The Golf Channel

[GoingfortheGreen]

I know we had a thread that dealt with something similar, but I really felt that this warranted a separate one.

The more I watch the Golf Channel, the more I realize how hokey of a channel they really are. Here are my major gripes:

* The channel cannot show more than one segment (approximately 5 minutes worth) before whoring themselves out to the advertisers. It’s gotten to the point that they come back on for what seems like a few minutes, then it’s back to ads!

* The selling out continues when you watch any show, whether it be Academy Live, Golf Central, etc. Leaderboard sponsored by Titliest, Business Report sponsored by Merrill Lynch, Tip of the week sponsored by Mizuno, Aerial shots sponsored by Callway, Macallan sponsoring something, etc., etc. Other big networks do this as well (ABC, NBC), but the Golf Channel has this down to an art form. To think that these guys are getting the PGA Tour in 2007 has me concerned as to whether I will have an opportunity to watch any real golf coverage…or if it will be all ads? Hell, they overly publicized some collector’s edition prints of Hoylake’s clubhouse, and this was a Golf Channel product! To think that we have to wait to see the leaderboard/results of the British Open because they decided to interview the photographer is not right.

* Their website is not that good – touting themselves as ‘Golf’s Home’ is really a shame, because there really are a lot of better alternatives.

* Enough has been said about their ‘infomercials’, so I don’t want to beat a dead horse.

Am I wrong here? Is my opinion misplaced? Should I just zip it and be grateful that we have a “24-hour” golf channel with 12 hours of ads?

[rembrandt]

I agree about the infomercials but what other choices do we have? It's the only game in town and it's the worst we have and the best we have. I just go to something else when the ads come on and try to hit the good parts.

[elivate]

I agree, it is a great channel but they are getting too fat off of the almighty advertising dollar...

[FAHooGolfs]

I agree with a lot of that. Some of the excessive advertisements / informercials I think are a result of the fact that TGC is still by and large a new station trying to really get started. Here in my area of the woods, only 1 cable company actually carries TGC still that I know of and even that is part of the premium lineup.

I'm largely optimistic that once the PGA contract gets into full swing, the channel's programming will get better and the informercials / ads will decrease to some extent. At least that's what I'm hoping.

[allin]

Maybe this is why they were able to bid on golf and get it? Are cable channels able to show more commercials per hour than over the air channels? I do think many channels have a 6 minute block of commercials at the 1/2 hour mark. Because we use these for our needs , maybe they are trying to keep you there or to prevent surfing.

[iacas]

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I hope to high heavens that TGC stops screwing over TiVo and DVR owners.

What I mean by this is that they change their scheduling (my TiVo records what it thinks is Playing Lessons from the Pros with Geoff Ogilvy, and instead I get half of What's in the Bag and Half of an infomercial), fail to include the word "Repeat" (causing my TiVo to record 14 episodes of the 19th hole per week), and fail to include descriptions of things (same thing with Grey Goose 19th Hole).

They need to fix those things. Every other channel does it.

[thehillgolfer]

yeah i've given up on the golf channel. we have it at the clubhouse and i was all excited when i started working there that i'd be able to watch it. But its boring. theres always a good movie on or i watch the jews and arabs blow each other up, much more interesting and beneficial if you ask me

[jamesduncan]

i dont have it at home, but i did sign up for the video vault on their website ($29 per year or so).

It has a surprisingly good amount of content in it, it seems.

ok sure, its in 3 inch wide format , but i watch so little TV I dont seem to mind.