News, Weather and Sports

When CNN and The Weather Channel started, they carried the news and the weather.  I could count on turning on The Weather Channel, and getting updated information about what was happening weather wise across the country, which meant, eventually, and not too long into the viewing cycle, in my part of the world.  I could count on CNN to carry breaking news, if news was breaking, and repeat stories (ad infinitum and ad nauseum)

Well, then things changed.  CNN developed specialty segments. The Weather Channel developed entertainment shows that are weather related, so now I cannot count on getting a weather report when I turn on The Weather Channel.

ESPN, on the other hand, started off doing things like re-broadcasting recent sporting events and old sporting events, as well as having lots of sports commentaries.  ESPN has actually improved its programming by not only having sporting events but current talk shows about current sporting events. So every viewer can become a well educated commentator about sports.  However, there are lots of hours  of the broadcasting day that ESPN programming is really inferior, not interesting or exciting, and just filling space.

I went surfing the other day, and looked at the expanded High Definition line-up to which I would have access if I increased my cable coverage to that tier of service. I found nothing in the High Definition line-up that enticed me more than what was already available to me.  I am convinced I have more television access than I know what to do with, especially because I live alone, and usually only watch one show at a time.

Sometimes, I admit, I have a different show on each TV.  Other times, I flip back and forth while sitting in front of one TV set.

And, I admit that I use the TV to watch weather and sports a great deal more than I watch news.  In fact, unless I am following a particular story, I usually avoid the news.  It is too depressing.  I am not uninformed about the world:  I access 3 newspapers daily, on line. The Weather Channel provides breaking news, which I do appreciate.  And, I get the local newspaper hard copy.  I have thought about actually only getting the online version of the local newspaper, but I use it as lining under the cat pans and cat food dishes.  Maybe $120 a year is expensive for cat liners. But it is easily cleaned.  I could invest in expensive mats, which, once they are soiled, are never as good as they are when they are brand new.  With newspaper, I can have fresh liners whenever I choose to replace them.   So, I suppose it is worth the cost to not only get the hard copy, local events information, word games, and cat liners.