Send in the public relations department

Thank goodness for the good PR people at my employer. They put out a press release detailing something I think is a big deal.

If you live in Manitoba or west of there, and use Shaw Cable to get your TV, your listings for APTN are three hours off. We give them a western feed, they refuse to use it.

This is where I would start a nasty rant, but seeing as I am employed by said broadcaster, and work in news, it isn't very professional for me to go off like nuts.

Our PR department put out a press release, and as they are the one paid to speak for the network, here is what they had to say:

APTN ADVISORY:
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT REGARDING THE APTN BROADCAST
SIGNAL AND SCHEDULING IN THE WESTERN PROVINCES

Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) would like to alert its viewers in the
western provinces to recent changes in service delivery which may be causing
discrepancies with posted scheduling information.

On October 2, 2006, APTN launched a third dedicated broadcast feed to better
accommodate its viewers in the western provinces. The new time-delayed west feed
(based on Pacific Time rather than Eastern Time) was implemented by APTN to ensure
that its programming is seen at appropriate times across the country. This enhancement also facilitated the planned addition of unique programming, more relevant to viewers in the western region.

APTN has made every reasonable effort to inform cable and satellite providers serving
the western provinces of these enhancements and has made numerous requests that
they discontinue use of the APTN East signal and instead provide the more appropriate
APTN West signal to viewers situated west of the Manitoba/Saskatchewan border.

Although some cable providers have accommodated this request, unfortunately, Shaw
Communications, the company that is accountable to APTN’s principal western viewers
stated that as of April, 2008 it would switch all of its systems to the APTN East Feed,effectively discontinuing the West Feed service that it had started to carry in some of its markets.

Because the APTN West feed is the appropriate feed for the western provinces,
scheduling information is distributed to service providers, on-line and print publications BASED ON THE WEST FEED. This has resulted in a three-hour discrepancy in
scheduling information for viewers in the west who are currently receiving the incorrect East broadcast signal.

APTN regrets any inconvenience to affected viewers and encourages them to contact
their cable/satellite provider directly if they are currently experiencing these scheduling issues. Viewers are also encouraged to obtain updated scheduling information directly from the APTN website.