Flanagan: Iowa fans flood KCTV with complaints over storm coverage
 

Since this always seems to be a hotly debated topic this time of year...

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansas...s/14091554.htm

Local Iowa fans ready to storm TV station over decision

By JEFFREY FLANAGAN
The Kansas City Star

Predictably, Channel 5 got hit hard with complaints from upset Iowa fans who were planning to watch the Big Ten tournament final on Sunday. That game coverage was pre-empted by a block of storm-weather coverage as hail storms and tornado sightings were reported throughout the area.

Channel 5 general manager Kirk Black said that Channel 5 did not have the option Sunday of shifting the Big Ten final over to its sister station, Channel 62.

“You have to get pre-approval to do that from the network,” Black said, “and we didn’t have that. And it’s not like you can get a hold of someone on a moment’s notice on a Sunday afternoon.”

Black even had an encounter with an upset Iowa fan in the KCTV lobby on Monday.

“Let’s just say we agreed to disagree,” Black said.

Some Hawkeyes fans have suggested that Channel 5 wouldn’t have cut to the weather reports had the Kansas game been televised on CBS.

“That’s not true,” Black said. “The weather report most certainly would have taken priority. People died during this storm. It was a serious matter.”

But Black did indicate he would talk to CBS network executives to get clearance to bump the KU game this Friday over to Channel 62 if severe weather again is in the forecast.

***

NCAA Tournament lovers are in for a special treat this week: Channel 5 plans to give viewers an option of watching up to three different tournament games per time slot for the first and second rounds — that is, if you have digital cable/high definition and your cable carrier is Time Warner, Comcast, Everest or Sunflower.

In addition to Channel 5’s game, viewers can also see at least one different game on other channels (see chart).

For example, in Thursday’s opening-round games that start around 11:20 a.m., viewers will have a choice of watching Oklahoma-Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Wichita State-Seton Hall or Boston College-Pacific games.

“This is the first time we’ve ever tried this,” Black said. “We got permission from our parent company, Meredith Corp., and they said great, go ahead, we have the technology.”

Hoops fans won’t have to rely on the CBS network to pull out of games that have become less interesting — viewers can do it themselves by going to another channel. The option to pick from up to three games could please transplanted fans in Kansas City from the Big Ten, Big East, Missouri Valley, etc. — those fans now have a better chance of watching their favorite teams.

Check out www.kctv5.com for a complete schedule of the games.

***

SI.com has plopped itself firmly on the Jayhawks’ bandwagon, predicting that Kansas will make it all the way to the Final Four.

“The Jayhawks are all grown up since starting the season 3-4; going into the tournament, they’ve won 15 of their last 16. Kansas couldn’t have asked for a better draw. Judging the way the Jayhawks shut down Texas big man LaMarcus Aldridge in the Big 12 title game, they can handle the likes of Pitt’s Aaron Gray. Also, they’re far more athletic than overrated Memphis, and they’ve played a tougher schedule than both UCLA and Gonzaga. Forget about their youth and inexperience, the Jayhawks are primed to make a run all the way to Indy.”

Hmmm. Don’t they have to get past Bradley first?

***

The NCAA Selection Show on Channel 5 garnered a rating of 11, making it the most-watched sports show in Kansas City over the weekend. About 100,000 Kansas City area television homes viewed the selection show.

***

Kansas State business professor and ethics expert Diane Swanson was quoted recently as estimating that U.S. businesses lose somewhere between $400 million and $1.5 billion in production while employees fill out or check their NCAA brackets.

I always hate that this time of year, especially during may sweeps, when I'm watching the finale of one of my favorite shows and half the screen is covered with maps I couldn't care less about. I know I should care more about the welfare of others, but it's my tv time dammit.

I want to **** Katie real bad... but not bad enough to miss the game... I have OH St in the final four, and Iowa out early.

Still want geta all in KH.

If you ever met her, you probably wouldn't.

she's hot for an older broad

TV personalities wear lots of makeup.

And they're sometimes not very nice in person.

But it's been a few years and maybe what I remember isn't who she is.

Katie is a straight milf, bro... I'd knock the dust off that with a quickness.

You know it's the off season when guys are sitting in front of their computers on a basketball topic talking about fucking the weather lady. ROFL

that or your an AZ Wildcat fan.. :(

Even though there was just hail, because of the way they advertise themselves they have to have 96 hours of wall to wall coverage anytime there is a thunderclap in Kansas City

Well, actually they provide wall to wall coverage if there's a thunderclap between K-State and MU.

Do we really need all 4 broadcast networks tracking storms minute-by-minute, all freaking day long? :shrug:

Whenever I need my fix on the weather, I flip over to the Weather Channel where I get it straight without the lame comedy and bad puns.

Who was watching KCTV 5 when they went to storm coverage? Basketball fans. Do the assholes running KCTV 5 actually think those people continued to watch? Hell no. They changed to other sports, or went to a local bar to see the game.

Now, if it had been a rerun of Murder She Wrote.........

Who really gives a shit? I'll just go outside if I want to know about the weather.