Channels & viewing

[ElaineW]

Why does Newsmax display the "Programming Will Return Shortly" every five minutes or so?  Only a brief interview is show, followed by several commercial ads and then this "Programming Will Return Shortly" screen appears.  This also happens on Lifetime Movie Favorites channel.  These are the only two channels I have experienced this on and it is VERY IRRITATING!  I am using a remote on the ROKU television and not an Iphone.

[RokuCarly · Accepted solution]

Hi @ElaineW,

A warm welcome here at the Roku Community!

Thanks for raising your playback issues with us. We'd be more than happy to assist you with this.

Please be advised that the majority of content on the Roku platform comes from streaming channels maintained and updated independently by the channel's provider. We highly suggest you contact their Customer Support directly regarding this matter. You can also contact them at 1 (800) 485-4350.

Regarding the Lifetime Movie Club, how are you accessing the channel? Is it through The Roku Channel or the standalone? In addition, are you seeing error messages/codes prompted on your screen? Kindly provide us a photo of the issue regarding this channel so that we may be able to assess this further.

We'll be looking forward to your response.

Thanks,
Carly

[ElaineW]

I contacted Newsmax customer service and was told that it was Roku that showed this blue screen as a "placeholder" in lieu of commercials.  If you don't have any commercials to run, why can't you do away with this irritating screen altogether?  You are likely to run viewers off, especially with the frequency with which this screen in displayed.  It will show only a very short segment (usually five to six minutes) and then here comes yet another blue screen.

[omeemarcy]

Perhaps if it was brought to their attention, these lapses could stop...eventually I just get tired of it and turn to another channel......this has to have an impact on their ratings.

[ElaineW]

I did bring it to their (Roku's) attention since they are the ones doing it.  They tried to tell me it was Newsmax doing it.

I started watching Newsmax on the Pluto channel and it does not have that blue screen.  Roku posts that screen as a "placeholder" for commercials.  I suggested that they stop using it if they didn't have any commercials to run.

[RokuCarly]

We apologize for the inconvenience this may have caused you, @ElaineW.

Would you mind sending us a photo/video of it for reference? We'd be more than willing to take a closer look at this, and once we have a more precise grasp of the situation, we will be able to recommend the appropriate next steps. We'll be looking forward to your response as your convenience and satisfaction are what we aim for.

Kind regards,
Carly

[ElaineW]

I do not have and Iphone (just a flip phone) so cannot take a photo to upload.  You should easily be able to see what I am referring to if you go to Newsmax on the Roku channel.  It is a blue screen with the word Newsmax in large letters with the comment "Programming will Return Shortly" below it.  It comes on every 5 or 6 minutes.

[RokuERey]

@ElaineW,

We appreciate the update about this.

In this case, we would recommend contacting the channel support team and seeing what they can suggest about it.

Please get back to us if they're able to resolve this, and we'll take it from there.

Keep us posted!

Regards,

Rey

[ElaineW · Accepted solution]

Who is the channel support team?  I've already contacted Newsmax and they said it is a Roku issue and they can't do anything about it.  Roku tells me to contact Newsmax.  I'm not contacting anyone else.  I'll continue to watch Newsmax on the Pluto channel since I don't have this problem there.