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Sat, 15 Nov 2003 15:35:02 GMT |
June 15, 2003
BBC and Sky Reach Agreement....
But what does it mean for European viewers?
As can be seen from the following items, the BBC and British Sky Broadcasting have settled their dispute over the allocation of BBC channels in Sky Digital's Electronic Programme Guide. The disagreement followed the BBC's decision to stop paying Sky, and making all its channels free to air, but also moving them to the Astra 2D satellite, which has a beam tightly focused on Britain. The side-effect of the quarrel was to remove the BBC from viewing by those with Sky Digital outside the British Isles. (Sky will not sell subscriptions outside Britain and Ireland, because of royalty agreements, despite the Maastricht Treaty guaranteeing equal access to services anywhere in the European Union.) At the same time, hundreds, possibly thousands, of viewers in the UK lost the BBC as well, apparently because of technical glitches in carrying out the switch.
Not only did BBC TV channels disappear, but also the radio channels, including BBC World Service, primarily intended for listeners abroad. Of these, the only covered by any royalty agreements is Radio Five Live, which carries sports.
The BBC has promised to return Radios 2 and 4 to Astra 2B "this summer". But it is still unclear whether this new agreement with Sky means any of the TV channels will be viewable outside the UK.
From the Astra2d.co.uk website:
BBC and BSkyB announce agreement June 13th 2003
BSkyB and the BBC today (Friday 13 June 2003) announced a five year agreement which includes the continued allocation to BBC ONE and BBC TWO of channel numbers 101 and 102 on BSkyB's Electronic Programme Guide (EPG). Therefore the BBC will withdraw its complaint, made in April 2003, to the Independent Television Commission. From 10 July, the BBC will broadcast all eight television channels in the clear. By Autumn 2003, all 22 national and regional variations of BBC ONE and BBC TWO will be available and listed on the EPG.
As part of the agreement, the BBC is buying a regionalisation service from BSkyB to ensure that viewers within the UK with Sky viewing cards will continue to automatically receive the right national and regional versions of BBC ONE and BBC TWO at 101 and 102 respectively. The agreement will end the payment by the BBC to BSkyB for the provision of "Solus" viewing cards to digital satellite viewers who do not have a subscription to a pay-TV service.
In future, viewers will continue to be able to view all unencrypted channels and will receive versions of BBC ONE London and BBC TWO England in the 101 and 102 positions. They will also be able to manually select the rest of the BBC's national and regional variations listed on the EPG.
From wotsat.com:
Sky and BBC settle row over EPG positions
The bitter row between the BBC and Sky over an £85m distribution deal appears to have been resolved. Viewers will continue to be able to receive versions of BBC One London and BBC Two England in the 101 and 102 positions. Furthermore, from 10 July, the BBC will broadcast all eight of its TV channels in the clear. And by Autumn 2003, all 22 national and regional variations of BBC One and BBC Two will be available and listed on the EPG.
As part of the agreement, the BBC will buy a 'regionalisation service' from Sky to ensure that viewers within the UK with Sky viewing cards will automatically receive the correct national and regional versions of BBC One and BBC Two at channels 101 and 102 respectively. As a result of the agreement, the BBC has withdrawn its complaint, made in April 2003, to the Independent Television Commission. [June 14]
6:01:22 PM 
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June 15, 2003
BBC and Sky Reach Agreement....
But what does it mean for European viewers?
As can be seen from the following items, the BBC and British Sky Broadcasting have settled their dispute over the allocation of BBC channels in Sky Digital's Electronic Programme Guide. The disagreement followed the BBC's decision to stop paying Sky, and making all its channels free to air, but also moving them to the Astra 2D satellite, which has a beam tightly focused on Britain. The side-effect of the quarrel was to remove the BBC from viewing by those with Sky Digital outside the British Isles. (Sky will not sell subscriptions outside Britain and Ireland, because of royalty agreements, despite the Maastricht Treaty guaranteeing equal access to services anywhere in the European Union.) At the same time, hundreds, possibly thousands, of viewers in the UK lost the BBC as well, apparently because of technical glitches in carrying out the switch.
Not only did BBC TV channels disappear, but also the radio channels, including BBC World Service, primarily intended for listeners abroad. Of these, the only covered by any royalty agreements is Radio Five Live, which carries sports.
The BBC has promised to return Radios 2 and 4 to Astra 2B "this summer". But it is still unclear whether this new agreement with Sky means any of the TV channels will be viewable outside the UK.
From the Astra2d.co.uk website:
BBC and BSkyB announce agreement June 13th 2003
BSkyB and the BBC today (Friday 13 June 2003) announced a five year agreement which includes the continued allocation to BBC ONE and BBC TWO of channel numbers 101 and 102 on BSkyB's Electronic Programme Guide (EPG). Therefore the BBC will withdraw its complaint, made in April 2003, to the Independent Television Commission. From 10 July, the BBC will broadcast all eight television channels in the clear. By Autumn 2003, all 22 national and regional variations of BBC ONE and BBC TWO will be available and listed on the EPG.
As part of the agreement, the BBC is buying a regionalisation service from BSkyB to ensure that viewers within the UK with Sky viewing cards will continue to automatically receive the right national and regional versions of BBC ONE and BBC TWO at 101 and 102 respectively. The agreement will end the payment by the BBC to BSkyB for the provision of "Solus" viewing cards to digital satellite viewers who do not have a subscription to a pay-TV service.
In future, viewers will continue to be able to view all unencrypted channels and will receive versions of BBC ONE London and BBC TWO England in the 101 and 102 positions. They will also be able to manually select the rest of the BBC's national and regional variations listed on the EPG.
From wotsat.com:
Sky and BBC settle row over EPG positions
The bitter row between the BBC and Sky over an £85m distribution deal appears to have been resolved. Viewers will continue to be able to receive versions of BBC One London and BBC Two England in the 101 and 102 positions. Furthermore, from 10 July, the BBC will broadcast all eight of its TV channels in the clear. And by Autumn 2003, all 22 national and regional variations of BBC One and BBC Two will be available and listed on the EPG.
As part of the agreement, the BBC will buy a 'regionalisation service' from Sky to ensure that viewers within the UK with Sky viewing cards will automatically receive the correct national and regional versions of BBC One and BBC Two at channels 101 and 102 respectively. As a result of the agreement, the BBC has withdrawn its complaint, made in April 2003, to the Independent Television Commission. [June 14]
6:01:22 PM
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June 14, 2003
The time has come for a refocus. With this war over, bashing George W. Bush is starting to get a bit repetitive, and there are others (like Radio Free USA) who are doing a good job exposing the follies of the Bush regime.
The problem with Radio Userland is that the program makes it so easy to sample news from anywhere, but I don't see that my picking my favorite anti-Bush stories from the BBC, CNN, New York Times, and Guardian is adding much to the Internet.
If I'm going to add anything, it has to be something special from where I am, which is Sweden, and something I know about, which is media. So the next incarnation of this blogsite will be focusing on that. The world doesn't cover Sweden very well. As the CBS Radio stringer here I only get called to do stories, except for the Nobel Prizes, at most once or twice a year, and sometimes years pass without anything other than Nobel which seems important enough for the mainstream American media.
But there is news here, as reflected in what I am writing every day for Radio Sweden. I'll be carrying that here, as well as resuming my personal opinion about things Swedish.
LITTLE LEAGUE
An important item you won't read anywhere else, this weekend saw the Swedish district baseball championships for kids aged 13-15. Four districts fielded teams: Stockholm, the Mälaren valley, West Sweden, and East Sweden. For the third year in a row Stockholm won, after an undefeated series. (It may not come as a surprise that my son Daniel played for Stockholm, shortstop and third base for the first two games, pitching and shortstop in the third.)
When the official Swedish baseball website posts a photo and more details, I'll add a link here.
2:25:30 PM
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June 14, 2003
The time has come for a refocus. With this war over, bashing George W. Bush is starting to get a bit repetitive, and there are others (like Radio Free USA) who are doing a good job exposing the follies of the Bush regime.
The problem with Radio Userland is that the program makes it so easy to sample news from anywhere, but I don't see that my picking my favorite anti-Bush stories from the BBC, CNN, New York Times, and Guardian is adding much to the Internet.
If I'm going to add anything, it has to be something special from where I am, which is Sweden, and something I know about, which is media. So the next incarnation of this blogsite will be focusing on that. The world doesn't cover Sweden very well. As the CBS Radio stringer here I only get called to do stories, except for the Nobel Prizes, at most once or twice a year, and sometimes years pass without anything other than Nobel which seems important enough for the mainstream American media.
But there is news here, as reflected in what I am writing every day for Radio Sweden. I'll be carrying that here, as well as resuming my personal opinion about things Swedish.
LITTLE LEAGUE
An important item you won't read anywhere else, this weekend saw the Swedish district baseball championships for kids aged 13-15. Four districts fielded teams: Stockholm, the Mälaren valley, West Sweden, and East Sweden. For the third year in a row Stockholm won, after an undefeated series. (It may not come as a surprise that my son Daniel played for Stockholm, shortstop and third base for the first two games, pitching and shortstop in the third.)
When the official Swedish baseball website posts a photo and more details, I'll add a link here.
2:25:30 PM
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© Copyright 2003 GlobalWatch: Notes from the Swedish.
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| May Jul |
| AlterNet | | 2:02PM UTC |
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 Call Me a Bush-Hater. Sneering, jeering, bad manners, hideous diplomacy, threats, demands, lies, arrogance, bluster, tax cuts for the rich. And you wonder why we think he's a lousy president?
The Scalping Party. The Tiger Force atrocity in Vietnam was the third major war crimes revelation in the last few years to encounter apathy in the media and indifference from Washington.
A Double Standard for Heroes?. Jessica Lynch and Shoshanna Johnson underwent nearly identical ordeals in Iraq. But only the white soldier's story made the cover of Time magazine.
Indian Americans Enter the Matrix. The Bollywoodization of American popular culture has long been underway. But with the appearance of a South Asian in 'The Matrix Revolutions,' a new era has begun.
An Object Lesson in Investing. Here's what happens to your hard-earned money when it enters the giant money-skimming machine we call the stock market.
The Rev in the Race. Understanding Al Sharpton's standing as a reputed black leader requires an understanding of recent history. Understanding Sharpton the Presidential candidate requires delving a bit further into the past.
Killer Cure. Everyone wants Medicare to cover prescription drugs, right? Not so fast.
The Professor Takes the Gloves Off. New York Times columnist Paul Krugman tells how he found his voice, why Bush makes him miss Nixon, and why he insults Fox News whenever he can.
The Truth About the Green River Killer. Gary Ridgway should have been caught a long time ago. His choice of victims had everything to do with why he wasn't.
Personal Voices: Apology to the American Worker. I actually thought Nike and Adidas and Delta and Sara Lee were American companies run by American employees. I admit, I was confused.
Why Aren't We Winning the Indie Movie Race?. Just a decade ago it felt like the indie movie scene could become a haven for multiculturalism. Now it's just as white as the blandest Hollywood studio. What happened?
What's Health Insurance, Mom?. At 7, my daughter should be fretting over the well being of her favorite stuffed animals -- not the fates of her uninsured parents.
Listening to Veterans. We will soon be welcoming home the first of another generation of emotionally damaged veterans. How can we appropriately honor them without glorifying war?
Freedom and Security. The sacrifice of civil liberties for the appearance of greater security is a mistake that leaves future generations with little hope for freedom.
P. Diddy and Hip Hop's Tattered Garments. Hip-hop fashion kings need to take a hard look at the labor conditions that prevail in the factories where their clothes are made.
Billboard Politics. U.S. government propaganda doesn't convince Iraqis -- so why do Americans fall for it?
The 'Thing' Economy and the 'Care' Economy. A truly moral economy would reconcile our desire to prosper with our deepest moral and spiritual impulses.
Memo To Arnold: Educate, Don't Incarcerate. Unlike Davis, California's governor-elect is no slave to the powerful prison guard union -- so maybe he can afford to do the right thing.
Sarah Jones' American Dream. In her latest piece, the acclaimed playwright takes on the roles of 10 immigrants to weave a story of racism and xenophobia in the era of homeland security.
Shock Troops of the Right Wing. Censoring television movies, overturning court decisions, halting construction projects -- just what will conservatives do next?
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| Greenpeace | | 3:04PM UTC |
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Rainbow Warrior on Toxic Patrol in India. The Greenpeace sailing vessel the Rainbow Warrior is currently anchored off the coast of Alang, India. Alang is the site of the world's largest shipbreaking yard. Greenpeace is planning to conduct "toxic patrols" of ships which are here waiting for scrapping. A team of experts will do a survey and take samples to determine what type of toxic materials are on board before the ships are beached and the actual scrapping starts. Shipbreaking is an enormous danger for people and the environment. Greenpeace is the only organization in the world fighting for the 100,000 people working in this industry and for the environment they live in.
UK's own ghost ship found in India. There's outrage in the UK! The US is sending its "ghost fleet," complete with asbestos and toxic chemicals, for dismantling in England. The UK government has said the ships will have to go back. A British court has put a halt to any dismantling. Permits have been revoked. But meanwhile, in India, guess what Greenpeace's ghost-busting toxic patrol has found?
What would you do to save the tallest trees?. In Tasmania, Australia, they have these trees, that are... tall. OK, a lot of trees are tall, but these are the tallest hardwood trees in the world. We're talking trees taller than a 25-story building and 400 years old. Some people look at trees like this and they just think, "wow". Other people, they look at these trees and they think, "Wow, I could cut that down, chop it up, feed it through a wood chipper, and sell it to these companies in Japan!" And that is just what they are going to do, unless we can stop them.
Click here to find out how.
When scientists and policy makers meet. Before any major international meeting there are advance meetings to lay the groundwork. A lot of the decisions finalised at the main meeting are often made at these meetings - months before the big one.
Today was the start of one of the more important of these meetings, the ninth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice to the Convention on Biological Diversity. That's SBSTTA-9 and the CBD to you insiders, and it will be going on in Montreal all week.
Year one of the Prestige oil spill. The Prestige oil tanker sank on November 13th, 2002. But this Thursday marks not the one year anniversary of an accident, but year one of a decade-long disaster. Despite this, criminally little has been done to prevent the recurrence of a similar catastrophe.
Japanese whaling fleet ready to depart. Greenpeace has learned that five vessels will set forth shortly from Shimonoseki in Japan, perhaps as early as Friday, to hunt whales once again. They continue to do so despite a worldwide moratorium on commercial whaling, under the false pretence that their purpose is "research."
US Toxic 'ghost fleet' not wanted in the UK. Two former US Navy ships are now crossing the Atlantic for scrapping in the UK. Contaminated with toxic waste, the failure of the US to clean them up at home has caused outrage in Europe. But have a closer look at the issue of shipbreaking: putting toxic vessels out of sight and out of mind is the rule rather than the exception -- and the recipients are usually developing countries.
EU waters down chemicals reform. Important new laws in Europe have been announced this week to address the current flawed and inadequate rules governing chemicals harmful to health and the environment. While the new laws represent a step forward, heavy chemical industry lobbying and scare-mongering have significantly weakened the proposal already.
France reclaims toxic ship. After being caught illegally exporting ships containing hazardous waste to Turkey, the French military has seized a former french aircraft carrier they had sold for scrapping. This high seas tale exposes again the underhand tactics and cost cutting of some sections of the shipping industry at the expense of the environment and workers' health.
Hidden hazards revealed in Disney products. Tests by independent scientists have revealed that toxic 'gender bending' chemicals are found in everyday children's products like Disney pyjamas. These chemicals can damage the developing foetus and young children; they should not be found in products you put your kids into every night.
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