DirecTV loses Olympics closing ceremonies

Twitter has erupted with DirecTV customers in Los Angeles who want the last minutes of their Olympics. But no. Those I've spotted sputtering about their blank TVs include KTLA reporter Eric Spillman, LA Observed's Bob Timmermann, radio reporter Michael Linder andf the LAT's Nicole Sperling.

Gives me a good segue to Ellen Alperstein's post at Native Intelligence about Time Warner Cable ruining her Olympics date the other night.

The cable went out at 7:50, 10 minutes before my nightly prime-time Olympics fix. "One moment please," read the message on the otherwise black screen. "This channel should be available shortly." Like the addict I am, my heart started racing, my breathing turned shallow, my skin went clammy.

There was no relief from Olympics withdrawal. Not even a digital stream--Time Warner Cable provides (or doesn't) my Internet as well as TV service.

The moment turned into 30 futile minutes on the phone with the TWC customer disservice agent who confirmed that I was SOL on all Olympic fronts; that it was a problem on my end; that the earliest service appointment was Monday, the day after the closing ceremonies.

Instead of a world record in the women's 400m, my hot date Friday night was a book about a guy dying of cancer. My prospects for watching the rest of the Olympics seemed terminal.

Find out how it turned out for Ellen: Read.

Update LOL: Tweet from Guy Adams, who became a celebrity media critic during these Olympics: "Swear to God, if someone gives me the mobile telephone number of the CEO of Direct TV I will bloody well tweet it ." Also this follow up: "How, America? How do you put up with third world broadcasting organisations run by such total clowns?"