'Lost' fans: Set your DVR correctly for the replay

CLEVELAND - Cleveland area fans of ABC's "Lost" need to make sure their DVR devices are properly set to record the replay of the show's finale Thursday morning.

ABC is allowing WEWS-TV to re-air the finale after technical problems disrupted Sunday night's broadcast for most viewers.

The finale will air in its entirety at 1:06 a.m. Thursday morning immediately following the Jimmy Kimmel show. To make the experience the best as possible for viewers, WEWS will not air any local commercials during this replay --- only network breaks will be seen. The broadcast will run 2 hours 15 minutes long, so you should make sure your DVR or other recording device is set to record at least until 3:30 a.m.

The network replay will still air Saturday with limited commercial interruption, followed by the Jimmy Kimmel Lost special that aired after the finale Sunday.

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Here is the explanation of what happened, according to WEWS-TV Vice President and General Manager Sam Rosenwasser:

One of the most-anticipated nights of ABC entertainment programming this year was scheduled for Sunday night, which means last night was the worst possible time for a technical problem… but that’s exactly what we experienced.

The equipment involved in last night’s problem was important hardware – it takes the ABC signal and makes it possible for our viewers to receive it in high-definition on their digital cable tiers. We believed that we had equipment and back-up systems in place to ensure an uninterrupted signal, but we learned the hard way that we were wrong.

I know you are uninterested in technical explanations; all you really care about is that you weren’t able to watch much-anticipated programming.

As a fan of the show and as the guy who runs this station, I’m angrier about this problem than you are (And believe me, I have an inbox that proves just how angry our viewers are). Here’s what I can tell you at this point:

• Engineers worked around the clock to diagnose the problem. We identified the source of the interference early this morning and we’re correcting it with new equipment.
•  Channel 5 will re-broadcast the “Lost” finale this Saturday (May 29th).
•  I am working with ABC to try to re-air the episode even before this coming weekend.
• ·You can click here to watch the entire episode online at your convenience.

But none of these remedies address the fact that many of our viewers planned a special night of viewing and were let down by this station. I just took over WEWS a few weeks ago determined to reward our viewers for their loyalty, and last night’s equipment problems add urgency to my mission.

Please accept my heartfelt apology for the inconvenience caused by our failed equipment, and know that I’m doing everything I can to make it up to our fans of “Lost.”

Sam Rosenwasser
WEWS Vice President/General Manager
 

You can watch the final episode online through ABC's website:
Episode 616: The Final Journey
Episode 617: The End