Note: It is very likely this isn’t true. The guys over at BTVN say that although WHDH preempted half of NBC’s golf game, the network hasn’t complained to WHDH as someone who claims to know what happened says! I guess some WHDH hater acting like a troll and spreading false facts! At any rate thanks for the emails and tips, unfortunately for the rumor trolls that one won’t last long 🙂
WHDH, owned by Sunbeam TV, the same people who own WSVN if you don’t know that by now, chose to pre-empt part of NBC’s golf tournament game this weekend and instead simulcasted MSNBC coverage of Hurricane Rita at a time when everyone was finding out what the damage was after the storm. When NBC saw what WHDH did they threw a hissy fit over it because they’ve shelled so much green for this golf event and it’s costing them money.
On the btvn.net forum someone, I presume from the inside, said WHDH’s ratings during the golf game were around 1.2-2.5 down from a high of 5.8. Couple that with the seriousness of huricane Rita and it’s not hard to see why the suits at 7 decided the way they did.
Ofcourse if I were waiting for the golf game I’d be pissed too, but what WHDH did shouldn’t really be surprising considering WSVN regularly pre-empts programs to show news. Their main product is “more news than any other station” not really surprising they kibosh whatever they wish in favor of a news event as big as Rita, however redundant it’s coverage may feel to most of us
This is a tempest in a teacup caused by someone who comes to BTVN only to cause trouble by irrationally condemning WHDH when they DO cover a news story extensively, and then condemning them again when they don’t!
There is no evidence to suggest that NBC are in any way challenging WHDH’s pre-emption decision. Their anchor, Randy Price, has denied to me a knowledge of any such thing… and one would think that, as he co-anchored much of the last few days’ coverage, he would be in a prime position to know the facts of the case.
NBC threw no such hissy-fit… it is pure fabrication by someone who either: a) simply doesn’t like the way they cover news and gets their kicks by agitating WHDH viewers or b) is a disgruntled former employee.
I DO personally think it was overkill to do as they did, especially bringing Caterina and Randy in to anchor for much of Saturday… but I feel obliged to correct the story regardless.
well if Randy Price says NBC didn’t then it must be true.
I guess all the people that emailed me read BTVN 🙂
Thanks for clarifying
Whoever spread that rumor, shame on you. First of all WHDH and WSVN, 2 stations that I have heavily watched when I visit those areas are better than the O&O stations in those markets. They deserve to be number 1 and should be able to do whatever they want. The news business is about ratings and money. Without ratings you cannot make money. For WHDH it was a better decision to prempt golf for news. However that day I was watching football. Luckily FOX SPORTS online gives real-time scores so I could have gone online if KTTV-FOX 11 here in Los Angeles prempted football for Rita or any other breaking news.