Don't Blame the WPT

  Recently there has been some media carping about the World Poker Tour's move from the Travel Channel to the GSN network. Now before we get into the actual complaints, let's address the question of whether or not the Travel Channel was the right television home for a show like the WPT. Considering how many shows they have about ghosts, aliens, ancient civilizations, and Sasquatch it seems like they are actively courting the history nerd/tin foil hat aficionados more than the poker enthusiast. The move to a network where the focus is mainly on games simply makes sense for Vince Van Patten and company.  The problem with the move to GSN is that it actually will cost a lot of people money. Most basic cable packages do not include this particular offering. This means that a segment of the WPT fan base will not be able to follow the show to GSN without bumping up their cable costs by at least nine dollars per month. Most folks won't pay extra per month just to watch one show.  The extra fee to watch their favorite tournament enraged a number of people to the point where they were ready to burn their TV Guides in a manner reminiscent of a time when whole bunches of shrill, unattractive women burned their bras in protest of men who didn't like shrill, unattractive women. In this particular case, anger at the WPT is a waste of energy.  The dirty little secret here is that the WPT had no choice but to switch networks. The Travel Channel didn't pick up the option on the show, and will presumably use that time slot to air shows about the search for the Skunk Ape or a living Gigantipithicus. If the WPT did not switch networks, the world would be deprived of watching Layla Kayleigh filling out a designer gown in ways nobody on the show "The View" could even dream of (except for Elizabeth Hasselbeck).  So yes, there is anger out there about the switch, but to be mad at the WPT is senseless. Those who want to be grumpy about the rate hike they will have to absorb so they can watch their favorite show should be ticked off at their cable provider for offering channels bulked into "plans" instead of giving customers the option of choosing the items on a menu.