Comments on: Cost of Cable Channels Should Be Known

By: Rob

Rob — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 12:53:09 +0000

$4.69 goes to ESPN from every cable bill. I’d love to know what the other stations charge

By: Jon

Jon — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 15:44:31 +0000

Schopp has always made it clear that he only likes Hockey and sometimes baseball. He clearly is bored with any other sport and doesn’t really know that much about them. That is no sin for any fan. But it is a CARDINAL sin for someone in his position. He hates the Bills, so it will be VERY frustrating for him now that he gets his marching orders from management to start talking positively of them since they now own the radio rights. Poor Mike. (And if he was good enough to work at ESPN, he would. Instead, he is an big, arrogant fish in a small, simple-minded pond.)

By: Eric

Eric — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 14:35:24 +0000

I like your take on the cable companies having to disclose the cost they pay per channel. I also think they should also have to disclose when there contracts are up the channels. If you were to switch to Direct TV now they want you to sign a 2 year agreement, but they will not disclose when there contract with MSG is up, so you might end up without MSG anyway.

By: buk

buk — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 06:54:41 +0000

I see that MSG purchased the airtime to broadcast the Sabres game here and Rochester….
Guess that would explain the constant ads trying to get us to change providers. I’m sure that many viewers are under the impression that the 2 stations did a community service and paid MSG for the right to broadcast the game…..

By: Rob

Rob — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 19:35:55 +0000

Some notes while wondering what happened to Larry Sales:

Great point on TWC and MSG. This is almost identical to the Dish dispute a few years ago. Ironic thing is they spend so much time and money trying to tell us as the end user that the other is to blame, you have to wonder how much that is costing them vs. the dollar dispute between the two of them.

It shouldn’t surprise you about Schopp and his arrogant attitude about anything not hockey or card collecting. Typical Schopp; he toned his act down in front of Sully since he knows Jerry is a big NBA guy. Some great points as well from your other responders.

Thanks for adding some radio talk as well. I always enjoyed your past columns with news and ratings specific to local radio.

By: Doug

Doug — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 18:09:37 +0000

I think Mike is just bored with his job-The young guys who havnt worked there as long will never admit to being bored with sports-Yet Mike thinks its cool to not be able to analyze football cuz its boring. I dont understand that. He takes his air time for granted and should move onto something else in life.

By: Gman

Gman — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:48:03 +0000

Mike Schopp had the chance many years ago to leave here for ESPN Radio. If he ever told his bosses there that he didn’t want to talk NBA, It would have been a long ,cold night in Bristol ,CT. For a talk show host, he has trouble always coming off as a know it all. He comes off as very arrogant. Maybe he should trade places with Sandy Beach. There he could talk about all the entertainment people he wants to. Besides, it would be a riot listening to Sandy Talkin sports.

By: Mark Scott

Mark Scott — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:56:26 +0000

Good analysis of WGR and Mike Schopp, Alan. During Bills season, I’m tuning in Schopp and the Bulldog at least four or five times a week, including their post-game Bills talk. But now, I can honestly say I haven’t gone to 550 in about a week. Indeed, I have no interest in hearing their takes on Whitney Houston and the Grammys. I’m not a big NBA fan either. But I do agree that Lin’s story is worthy of discussion on a radio station that is all sports. Granted, once the Sabres season is over, I don’t envy the WGR gang. What do you talk about? But again, I have no interest in hearing their take on pop culture, so I just don’t tune in again until the Bills pre-season begins. And I’m not alone. The radio ratings show WGR’s numbers plunge during the late spring and summer until the Bills season revs up.

Speaking of Whitney Houston, I begin here by stating I’m saddened by her death. She left us way too young. But did this deserve treatment as the top story on the NBC Nightly News on Monday evening? This was a full 48 hours after her death. There are so many more important stories that actually affect the lives of viewers that could have run first. This wasn’t a singer of the stature of a John Lennon or Elvis Presley. Maybe I need to start watching Scott Pelley on CBS. Sure, NBC could have covered the story later in the broadcast along with its recap of the Grammys. But the lead story treatment should be left to the tabloid entertainment shows that follow at 7pm.