Would You Take WSEE On Your Honeymoon?

(Editor’s Note: After last week's posting about Joey Stevens doing weather highlights for a Caribbean English speaking audience, I received an email from an EMGR reader who not only told of his experience of seeing WSEE in the Caribbean but taped it and sent it to WSEE. Like many of you have experienced, it was not appreciated at 13th and Peach nor did they know how to show appreciation to a viewer.)

Jack, I’ve been a reader of your blog for awhile and when I saw your post about Joey I couldn't resist emailing you. Quick history of myself, I'm an Erie native who moved to Pittsburgh in 1998. I never expected the culture shock I had when I first watched Pittsburgh programming and then compared it to that of Erie.

Not only were the news stories of a higher standard but so was the production. The Internet took off and society became news hungry. Where to find it first? I was constantly refreshing local news outlet websites and would get the late breaking info when I wanted it.

Once in awhile I would search for Erie news so I could keep up with happenings back home. For the longest time there were no Erie sites besides goerie.com which was and still is an abomination itself.

Finally the news stations caught up with times and threw together disgusting websites all poorly coded and crammed with ads and flashy junk. They were 1/2 ass but started to serve a purpose. This always irritated me and made me thankful for what I have in Pittsburgh. 2004-5ish things turned around and the networks finally put money into a decent online experience. Finally my point of the email... I was married in October of 2005. We honeymooned in St Lucia. The first morning there my wife and I were flicking through the channels to see if there was a local forecast for the day and what do we find but WSEE in Erie.

We couldn't stop laughing from disbelief. Every day we would tune in for the simple fact that WSEE was on our honeymoon. I recorded this with my digital camera to show everyone back home.

When the trip was over and we arrived home I emailed WSEE about the experience and sent them a link to the video because I thought it was interesting. I never received a reply.
I emailed them again a few weeks later just in case my email didn't make it. I didn't even get a generic pre-written email. Nothing! nada! Months passed and I thought I'd give them one more shot.

There isn't one site that has updated scores past normal business hours and I wanted to know how Prep basketball did. I finally get someone on the phone and I'm told to watch the 11pm news. I said I couldn't since I was in Pittsburgh and the reply was "Oh, sorry... *click*" Anyways that's my random story I thought I'd share.

Thank you for the EMGR website because it has enlightened me about all of the bull that is still going on up there and glad I don't have to witness it firsthand.

Whenever I do spend the weekend back home with family I am more observant of broadcasts and your site has helped put it all into perspective. Cheers!DouglasP.S. here is the video I sent WSEE a link to:

(Editor’s Postscript: Thanks Doug for sharing your story; WSEE even hung up on you without even knowing you’re an EMGR reader. I hope you found other things to do on your honeymoon.)

"Congress passed a law on February 1, 2006, setting a final deadline for the DTV transition of February 17, 2009. Most television stations will continue broadcasting both analog and digital programming until February 17, 2009, when all analog broadcasting will stop.." FCC http://www.dtv.gov/

Tomorrow… The Desert Speaks!