When the Governor talks, even OTB gets in on the act......!

If you wanted a visual illustration of the new world we live in, dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, consider this.

While Governor Andrew Cuomo's daily briefings are dutifully carried on all the usual channels (Spectrum, WNYT, WTEN, etc.), Capital District Off-Track Betting's channel (Spectrum digital channel 1250), starved for fresh programming due to the pandemic shuttering branches and various race tracks in New York and beyond, is doing their part by carrying the briefings either live or on tape delay.

SAY WHAT???

As I am writing, today's briefing was airing. If you miss any or all of it, they'll replay it later tonight, sometime around 8 pm or so, depending on whether or not they'll run a briefing from Albany County Executive Daniel McCoy first (yes, they're running those, too). What I can't figure is whether or not OTB TV is sending their own camera crew, or piggy-backing off Spectrum or one of the other stations.

For the duration, OTB TV doesn't have live harness racing, as even Saratoga Casino & Raceway has shut its doors. I think Mike Sardella may have addressed that in his weekly column for El Cheapo Media. Picking up McCoy & Cuomo's daily talks gives OTB TV some fresh programming, albeit for the short term. The live briefings interrupt programming on the network affiliates, because it is news of high importance. Since OTB is adversely affected by COVID-19, they know their customers want to know what's going on.

Look at it this way. It beats listening to and looking at the Ugly American in Chief in Washington.......