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CNN on TuneIn dropping out

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LMC

CNN on TuneIn dropping out
« on: February 25, 2020, 02:06:17 pm »
For the last few days, Echo has been stopping streaming on a regular basis while listing to CNN on TuneIn. I've started noticing the pattern is that it almost always happens at a commercial break. Sometimes, after a few seconds Echo says "CNN is not available right now on TuneIn", sometimes not. Every once in a while it comes back after a few minutes on its own, usually not. If I immediately ask to listen after a drop out, it almost always says "not available right now". If a wait maybe 30 seconds or so, it starts streaming when I ask. Based on the fact that it almost always happens at an ad break, I'm thinking one side or the other has decided to not stream the ads. But this is very frustrating. Anybody else hearing this?

kt500

Re: CNN on TuneIn dropping out
« Reply #1 on: February 26, 2020, 01:52:42 pm »
Yes!...  And thanks for noting your identical problem here.  Until you, I thought I was alone with this issue and almost purchased a new router because with the lack of others here and elsewhere online indicating a more expansive global problem, I thought the issue was with my hardware. 

I eliminated Amazon (Echo/Alexa) overall as the source of my problem because my TuneIn service disconnects across all Echo devices, but seemingly, only on the commercial stations.  C-Span (non-commercial) does not cut out on TuneIn, but CNN and MSNBC (both commercial stations) do. 

Since this issue is relatively new to me over the last couple of weeks, I haven't tested this theory thoroughly yet...  But if I were to guess, I'd say it may be more of an automatic time out trigger on TuneIn's part to perhaps prompt free subscribers into buying a paid subscription to the service because the drop off doesn't always occur at just a commercial break.  Though both CNN and MSNBC do often drop out at or near commercials, the drop seems more timed to roughly every 15-minute interval and independently across all my devices (I currently have 3 Echo Dots, 1 Echo Studio Pro and 1 Echo Show 8).  In other words, if I ask Alexa to "play CNN through TuneIn" from all my separate devices and 5 minutes apart, all devices will drop CNN 5 minutes apart and roughly after every 15 minutes from the time I asked, commercial or not.

It doesn't make sense to me that TuneIn would cut out on CNN and/or MSNBC at the commercials when that is likely the only source of revenue TuneIn would have available to them as it relates to us free service subscribers.

So far I've not been very lucky finding a solution through Google, so I'm hoping others will read our comments here and come forward with similar drop off issues and have a solution, beyond the possibility of paying $10 or $12 per month for TuneIn...  Which isn't a bad service, but not all that great either...  And certainly not worth $12 bucks a month.  If I had to go with a paid radio service, it would likely be Sirius/XM.  Cheaper and better IMHO and works with Alexa.
« Last Edit: February 26, 2020, 01:55:48 pm by kt500 »

LMC

Re: CNN on TuneIn dropping out
« Reply #2 on: February 27, 2020, 10:18:34 pm »
Well, whatever it was it's back to normal today. Hope it stays so!

bsm007

Re: CNN on TuneIn dropping out
« Reply #3 on: September 29, 2020, 07:39:38 pm »
I have been having this issue for some time as well.

Re: CNN on TuneIn dropping out
« Reply #4 on: September 30, 2020, 02:45:39 pm »
I have been having this issue for some time as well.

most of the time, it will go away on its own.   sometimes you have to do a power cycle on the echo device and/or router if it is a local issue.