# What do we need to invent?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-need-to-invent/1006980>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [September 9, 2024, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-need-to-invent/1006980 "2024-09-09T01:43:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 104

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**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2024, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-need-to-invent/1006980/104 "2024-09-14T00:10:27Z")

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I imagine the technology to do this has existed for a decade, but TPTB aren’t interested in implementing it:

A way to opt out of the local affiliate’s programming and watch the network’s feed. Like, my local CBS affiliate has a viewing area that’s probably 200 miles in diamter, if not bigger. That means that a town in Southwestern Illinois, 200 miles from me, could be experiencing severe weather. It’s clear skies where I am. So why should I have to watch the weather guy explain the tornado warnings in Bunghole County, Illinois, in exacting detail, when I’d rather watch _[Ghosts](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ghosts-us-season-4-general-discussion-spoilers-in-op/1005028/13)_?

Similarly, local affiliates in the two TV markets where I live have pre-empted network programming for sponsored content, [some show of local community interest or something](https://themyopeople.com/) (I really don’t get it), debates between local politicians, and (and I swear I’m not kidding) high school basketball.

Surely, the technology exists to let me kick to the network feed. The fact that I (and probably 70 percent of viewers) watch on streaming rather than cable/satellite, should simply this even further.

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