Really basic question that every single American can answer

[Max Veteran]

If somethings on TV in the US, and its on at Monday 9/8c, what does that mean?

[I8PP]

Mondays 9PM Eastern time, 8PM Central time.

edit: north america is split up into 6 timezones starting from the east, Newfoundland (-3.5 GMT), Atlantic (-4), Eastern (-5), Central (-6), Mountain (-7), Pacific (-8).

Edited October 5, 2008 by I8PP

[+Mud W1ggle Subscriber²]

If somethings on TV in the US, and its on at Monday 9/8c, what does that mean?

Its the two different timezones in the US

9 (eastern?) and 8 Central

[lsquare]

Why don't they ever list PST/PDT? I recall when I was much younger and at that time, I never understood what 9/8C meant until someone explained it to me.

[metal_dragen Veteran]

Why don't they ever list PST/PDT? I recall when I was much younger and at that time, I never understood what 9/8C meant until someone explained it to me.

Because the show would be shown at the same time as eastern time - if it's a prime time show, it's shown at 9PM in the eastern timezone and 9PM in the pacific timezone (they wouldn't show it at the same "time" as that would be 6PM PST when it's 9PM EST). Usually only live events (sports, concerts, political events) are shown at the same "time" across the US.

[roadgeek9]

Usually only live events (sports, concerts, political events) are shown at the same "time" across the US.

Or, they are on a "tape delay."

[John S. Veteran]

There are 9 time zones in the US:

From East To West, These Zones Are:

Eastern Standard Time (EST; GMT−5; Zone R), which comprises roughly the states on the Atlantic coast plus some other areas away from both the Gulf of Mexico and the Mississippi River.

Central Standard Time (CST; GMT−6; Zone S), which comprises roughly the states on the Mississippi River plus nearly a full state further west.

Mountain Standard Time (MST; GMT−7; Zone T), which comprises roughly the states that include the Continental Divide and Rocky Mountains plus much of the Great Basin and the watershed of the Colorado River.

Pacific Standard Time (PST; GMT−8; Zone U), which comprises roughly the states on the Pacific coast, plus Nevada.

Zones used in states beyond the contiguous USA

Alaska Standard Time (AKST; GMT−9; Zone V), which comprises most of the state of Alaska.

Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time (or unofficially Hawaii Standard Time) (HST; GMT−10; zone W), which includes Hawaii and most of the length of the Aleutian Islands chain (west of 169?30'W).

Zones outside the United States:

Atlantic Standard Time> (AST, GMT−4, Zone Q), which comprises Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Samoa Standard Time> (GMT−11, Zone X), which comprises American Samoa.

Chamorro Standard Time> (GMT+10, Zone K), which comprises Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands.

[Cormier6083]

WOO! Central time FTW n00bs!

[Rob2687]

I wonder what it's like living right near the boundary between timezones.

And that map is outdated. Indiana now observes daylight saving time.

[kylejn]

The continental United States spans four time zones: Eastern, Central, Mountain, and Pacific. When a TV show is advertised as airing at 9/8c, that means that it will air at 9 in the Eastern time zone and 8 in the Central time zone. However, for the Pacific time zone, it would air at 9, meaning it would air three hours after the initial broadcast in the rest of the country. Mountain time kind of goes both ways, though, as I understand it.

[C++]

I wonder what it's like living right near the boundary between timezones.

Sorry I'm late... It took me a bloody hour to walk through the office door this morning.

[gigapixels Veteran]

9/8c means 9PM everywhere it's not CST, where it's on at 8PM.

Unless they specifically differentiate between EST, PST and MST, it's aired at the same relative time.

[Hooya]

I wonder what it's like living right near the boundary between timezones.

And that map is outdated. Indiana now observes daylight saving time.

I think that parts of Indiana observe DST, but not all. It makes it really confusing depending on which part of the state you're going to. I haven't been down-state for a while so I guess I should trust the map.

I live near the Illinois Indiana boarder, (the Illinois side) and any time I need to go to Indianapolis for some reason I just have to adjust for the time change. If you notice around Chicago there's a chunk that stays in Central because of all the commuters that work in Chicago but live in Indiana. But really other than those people I don't know many that have to regularly travel across the zone line enough to make it a big deal.

[Rohdekill]

It's amazing how so many people assumed 8PM and 9 PM. It could also mean 8 AM and 9 AM.

[Hooya]

It's amazing how so many people assumed 8PM and 9 PM. It could also mean 8 AM and 9 AM.

You almost never see TV ads listing morning times this way. In fact, you almost never see ads for morning programming at all, they're all for primetime shows.

[sundayx Veteran]

So what people in the Pacific zones just tune in to their favorite shows 3 hours later than everyone else? Or can you guys go on an Eastern zone channel and watch it there?

[MtnDewCodeRedFreak]

I think that parts of Indiana observe DST, but not all. It makes it really confusing depending on which part of the state you're going to. I haven't been down-state for a while so I guess I should trust the map.

I live near the Illinois Indiana boarder, (the Illinois side) and any time I need to go to Indianapolis for some reason I just have to adjust for the time change. If you notice around Chicago there's a chunk that stays in Central because of all the commuters that work in Chicago but live in Indiana. But really other than those people I don't know many that have to regularly travel across the zone line enough to make it a big deal.

Yeah, I'm in western Indiana (Terre Haute) for college at the moment.

But, if I go to say, Vincennes or Evansville, then the time goes backward 1 hour. I've been there before during the "Fall Back Time" in October/November. The sky gets pitch black *at* 5 PM!!! Crazy!

[gigapixels Veteran]

So what people in the Pacific zones just tune in to their favorite shows 3 hours later than everyone else? Or can you guys go on an Eastern zone channel and watch it there?

Precisely. If you do somehow have Eastern programming, then yes, you can see that programming at 6PM instead of 9PM. But that doesn't tend to happen with channels like NBC, ABC, CBS, etc.

[Dane]

i wish I had that timezone map a few years ago. Nothing like being in another state stopping at Burger King for "Lunch" only to find out five miles earlier it went back an hour :( .

People tend to look at you odd when the girl at the counter says "its breakfast" and you look at your watch and say "no its this time....oh"

[Xerino]

If somethings on TV in the US, and its on at Monday 9/8c, what does that mean?

9 Pacific 8 central, on mondays, that would be prison break on fox

[lsquare]

9 Pacific 8 central, on mondays, that would be prison break on fox

lol :D

[Emily_June]

I wonder what it's like living right near the boundary between timezones.

And that map is outdated. Indiana now observes daylight saving time.

Not noticeable, really. They have a little sign that looks like a county marker, that says "you are now entering ____ timezone", on the side of the road. Most people and businesses take note of both timezones, similar to the way television does in the US.

Boring, I know. I was thoroughly disappointed when I found out there weren't two suns, or a visible line in the sky once twilight hit in one timezone, and night settled in the other. ;)

-Emily