and make some more phone calls to those who represent me both in the State and Federal Levels