I am not a trained seal

[73 LeBaron]

So I'm watching "The Beatles On Record," a history of how John, Paul, George, and Ringo leaned how to make records and moved beyond live performance to the multi-track, multi-take creations that drove them offstage and, eventually apart. Not a bad way to spend a Sunday afternoon; it was on History, formerly the History Channel.

Comes now a promo for something called "BBQ Pitmasters" on TLC and I'm thinking "that's interesting, I suspect I'll watch that" . . .

But I won't.

Maybe I've got my knickers in a twist about nothing at all, but at the end of the promo, at the perfect opportunity to say "Tuesdays at 8:00" or whatever, I was instructed to check tlc.com for air times.

Nuh-huh. Won't happen.

In their greed to get that web hit (which is the standard now, apparently, for media sucess) they've made sure that I will not see (and possibly respond) to any of the commercials that will run in that show.

Now I've made my living off advertising since 1973, and I'll admit it's been thin since Clear Channel cut me loose in March, but this is overkill. Don't waste my time with a website when you can tell me straight out when the program airs. I might use tvguide.com to plan my watching, and if something in the show catches my eye, I might visit their website, but forcing me to hit the website just to see when the show comes on?

Nope. I can live without it.

[Clowns to the left of me]

Huh. I've seen the ad for BBQ Pitmasters once, but didn't catch the plug for the website. I'm totally with you on this.

I may use a show's website to follow up on something I saw on the show, but I won't visit just to find air times. If they want me to jump through hoops to watch their show, they don't need me as a viewer.

[Portia]

Oftentimes just Googling for it will put the info you need in the result w/o having to open the page.

Like so:

Shows A-Z - bbq pit masters on tlc | TheFutonCritic.com
BBQ PIT MASTERS (TLC). BROADCAST HISTORY: 12/3/09 - ??? STATUS: new this winter (yet to premiere). TIME SLOT: thursdays from 10:00 PM-11:00 PM EST ...

[Roo]

I thought they did that because it's a national commercial and the show might air at different times across the country or not in your part of the country at all.

I remember checking the website once when I saw a commercial like that, and the show didn't even air in my area at all.

Seems like an odd way to get a web click. What if the viewer doesn't have access to the web? They've lost a viewer for sure.

[Salambo]

Huh. Advertisers are seriously underestimating my laziness.

[73 LeBaron]

Originally Posted by Roo

I thought they did that because it's a national commercial and the show might air at different times across the country or not in your part of the country at all.

I remember checking the website once when I saw a commercial like that, and the show didn't even air in my area at all.

Seems like an odd way to get a web click. What if the viewer doesn't have access to the web? They've lost a viewer for sure.

The "different times/different locations" thing would be true if it were PBS or a syndicated show like "Oprah" that airs in the timeslot of the station's choosing, but there is only one TLC sattelite feed* so it would be sensible to just say "Thursday at 10:00/9:00 central" or whatever.

They just want a click so they can bill their advertisers for another site visit.

Not from me, though.

*Maybe there's a West Coast feed, but I don't know about it.

[Taur]

Zap2it is my preference for TV scheduling. You can click on the shows to get episode details and find out when repeat showings are scheduled. Searchable=happymaking.

[Victor Frankenstein]

This is the reason I have a TiVo type thing.

I just search for it. If it is in the upcoming schedule I record it. If I record it and watch it I forward through the commercials.

I win!