BREAKING: No Station Wide Disruption at Channel 3000, Here Is What Matters for Viewers’ Rights
Channel 3000, the digital arm of WISC TV in Madison, is operating normally today. I can confirm there is no station wide outage or platform failure. The noise you may be hearing is coming from two familiar sources, app frustration and confusion after earlier transmitter work that has already been resolved. Here is what is real, and what it means for your rights.
What is actually happening today
Channel 3000 continues to publish local news, weather, and public safety updates. TV broadcasts are on air. The website and app may still feel clunky for some, with autoplay videos, slow pages, or occasional crashes. Those are user experience issues, not a new system failure. There is no current emergency or blackout tied to the station.
There is no confirmed station wide outage today. Isolated app or browser issues do not equal a platform failure.
Why the confusion keeps popping up
When a handful of users hit the same glitch in a short window, it can look bigger than it is. Earlier this year, some over the air viewers lost reception during transmitter upgrades. The station instructed viewers to rescan tuners, and service returned. The memory of that disruption lingers. Add steady complaints about intrusive ads and autoplay, and small pockets of frustration can feel like a bigger crisis.
I am watching for true service events, like dead air or a sustained site failure. That is not what is happening today.
The legal and civic frame
Local broadcasters carry legal duties that matter for you. Knowing them helps you push for fixes the right way.
FCC rules and signal changes
WISC TV must keep an online public inspection file and follow Federal Communications Commission rules. Significant technical changes, like transmitter work, trigger clear notice duties. If you lost signal again, you can document dates, times, antenna type, and location, then ask the station for engineering help. You can also file a brief note with the FCC if the issue persists.
Advertising, tracking, and fair dealing
Aggressive ads and autoplay are annoying. They are not illegal on their own. But deceptive design, hidden charges, or misleading claims can raise issues under the Wisconsin Deceptive Trade Practices Act. If a stream promises one thing and delivers another, save screenshots, record the time, and request a remedy. If the app shares data in ways that are not disclosed, that is a privacy problem that deserves a written complaint to the company, the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, and, in some cases, the FTC.
Accessibility and emergency alerts
Closed captions on TV are not optional, they are required. Online video captions are also expected for news, especially for live and emergency content. The station must also relay Emergency Alert System messages without delay. If captions are missing or garbled, note the program, time, and platform, then report it. Accessibility is not a courtesy, it is a right.
What you should do right now
If you are having trouble, take simple steps that create a clean record and help you get help fast.
- For TV, rescan your tuner, then log date, time, and location if the problem remains.
- For web or app issues, clear cache, try a second device, and capture screenshots of errors or loud ads.
- Report problems to the station’s engineering contact and the general manager, then follow up in writing.
- Escalate persistent issues, captions or EAS failures, to the FCC or state consumer protection.
Keep your notes short. Date, time, device, browser, what you clicked, and what went wrong. Attach screenshots. That gets action.
How to tell a real outage from a false alarm
Real outages look the same to many people at once, on different devices and networks. They last longer than a few minutes and affect both TV and digital. False alarms come from one browser, one ISP, or one app version, and they come and go.
If you are unsure, check another device, another browser, and your TV antenna or cable box. If the station is posting fresh stories and the TV broadcast is steady, the problem is likely local to you.
Never share your passwords or payment details with anyone who claims they can fix a streaming issue. Real support will not ask for that.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is Channel 3000 down today
A: No. Publishing and broadcast operations are normal. Some users may still see app or site hiccups.
Q: I lost WISC TV on my antenna. What now
A: Rescan your tuner. If that fails, note your location and antenna type, then contact the station’s engineering team and the FCC if needed.
Q: Are loud or autoplaying ads illegal
A: Not usually. If the ads are deceptive or violate disclosed settings, you can file a consumer complaint under Wisconsin law.
Q: Do I have a right to captions on news videos
A: Yes for TV, and online news should provide accessible captions, especially for live or emergency content.
Q: Who owns Channel 3000
A: Channel 3000 is the digital news brand of WISC TV, owned by Morgan Murphy Media.
The bottom line
No station wide failure today. The signal is on, the site is publishing, and the app is usable, even if imperfect. Keep your notes, assert your rights, and report real problems to the people who must fix them. When viewers speak clearly, the law and policy back them up.
