Change to the "clashing coverage" issue

[spiffyone]

This has bugged me since earlier versions of TEW:

 

Clashing coverage being an issue that rears its head even for broadcasters of completely different types.

 

I'll give the example that always rears its head with me:

 

A promotion/company owned by a media group that owns, say, commercial broadcast and cable networks will block the wrestling company it owns from signing deals with PPV companies due to "clashing coverage". Well, yes, they all cover the same areas...but they're of completely different types. The media group in this case doesn't own a PPV network, so it shouldn't block me from signing events to be aired on PPV - yet it does.

 

To give an example of how this is problematic:

 

WCW in '89 was owned by Turner Broadcasting (this was prior to Time Warner snatching up Turner). Turner Broadcasting owned TBS, which was where the Saturday Night 6:05 show aired. In TEW, Turner will block WCW from getting shows on local syndication (local channels), because each of the local channels brings up the "clashing coverage" prompt as TBS is a national superstation. This would also occur if one wanted to sign a PPV deal as well.

 

This is, obviously, a problem and not the least bit realistic, and moreover hurts growth potential for the wrestling company. To go back to WCW: Turner Broadcasting only really blocked WCW from airing on competing superstations (that is, commercial stations that aired in more than one region). They didn't block WCW from airing events on PPV providers (because, at the time, Turner Broadcasting didn't own a PPV provider). They didn't block WCW from airing on local channels/stations that only aired in one region (because those weren't really in competition with the nationally airing TBS).

 

The way it works in TEW, a company like WCW in '89 can't grow to PPV. They can't sign with local channels. They can only work with Turner Broadcasting broadcasters, which (at the time) meant either TBS or TNT. Which is all fine and good...if one wants to ignore the PPV revenue potential, or the growth potential of having syndicated shows.

 

A fix could be to only have the "clashing coverage" block prompt ONLY happen when trying to sign with a broadcaster of the exact same type.

 

So having the Saturday night 6:05 show on TBS, a broadcaster which in game would be closest to "cable commercial", would not create "clashing coverage" when trying to sign a deal with a PPV broadcaster for showing events, nor would it create a "clash" when trying to sign a deal with a terrestrial commercial broadcaster showing in a single region like, I dunno, local channel 5 that only shows in Mid-South for one of the syndicated WCW shows of the time (Worldwide and/or Pro).

[Jaysin]

This is something that has bugged me since media groups were introduced.

[Bucky Sinister]

This solution would make me very happy. I just had to scuttle a WCW game after three weeks of play because I couldn't expand my coverage the way I needed to.

 

I've been getting around it by adding stations and/or coverage areas to the Turner Broadcasting media group in the editor. Which isn't realistic, but screw it. This is essentially me playing with virtual action figures. So I might as well create situations that let me do whatever makes sense. But it would be better if I didn't have to.

[Gungner]

Couldn't agree more.

Still playing TEW 2016, but not being able to broadcast an event on PPV AND on the WWE Network is really annoying.

[Jaysin]

Couldn't agree more.

Still playing TEW 2016, but not being able to broadcast an event on PPV AND on the WWE Network is really annoying.

 

This was changed in 2020

[spiffyone]

Couldn't agree more.

Still playing TEW 2016, but not being able to broadcast an event on PPV AND on the WWE Network is really annoying.

 

As Jaysin stated, this was changed in TEW 2020 - that specific instance, btw, allowing for broadcasting on a PPV and a promotion-owned network IF the promotion is not owned by a media company. If it is...whomp whomp, unless the PPV broadcaster is also owned by the media company.

 

Otherwise, the media company will strike down the potential deal with the PPV channel.

 

This is obviously quite a problem. Especially for real world mods, whether set in the present, the past, or even an alternate "real world".