Friday, July 22, 2005

Commercial TV rant

Last night I wanted to watch Stargate Atlantis, virtually the only TV show I watch followed by the Tour De France. Last night was stage 18 and in teh Central Massif and effectively the last chance for the hill climbers to make break aways. We were halfway through Stargate when the jolly TV channel switched to live coverage of NOTHING ab out some explosions in London. IT was pathetic journalism. The newscasters at Sky TV who knew NOTHING about what was going on were talking to dodgy people on mobile phones who hadn't seen anything and had to go because the cops told them to get off the phone. Oh and there was also a lot of chopper camera footage of NOTHING except buses that weren't going and han't exploded. They also had a "bomb-know-it-all" explaining how to make bombs, and why they probably hadn't gone off. As if he knew what was there!
Do you think they returned the programming to Stargate? No. The 3 main commercial channels were showing the same feed - what a waste of time that was.
So I switched to SBS to watch the Tour De France. At least SBS wont be silly I thought. For example when Princess Diana died they were the only channel that kept normal programming. And I was right. They didn't show any bomb stuff at all. No, SBS made another VERY silly mistake. They promised their viewers (rashly) that they would cover all 21 days of the Tour De France LIVE. Now up to now they have done so albeit starting the races halfway through really isn't in my book quite keeping the promise.
But they have also been promising their viewers that they will cover the
English v Australia cricket test. Now France and England are quite close and their time zones for daytime events virtually are the same. Hmm a problem - which promise will I keep? Oh well seeing as the cycling pundits have had 18 days we will just show the cricket instead. We know they are faithful viewers so we will burn them off with some cricket. Cricket sends me to sleep. I was listening to the commentators in my half sleep and I was dreaming that I was in a tunnel - constricted (did I mention I was claustrophobic - so this is a NIGHTMARE) and the commentators were saying we would have a tea break shortly - and in the dream I heard this and knew I was going to be pulled out fo the tunnel shortly - and I could go back to watching the cycling - surely they would switch over. But no... I gave up and went to bed.


Posted by: Jethro | 8:26 AM |