Question for Jason Evans (or anyone else...)

[Baxter the Lab]

I know Jason works in the television production business so I'm hoping he can steer me in the right direction. If anyone else can pipe in, please do so...

I missed Jason Heyward's walk-off hit today, because the telecast I was watching inexplicably went to commercial. This has been happening ALL SEASON, but this is the first time it has happened at such a big moment in the game and it peeved me off to no end.

The game was on Fox Sports South through Time Warner Cable. I frequent Braves message boards, and I haven't seen anyone else complaining, so I'm guessing it's a regional thing.

My question is whom do I direct my ire? Is it a TWC issue? Fox?

I'm completely clueless to the inner workings of television broadcasts.

I need to yell at someone.

Where do I start?

Thanks!

[JasonEvans]

The commercial you saw, was it a local spot or a national one? Can you tell the difference? My bet is that it was a local spot (one of the cheap ones that are sold by the local cable provider, not by Fox Sports South). Many local cable companies have their commercials set to run automatically on what is called a "cuetone." These happen at approx. :28 and :58 past each hour. I bet your local is running automatic cuetones and inserting their spots at an expected time that may cause problems in live sporting events.

Sorry, but you should almost certainly complain to the local cable operator.

-Jason "sucks" Evans

[Baxter the Lab]

Thanks, Jason.

I was so incensed that I didn't focus too much on the actual commercial. Thinking back, though, I'm certain that it was not local...like Fred's Salvage Yard or something. I'm thinking it was actually for TWC, itself.

Sounding more and more like one of those timed ads you mentioned. As I said before, this has happened repeatedly and the more I think about it, the more I seem to recall that it is ALWAYS two commercials---then back to the game. They never end abruptly, as if someone has realized the mistake...

One thing is for sure: I WILL take notice next time...and whoever is paying for that spot is certainly not going to achieve the desired result---at least when it comes to this consumer.

At any rate, I just wanted to do some fact-checking before I ruin some CSR's day.

If the past ten years have taught me anything, it's that the DBR off-topic board is the best place on the internet to learn about...well...anything.

Thanks again,

Baxter---fka "DevilInGreenville"

[JasonEvans]

Actually, if it was an ad for TWC (The Weather Channel, right) then it was almost certainly a local spot. Generally, a cable network will not sell commercial time to another network on its channel (the exception being channels owned by the same company-- like TBS, TNT, Turner Classic Movies, CNN, HLN and the Turner companies or like Bravo, NBC, USA, and Syfy of the NBC/Universal family). That is why you never see an NBC show like Heroes advertise on an ABC show like Lost (even though they would seem to appeal to a similar audience).

Part of it is a desire to not put money in the pockey of your rival. If USA were to buy an ad on TNT they would be funding the growth and busienss of their competition. It would be like Ford equiping all of their executives with Toyota cars.

However, the cable networks still very much want to advertise to cable viewers. They get around this by buying cuetone spots (the ones that run at :28 and 58) from local cable operators. So, TNT buys spots from the local Comcast cable provider that run on Bravo, Discovery, and VH1 (for example). By doing this, TNT reaches their desired audience but they do not give money to their rival.

All of this is a long way of explaining that it is not at all surprising that you saw an ad for The Weather Channel in the cuetone spot. It is quite common for those ads to run alongside the spot for Fred's Salvage Yard.

--Jason "your source for cable info" Evans

[YourLandlord]

Actually, if it was an ad for TWC (The Weather Channel, right) then it was almost certainly a local spot. Generally, a cable network will not sell commercial time to another network on its channel (the exception being channels owned by the same company-- like TBS, TNT, Turner Classic Movies, CNN, HLN and the Turner companies or like Bravo, NBC, USA, and Syfy of the NBC/Universal family). That is why you never see an NBC show like Heroes advertise on an ABC show like Lost (even though they would seem to appeal to a similar audience).

Part of it is a desire to not put money in the pockey of your rival. If USA were to buy an ad on TNT they would be funding the growth and busienss of their competition. It would be like Ford equiping all of their executives with Toyota cars.

However, the cable networks still very much want to advertise to cable viewers. They get around this by buying cuetone spots (the ones that run at :28 and 58) from local cable operators. So, TNT buys spots from the local Comcast cable provider that run on Bravo, Discovery, and VH1 (for example). By doing this, TNT reaches their desired audience but they do not give money to their rival.

All of this is a long way of explaining that it is not at all surprising that you saw an ad for The Weather Channel in the cuetone spot. It is quite common for those ads to run alongside the spot for Fred's Salvage Yard.

--Jason "your source for cable info" Evans

TWC = time warner cable.

[Jarhead]

Actually, if it was an ad for TWC (The Weather Channel, right) then it was almost certainly a local spot. Generally, a cable network will not sell commercial time to another network on its channel (the exception being channels owned by the same company-- like TBS, TNT, Turner Classic Movies, CNN, HLN and the Turner companies or like Bravo, NBC, USA, and Syfy of the NBC/Universal family). That is why you never see an NBC show like Heroes advertise on an ABC show like Lost (even though they would seem to appeal to a similar audience).

Part of it is a desire to not put money in the pockey of your rival. If USA were to buy an ad on TNT they would be funding the growth and busienss of their competition. It would be like Ford equiping all of their executives with Toyota cars.

However, the cable networks still very much want to advertise to cable viewers. They get around this by buying cuetone spots (the ones that run at :28 and 58) from local cable operators. So, TNT buys spots from the local Comcast cable provider that run on Bravo, Discovery, and VH1 (for example). By doing this, TNT reaches their desired audience but they do not give money to their rival.

All of this is a long way of explaining that it is not at all surprising that you saw an ad for The Weather Channel in the cuetone spot. It is quite common for those ads to run alongside the spot for Fred's Salvage Yard.

--Jason "your source for cable info" Evans

Okay, Jason, here is another one for you. If Baxter was watching a Braves game on Fox Sports South, why wasn't it shown on FSS here by TWC? Don't they know that an awful lot of Braves fans live around here in North Carolina?

[JasonEvans]

TWC = time warner cable.

My answer stays the same-- Cable operators put their own commercials in cuetones all the time. It sounds like a cuetone spot to me.

-Jason

[JasonEvans]

Okay, Jason, here is another one for you. If Baxter was watching a Braves game on Fox Sports South, why wasn't it shown on FSS here by TWC? Don't they know that an awful lot of Braves fans live around here in North Carolina?

Good question. Ask the North Carolina Fox Sports.

-Jason

[Baxter the Lab]

Jason, I understand what you're saying about the "cuetones", but something just doens't add up.

I can't help but believe that the folks at Fox---or the Atlanta Braves for that matter--would be furious to find out that Time Warner is doing this.

Who can forget the "Heidy Bowl" and NBC?

This is basically the same thing...granted on a much smaller scale.

They're preempting a major sporting event to run an ad!

How can they get away with this?!?!