Yesterday's Cleveland Browns game was a pleasantly surprising victory over the Ravens, but as is too often the case it was an unpleasant surprise once I tuned in CBS. For the second week in a row a message from our local CBS affiliate was scrolling across the bottom of the screen stating that yesterday's game wasn't being produced in high definition by CBS. No doubt the local affiliate felt the need to scroll that across the screen to keep the complaining phone calls to their local offices to a minimum, but the complaints should still be lodged loud and clear.
Why is it, in this day and age, that CBS can't have complete HD coverage of all NFL games? Yesterday, CBS had seven NFL games under their coverage and two of them were shown in non-HD resolution. The two contests getting the shaft were Baltimore vs. Cleveland and Houston vs. Atlanta. I realize the method to CBS's madness in choosing these two games as the least popular nationally, but I don't think it is out of line to expect them to have seven NFL crews that are all capable of showing games in HD.
According to a Wikipedia entry on the topic, CBS's executive vice president of sports coverage claims that all games will be broadcast in HD by 2008 or 2009 because the network wanted to focus on building a new studio for the NFL Today pre-game show. Now, there is always a slight shadow of doubt when it comes to Wikipedia, but if the comment is true then I am incredibly disappointed in CBS. If it was truly an "either/or" type of a situation and they chose to improve the lead-in show rather than the actual subject of the lead-in show, then they need to readjust their priorities.
Article comments
1 - Ty
Go to avsforum.com and read the threads in a section called HDTV Progamming. This issue has been discussed ad nauseum.
2 - Ron S
To all at cbs,
While we appreciate " as fans " the fact that you do broadcast the NFL football games on Sunday. We would appreciate if you would refrain from doing so in the future. Your broadcasting station is stuck in the 70’s and you cannot afford to upgrade your equipment to broadcast the games in high definition.
Fox, NBC, and ESPN all broadcast the games in high-definition. Yet you only broadcast a few games in high-definition. One of the biggest games in the Nation " Pittsburgh vs. New England " is not being broadcast in High Definition.
I am not certain that I understand your situation " or care to… But I would ask that you don’t sign any additional contracts with the NFL and that you would no longer be a disservice to the NFL Community.
If you need to raise money in order to be able to afford new equipment, I would be willing to host a telethon or a televisithon and I am certain that fans would come through for you.
Sincerely,
Dissatisifed in Florida
Ron