how long should shock leaders be?
TWITTERS FROM ATLANTIC – Expat Television
A recent announcement by the Chinese Government to axe more than two-thirds of prime time light entertainment shows and replace them with news broadcasts came as a shock to many, and was met with concern about further curbs on the freedom of the Chinese people.
This law to curb "excessive entertainment" on television is designed to reduce the number of scheduled entertainment programmes from 126 a week to just 38. However, after looking at Spanish television's uninspiring offerings for the current week, I began to wonder if this was actually quite an inspired move.
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The true value and quality of the UK's BBC is only really appreciated once you have left the country. Arguments about licence fees, the quality of programming and schedules disappear into insignificance once you have left the country and realise that you can no longer receive its offerings. Despite its faults, few will complain about the high quality of the national broadcaster's documentaries, news output and period dramas. It is one of those very British of institutions, like the British Heath Service, which has in many ways woven itself into the very fabric of what it is to be British. The BBC does not hold the monopoly on quality, of course, with ITV, Channel Four and even Sky TV producing some excellent programmes.
When I left the UK for Spain's Costa Blanca I resolutely decided that I would no longer care about what happened in "Corrie", or in Eastender's Queen Vic pub, for that matter. Instead, I would content myself with all things Spanish, spend lazy evenings on the terrace, a glass of good wine in my hand, reading a good book or maybe focus on those initial attempts to learn the language and maybe the Spanish guitar! It was to be a whole new way of life, and one where television would not play a part.
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How wrong I was. Within weeks of arriving at our new home, I was, along with all our neighbours, trying to find out the best ways of getting British television. We were surrounded by a motley collection of satellite dishes and a kind of baking tray contraption strapped to many rooftops, designed to receive micromesh re-transmission of UK television programmes. At this point I will deftly step aside from the legal issues and arguments surrounding such contraptions, as it can lead to some difficulties! All in all, the Costa Blanca had the problem sorted. One way or another, British TV was easily available and was satisfying the needs of a growing expat population who were desperate to maintain links with "home".
Moving to the Canary Islands was a different matter. No longer were micromesh installations available, and satellite reception required a massive dish to receive the questionable delights of Sky TV. Indeed, I had a neighbour who filled almost the entirety of his front garden with the largest satellite dish that I have ever seen for a home installation. (I understand that the both the European Space Agency and the island's airport are very interested in renting bandwidth!) With the advent of Internet television and the BBC's iPlayer, it is clear that British television is a must for most expats and, despite the best efforts of UK authorities to prevent receiving transmissions overseas, given a little time and effort, there are always ways around the problem.
I am often asked why there is such a demand for British television. Apart from the obvious answer of keeping in touch with our country of birth and programmes in a language that can be easily understood, the reason is very simple. In the main, most Spanish television programmes are of very poor quality. With the exception of some very good news coverage, most schedules are filled with American movies, quiz and chat shows, as well that beast to be avoided at all costs, reality television. Period dramas, for instance, rarely feature in the schedules.
Maybe China's decision to axe much of the content on its channels is desirable, or is it yet another attempt by the state to control? I guess the human rights people will be discussing this issue in the weeks to come; meanwhile I am going to enjoy the next episode of Eastenders!
If you enjoyed this article, take a look at Barrie's websites: www.barriemahoney.com and www.thecanaryislander.com or read his latest book, 'Threads and Threats' (ISBN: 9781843866466)
© Barrie Mahoney
Barrie Mahoney was a teacher, head teacher and school inspector in the UK, as well as a reporter in Spain, before moving to the Canary Islands as a newspaper editor. He is still enjoying life in the sun as a writer and author.




Filed under: http://www.theleader.info/article/32602/Home Insurance | Spanish Home Insurance | Home Insurance in Spain | Spanish Property | Spain Property | Spanish Real Estate | Spain Real Estate
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