Technical issues disrupt Oscars show for some Las Vegas viewers

Guillermo del Toro, winner of the awards for best director and best picture for "The Shape of Water," poses in the press room at the Oscars on Sunday, March 4, 2018, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

Some viewers hoping to tune into the Academy Awards in the Las Vegas Valley on Sunday night were met with “technical difficulties” in the middle of the awards, according to KTNV Channel 13, the local ABC affiliate.

“We’re aware that Channel 13 is experiencing technical difficulties,” KTNV Action News tweeted at 8:17 p.m. “Our engineers are working on fixing the issue as soon as possible.”

At 10:42 p.m., KTNV tweeted again: “The signal has been restored for those that previously couldn’t watch Channel 13. We thank you for your patience and apologize for the inconvenience.”

But it was too late for the Academy Awards, and people had already taken to Twitter to express their frustrations with missing out on the awards — and demanding the station rerun the show from the point where it left them in the dark.

Laura Packard tweeted that the signal cut out, leaving her looking at a dark screen with the ABC logo in the corner.

“What happened??” She asked in part of her tweet.

Viewer Danny Austin also weighed in: “I rarely complain about companies on Twitter, but unbelievable that KTNV cut out during the Oscars in Memoriam segment (never came back) and continue to tweet through as if thousands of customers aren’t missing out,” he tweeted.

Another user mentioned the TV station, saying, “Dude black screen for an hour? Really? Engineers stop playing with yourselves and rerun the program.”

Contact Briana Erickson at berickson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5244. Follow @brianarerick on Twitter.

It’s ok we’ll just pretend this is like the Oscars before the tv was invented.

— jadddaboyyy (@jadddaboyyy) March 5, 2018

So disappointed. Airwaves should be reliable. And why can’t we stream on the website or apps in Vegas?

— Drew Freedman (@iamlanky) March 5, 2018

What cable company can I get that doesn't have @KTNV ?

What's happening in Hollywood doesn't show in Vegas#Oscars #lostfeed #LasVegas

— Sadie (@Sadiefersure) March 5, 2018

Thank goodness for Twitter, I was losing my mind trying to figure out what happened. #signalfail during the #Oscars is beyond #foul Guess you get what you pay for, I was happy without cable. No streaming live either #bs

— TyJustChill (@DayDreamNVegas) March 5, 2018

Wow!! I even made my kid go outside to see if it was super windy out or something. We need #apologies and #answers @KTNV

— TyJustChill (@DayDreamNVegas) March 5, 2018

Dude black screen for an hour? Really? Engineers stop playing with yourselves and rerun the program.

— jadddaboyyy (@jadddaboyyy) March 5, 2018

Have to read this Las Vegas…@KTNV lost the Oscarshttps://t.co/gkiyUuH88f

— Sadie (@Sadiefersure) March 5, 2018

Are you going to do the mature thing and rebroadcast it? Probably not…coz u gotta show your pathetic news!! Wow, what a blunder…congrats, you won the award, for BEST BROADCAST……N O T !!! But, not surprised!!

— kissacazador (@kissacazador) March 5, 2018

First last year announces the wrong winner now this year no coverage at all. What screw up next year ?

— Linda Blaney (@HikingPassports) March 5, 2018