On Thursday, Feb 11, 2010 I went to a local JCC (West Hills, CA) to have a workout at their gym. I usually start my workouts with 20-minute walk on a treadmill. There are two TV sets in the room and I usually watch one of the news channels (usually FOX, sometimes CNN) while walking on the treadmill. If when I come to the gym there are non-news channels on both TVs and no one watches one of them, I ask an attendant to change an excising channel to a news channel. And if no one watches at least one TV then attendant changes to the channel I ask.

This evening only one person was using the treadmills and he was watching sports on one of the TV sets. No one was watching another TV. There were about five people total in the room and all of them were doing different exercises and were unable, even if they would want to watch TVs. As usual I asked an attendant to switch channels to one of the news channels but this time I got a different answer. I was told that she can’t do it because the other TV was showing sports. I thought it was a technical problem and asked what happened. She told me that she got an instruction from her superiors to switch any TV to a news program only when the other TV was showing the “balancing program.” Then she went on explaining that if I want FOX, the other TV shall be switched to CNN. If I would want CNN, the other TV was suppose to be switched to FOX. Some people like FOX and some people like CNN, and we shall balance what we show to them she said. And since the other person in the room was watching sports, she will not be able to accommodate my request and switch the TV that no one was watching to a news program. Ih however I would get an agreement from the other person to switch to a news channel, then and only then she will change two TVs simultaneously to the news channels. 

She told me that this instruction came from the “top” and she with all due respect can’t help me with my request.

Now, in JCC West Hills no one can watch CNN or FOX if they will not be at the same time on both TVs. I am planning to first talk with the JCC management and will contemplate legal action if my attorney will confirm that there is a violation of my rights. Even if there is no violations of legal rights, it is ridiculous.

Leon A. Weinstein
http://leonweinstein.com/

Leon has finished one book that is subtitled “The Capitalist Guidebook”. A novel.  Information at: http://thecapitalistguidebook.com/