Re: [Swprograms] BBC Newscast Shifts Lineup on U.S. Public TVStations

["Sandy Finlayson" <sfinlayson@xxxxxxx>]

It does look as if BBC America is going to be the main carriage for BBC
TV news in the States.  I do get BBC America as part of my DirecTV
package and am glad for what news they do carry.  As for the rest of
their lineup, it is as dismal or worse than any home grown product!

Sandy

 
--------------------------------------------------------
Mr. Sandy Finlayson
Director of Library Services &
Professor of Theological Bibliography
Westminster Theological Seminary 
Philadelphia, PA
 
 
'Nothing makes a man more reverent than a library'
Sir Winston Churchill

-----Original Message-----
From: swprograms-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:swprograms-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Kevin Anderson
Sent: Thursday, October 23, 2008 10:52 AM
To: Shortwave programming discussion
Subject: Re: [Swprograms] BBC Newscast Shifts Lineup on U.S. Public
TVStations

Wanting a non-U.S. viewpoint is exactly what I am after as well.
Reports from non-U.S. reporters/stringers filtered through U.S. editors
is most definitely not the same.

As to BBC America appearing on more cable systems:  I believe that the
shift of U.S. OTA television to digital will have a negative impact on
services provided by cable television providers, making it even less
likely that a BBC America channel or similar will appear on the
non-premium services.  While we here in the U.S. with cable service are
promised non-interrupted "good to go" service with this switch to OTA
digital TV, I believe we will quickly see networks and channels,
including those never provided OTA and currently in the cheaper "analog"
side of cable, abandoning/demanding higher carriage fees and possible
forced shifting to the digital premium side. What remains on the cheaper
(for the customer) "analog" service will quickly become a wasteland of
channels.  Even OTA broadcasters, who are already starting to demand
extra fees for carriage of their OTA signal on cable providers (which
happened here in Iowa just a year ago by a broadcaster),
 will start to shift to the "premium" side.  Either cable will become
unaffordable or just become not worth it who can't upgrade to "premium"
digital cable.  And people like me who are far fringe to television
markets, and therefore more-or-less dependent on cable or satellite TV,
will be hit the hardest.

Sorry if I dragged this yet further OT.

Kevin Anderson


--- On Thu, 10/23/08, Sandy Finlayson <sfinlayson@xxxxxxx> wrote:

> From: Sandy Finlayson <sfinlayson@xxxxxxx>
> Subject: Re: [Swprograms] BBC Newscast Shifts Lineup on U.S. Public TV
Stations
> To: "Shortwave programming discussion" <swprograms@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Date: Thursday, October 23, 2008, 9:01 AM
> John
> 
> I don't disagree with your assessment of 'World
> Focus' as a program,
> what I find discouraging is the apparent unwillingness of
> the market
> place to invest in the perspectives of other broadcasters. 
> I'm just
> surprised that there has been so little interest in cable
> and satellite
> providers picking up the BBC World News channel
> 
> What is refreshing about BBC World News is not just that it
> covers
> stories not normally seen on US TV but it does so from a
> non American
> perspective.  
> I'm not trying to be culturally insensitive here but I
> think it is
> always good to know how other people see the world.  I just
> wish we were
> living in a less insular culture.
> 
> Sandy



      
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