(TV's do behave different in the US vs. Netherlands as well: you typically can't re-arrange your channel line-up, each TV station has a predefined channel and that's it. You can turn on/off individual channels in the TV setup, but you normally can't group them in any other order, which is a bit annoying)
your saying that US tv (or the uhf/analogue type affair when not cable) cant be zapped around as easily as we do in the uk and that they are only accessable sequentially?
iir bbc1 and 2 are miles apart in the spectrum yet are always channel one and two on tv's (although my brother could only get bbc wales even though he was near manchester)
our not being able to watch one and record another regarding satalite was considered dark ages by one american i spoke to years ago, and until sky+ came out i think that was still the same (not got a telly so dont know/care anymore bout em)