The No Jazz On TV Blues

Posted by Annie Whittaker on October 30, 2009

PBS
I have a great life. I’m healthy and happy and have a great family. I have food to eat, I have a home and cars to drive. I even have a television. I’m very lucky. I realize all of this…I really do.

I’m merely expressing my disappointment in an inevitability that I must have suppressed, because I had forgotten about it. Until yesterday. I didn’t realize just how disappointing it would be.

I don’t have cable or satellite television at my home.

I thought about all of you while I watched PBS Wednesday night, and as I drove to work and listened to the recap. of the game. Don’t get me wrong, I love PBS, and I probably would have watched the Botany of Desire (those scandalous tulips!) anyway and then watched the rest of the Jazz game, given the choice. But that’s the problem, I wasn’t. I didn’t listen to the game on the radio either, because it’s played on an a.m. station. And it just so happens, that particular a.m. station doesn’t get reception in my house, or in my driveway if I were to say, sit in my car and listen to the game. I suppose I could have driven around from 8:30 until 11:00 pm. It was too cold just to sit somewhere in my car. I know what you’re thinking, just go watch it at someone’s house. I will I’m sure, but it’s just not practical for 82 regular season games and then however many games in the playoffs.

No games on KJAZZ comes down to one thing. Money. Like the great Woody Guthrie wrote:

“Believe it or not you won’t find it so hot, if you ain’t got the Do Re Mi”

I realize that this was probably considered a business decision, by the powers that be, but in my business, the decisions aren’t always just based on a question of money. It’s about the relationship with my customers, it’s about providing the best service possible, it’s about the little things that money can’t buy. In the end I don’t know who the blame falls on, but I can’t be convinced that this was a good business decision for the previously stated reasons. It was a money decision pure and simple.

Well I ain’t got the Do Re Mi and lucky for me one of our Jazzbot community’s best–Linda from Idaho hooked me up with some tickets and my friend and I got to sit with her and her husband for a pre-season game. (Thanks Linda!) But as far as watching the Jazz on t.v. those days are mostly over for me.

Since the local broadcaster on channel 14 no longer plays Utah Jazz games, they should be called anything but KJZZ. In my mind from now on they are KVOID, KLACK, or KDEARTH.

But hey, I get to watch Jeopardy and reruns of Friends, so it makes up for it right?

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12 Comments

Diana Allen on October 30, 2009 said:

they also air the game on 98.7 fm. we don’t get 1320 KFAN either in our house.

Joey Parker on October 30, 2009 said:

Very well written. This makes me wonder if they thought about this decision enough. I, luckily, do have Dish Network, but Dish makes it really tough to get to and/or record stuff on FSN-Utah because they change it’s channel number constantly. It’s really annoying when it’s on that channel, and now it always is.

Annie on October 30, 2009 said:

Thanks Diana, I had forgotten about the FM broadcast.

Deb on October 30, 2009 said:

I am with you on this Annie, but you can come to my house for any game. I am not sure where you will sit since I am the only one in my famioy with cable I expect to get many visitors. But please come on down any time. I wonder if the Jazz did any research to find out how many people this keeps from being able to watch the games.

Jame on October 30, 2009 said:

I am pretty happy with the change. I live out of state and can’t get KJZZ but do get FSN with my basic cable. It’s much cheaper than having to pay for NBA TV and argue with them all year that I don’t live in the area. My Jazz games were always blacked out because they considered Montana to be in the local area….

Andy Morgan on October 30, 2009 said:

I have DISH Network and live in Logan and the folks at DISH don’t know what package I need to get the games. I’m very frustrated. I don’t mind paying $6 more or even $10, but they are telling me my area – LOGAN FREAKING UTAH – is on blackout. Anybody? Help?

Sheri on October 30, 2009 said:

I’m with ya Annie on this I miss watching Jazz games on channel 14 since I don’t have cable or satelite I once had to call my brother for my Jazz fix.

It really is a bummer.

Linda on October 31, 2009 said:

The whole thing is worse than a bummer and I agree that the name KJAZZ should not be able to be used by the station. Has anyone written to the “powers that be” to this idea and about the decisions made on finance rather than fans. If we have tickets that we can’t use this year you can bet that first choice will go to Jazzbotters!!!!

Maynard on November 01, 2009 said:

Yeah what a bummer, lucky for me I get the games, but no HD like the free HD from kjazz.

Sad thing is, this contract is for the next 10 years or something, all the way until the 2020’s. Poor Larry H would not have let that happen. He knows community first.

Damn you $!

Christie Gardiner on November 02, 2009 said:

Annie, I so feel your pain! I tried to buy the NBA Broadband thing, NOPE. I try to get the games online, NOPE. I try EVERYTHING short of actually getting Cable. Sheesh.

Lynn Corbin on November 03, 2009 said:

Welcome everyone… I brought all this up over a month ago, and I didn’t seem to get a raise out of anyone. But like I said before, I believe in Karma also, and if they want to throw away all of our support, and rake in the MONEY, I think it is already taking a toll. God Bless you Larry, but I would have thought you would have passed on some of that caring, and heart felt feelings you had for the Public…. The Basis of the Team….. Take care you all, and I just have to listen to my local news to catch a highlight, and catch the results Lynn

Nancy Mahler on November 03, 2009 said:

You’re right Maynard, Larry Miller would not have let this happen. Great blog Annie!

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