Station braces for onslaught

As they are fond of chanting in Pittsburgh, "Here We Go" ... again.
WKBN Channel 27, Youngstown's CBS affiliate, is bracing for another weekend of fielding telephone calls from angry Cleveland Browns fans.
That's because CBS has decided that Channel 27 will televise the Bengals-Steelers game from Heinz Field Sunday at 1 p.m. instead of the Jaguars-Browns game.
For those who live outside of Mahoning County, this is no big deal because cable TV systems there carry more than one CBS affiliate.
But Mahoning systems provide just one, and for the second time in three weeks Browns fans won't be able to see their team.
Market changesmade by league
For years, the NFL considered Youngstown to be part of the Browns' primary market. WKBN says those days are over. The NFL now considers Youngstown to be a secondary market for the Browns and Steelers because it's midway between the two cities.
Two weeks ago, Channel 27 showed the Steelers-Ravens game instead of the Browns-Dolphins. The reason given was unusual.
Viewers were told that in a secondary market when both teams play at the same time and both are covered by CBS and one team is on the road, the NFL wants to televise the road game to protect the home team's attendance.
Got that? It had nothing to do with the fact that the Steelers game had playoff implications while the Browns and Dolphins were playing for better draft rights.
Why is the gameshown in Cleveland?
The curious part of that decision is that Cleveland's CBS affiliate -- WOIO Channel 19 -- was showing the Browns.
Which brings up the obvious question -- are there really that many ticketholders without access to WOIO who would stay home from a game they paid a lot of money to see because Channel 27 was showing the game?
The NFL must think there are many.
David Coy, WKBN general manager, says his station heard from angry fans two weeks ago and he expects to hear from them again. He doubts that "Season's Greetings" will be whistling through their lips.
Aware of the passion both sets of fans possess, Coy and WKBN can't win. He regrets telling callers two weeks ago that another Browns pre-emption this season was unlikely.
WKBN asked forBrowns, CBS said no
The NFL had other plans and this time the decision is based on some common sense.
The Steelers (7-4) trail the Bengals (8-3) by one game in the AFC North Division race. Sunday's winner has the best chance of finishing first and securing a home game for the playoffs.
In Cleveland, the Jaguars (8-3) lead the AFC race for a wild card berth. The Browns (4-7) are playing for the future.
Even the most passionate Steelers hater can't argue about which game has more impact on the postseason (not, I'm sure, that it matters to diehards). So, a hurricane of angry calls is about to be unleashed.
Although Coy requested the Jaguars/Browns game, "the people at CBS sports overruled my request.
"They asked me to justify my request for the Browns and they did reconsider," Coy said. "After much debate, it simply came down to the fact that CBS determined that the Pittsburgh vs. Cincy game was too big a game to replace with a game in Cleveland that they anticipate will not be very competitive or compelling, even for many Browns fans.
"Almost 60 percent of the national audience will be shown the Pittsburgh game this coming Sunday," Coy said.
Here's whom to callat CBS Sports
Coy understands frustrations and he has a suggestion for fans of both teams -- call CBS.
"For those that want to voice their feelings to CBS, the main phone number is (212) 975-4321 and they should ask for CBS Sports," Coy said. "They actually have people to field these calls, even on Sunday during all the NFL games."
CBS Audience Services can be reached at (212) 975-3247 or by email: audsvcs@cbs.com.
As for the rest of the season, the conflicts should be over: FOX covers the Steelers on Dec. 11 and Jan. 1 when CBS has the Browns. And they play each other on Dec. 24.
XTom Williams is a sportswriter for The Vindicator. Write to him at williams@vindy.com.