I think I just got FOX turned off at the gym

[47of74]

The main room of the gym I work out at has three televisions on one wall. The left hand one had CNN on it. The middle had ESPN. And the one on the right had that open sewer known as FOX News. Ever since joining I put up with it, and would use equipment that would keep me from having to look at the channel.

Well, on election night I decided I didn't want to have to look at that channel period, nor did I want to see CNN even while I was there. I wanted my workouts to be a time when I could get away from the news media. So that night I wrote this to the member services manager at the gym;

I was wondering if I could ask a favor and get something else on the big TV screens in the main room? I am so sick and tired of the news channels right now that I would rather not have that distraction when trying to work out, especially FOX. ESPN is fine, but I'm just tired of news channels and would like to get away from them. If you can't I'll understand but I would really appreciate something different on the channels.

And this reply was waiting for me when I got home tonight;

We have to have news or sport up on the big screens. We did change the FOX to ESPN2 just to see how that goes.
Have a good evening!

Hopefully the TV that had been showing FOX will stay on ESPN2. I can live with ESPN2 on the TV there instead of FOX. The big thing was to not have to look at FOX, if CNN has to stay then that's OK.

[Matariki]

1. My old gym used to play MSNBC

that was cool.

[Rochester]

2. Has anyone tried the TV-B-GON?

Sounds like a good place to use one, if they hadn't been so cooperative. I may get one myself. Do they work for you guys?

[aquart]

3. My iPaq has Nevo, a universal remote.

It can change channels, mute...I wouldn't go anywhere without it.

[Jamastiene]

4. That would make a kickass movement.

Imagine how nice it would be to get the endless drone of FAUX Noise in every public place turned off all across the country. Even if we only got around 25% of the places that play it to turn the channel, it would be nice.

K&R

[SunsetDreams]

6. I agree, kickass indeed...we should do it.

[mahina]

10. I think we've all been doing it for years,

but agree too, we should continue.

It's a constant battle.

[Hardrada]

5. One of the TV's at our Y is almost always on Fox. They just

automatically hand me the remote when I come in to work out and I switch the TV (0ne of three) to MSNBC.

[SunsetDreams]

7. K&R great job!

[calimary]

8. I did it at my local bank branch.

I complained. I complained to the tellers. I complained to the manager on duty. I did it politely, and every time I went in.

I soon noticed that they had CNBC on all the time. I thanked the manager and told her I noticed and it was deeply appreciated. She said "we had complaints."

:evilgrin:

Hey, I'd be tempted to say most if not all of those complaints had been from little ol' me. Who cares? Doesn't matter. All the bank knew was that there were customer complaints. Nobody stopped to do any scientific analysis or customer surveys or anything - they don't have time for it anyway. And they're busy all day so they're not gonna remember who complained (nobody wrote anything down at the time), they just know they got complaints. Matters not. All that does matter is The Job Got Done.

EVERY TV that's turned OFF of Pox Noise is a victory. One TV at a time. And if you can't get it turned off in one place, go to the next place and get it done there. I don't think most proprietors are even consciously thinking about this. Pox Noise is so pervasive that it's kind of a knee-jerk reaction to turn it on by now, without even thinking (which is how people generally watch Pox Noise anyway). It hasn't occurred to many of them yet that - hey, some of our customers may actually find this offensive. Yikes! But if you plant that seed it'll grow into a beautiful TV on some OTHER channel. Besides, it lets 'em satisfy the customer, which might be a little more important to many businesses in these shitty economic times. USE YOUR CLOUT AS A CUSTOMER. Times are bad. They're lucky to have you walking in the door. They're not gonna want to piss you off.

[LawnKorn]

9. Vote on FAUX NUZ every time you walk by

[Obamanaut]

11. Every time I read one of these threads, I wonder why it is that someone

else may be denied the use of a channel he/she prefers.

Do we have the right to insist someone else NOT watch/listen to something just because we don't want to?

In the case of this OP, there were two other sets to view. Personal music equipment is now available with earbuds that we can use so we don't have to hear the offending channels.

[grace0418]

15. So if someone at the gym wants to watch a porn channel, or grisly horror movies while they

work out, everyone else is supposed to be okay with that because there are two other tvs with CNN and ESPN? I'd personally be less offended by porn at my gym than I would be by Faux News, but luckily my gym doesn't have it on.

I think people do indeed have the right to ask that something not be watched in a shared environment like the gym if they find it offensive. Most gyms also have rules about playing your personal music too loudly, or talking on your cell phone on the floor. Sure, your fellow gym members can move to another machine or turn up their own music, but why should they have to do that?

[47of74]

22. Especially grindcore.

[Obamanaut]

24. There is a world of difference between asking that a channel be

changed and using one of those devices that is "Prang! You can't see that any more because I don't want to see it!" It is a shame that people here not seeing that difference is not a surprise.

People post here about changing the channel in various waiting rooms, but they don't post in the same thread that they asked if anyone was watching it. Take out the clicker, and switch it.

There are numerous threads regarding bullying, and unilaterally switching programs because you can is that. Surprisingly, people are for this sort of bullying.

Personal listening devices at the gym I go to are exactly that - personal. They all have earbuds. There are seven teevees hanging from the ceiling in front of the area that has the treadmills, stairsteppers, etc. I have seen it where a person wanted to switch one of the teevees to a different channel, and that person asked every single member if they had an objection to the switch. Now, that is common courtesy. It is not bullying.

[ehrnst]

12. colorofchange.org has a campaign with stickers to get foxnews turned off in local businesses:

http://colorofchange.org/turnofffox/sticker/tof.html?

[maryellen99]

13. Fox News rots your brain

[watercolors]

14. I see no sense to TV in the gym, ours carry

msnbc, sports, & a local nbc channel. No one watches, we are all plugged in to our own music, don't much care for gym's music either!

[grace0418]

16. Ugh. Luckily my gym never has it playing on the floor. Occasionally someone will

turn it on in the locker room. If no one is standing there watching it, I change the channel immediately. That channel raises my blood pressure, so Fox News has no place in health club.

[kwolf68]

17. Fox News

If you were to ask me what do I HATE the most in this world I'd probably have a list like

1-War
2-Disease and Pestilance
3-Fox News
4-Murder
5-Poverty

[HopeHoops]

18. I make a point of asking, "could you please change that TV to a NEWS channel?"

The general reply is something like, "that's FOX News".

I answer, "I understand what it calls itself, but I would prefer an actual NEWS channel." If they don't comply, I'm unlikely to return and I make that clear as well - and why.

[kwolf68]

19. Ha

Whenever Fox is on I make a back handed comment and move as far away as I can.

That channel is trash and the mere thought of it sends shivers down my spine.

Goebbels would have loved Faux News.

[HopeHoops]

20. Hell, Orwell practically invented FOX Noise.

[stanwyck]

21. My gym, in Atlanta, has 24 TVs - and NO Fox!

It's wonderful. I don't have to see Sean Hannity's sneering face or Bill O'Reilly smug face while on the elliptical. I always make a point, if I'm in a business, to ask to change the channel if Fox is on -- I'm a customer, afterall, and it doesn't hurt to ask - if you're polite. My nail salon was quick to change the channel - as was my doctor's office. Why they had Fox on to begin with is a mystery.

[Dappleganger]

23. Good for you!

I liked the way you asked, it was very positive. You are a paying customer and people need a mental break too when they go work out.