When network news doesn’t get it
As an avid St. Louis Cardinals fan, I was thrilled to hear the news that our ace starting pitcher, Adam Wainwright, had been signed for a huge five-year contract. One of our local television stations, KSDK, advertised on Twitter that the press conference regarding the Wainwright contract would be showing at 9:00 am Central time.
When I read this news on Twitter, I happened to be drinking a coffee and getting ready to head into the office. I was sitting on my couch and the remote was a foot away. I thought to myself, “You know what? I am actually going to turn on the television, put on Channel Five, and watch this dang press conference on the T.V. instead of on the internet.”
I tried to do just that — but all I found on the T.V. station was a morning show starring Al Roker joking about celebrities I was barely familiar with. As the clock ticked towards nine, I assumed that the local press conference would be starting any minute.
Of course it didn’t, and at 9:05 or later I gave up and turned the T.V. off. I didn’t know how the press conference was aired, and still have no idea. I could have watched it on my phone easily, I’m sure, but chose not to and was subsequently disappointed (and maybe even punished for it). As a consumer, I had absolutely no idea how to get the news I was interested in on the television.
So maybe you’re reading this thinking, “Geez, Andy sure is spoiled!” Or maybe you’re not, and you’ve had an experience like this before. Why do things like network television sometimes operate in a way that’s completely opaque and confusing to the viewer? Your guess is as good as mine.
