Why No Network TV on Cruises ?

[Boytjie]

The TV shows on the airplanes I've been on have not been 'live' broadcasts. They are recorded (just like the movies shown) and not received by the plane via satellite.

 

On JetBlue it is live.

[Pam in CA]

HAL has a contract with MTN to provide satellite reception. Different satellites carry different channels and programming. Some networks, such as CNN International pay to be broadcast on most satellites. They pay to be broadcast so to them, it's a financial decision. Most US networks choose not to pay to be broadcast. Since they make their money from advertising, and because of the complication of paying SAG rates if an ad is broadcast, they are not making any money from being broadcast.

 

I've taken a cruise from Sydney to LA, and as we sailed across the Pacific, we got CNN International, CNN US, and Fox News. Never any other US network. At times we got all three, sometimes just one. I was on a HAL cruise once at the Captain and Staff Q&A and this question came up. I've sort of paraphrased the Captain's answer. It all comes down to money but the surprise wasn't whether HAL would broadcast but rather, it was a decision by the networks themselves and the complication of advertising revenues and SAG payments.

 

For special events, a cruiseline will arrange a broadcast but it's per show/event and they pay something like $10,000/ship to do it.

[Pam in CA]

On JetBlue it is live.

A plane flying across the US can pick up a broadcast signal from the ground. Put that same plane 1,000 miles out over the ocean and I'll guarantee it won't get a live broadcast signal without special equipment. :)

[kjw869]

On JetBlue it is live.

 

That's right. When a Jet Blue aircraft had trouble with the front landing gear and had to make an emergency landing in LA, the passengers watched it live on DirecTV.

 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9430871/ns/us_news-life/

[donaldsc]

He told me it was a satelite issue. He added that they are adding Fox News as of Dec 1st. He said that we won't always get Fox News due to satelite problems. ]

 

I guess that this addition is a good reason to drop HAL from my cruise list.

 

DON

[creatinepower]

I think there is so much fun while travelling in cruise ship that there is not enough time even to watch TV it doesn't matter if there is no TV, But for a luxurious cruise there should be no missings, the small issues like this can easily be solved through a small satellite link....by the way i love travelling on cruise ships thats my kind of board really liked it....

:D:D

[BruceMuzz]

The FCC in the USA, as well as many international organizations, will not allow international carriers like ships and airplanes to receive network broadcast signals over the air and then re-broadcast them to paying passengers. It is strictly illegal and carries very stiff fines for anyone caught doing it.

They can only do it legally by purchasing very expensive satellite decoding licenses and downloading the programming via satellite.

 

Many Americans will be surprised to learn that most people outside the USA have very little interest in US Domestic news and American College Football games.

 

The companies that operate these extremely expensive communications satellites must choose to carry television programming that will make money for them. Most of the many millions of people who live under the PanAmerican Satellite that services the bulk of the Caribbean speak either French or Spanish, and they really enjoy watching Soccer, Auto Racing, and Golf. They also want to receive news from the Caribbean area.

 

So if the satellite operator wants to make a profit and stay in business, he will carry television channels that appeal to the millions of people in that area.

When the cruise ships sailing in the Caribbean connect to a satellite for television, it is hardly surprising that most of the programming will be in Spanish, and most of the sports and news will be local.

 

We know that most American cruise passengers speak two languages; English and English louder.

When a cruise ship sails outside the USA, they will usually have access to several different satellites. With careful picking and choosing they can usually find CNN International (not domestic) in English, the BBC (International and English of course), and very rarely Fox News.

That's it. There is not enough interest in US Network programming outside the USA for the US networks to spend many millions of dollars to broadcast it abroad.

And there is not enough interest in US Network programming outside the USA for the Satellite operators to spend many millions of dollars to carry it abroad.

 

Special events can be carried by satellite if there is enough interest (and enough money) to make it worthwhile.

The Superbowl is a perfect example.

Most satellites will carry the Superbowl every year - for a price.

 

My ship will pay around US$45,000 this year to carry the 3 hour broadcast.

And even then we do not get to see the commercials.

[igraf]

No, we are not that surprised and many of us do speak a foreign language. Many Americans are either immigrants or first generation of immigrants. Also, remember that you are on a forum with people who travel extensively.

 

igraf

 

 

 

 

BruceMuzz

... Many Americans will be surprised to learn that most people outside the USA have very little interest in US Domestic news and American College Football games....We know that most American cruise passengers speak two languages; English and English louder. [END QUOTE]

[world~citizen]

...there is not enough interest in US Network programming outside the USA for the Satellite operators to spend many millions of dollars to carry it abroad.

 

True.

 

And there is not much interest in overseas programming to make it worthwhile in North America.

 

I wish it were not so.

[igraf]

For those of you who are interested, the following link will display a PowerPoint presentation on how satellite signals are received on aircraft and ships. A "FOG" is a fiber optic gyroscope.

 

http://phx.corporate-ir.net/External.File?item=UGFyZW50SUQ9Njk5NjN8Q2hpbGRJRD0tMXxUeXBlPTM=&t=1

 

igraf

[jtl513]

We know that most American cruise passengers speak two languages; English and English louder.

And there is not much interest in overseas programming to make it worthwhile in North America.

 

I wish it were not so.

 

A major cause of this is that the US is geographically isolated from all countries except Mexico, Canada, Cuba, Bermuda, and the Bahamas, and a great many Americans simply don't care about the rest of the world, or their languages.

I once lived in a suburb of St Louis MO. Across the street lived a couple who had never crossed the Mississippi river to Illinois, and had no interest in ever doing so! To these people, it would be unthinkable to get a passport (I know that's another pet peeve of yours BruceMuzz) and leave the country for any reason other than being in the military and ordered to do so.

Of course they're an extreme case, and would never be on a cruise ship, but a great many cruisers also don't feel the need to know another language, because nearly everywhere they go in the world today it's very easy to find people who will speak English to them, particularly people in the under 40 year-old bracket.

Sad, but I don't see the situation changing much in the future either.

[bepsf]

I once lived in a suburb of St Louis MO. Across the street lived a couple who had never crossed the Mississippi river to Illinois, and had no interest in ever doing so! To these people, it would be unthinkable to get a passport (I know that's another pet peeve of yours BruceMuzz) and leave the country for any reason other than being in the military and ordered to do so.

 

Indeed - While I was in the USAF and stationed in Tokyo, I knew people who would never venture off base because "Nobody speaks English", "They don't take dollars", etc, etc...

 

I rather agree w/ the other person's post - What's the point of traveling abroad if all you want to do is sit and watch Faux News and UnReality shows?

[Palmetto Lady]

On our recent (Sept-Oct) HAL cruise from San Diego to Hawaii and French Polynesia and back, we had Fox News for the entire voyage. We only received CNN when we were in proximity to the continental US and Hawaii. Since this was during the run-up to the election, we were wishing for more CNN. We are both political centrists so we really got tired of hearing just Fox and the same commentators day after day. Yes, we also turned the TV off and read lots of books.

[jtl513]

I rather agree w/ the other person's post - What's the point of traveling abroad if all you want to do is sit and watch Faux News and UnReality shows?

As I said before, about the only time we have our cabin TV on is when we're changing clothes. Having ABC/CBS/NBC available wouldn't change that. Occasionally we'll watch something like the crew show, or some other repeat entertainment, but that's about it.

 

I don't understand people who cruise but don't get off in ports. My DD's in-laws never get off the ship until debarkation. :eek: Unless there's something specific on-board you want to do (spa, for example) or you're leery of getting off (in Jamaica, for example) there must be something on shore to see or do even if you've been there a dozen times before. Maybe there's something new since the last time. If nothing else, have an interesting beer, since you can't get much on board, or eat some local food. :)

[peaches from georgia]

When we lived in NC and owned a business in Greensboro we had an employee in her 60s who had never been to Winston-Salem, 25 miles away on interstate. I asked her why they just didn't drive over some Sunday afternoon and her answer was, "Why would we?".

 

Just as much a mystery to me are cruisers, and there are many who post on CC, who want everything just like home- same food, same tv, won't try new things or new foods even on the ship much less local to where they are visiting, and have little interest in exploring the countries or islands they visit. My thought is always 'why do they travel'?

[cruz chic]

I don't understand people who cruise but don't get off in ports. My DD's in-laws never get off the ship until debarkation. :eek: Unless there's something specific on-board you want to do (spa, for example) or you're leery of getting off (in Jamaica, for example) there must be something on shore to see or do even if you've been there a dozen times before. Maybe there's something new since the last time. If nothing else, have an interesting beer, since you can't get much on board. :)

I don't understand that either. To be honest I didn't think Jamaica was that bad. I've been much more scared in other places I've been.

[bepsf]

As I said before, about the only time we have our cabin TV on is when we're changing clothes. Having ABC/CBS/NBC available wouldn't change that. Occasionally we'll watch something like the crew show, or some other repeat entertainment, but that's about it.

 

 

Indeed - Although I do admit to being laid up in the cabin with a headcold one day on the Eastbound leg of our Hawaii Cruise...

...there was an interesting Dutch Reality/Cooking series which took place aboard a Westerdam cruise in the Caribbean (it had been videotaped and replayed during our cruise) - I thought it was an interesting thing to watch while I rested in bed that day.

[jtl513]

I don't understand that either. To be honest I didn't think Jamaica was that bad. I've been much more scared in other places I've been.

I'm glad to hear that. We'll be going on a HAL excursion in Montego Bay in 10 days. I figure if we stay in the middle of the pack of people, or up near the guide, we'll be reasonably safe! :)

[cruz chic]

I'm glad to hear that. We'll be going on a HAL excursion in Montego Bay in 10 days. I figure if we stay in the middle of the pack of people, or up near the guide, we'll be reasonably safe! :)

I actually did an independent tour there.....something I don't normally do. The vendors in Jamaica are VERY agressive but I never felt unsafe....just a little irratated. I thought Cartegena was much more scary.

[jtl513]

I thought Cartegena was much more scary.

I've heard others say that too ... but we felt perfectly comfortable there. :) (HAL excursion again)

[Randyk47]

Indeed - While I was in the USAF and stationed in Tokyo, I knew people who would never venture off base because "Nobody speaks English", "They don't take dollars", etc, etc...

 

I rather agree w/ the other person's post - What's the point of traveling abroad if all you want to do is sit and watch Faux News and UnReality shows?

 

Same in Germany. We used to call them "barracks rats" or "quarters rats" if they were there with their families. They were miserable from the day they got in country until the day they left. Often their vacations were to go back to the US. I was amazed how many of them had never been outside of the American community much less visited any of Germany or the surrounding countries.

[Palmetto Lady]

On our last cruise, San Diego to San Diego, we has 17 sea days! We got off at every port.

[VermeulT]

I will first off admit that I haven't read through all 3 pages of this thread... but most of the comments talk about costs...

 

I work in the TV industry so I want to clarify some things....

 

Sure there is a cost - but it is probably not the cost as much as rights.

The feeds shown on board are local to whatever region you are in - for the Caribbean you are watching any network's "latin america" feed... one indication is that most of the commercial content is in Spanish and the phone numbers are international not US numbers. Plus, the program schedule does not match the US schedule.

 

Legal rights to programs for most networks do not automatically include the Caribbean. TNT might license Law & Order for example, for the continental US only. So while you will watch TNT on the Eurodam in the Caribbean - it's not the same channel playing on your TV set at home. Same goes for ESPN, CNN, etc. This is not the FCC's rule - it's basic legal contracting.

 

The broadcast networks do not have full feeds outside of the US. They do sell their programming to international networks so you might still see NFL on NBC - but you're not really watching NBC network (I hope that makes sense).

 

Because most people do not cruise to watch TV - the cruise lines buy a smattering of channels that fulfill the basic needs - a kids channel (last week we had Boomerang), a basic programming channel (TNT), a news channel (CNN) and a sports channel (ESPN). They also have several in house movie channels playing 2 movies per day per channel that rotate. And yes - during special sporting seasons - they will bring in whatever other channels to provide the programming.

 

Also - the cruise line is probably not buying the channels from DirecTV or another satellite company. They do individual deals with each network and take a feed directly (basically each ship is it's own cable company).

[Boytjie]

A plane flying across the US can pick up a broadcast signal from the ground. Put that same plane 1,000 miles out over the ocean and I'll guarantee it won't get a live broadcast signal without special equipment. :)

 

JetBlue gets their signals with DirectTV via satellite.

[DMAB]

There is no "if". There is no hardware cost. The only thing that is stopping network TV from being on HAL ships tomorrow is the license costs.

 

US Network TV won't necessarily (it probably isn't) broadcast from the same satellites as the feed that the cruise ship tracks now so it would be an additional expense for the ships to be able to track another satellite.

 

Also, satellite transmissions target an area. If you aren't near the US, reception of satellites transmitting the domestic US networks would be a problem.

 

Some US based networks such as CNN and Faux news do have satellite feeds that cover other countries but that is only because they broadcast from satellites that have coverage in those countries.