FOX Plans To Screw Bucs Fans In Southwest Florida
October 31st, 2014
Joe’s asking for your help
Perhaps trying to spare Bucs fans a Halloween weekend horror in Cleveland, officials at the FOX affiliate in the Fort Myers-Naples TV market will not air the Bucs-Browns game Sunday.
Despite legions of Tampa Bay faithful in their audience — the northern edge of their signal is just south of Sarasota — they have opted to show the Cardinals-Cowboys game instead.
What a travesty this is for Bucs fans in the area, and Joe is asking for your help.
Some fans living less than a 90 minute drive from downtown Tampa will be forced to alternative viewing locations.
Per Nielsen, the Fort Myers-Naples market is the 62nd-largest TV market in the country with 506,000 TV households. For reference, Buffalo is ranked 52nd.
Keep in mind Buccaneers games air live throughout the region on local sports radio.
Joe suspects the decision by FOX is all about money. November is one of the “sweeps” months for television ratings, and Joe suspects management there believes the Bucs game is a clunker when it comes to viewers. Perhaps the Bucs averaging a field goal in the first halves of games is a factor?
And it’s not like the FOX affiliate in Fort Myers isn’t aware of the Buccaneers. They’ve recently featured Earnest Graham’s work in the local community, where Graham is now a head high school football coach. They even aired a feature on the Bucs unveiling their new helmet this year.
Joe finds this shameful and is asking Bucs fans to contact station vice president/general manager Charlie Henrich, Chenrich@jrn.com, and marketing director Brent Struense, BStruense@jrn.com, to ask them to air the Bucs game on Sunday. It’s not too late to right this wrong.
October 31st, 2014 at 12:08 pm
Screw them? I call that doing them a favor.
October 31st, 2014 at 12:09 pm
They are probably happy about it. Bucs fans in Tampa probably wish they would do the same there!
October 31st, 2014 at 12:14 pm
If it is “sweeps” month than the Bucs game should be aired. Sweep is a good way to put what winn happen Sunday.
October 31st, 2014 at 12:14 pm
Wow Joe you;ve been pumping out articles left and right for the past couple of days. I see youre trying to take over this market haha. Good job bro.
October 31st, 2014 at 12:14 pm
The fans in Tampa probably wishing they could get the Dallas – Arizona game instead also. Seeing Lovie on the sidelines is enough to scare any viewer.
October 31st, 2014 at 12:16 pm
So it’s just not Lovie screwing the Bucs fans
October 31st, 2014 at 12:20 pm
Sucks for them. I’ll be watching my team get win number two.
October 31st, 2014 at 12:26 pm
Who cares about the cardinals and cowgirls over here?
Sheesh.
October 31st, 2014 at 12:28 pm
I’m consistently irritated that we always have to watch Miami games. I can’t call the kettle black now.
October 31st, 2014 at 12:32 pm
No my friends and are not happy about it. I a have been a fan since 1976. Win or lose I watch them now as I did way back when. I have emailed Fox. A couple of years ago we got them to put them back on, changing their schedule. What I cannot understand is that there are more people from Ohio here than there are in Ohio. I have direct TV and the NFL package but now I have to invite all my friends over including the ones from Ohio. Time to go buy some rot gut beer as this is all my Ohio friends deserve. Go Bucs. lol.
October 31st, 2014 at 12:32 pm
Who cares? I pay for sunday ticket and wont watch.
October 31st, 2014 at 12:33 pm
friends and I
October 31st, 2014 at 12:33 pm
sent an email. I know team is bad but dear Lord no Cowboys game! I may get upset and kick myself for watching them lose, but they are my team and always will be win (sometime soon I hope) or lose.
October 31st, 2014 at 12:35 pm
Didn’t hear you sticking up for us in Orlando when they didn’t play the Ravens game.
October 31st, 2014 at 12:36 pm
Joe’s right….no other reason to dump the Bucs game than ratings…..Its not really shameful….its business. The stations on the perimiter of coverage should have the option to carry or not carry. The home market has no choice.
If the Bucs put out a better product, this would not be a problem.
Keep in mind that these over-the-air broadcast stations are free because they rely on commercial sales to exist…..Cable, Satellite services charge and don’t have to worry as much about ratings because they have more than one revenue stream.
Just presenting the othe side.
October 31st, 2014 at 12:37 pm
Did Fox 4 offer a reason for the switch to the Dallas game? I sent a polite E-mail to the station and thanks again for putting this out there to give the SW Florida Buc fans the chance to adjust their viewing options for Sunday.
October 31st, 2014 at 12:37 pm
Actually a smart move on their part – they don’t want people turning the game off after the 1st quarter like the Ravens game.
October 31st, 2014 at 12:40 pm
Joe,
Bucs fans in Gainesville have been getting screwed all year. I haven’t seen a Bucs game since the Bucs/Steelers and that was on CBS. Fox has not shown me a game in 1 1/2 months. I’ve emailed them numerous times. Instead they give us Chicago/New England. Fox sucks.
October 31st, 2014 at 12:41 pm
It’s a definite bummer for Bucs fans to the south of here. I know there are many. The Dolphin games shown here every week for decades are bad enough. This for an all things Miami hater.
October 31st, 2014 at 12:45 pm
Off topic just to clear some things up on my end. Seeing how I’m all over this site so much.
I may type words like Tanketh for Jameth or Just Lose Baby, but come Sunday I will be rooting for my team to win. That won’t change for me. I can’t bring myself to root for them to lose, it’s just now in me.
Okay it’s off my chest.
Carry on.
October 31st, 2014 at 12:46 pm
Joe, will it be showing in Polk County?
October 31st, 2014 at 12:53 pm
All you fans complaining about not seeing the games, say thank you! You’re all being spared the putrid play of a putrid team! You’re not missing anything but heartburn and stress. I can’t give my tickets away! I tried offering them to my friends and they said, ” why would you do that to me man, I thought we were friends ?” One buddy of mine said, ” I rather go to my mother in laws house and watch her and her old lady friends play bridge.” DAMN!!!!! LOL . I much rather see the Cowboys and Cardinals game, it’s entertaining and what football is suppose to look like, unlike the CRAP that’s being played here. It’s too bad that they’re not blacking out this crap here! Wow, that’s the first time in the twenty years I’ve been a Buc fan that I am actually welcoming in blackouts. Great job Glazers!!!!
October 31st, 2014 at 12:53 pm
Disgusting! It better be on My TV (sarasota) Quick thing on Winston last night. Once again he shows he can win any game even when teams get a free pass up the middle since FSU’s center I can’t really block anyone
October 31st, 2014 at 12:55 pm
The Browns went with Brian Hoyer over Johnny Football for a reason.
Just like the Bucs will pick Mike Glennon over Jameis Winston.
October 31st, 2014 at 12:55 pm
Can ou blame them…..I feel for the affected Bucs fans…but Joe as a business man in the media biz…this is a NO Brainer
October 31st, 2014 at 1:17 pm
No love for the 1-6 bottom feeders.
October 31st, 2014 at 1:23 pm
emailed them both. I’m a Fort Myers resident. We even have a lee roy selmons restaurant here. Can’t believe it.
October 31st, 2014 at 1:31 pm
Once you are outside of your “market,” the networks don’t owe anyone anything. Shame on the fans in SWFL if they don’t raise a stink. (You’d have riots in Harrisburg and Allentown if those stations failed to show the Eagles.) And if the fans don’t complain, shame on the Bucs. This is what you get when you’re dreadful for ten years.
October 31st, 2014 at 1:33 pm
This PSA brought to you by JoeBucsFan.
October 31st, 2014 at 1:34 pm
TV stations are like all other businesses they want to increase profits for their shareholders. this is the last quarter of the calendar year. 2 months left till 2015. profits are down because only loyal bucs fans are willing to watch the blood baths in the weeks to come.
the TV station figures if they put on the cowboys they will attract more viewers and get more advertising dollars.
it is very possible the advertisers told the station management to put on a better game or they would pull out of their TV commercials.
it is always about the $$$$$$’s
October 31st, 2014 at 1:43 pm
i live in cape coral and have season tkts to the bucs(my family has 8)
fox has done this before -all i can do is email them-a lot of people from ohio live here also-sad
October 31st, 2014 at 1:48 pm
Media apathy to the hometown team is not a good sign for the longevity of the hometown team…
October 31st, 2014 at 2:15 pm
Joe,
The game isn’t blacked out, so they’ll be able to go to any bar that has the Sunday ticket and watch the Bucs play. This is not a terrible alternative for one game.
Consider during our blackouts that I live 110 miles from the stadium and due to the fact that Orlando covers my cable market that I couldn’t watch game anywhere in any sports bar within a 1 hour distance. They even blocked my internet service provider!
So cry me a river Ft. Myers. At least they don’t have to stream it through their computer while trying to dodge trojan infected plug-ins.
Go Bucs!
October 31st, 2014 at 2:16 pm
And comments like above are why the Bucs should move. A lot of fair weather fans. I have been a Bucs fan since 1976 and had to leave the area due to military/work a few years ago (my family has been in FL since 1840’s). Many a Sunday whether overseas or elsewhere in US I would love to have the Bucs game (I pay to see them now). It is great to be ticked off because they are losing but be a fan thru thick and thin. I am sure a lot of other areas would love to have the Bucs, good or bad. I appreciate them a lot more.
October 31st, 2014 at 2:46 pm
It’s called sparing the fans…
October 31st, 2014 at 2:53 pm
*yawn
October 31st, 2014 at 3:01 pm
Where is the blackout bus to Tampa???
October 31st, 2014 at 3:09 pm
Also… if you are relegated to watching the Bucs game at home on one of those sketchy websites…. download comodo dragons virtual desktop so the web viewing experience is isolated from your PC operating system. A virtual desktop runs a virtual OS in a separate window… keeping the nasty stuff somewhere else.
October 31st, 2014 at 3:14 pm
Who gives a crap? Good for them, the lucky bastards! They’ll be watching two professional teams with winning records battle it out for the top spot in the NFC.
Meanwhile, the Bucs’ faithful in Tampa will be watching another atrocious performance by this joke of a franchise. …every F**KING snap!
Being a Bucs’ fan is like being a heroin addict without the highs.
Browns win 24-10 and it won’t be that close.
Go Sucs!
October 31st, 2014 at 3:42 pm
Ok my fellow Fort Myers Bucs fans… II our letters don’t work ,see you all at Leroy Selmans Dunday . They ALWAYS have the game!
October 31st, 2014 at 3:49 pm
Maybe they could show the first half of the Dallas game and then switch over to the Bucs game? Then those fans wouldn’t have to endure the misery of such an impotent offense!
October 31st, 2014 at 3:49 pm
I would consider it a public service! Why subject innocent viewers with crap like that. At least with the alternate game, the will be treated to real entertaining football and can spend some qualiaty post game time with the dog instead of kicking it across the room. Thank you Fox-Ft. Myers
October 31st, 2014 at 4:21 pm
Figures. In the Ft Myers/Naples area, we also lose any games during the season in which there is a conflict with Dolphins broadcasts (such as in December when Miami hosts the Vikings [FOX at 1:00], while the Bucs host Green Bay [also Fox at 1:00]. And, these broadcast switches of Bucs games Fox had rights to have happened before during seasons when the Bucs were disappointing (although none I can remember since 1997). I hate it, but I can’t argue with the logic.
October 31st, 2014 at 5:01 pm
Thanks for posting this. I emailed the station. I live in SWFL and actually have had Season Tickets for a long time now – If your wondering, the 2 hour drive home has been sucking lately.
Shameful, that they freeze us out here. They call themselves “Home of the Bucs.”
October 31st, 2014 at 7:27 pm
Most Bucs fans want to watch the Bucs every game from start to finish, win or lose. That’s how I see it. If you don’t, who cares.