Chargers Blackout Lifted (Nov 29, 2008)

I listened to KOGO, KLSD, XX Sports, and other AM stations for news whether the local blackout has been lifted or not, but no station reported on it at all.

When I got home, I went to the chargers.com website and found out that Fox 5 (UHF 69, DT 19) purchased the remaining tickets so that it can show the Atlanta Falcons vs. San Diego game at 1pm on Sunday.

The game will be seen on Fox 11 in Los Angeles. KTTV, the Fox station, was also subject to blackout since the NFL considers Orange county a San Diego suburb to the Chargers for some reason.

Whichever network (CBS or Fox) gets to broadcast the games depends on the visiting team in the venue. Since the Falcons are an NFC team, and Fox has the NFC games, then it will air the Chargers games. CBS has the AFC games including the Chargers games except when an NFC team visits the AFC team.

Likewise, CBS broadcasts all of the visiting AFC teams including NFC hosted games (Chargers at Atlanta, for example.) Charger games normally air on CBS, but other networks that have the NFL broadcast rights (NBC's Sunday Night Football, ESPN Monday Night Football, NFL Network packages) are given the games by the NFL based on fan interest in the teams based on last year's records.

This Thursday, the Raiders are visiting San Diego for a division showdown broadcast on the NFL Network. Fox 5 is scheduled to air the game for the San Diego market providing that it's a likely sellout by Monday at 5pm. A station near or in Oakland should air the Raiders in that market with no problem.

The Chargers are 4-7 while the Broncos are 6-5 after 12 weeks. Oddly enough, it's possible that a team could win the division with a losing record like 7-9 or 6-10. The Chargers best could be 9-7 after the end of the 17th week, or 4-12 for that matter. The Raiders are not out of the division race at 3-8.

The Wires (Nov 29, 2008)

Telegraph U.K.: WiFi internet radios, which allow people to listen to nearly 10,000 different stations from around the world, are set to become one of the Christmas must-have presents, with sales doubling in the last three months.

If It's 12:01am The Day After Thanksgiving Day... (November 28, 2008)

NOW you can run holiday-themed ads on radio, TV, newspapers, internet, billboards. Go nuts! I'll look forward to that much hype and commercialism when the Equimas Shopping Season begins on February 28, 2009. Enjoy your holiday season.

The Wires (Nov 28, 2008)

ZDNet: With the rise of “next generation” television; on-demand and downloadable broadcasts, the future for the television is looking questionable, in whether this 80 year old invention can sustain the lead over it’s 30 year old little sister, the Internet.

The Wires (Nov 27, 2008)

TV Tech: Doug Lung’s RF Report: Cable Should Carry PSIP. In my opinion, cable companies should be required to pass along or, if necessary, repackage at least some of the critical PSIP information transmitted by broadcasters.

TV Tech: NFL Follows NBA into HD 3D Realm. In the past two years, the NBA has used the same technology to air basketball games.

TV Tech: 62 Stations Plan Early December Analog Shutoff Tests. The tests are planned for Washington, New York, Los Angeles, Hartford and Dallas-Fort Worth Dec. 2-4.

Radio World: Is Sirius XM Living on Borrowed Time? IT writer calls it 'an obsolete way to deliver sound.'

Multichannel: Survey: HDTV sets now in more than one-third of U.S. homes.

Broadcasting and Cable: Senate Passes DTV Nightlight Bill. A DTV nighlight bill, which would allow broadcasters to continue an analog signal for 30 days past the Feb. 17, 2009 cut-off date, passed the Senate by unanimous consent Thursday, according to the office of its sponsor, Sen. Jay Rockefeller.

Hawaii TV Ends Analog Early. FCC launches Web site dedicated to Hawaii's early transition to DTV on January 15.

Multichannel: Vermont Senator Wants Low-Cost Cable. Bill Would Require Operators to Provide Local TV Signals at a Discount. Sen. Bernard Sanders (I-Vt.) is about to introduce legislation that would require cable operators to provide local TV signals at a reduced cost indefinitely to people who lose over-the-air TV service as a result of the digital transition next February.

Inside Music Media: Can more consolidation save radio? That's what Cumulus CEO Lew Dickey thinks -- only the strong will survive. That's funny when you differentiate the strong from the weak by calling a $3 stock price strong.

Radio Ink: N.Y. Times: 'Can Radio Save Itself?' The New York Times' Stephanie Clifford asks whether radio can save itself in the face of declining revenues, which continue to fall even as listenership rises.

The Wires (Nov 26, 2008)

Inside Music Media: The labels are mere shadows of their former selves. CD sales have declined all but one year since 2000. Napster (the real Napster, the rogue Napster) has come and gone and changed the landscape for record sales. Free is the new price for music with a generation junior to Axl Rose. Radio is whimpering out as a major factor in selling music.

Top 5 Headlines Of The Week (Nov 17-23, 2008)

5. AMA Awards Air With All Forgettable Music Acts!

4. Miley Cyrus Celebrates Sweet 16 on TV

3. Gasoline Sells for Below $2 a Gallon.

2. Alyssa Milano Meets and Greets at Qualcomm.

1. Chargers LOSE Again!

Guess XETV Doesn't Like Being a CW Affilliate (Nov 25, 2008)

Not sure how far down the ratings tanked for XETV since they lost the Fox affilliation in August. The fare on the cable networks beat anything the CW has to offer anyway. XETV might have been better off picking up reruns of 60s and 70s shows and let the CW be a cable only station.

The Wires (Nov 25, 2008)

Star Telegram: Satellite Radio merged their programming so that subscribers to either service would get the same channels. And I’m loving it. I’ve had both services since they began because I despise what is on "terrestrial" radio. The repetition of hit songs, the shrill and repetitive talk shows and the lack of rich variety is depressing. Worse, the average FM station airs 23 minutes of commercials an hour between the mindless "morning zoo" blabbing and the stale hot hits.

From radioandrecords: 'Half Of Radio Companies Will Be Gone In 36 Months,' Forecasts Dickey. Cumulus Media CEO Lew Dickey is calling for some pretty rough weather in Radioland. "I think there's going to be a pretty big shakeout and I think that half the companies in business today will be gone within 36 months," Dickey told the Atlanta Business Chronicle

KZSD Shuts Down, Goes Digital Sidechannel on KGTV-DT (Nov 24, 2008)

"KZSD, Azteca America in analog low powered channel 41 from Poway, has been turned off. I'm not able to watch it at work, here in Poway. The channel ID is now showing "Cable 15, channel 10.15" every hour. Azteca America then is now broadcasting in digital only."

XHAS Authorized To Broadcast Digitally (Nov 24, 2008)

"The SCT from Mexico already authorized XHAS to broadcast in digital. The page of XHAS in wikipedia already says it broadcasts digitally on channel 34.1, however I don't see anything on the channel yet. Do anybody is available to watch it? I live in P.B. If XHAS starts broadcasting in digital, it wouldn't be a bad idea, if they include KBNT in the subchannel. Both, XHAS & KBNT are managed by Entravision. Also, Univision in Los Angeles broadcasts on channel 34 in analog, and will be broadcasting digital on that channel after 02/17/09. I think they will need to change their channel in TJ, to avoid interference with KMEX."

KSDX to Move to Channel 9 (Nov 24, 2008)

http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/tvq?list=0&facid=168576