How does TV work in the states then?

[Vanhalen]

Stupid question here guys, but I'd appreciate any help given, cos England is a fairly small country relativatly speaking, there is a national broadcast, which means that every station is practiacally the same wherever you live, but I understand that there is local stations in the US? And also syndication where big cable channels sell old tv programmes to smaller cable channels? And also, given that Raw seems to be always getting rapped for violence and sex language and all that shite, how come HBO can show something like the Sopranos? Or is it on at a later time? Or cut? And what is PBS? cheers for any help

[MrRant]

HBO, Showtime, Cinemax, TMC, and Starz are a pay service so they can do pretty much whatever they want since you pay an additional monthly fee (in additional to your satellite/cable bill) to view it.

 

Cable in general is unregulated by the government and that is why RAW can do things Smackdown can't and also shows like South Park and Nip/Tuck can air.

 

Local channels are generally affiliates of the 4 main networks (ABC, NBC, FOX and CBS) and air affiliate programming during the day (soaps if the network has them) and during the evening. They run whatever they want inbetween and also show local and the network news (except FOX). Some are also affiliates of the WB and UPN (smaller networks than the other 4 but are devoid of network news and usually don't have as many shows or as many nights of network programming). There are also some local independent stations that show whatever they want. These channels are all regulated by the FCC since they are broadcast networks (you can get them over the air vs cable channels (Spike TV, CNN, MTV) which you have to pay a fee for and are thus not as regulated.

 

PBS is a goverment/corporate/viewer funded network of shows (Sesame Street, wildlife shows, etc). PBS has affiliates just like the above broadcast networks.

 

Hope that helps. It's just a general rundown.

[kkktookmybabyaway]

Rant just stole my thunder, but he's right. Thanks for doing all the heavy lifting...

[MrRant]

Goddamn you for editting your post.

[Vanhalen]

I appreciate the help guys, you've helped out a lot

[razazteca]

Don't forget the late late late night informercials of Girls Gone Wild on nearly all of the cable channels that come on around 1:00-4:00 AM.

 

On the weekend PBS shows very old british sitcoms.......when I mean old I mean old actors as in their 60s+ with such "classics" as Are You Being Served and whatever Judy Drench is doing along with Dr. Who, Monty Python, My Hero.

[starvenger]

Was it wrong of me to immediately think of Willy Wonka's theory of how television works?

[LaParkaYourCar]

This reminds me that TBS picked up "Sex and the City" for syndication. How the hell are they gonna show it without serious editing?

[2GOLD]

Was it wrong of me to immediately think of Willy Wonka's theory of how television works?

 

You mean Wonkavision?

[Steve J. Rogers]

And also, given that Raw seems to be always getting rapped for violence and sex language and all that shite,

Raw gets rapped because:

 

A) Unlike Sopranos and even stuff like NYPD Blue that gets rapped, wrestling targets adolecents-mid teens demographics (hence all the video game, Greyhound bus, cheap collect call numbers, and candy commericals that run normally on either afternoon schedules or stations like Cartoon Network) hence why it gets the bad rap and

 

B) The nine o clock hour is generally considered part of "family-time" programing for some reason. Hence alot of the more ranchy stuff has happened during the ten o'clock hour or overspill time