BBC Radio 4's Broadcasting House programme today came from New York, and was duly greeted by the cries of listeners who are apparantly fed-up of specials always coming from the US and featuring something trivial. I can sympathise, and it makes me wonder if the media has the same fixation with the US as the poxy Blair government.
In any case, this morning's BH did include an interesting feature (dumbed down or not) on 'Air America Radio', a new liberal network of stations to take to the airwaves in the currently Republican dominated Mediumwave band. Clearly timed to influence the Presidential Election this autumn, the network is aiming to be an antedote to the extreme-right voices such as Rush Limbaugh.
20040328
20040322
Feedback
It should now be possible to leave comments on each of the entries in this blog. Your thoughts are very welcome.
20040321
Moscow Calling
I've got back into listing to the Voice of Russia for the first time in quite a while. Most of my listening in recent times has been limited those stations relayed via WRN on my Worldspace receiver. Unfortunately the timing of the Voice of Russia has meant that I have rarely ever been able to catch it's one airing each day. So it's been back to the trusty shortwave set which unfortunately seems to be suffering from a bust speaker, and the bassy sound of the Sangean ATS 909 has now become a muffled mush, requiring an external speaker to regain intelligibility.
Nevertheless I've got it sorted, and have printed out the latest schedule from the Voice of Russia website. Sadly, VoR's long standing Science Correspondent Boris Belitsky died quite recently I believe, so the programme 'Science and Engineering in the Commonwealth' is for the time being no more.
A new programme I noticed, however, is 'Moscow Calling'. From it's name I thought it might be a listener mailbag programme, and although the edition of the programme I heard did feature listener's comments, it's in fact a rock show (using the opening of the Gorky Park song of the same name as an intro). This seems to be quite a revolution in the schedule of VoR, as here we have an energetic show hosted by young presenters on modern, popular music. In my mind VoR has tended to err towards a more intellectual and classical type of programming, but Moscow Calling can only be a forward step in broadening the station's audience and appeal.
Nevertheless I've got it sorted, and have printed out the latest schedule from the Voice of Russia website. Sadly, VoR's long standing Science Correspondent Boris Belitsky died quite recently I believe, so the programme 'Science and Engineering in the Commonwealth' is for the time being no more.
A new programme I noticed, however, is 'Moscow Calling'. From it's name I thought it might be a listener mailbag programme, and although the edition of the programme I heard did feature listener's comments, it's in fact a rock show (using the opening of the Gorky Park song of the same name as an intro). This seems to be quite a revolution in the schedule of VoR, as here we have an energetic show hosted by young presenters on modern, popular music. In my mind VoR has tended to err towards a more intellectual and classical type of programming, but Moscow Calling can only be a forward step in broadening the station's audience and appeal.
US war coverage
Interesting feature on Channel 4 news this evening about the war coverage by the major US networks. Apparantly the viewers of Fox News were so confused by that channel's coverage that 30% of viewers actually thought that WMDs had been discovered in Iraq.
It's been clear for some time that the US networks have just unquestioningly supported the march towards war, and now that questions are being asked about validity of the reasons for invading Iraq the issue has got to be raised as to why the US TV networks weren't there and asking the right questions when it mattered.
It seems to me to be another clear sign of the excessively deferrential stance the US media takes with the Administration. Support the country after 9/11, certainly, but when it comes to war, a probing, investigative and critical eye is required to ensure that the direction of a government is the right one. In this the US media has failed, and the editorial line taken must surely be questioned.
It's been clear for some time that the US networks have just unquestioningly supported the march towards war, and now that questions are being asked about validity of the reasons for invading Iraq the issue has got to be raised as to why the US TV networks weren't there and asking the right questions when it mattered.
It seems to me to be another clear sign of the excessively deferrential stance the US media takes with the Administration. Support the country after 9/11, certainly, but when it comes to war, a probing, investigative and critical eye is required to ensure that the direction of a government is the right one. In this the US media has failed, and the editorial line taken must surely be questioned.
20040306
HAMs
I tune in to the local HAM repeater from time to time. This essentially allows local amateur radio operators to rebroadcast what they're saying through a far higher powered and prominently located transmitter than with their home kit. Particularly in this area where hills, fells and mountains block much line-of-sight communication, it's common to hear two HAMS chatting away on the repeater from two locations between which VHF contact would normally be impossible. One may be near Windermere, the other down Blackpool way, for instance.
Yesterday I heard the first conversation on the repeater in a while. I suppose the random times I tune in aren't always favoured by HAMs, and many use the repeater to chat when they're on their way home. (I wonder if the new hands-free legislation has put pay to this?) In any case, on this occasion one must have been based around Alston way, as he was recounting having his transmittions unintentionally being re-broadcast via Great Dun Fell, and was complaining about a new radar installed which was interfering with much of the VHF comms he normally would listen to.
This is fairly interesting as far as HAM comms go, as I believe legislation prevents discussion of anything topical or juicy in nature. By the sounds of it most of the local crowd were heading to a HAM 'do' today in Blackpool - a flea market thing as far as I could tell. It made me wonder how many of the HAMs actually meet up with the various they speak to.
At least when chatting to someone in the same region there's a decent chance of ending up at the same do, or having a get together. I wonder if I'll ever seen many of the people I chat to on the internet.
Yesterday I heard the first conversation on the repeater in a while. I suppose the random times I tune in aren't always favoured by HAMs, and many use the repeater to chat when they're on their way home. (I wonder if the new hands-free legislation has put pay to this?) In any case, on this occasion one must have been based around Alston way, as he was recounting having his transmittions unintentionally being re-broadcast via Great Dun Fell, and was complaining about a new radar installed which was interfering with much of the VHF comms he normally would listen to.
This is fairly interesting as far as HAM comms go, as I believe legislation prevents discussion of anything topical or juicy in nature. By the sounds of it most of the local crowd were heading to a HAM 'do' today in Blackpool - a flea market thing as far as I could tell. It made me wonder how many of the HAMs actually meet up with the various they speak to.
At least when chatting to someone in the same region there's a decent chance of ending up at the same do, or having a get together. I wonder if I'll ever seen many of the people I chat to on the internet.
20040302
End of an era
Today at the age of 95, after 58 years and an amazing 2,869 programmes, Alistair Cooke retires as presenter of Letter from America, the world's longest speed radio programme. Few can have assisted trans-atlantic understanding so much as Cooke's weekly 15 minute analysis of the events in America from such a insightful and unique perspective.
Find full coverage on the BBC News website.
Find full coverage on the BBC News website.
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