It was actually around 9am this morning when Price Drop TV was switched off of Freeview transmitters around the UK.
As far as I'm concerned, it's good riddance to bad rubbish. I was surprised I actually stayed watching it for as long as I did last night. To my mind, shopping channels, along with gaming channels and religious channels, are the most mind-numbing, boring, uninteresting, sleep-inducing, unentertaining rubbish that digital television has to suffer.
Freeview currently suffers with too many similar channels like Price Drop. QVC and Bid TV are two more such channels along with the two Smile TV channels and Gems TV. Losing these channels will not just help Freeview, but help the whole digital switchover, which is already underway.
At least a decent station is on the way to replace. EPG information for Quest, a new channel from Discovery Networks Europe, is due to launch soon, but we do not yet know when. All the EPG data says is "Quest Coming Soon". There's also no video or MHEG being transmitted either.
As soon as I can find out any more information, I'll bring it to you.
Monday, 5 January 2009
Chris Lowe retires from BBC News
Chris Lowe, who has been a reporter and news anchor with the BBC for around 37 years, retired last night from his latest role, as weekend evening anchor for BBC News 24/Channel. He got an unexpected surprise last night from his co-anchor, Anita McVeigh.
For those of us who are news junkies, like myself, Chris Lowe has been a steady hand at the anchor desk, and good reporter. He will be missed.
For those of us who are news junkies, like myself, Chris Lowe has been a steady hand at the anchor desk, and good reporter. He will be missed.
Sunday, 4 January 2009
GMTV gets a new look.
GMTV starts a new year, with a new look. New set, new graphics, new members of the team, even a new news set. No longer will GMTV News be from a little CSO sub set in the studio.
I hope to have some pictures, though they'll be camera at the screen rather than proper full screen pictures after the new look has launched.
I hope to have some pictures, though they'll be camera at the screen rather than proper full screen pictures after the new look has launched.
Freeview starts changing!
At about 1.30am overnight tonight, Price Drop TV will leave Freeview after being outbid for its slot on the multiplex.
This represents the first move in a major set of changes for Freeview, and for British and Irish broadcasting.
It has been reported that Discovery Networks Europe has bought the slot, and we will see a new channel called Quest arriving soon. At the moment though, there is little information about this channel, and nothing from the Freeview EPG.
I will be watching this happen, and I will report back later with any new information that I come up with. But this is only the first move to happen just this week in the UK and Ireland broadcasting scene. Lots more due to happen, especially on Monday. More information on that shortly.
This represents the first move in a major set of changes for Freeview, and for British and Irish broadcasting.
It has been reported that Discovery Networks Europe has bought the slot, and we will see a new channel called Quest arriving soon. At the moment though, there is little information about this channel, and nothing from the Freeview EPG.
I will be watching this happen, and I will report back later with any new information that I come up with. But this is only the first move to happen just this week in the UK and Ireland broadcasting scene. Lots more due to happen, especially on Monday. More information on that shortly.
Saturday, 3 January 2009
Matt Smith is the 11th Doctor
Matt Smith, who starred alongside Billie Piper in The Ruby In The Smoke, is to be the new Doctor, the 11th Doctor.
He also appeared with Billie in Secret Diary Of A Call Girl in one episode, as well as roles in Moses Jones, The Street, The Shadow In The North, and Party Animals.
Viewpoint welcomes Matt Smith to an exclusive club with only 11 members. William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, Paul McGann, Christopher Ecclestone, David Tennant, and now, Matt Smith, all of whom are, The Doctor.
He also appeared with Billie in Secret Diary Of A Call Girl in one episode, as well as roles in Moses Jones, The Street, The Shadow In The North, and Party Animals.
Viewpoint welcomes Matt Smith to an exclusive club with only 11 members. William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, Paul McGann, Christopher Ecclestone, David Tennant, and now, Matt Smith, all of whom are, The Doctor.
Friday, 2 January 2009
One of the benefits of the Internet.
One of the great things that I find about the internet these days is that it allows you to look back in time to a degree and see just how right or wrong we have been.
Back on December 17th 2006, at the end of another edition of Face The Nation on CBS, Bob Schieffer talked about Evan Bayh, a senator from Indiana. Unfortunately, there's no video, but we do have a complete transcript.
Evan Bayh is a well-regarded, two-term Senator from Indiana but he is not exactly a household name. So when he announced two weeks ago that he was thinking about running for the Democratic presidential nomination, even he knew it was a long shot.
He acknowledged it was a David-versus-Goliath kind of thing, but he remembered that David did pretty well.
True enough, but yesterday Bayh realized why the smart money is usually on the giants — because they are giants — and he quit the race as quickly as he had entered.
"Whether there were too many Goliaths or whether I'm just not the right David, I concluded the odds were longer than I felt I could possibly pursue," he said.
In other words, he took a look, realized he had no chance and decided not to waste his time or the country's.
How refreshing! None of this "I decided I wanted to spend more time with my family," or the catalogue of excuses we've come to expect from usual wanna-bes — or even worse, one of those ego trip campaigns that all involved know is headed nowhere except to get some TV time for the candidate.
Bayh just concluded it wasn't to be and said so.
The one downside is, that is just the kind of straight talk we need more of in politics.
A man so candid about himself and his chances might have had some interesting thoughts on other subjects. In a way, I'm sorry we won't get to hear them.
In a way, what Bob wanted to happen has happened, because Barack Obama has been refreshingly straight when it comes to politics during this 2008 campaign. Now as we approach the time of his inauguration as President, we as citizens of the world, would like to see more politicians be this refeshingly honest and candid.
We haven't seen too much of it from the Republican Party, and something tells me we won't see much honesty from them.
Back on December 17th 2006, at the end of another edition of Face The Nation on CBS, Bob Schieffer talked about Evan Bayh, a senator from Indiana. Unfortunately, there's no video, but we do have a complete transcript.
Evan Bayh is a well-regarded, two-term Senator from Indiana but he is not exactly a household name. So when he announced two weeks ago that he was thinking about running for the Democratic presidential nomination, even he knew it was a long shot.
He acknowledged it was a David-versus-Goliath kind of thing, but he remembered that David did pretty well.
True enough, but yesterday Bayh realized why the smart money is usually on the giants — because they are giants — and he quit the race as quickly as he had entered.
"Whether there were too many Goliaths or whether I'm just not the right David, I concluded the odds were longer than I felt I could possibly pursue," he said.
In other words, he took a look, realized he had no chance and decided not to waste his time or the country's.
How refreshing! None of this "I decided I wanted to spend more time with my family," or the catalogue of excuses we've come to expect from usual wanna-bes — or even worse, one of those ego trip campaigns that all involved know is headed nowhere except to get some TV time for the candidate.
Bayh just concluded it wasn't to be and said so.
The one downside is, that is just the kind of straight talk we need more of in politics.
A man so candid about himself and his chances might have had some interesting thoughts on other subjects. In a way, I'm sorry we won't get to hear them.
In a way, what Bob wanted to happen has happened, because Barack Obama has been refreshingly straight when it comes to politics during this 2008 campaign. Now as we approach the time of his inauguration as President, we as citizens of the world, would like to see more politicians be this refeshingly honest and candid.
We haven't seen too much of it from the Republican Party, and something tells me we won't see much honesty from them.
Brits open their wallets.
In this, the final London Comment of 2008, Simon Bates talks about the global economic recession, and how the stiff upper lip seems to be turning the other cheek and opening its wallet.
More London Comments to come in 2009.
More London Comments to come in 2009.
The 11th Doctor will be...
...revealed tomorrow, Saturday 3rd January 2009 at 1735 GMT during a special edition of Doctor Who Confidential, airing on BBC1 in the UK
We'll let you know exactly who it is, as soon as we know ourselves. Stay tuned!
We'll let you know exactly who it is, as soon as we know ourselves. Stay tuned!
Thursday, 1 January 2009
Russian Professor predicts end of USA in 2010. Where's the right wing outrage?
I am a bit late to this story but it seems I'm not the only one. The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday that Russian professor, Igor Panarin, has been predicting for years that the USA will collapse in 2010. Now apparently, the Russian state media are taking great interest in his theory.
He predicts that Alaska will become part of Russia, Hawaii will go to China or Japan, and the mainland will split into 4 separate republics. He predicts a Texas republic, which stretches from New Mexico to Florida will become part of Mexico, The California Republic, stretching from Arizona up to Washington, will become part of China, Atlantic America, stretching from Maine to the Carolinas, will become part of the European Union, and the rest of the states will come under Canadian influence.
Now in some ways, what this professor suggests is laughable, but not entirely. Alaska had at one time been part of Russia. Texas, New Mexico and a number of other southwest states were part of Mexico at one time. Indeed, at one time Texas was a separate republic of its own, albeit only for 9 years.
There are plenty of other examples of states that existed in the geography of what we now know as The United States of America. And this would not be the first time someone correctly predicted a major superpower breaking up. French political scientist Emmanuel Todd predicted the break up of the Soviet Union in 1976. 15 years later, the previously unthinkable actually happened.
Crooks & Liars have the story too, but they don't give it much credibility. They rightly point out many people have predicted the end of the world before now, and they've been wrong. But how many people even in 1989 as the Berlin Wall came tumbling down, predicted the collapse of the USSR? Not many that I can remember.
My question is though, with the left seemingly laughing it off, where is the expected right wing outrage at this Russian professor who dares to suugest the implosion of their beloved USA could even happen? Could it be that they would secretly like something like this to happen? I hardly think so. Could it be that they are so worried about the upcoming Barack Obama presidency that they haven't even noticed this? It's quite possible. There's already been talk of an "Obama recession" under way and he hasn't even taken office yet.
Maybe we all need to consider what this professor says in a different context. Whilst his predictions do seem to be a bit off base, the idea of Republican states in the MidWest forming a breakaway republic of their own in order so that the Republicans could claim a permanent power base of their own, might not be so far fetched. And whilst there is no evidence that there is any support for such a movement now, I have learned in the years since 1989, to never say never when it comes to unthinkable and unbelievable events.
The Berlin Wall falls, the Iron Curtain collapses, the Soviet Union disintegrates, all within the space of 2 years. In 1988, I wouldn't have believed it possible. A stable government exists in Northern Ireland, something else that I didn't believe was possible. The USA just elected a black president, something else many belived wouldn't happen for a long time yet. Never say "never" in this world, for you may end up being proved wrong.
He predicts that Alaska will become part of Russia, Hawaii will go to China or Japan, and the mainland will split into 4 separate republics. He predicts a Texas republic, which stretches from New Mexico to Florida will become part of Mexico, The California Republic, stretching from Arizona up to Washington, will become part of China, Atlantic America, stretching from Maine to the Carolinas, will become part of the European Union, and the rest of the states will come under Canadian influence.
Now in some ways, what this professor suggests is laughable, but not entirely. Alaska had at one time been part of Russia. Texas, New Mexico and a number of other southwest states were part of Mexico at one time. Indeed, at one time Texas was a separate republic of its own, albeit only for 9 years.
There are plenty of other examples of states that existed in the geography of what we now know as The United States of America. And this would not be the first time someone correctly predicted a major superpower breaking up. French political scientist Emmanuel Todd predicted the break up of the Soviet Union in 1976. 15 years later, the previously unthinkable actually happened.
Crooks & Liars have the story too, but they don't give it much credibility. They rightly point out many people have predicted the end of the world before now, and they've been wrong. But how many people even in 1989 as the Berlin Wall came tumbling down, predicted the collapse of the USSR? Not many that I can remember.
My question is though, with the left seemingly laughing it off, where is the expected right wing outrage at this Russian professor who dares to suugest the implosion of their beloved USA could even happen? Could it be that they would secretly like something like this to happen? I hardly think so. Could it be that they are so worried about the upcoming Barack Obama presidency that they haven't even noticed this? It's quite possible. There's already been talk of an "Obama recession" under way and he hasn't even taken office yet.
Maybe we all need to consider what this professor says in a different context. Whilst his predictions do seem to be a bit off base, the idea of Republican states in the MidWest forming a breakaway republic of their own in order so that the Republicans could claim a permanent power base of their own, might not be so far fetched. And whilst there is no evidence that there is any support for such a movement now, I have learned in the years since 1989, to never say never when it comes to unthinkable and unbelievable events.
The Berlin Wall falls, the Iron Curtain collapses, the Soviet Union disintegrates, all within the space of 2 years. In 1988, I wouldn't have believed it possible. A stable government exists in Northern Ireland, something else that I didn't believe was possible. The USA just elected a black president, something else many belived wouldn't happen for a long time yet. Never say "never" in this world, for you may end up being proved wrong.
Happy New Year! Welcome to 2009
Happy New Year everyone.
I've set myself a challenge this year. To try to do at least one post a day here at Viewpoint, and I hope I'm up to the task.
With this being post number 1 for January 1st 2009, I think I can say I have succeeded for day 1 of this 365 day challenge. Hopefully, I'll be able to keep this up for the whole year, and hopefully dpo more than one post a day, but at least do one.
Wish me luck. I think I'm gonna need it.
I've set myself a challenge this year. To try to do at least one post a day here at Viewpoint, and I hope I'm up to the task.
With this being post number 1 for January 1st 2009, I think I can say I have succeeded for day 1 of this 365 day challenge. Hopefully, I'll be able to keep this up for the whole year, and hopefully dpo more than one post a day, but at least do one.
Wish me luck. I think I'm gonna need it.
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