Stupid Dutch program commission proposes to ban CNN

The BBQ Pit
1

Alright, a little background first.

Over here, in Commie Pinko Holland, every district has a Program Commission that gets to decide whichever programs will be offered in the municipality-provided cable package. The package is not free, and there are other options out there (satellite, for instance), but as far as entry-level TV packages go, the Program Commission has a strong say in whatever Joe Public gets on the tube.

Now, the Program Commission for a few of the Northern provinces has taken it upon themselves to propose that CNN be scrapped from the list of provided channels, because their coverage of the war in Iraq has been too pro-American.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m no great CNN fan, personally. In fact, I tend to agree that CNN has a somewhat pro-US slant (granted, it’s no Fox News, if the Pit is anything to go by).

But apparently, that’s too much for us simple proles to decide for ourselves. Big Brother will spare us the trouble, and cut the feed for us.

Shitheads! It doesn’t even affect Amsterdam, but still it pisses me off. I’m smart enough to decide which channel I’ll watch, and I’m smart enough to separate fact from propaganda. Don’t try and make those decisions for me, please.

What makes it even funnier is that as a replacement, the Program Commission has proposed either EuroNews or BBC World, both of which are decent news stations in their own right. But, get this, the PC was leaning towards EuroNews because BBC World might give too much of a British perspective! GAH! BBC World! The Beeb! I consider them pretty much a textbook example of unbiased journalism, and I suspect I’m not alone. It’s not like they became flag-waving “Rule Brittania”-singing mindless drones the moment Tony Blair decided to go and play war with Georgie Bush in the Gulf!

God, this pisses me off. In fairness, there is a period for appeal of 2 months, in which people can contest the recommendation. I hope the Program Commission gets the living shit appealed out of it.

2

What they mean by that is in their sports slot they feature cricket results, which frankly no sane nation wants to know about.

3

Well, that’s hardly a valid argument, as the sports shows on the Dutch state-sponsored channels belt out korfbal and swimming results, stuff which no sane person even in THIS country wants to know about. And don’t get me started on speed skating. Oooh, another 32.4, his 8th in a row. Exciting!

OK, enough of that.

4

I’m still confused as to who can own what where and in which form.

For example, is a distinction made in Holland or the US between;

  • ‘TV stations in general the specific area of news / 'current affairs’, and

  • Between terrestrial and cable / satellite, and

  • Between (as is the case in the US) between nationals of that country (who can own teevee companies) and non-nationals of that country who cannot – that’s, of course, why Rupert all-I-touch-turns-tabloid Murdoch ?
    Fwiw, I hate it that Murdoch (as firstly an Australian and now an American) can broadcast his version of the truth into UK homes.

I also see that while the BBC can broadcast on cable in the US, it’s strongest product (news and current affairs), is not broadcast on that cable channel, at least as far as I can understand.

I think (at the moment) all I’m looking for is a level playing field in all broadcasting mediums; if the empire can broadcast to me I want the beeb broadcasting to them … …

5

And here we see the essential crappiness of any kind of state media in any nation. The medium’s right to free expression exists at the suffrance of the governmental body that controls it, and the government brooks no opposition when it comes to tough issues (whatever they may be).

DishNetwork’s lineup, to pick an example of American digital satellite TV, may not be the most edifying, but at least it isn’t subject to Donny Rumsfeld and the Anti-Breast Morality Police.

One thing interests me, though: How many Dutch people speak English? Does CNN translate its newsfeed into Dutch for the benefit of foreign audiences? Is there a CNN equivalent to the BBC World Service? I watched very little TV when I was in Austria last, but I don’t recall one.

6

London_Calling: BBC America does provide news and commentary between episodes of Ground Force and Monty Python’s Flying Circus reruns. And I get the World Service on my local NPR station.

(NPR being National Public Radio, a noncommerical broadcasting entity that exists through charitable donations and some government funding. It is not a state mouthpiece, and it has taken a rather strong anti-war stand in its commentary.)

7

As a rough estimate, I’d say that 80 to 85% of the adult population understands enough English to watch a news broadcast in that language. CNN doesn’t offer a translated feed, and the channel is not subtitled (subtitling being the default means to translate foreign programs here, instead of dubbing). The CNN feed here is a European one: CNN caters to continents by providing a local feed, which is basically their Atlanta feed interspersed with “local” programs, mostly on the business side of things. We get CNN Business European Edition, Asia gets the Asian Edition, that sort of thing. And all of us can watch Larry King Live, Headline News, et cetera.

8

State owned media has been extremely succesful in the UK, with the BBC presenting a far more neutral news source than any channel I’ve seen in the US. Why should a state owned or operated news channel have any more of an agenda than a company owned channel. Fox is an obvious example.

**

The Dutch have to be in the running for the worlds best polyglots, with an inordinately high percentage of people fluent in English. I’m trying to find a cite, but perhaps Coldy might have one to hand.

And there is a world version of CNN.

9

Oh good, a simulpost with bad coding. How nice.

Coldfire, any chance you can remove the extra / please?

10

True, but at least no commercial entity can completely shut off a competitor.

11

Yes but an oppresive state would also shut down commercial channels, so the ownership isn’t really an issue.

12

Gary, the thread is about a governmental entity deciding that CNN is too pro-American for Dutch viewers. The entity isn’t shutting down CNN, per se, as if it could, but it is preventing Dutch people from seeing its coverage. Same deal.

13

Derleth hit the nail on the head. It’s not about oppressing CNN (I doubt they care about the couple of hundred thousand that would miss out), but about an arbitrary decision to scratch a channel that is, for better or worse, one of the most important news channels in the world.

FWIW, the Program Commission is elected, IIRC. Yup, a quick look at their website (only in Dutch, ironically :)) tells me the chairman is elected by the relevant municipal council, and the other members are ratified by said council after being proposed by the Commission.

14

But Coldfire are you sure even that many people in Groningen and Friesland watch CNN? Aren’t they too busy watching programs on animal husbandry, and the correct way to clean “Nieuwe Haring”? :smiley:

15

We learn how to clean nieuwe haring in kindergarten[sup]1[/sup], Mycroft. As for the animal husbandry, I don’t know, and I’d like to keep it that way. :smiley:

[sup]1 = Well, OK, not really.[/sup]

16

See, I knew that that isn’t learned in kindergarten, because I went to kindergarten here. I remember we did learn how to make “Jonge Kaas”[sup]1[/sup] though. :smiley:

[sup]1 = Well, OK, not really either.[/sup]

17

In my kindergarten class, we learned how to negotiate a price when visiting a prostitute[sup]1[/sup]!

[sup]1 = Well, maybe we did. I was too stoned from all the kinderweed at the time.[/sup]

18

Essent [the cable company for the region] announced they won’t be taking CNN out of their cable package.

That’s one efficient pitting Coldire, now try pitting Dutch Rail :wink:

19

Grrrrr. You guys are lucky to have so many choices, it’s stupid to throw them away. Even if you’re totally opposed to the “American slant,” if you care enough to be offended by it wouldn’t you at least like to have the opportunity to know exactly what it is? Sheeeit.

20

Wow, Saitou, you’re right (press release in Dutch)! I never thought I’d live to see the day, but I actually applaud Essent for taking a stand here. Much as I loathe their company in all other respects (although I myself am a UPC victim, errr, “customer”), this was the right thing to do. Of course, they don’t offer BBC World or EuroNews in that region to begin with, which is another omission IMHO, but that’s another fight for another day.

Pitting Dutch rail? I wouldn’t know where to start! Let’s just say I’m the proud owner of both a car and a motorbike, and I only take the train when heading for the airport. :slight_smile: