WRAL.com: Raleigh, Durham, Fayetteville

WRAL.com: Raleigh, Durham, Fayetteville

2013_04_Weather_Alert_App

Log in to WRAL.com with one click using your favorite social network:

OR

Log in using your WRAL.com account:

Register with WRAL.com using your favorite social network:

OR

Register for a WRAL.com account using our web form.

2:03 p.m. • 5-19-13

Weather Forecast for Raleigh

Mon: Thunderstorm.
- Hi: 76° F
Tue: Thunderstorm.
- Hi: 81° F
Wed: Partly Cloudy.
- Hi: 86° F

Other Locations

Doppler Image

Steve Hammel will join WRAL-TV as vice president and general manager on Nov. 10, 2008.

From the General Manager

WRAL-TV Vice President & General Manager Steve Hammel addresses your questions and other community concerns.

Site Search

print friendly

Basketball & CBS Prime Time

By Steve Hammel

Posted: January 11, 2010
Updated: January 12, 2010

On Tuesday (Jan. 12), WRAL-TV will be airing the Maryland at Wake Forest ACC basketball game from 8 p.m. until at least 10 p.m. This is the first of many ACC games we have contractually agreed to air on WRAL-TV with our partners at Raycom Sports.

So now the question is: Where do we put the very popular shows "NCIS" and "NCIS: LA"? For years, we have aired the pre-empted shows overnight so people with DVRs or VCRs could record them. There have been two problems with that: some people don't have either means of recording AND many of you simply have told us you want to watch the program sooner.

As an experiment, we will air the programs in their original time periods on our digital channel, WRAL-dot-2 (over-the-air on 5.2 or Time Warner Cable 256). This, unfortunately, means those of you with basic cable or satellite will temporarily miss the shows. Once CBS makes the shows available online, you can watch them on WRAL.com.

There truly is no perfect solution (and no, we can't air the CBS programs on both WRAL.2 and overnight – we can only air them once).

This is where you come into play. I'd like to know what you prefer. We'll be faced with this decision again throughout the basketball season and in other situations. We'd appreciate your feedback. Your vote will help us make future programming decisions that serve the majority of our viewers. Please voice your preference in the poll below.

What should WRAL do with CBS shows that are pre-empted?

Show Results • Disclaimer

We welcome your feedback on this and any other matter!

By the way, "The Good Wife" will be seen in its entirety following the conclusion of the Maryland-Wake Forest game.

Copyright 2011 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Read More Posts from this Blog

WRAL is home to ACC basketball tournament Posted: March 11
Battle of the Blues, 'Survivor' scheduled for same time slot Posted: February 7
NC State, Duke rematch airs on WRAL-TV Posted: February 4

87 Comments

WRAL.com welcomes your comments on this story. All comments are moderated prior to publication based on our posting guidelines. Please review them prior to posting and if your message is not approved.

This story is closed for comments. Comments on WRAL.com news stories are accepted and moderated between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Monday through Friday.

page 1 \| 2 \| 3
<prev	next>

sort order: oldest first | newest first

Have looked forward all week to seeing a new episode of our favorite show NCIS and with satelite I guess we will miss it now and not even have a chance to DVR. As the poll shows this is not a popular decision. Disappointed Viewer!

gizmoballoons2
January 12, 2010 12:34 p.m.

Hey Spoon, How are you getting CBS Greensboro?

mulecitybabe
January 12, 2010 12:31 p.m.

There is a simple solution. Look at the poll. More than half of the responses need to record it in the overnight hours. This is yet another decision to inconvenience the many for the wants of a few. WRAL's pre-emptive practices have always been questionable. The network should step in. Shame on you - again - WRAL!

kbrennan
January 12, 2010 12:23 p.m.

I have fallen on hard times, the ONLY entertainment in my life is the few hour of TV viewing in the evenings, NCIS shows are a few hours of enjoyment. The ACC does not give me that. WRAL another in a long line of taking something away. I won't be watching, maybe WRAL should take a moment to think about the regular viewers, before they loose them

pappybigtuna1
January 12, 2010 11:21 a.m.

I have direct TV, so digital TV will not help me. However, CBS - Greensboro will be showing NCIS at 8 so I'll be watching them!!!!

Spoon
January 12, 2010 11:04 a.m.

Since the world of prime time TV is more reruns than first time showings, I say keep the sports on which is not reruns. Before next September the opportunity will be there to see a missed show again.

tdoughtie2
January 12, 2010 10:27 a.m.

Several points:

1. I agree with Deep Thought on the waiver issue. My parents have tried for years to get the CBS/WRAL waiver and have been denied. 2. Show the basketball on the digital channels. I know this is an ACC game, contract with Raycom, etc . . . Are there regulations against showing the game on satellite/cable during the overnight??

3. This IS CBS's #1 rated show ...

LMRA
January 12, 2010 9:31 a.m.

Well, I do have TWC and a DVR so really, I can either record it over night or watch it on 5.2. Doesnt' matter to me as long as whatever option the station choses in the future is well advertised. I happened upon a blog on GOLO yesterday and that is the only reason I even thought to check my DVR last night to make sure I could set it to record. I have NCIS and most of my favorite shows set up to "record series" so I don't have to go in and set it each week. Without some advertisement, I will miss the shows if they broadcast on 5.2. Thanks for the effort WRAL. I appreciate being able to watch my programs on TV and not the computer.

HappyGirl08
January 12, 2010 9:06 a.m.

75% of voters would like it on overnite....

Change your "experiment" now please!!! I want to sit in my recliner and watch NCIS on the big TV - not in my desk chair at my computer!!

rchamp99
January 12, 2010 8:53 a.m.

I'll agree with others - why not put the games on 5.2, and leave the 5.1 schedule alone? Or broadcast the games early in the morning instead? The problem I have with moving the shows is that WRAL rarely broadcasts the shows during the advertised time slot. In other words, I've had my cable box record during the advertised early morning time slot, but they start the show 10-30 minutes late, which means I've missed the ending, which negates watching at all.

The worst is when they have games "before" regularly scheduled primetime, then the game runs over, and you miss the show because you record (for example) 8-9:00, but the show is now airing at 8:45-9:45. To get Cold Case, we have to record a 3 hour block every Sunday, which eats up a HUGE chunk of DVR space.

And to kennywalters: yes, this is a contractual obligation, but both parties involved in the contract had to agree to it in the first place. If WRAL decided not to preempt in the first place, we wouldn't have this issue.

-Enter Screen Name-
January 12, 2010 8:18 a.m.

The quality is the biggest issue here. Because there is an archaic contract in existence that places another activity in the time slot of regular programming, the quality sought toward the regular programming is lost. While the debate can be entertained from side to side for eternity as to the desired programming to place in which slot, to ensure that the highest quality is ALWAYS places should be paramount objective, and in this case it was not, fulfilling contract was.

twidgetman
January 11, 2010 5:50 p.m.

Tell you what - I wouldn't mind it being on 5.2 - if you can do both streams in HD at a satisfactory level of quality !

scooperhsd
January 11, 2010 5:35 p.m.

I see the top ad on several wral.com pages is for AT&T U-verse.... and that they're left off the survey list. (U-verse is like satellite-- they don't deliver the subchannels.)

The only winners in this conundrum are basketball fans. Everyone else has to make a sacrifice, and at least there are options for watching the CBS shows. Get out those government-sponsored set-top boxes!

dipswich
January 11, 2010 5:23 p.m.

Not enough choices on the Poll - I have satellite, yet I watch most Network programming OTA.

Since it is available in HD - I MUCH prefer overnight so I can get it in HD . I work evenings so recording it at normal time or overnight doesn't make too much difference to me - I just want it in HD (and I know what time to set my recorder).

scooperhsd
January 11, 2010 5:22 p.m.

I agree with the idea to let sports have their own channel, that WRAL 2 or the digital channels. Does the contact with Raycon specify that they must be on the WRAL broadcast channel.

Move Raycon to some other channel.

Deep Thought
January 11, 2010 5:07 p.m.

Like I care about their contractual obligations. I want to see my show when it is supposed to air. Stuff like this and those presidential addresses can be aired over night. I am so tired of all these crazy schedules! I have been looking forward to the NCIS shows all week and now I can't watch them? I enjoy basketball, but either a more regular scheduling of games or their own channel makes more sense, like those who have commented before have stated. NOT FAIR. I am now off my soap box. :-)

NCST8Gal
January 11, 2010 5:03 p.m.

A couple of things:

For everyone crying about it being basketball and interrupting NCIS etc. Please re-read where he says it is a "contractual obligation". In other words, for WRAL to be the local provider of Raycom's ACC b-ball broadcasts, they're beholden to Raycom to also broadcast the Raycom games that do not involve Duke, UNC, or NCSU as well. WRAL has been on that contract for over 30 years so this isn't exactly new.

Secondly, the reason why they only do this for basketball is that Raycom football broadcasts are at 12 noon Saturdays as games are not played all during the week (not counting the occasional Thursday night game which is an ESPN national telecast anyway).

As to when the programming is being aired, there is no good way for WRAL to do it unfortunately. Not everyone has DVR and can record the programs nor does everyone have access to WRAL's digital channels as well.

kennywalters
January 11, 2010 4:41 p.m.

I think Smalldogsrule has the best option, get rid of the basketball game altogether. I understand that there are people who would want to see this game, and that there are people who would want to watch ANY game, but that's no reason to drop regular programming, so go with SDR's proposal and add the option to the poll to lose the basketball!

twidgetman
January 11, 2010 4:32 p.m.

I am not against basketball or any sports being shown. It would be great if WRAL had its own sports channel so people could watch programs and the regularly scheduled time. I know this is probably not feasible in these economic times so there is no great solution for everyone. If I miss something I will just forget TV and watch the internet. I feel that if channels keep making people mad they will eventually watch everything on the computer. Might want to consider that.

kebsmom
January 11, 2010 4:30 p.m.

From the looks of your survey, 74% want them aired over night and not moved. But you left out the option of leaving the programs where they are and moving or eliminating basketball all together.

Come on, if it isn't being broadcast by the network, why are you showing it at all.

smalldogsrule
January 11, 2010 4:26 p.m.

I agree. I don't get the digital channels either since I have satellite. So I would much rather they be played late night so my DVR will still record them both. And according to the poll, it looks like most people feel the same way as we all do. So far the majority have satellite and want the shows to be shown later overnight.

10hummingbirds
January 11, 2010 4:20 p.m.

I agree with hp277. I am an ACC fan and do enjoy watching the games but also don't want to miss any regular programming.

kimberlyflee
January 11, 2010 4:17 p.m.

Thanks for the explanation and the chance to vote which gives the impressions that the viewer's opinions matter. Maybe they do but if you really do care why not let satellite viewers have a wavier to be able to receive WFMY-TV from Greensboro?

Are there so many viewers that have requested waviers that you're afraid they'd watch the other CBS broadcaster more than your channel? If there are very few viewers requesting waivers, why not let us have them?

Deep Thought
January 11, 2010 4:15 p.m.

How about moving Basket ball to 5.2. Or maybe, just show the playoffs. They are local schools, if people want to see them that bad, GO TO THE GAME.

I have ALWAYS had a problem with the basketball garbage around here. 30 years of constant hooha over a bunch of boys playing a GAME. Learn something and then do something useful with your life.

smalldogsrule
January 11, 2010 4:13 p.m.

We've dealt with this sort of thing in the past because this is a basketball area and it's understood. But the idea that WRAL is not showing network programming for an out of area game (Maryland/Wake Forest) while showing network programming in that particular area (Greensboro) just doesn't make sense. Additionally, the idea of eliminating the #1 show from being viewed AT ALL should be met with punishment from the network. Finally, in the past when WRAL has preempted the network programming for basketball (the only network to do so, and the only sport that they perform such an action toward as well) the normal programming would be shown after the late night programming. Those of us with DVR's wouldn't have to make any changes the system would recognize the change and the following day all would be normal!

twidgetman
January 11, 2010 4:10 p.m.

Too bad you can't put basketball on one of the other digital channels and leave the CBS programming alone. But I will watch online when it becomes available.

blytle
January 11, 2010 3:25 p.m.

I really don't like your decision here. I always record both NCIS and watch later in HD - dealing with the kids occupies me during this time slot. I have satellite and cannot get your alternative channels.

After all, we're not talking about some dumb dancing with semi-famous people show being pre-empted. NCIS is rated #1, right? Is it too late to change you minds on this?

hp277
January 11, 2010 3:08 p.m.

page 1 \| 2 \| 3
<prev	next>

sort order: oldest first | newest first

Multimedia Spotlight

Photo Spotlight

2013 Honda Civic lx $229mo $0 Due at Signing

2013 Nissan Sentra s $189mo $0 down

Buy a New Car & Be Eligible to Win Free iPad Mini!

Kids Eat Free Every Sunday at Dickey's Barbecue

Maximize your workout for 29.95