# There were once URLs that were portals for live news **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 31, 2012, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-were-once-urls-that-were-portals-for-live-news/623708 "2012-05-31T22:06:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![janeslogin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@janeslogin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janeslogin)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2012, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-were-once-urls-that-were-portals-for-live-news/623708/1 "2012-05-31T22:06:29Z")
There were once URLs that were portals for live news: almost all the 24 hour news services CNN, HLN, MSNBC etc. were just a couple of clicks away. Live news almost all day. I quit bookmarking at about three. Then a few months ago all mine dried up. I can only get MSNBC now. Do you know of links to the 24 hour new services, online, live? ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2012, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-were-once-urls-that-were-portals-for-live-news/623708/2 "2012-05-31T22:18:55Z")
You mean like this??? > **[Breaking News, Latest News and Videos | CNN](https://www.cnn.com/)** > > View the latest news and breaking news today for U.S., world, weather, entertainment, politics and health at CNN.com. ---
**Author:** ![janeslogin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@janeslogin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janeslogin)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2012, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-were-once-urls-that-were-portals-for-live-news/623708/3 "2012-05-31T22:26:51Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > You mean like this??? > > [http://www.cnn.com/](http://www.cnn.com/) No. The links I had bookmarked were a menu of a dozen or more, not just cnn, and each went straight to _ **live streaming** _. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2012, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-were-once-urls-that-were-portals-for-live-news/623708/4 "2012-06-01T00:38:54Z")
> [@janeslogin](#): > > No. The links I had bookmarked were a menu of a dozen or more, not just cnn, and each went straight to _ **live streaming** _. Ah. You’re asking about illegal TV streams. I wouldn’t do that if I were you. ---
**Author:** ![Ionizer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5daacb/32.png) [@Ionizer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ionizer)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2012, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-were-once-urls-that-were-portals-for-live-news/623708/5 "2012-06-01T03:07:06Z")
Maybe something like [this](http://www.aljazeera.com/watch_now/) (al Jazeera, in English), right? I watched a lot during Egypt’s ‘revolution’ and found it VERY informative. Still view it more than occasionally, too. Can’t say much beyond that as I tend to avoid most US-based news sites nowadays. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2012, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-were-once-urls-that-were-portals-for-live-news/623708/6 "2012-06-01T03:54:58Z")
[The Real News Network](http://therealnews.com/t2/) has a continuous player option, but I don’t think 24-hour streaming is a priority for them. Quality over quantity, and all that. ---
**Author:** ![janeslogin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@janeslogin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janeslogin)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2012, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-were-once-urls-that-were-portals-for-live-news/623708/7 "2012-06-01T16:23:49Z")
Link above to al Jazeera is much closer to what I was asking about. There were at least three URLs from before 2010 til past 2011. They could have indeed been illegal and survived for more than a year. Each had at frame with a logo and abbreviations for at least a dozen 24 hour news channels. There were two each; al Jazeera, BBC, CNN, Fox, and each had one frame for HLN, MSNBC, CNBC, Current and MSNBC. They all ceased to function about Feburary of this year except for one which lasted until April. Perhaps they were indeed illegal and it took that long for the enforcers to catch up. “Www.thertv.eu is currently offline.” is the last remnant I can find of any of them. Should they have been illegal how was one to know? None of my utilities which sometimes flash warnings ever flagged any of them. They all appeared to be rather clean, crisp and useful - the formats were a lot like Hulu. How do \*\*\*you \*\*\*identify something as illegal? ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2012, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-were-once-urls-that-were-portals-for-live-news/623708/8 "2012-06-01T17:15:13Z")
> [@janeslogin](#): > > Should they have been illegal how was one to know? None of my utilities which sometimes flash warnings ever flagged any of them. They all appeared to be rather clean, crisp and useful - the formats were a lot like Hulu. > > How do \*\*\*you \*\*\*identify something as illegal? Generally if it’s some foreign site that is no way affiliated with the network it is playing - it’s illegal. I don’t know of any utilities that would actually identify a website of have illegal material (unless the website was really obvious or was famous for pirated material). ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2012, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-were-once-urls-that-were-portals-for-live-news/623708/9 "2012-06-01T19:39:23Z")
Just wanted to let you know that while your idea for a limerick theme is intriguing, the sample first line in your thread title doesn’t scan at all. Or maybe you meant it to include part of the second line too? “There were once URLs that were portals For live news…” Hmm. “…online. Ah, poor mortals!”? This could work… “They were hit with a fine And they’ve all gone off-line While the FCC gleefully chortles.” And a very happy Friday to you too. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2012, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-were-once-urls-that-were-portals-for-live-news/623708/10 "2012-06-01T19:55:31Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > Generally if it’s some foreign site that is no way affiliated with the network it is playing - it’s illegal. I don’t know of any utilities that would actually identify a website of have illegal material (unless the website was really obvious or was famous for pirated material). It is not necessarily illegal; it could be perfectly legal in the country that hosts the website. ---
**Author:** ![janeslogin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@janeslogin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janeslogin)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-were-once-urls-that-were-portals-for-live-news/623708/11 "2012-06-04T14:56:23Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > Ah. You’re asking about illegal TV streams. I wouldn’t do that if I were you. (1) How did you arrive at the conjecture that the query was about _illegal TV streams_? ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-were-once-urls-that-were-portals-for-live-news/623708/12 "2012-06-04T18:59:35Z")
> [@janeslogin](#): > > (1) How did you arrive at the conjecture that the query was about _illegal TV streams_? You’re right, I suppose I don’t know. But news tip, if the stream isn’t on [CNN.com](http://CNN.com) or [MSNBC.com](http://MSNBC.com), it’s illegal. So you’re either looking for illegal streams, or you’re too lazy to visit the sites of the channels you want to watch (and would then find CNN’s pay streams in a single click off the homepage): [http://www.cnn.com/video/](http://www.cnn.com/video/) MSNBC doesn’t have a free or paid stream. ---
**Author:** ![janeslogin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@janeslogin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janeslogin)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2012, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-were-once-urls-that-were-portals-for-live-news/623708/13 "2012-06-05T14:28:06Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > … But news tip, if the stream isn’t on [CNN.com](http://CNN.com) or [MSNBC.com](http://MSNBC.com), it’s illegal. … I can believe you but how were you or I or anyone else is supposed to know this? The question now is not regarding the legality or illegality of the sites that linked to streaming but how was one to know they were illegal? ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2012, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-were-once-urls-that-were-portals-for-live-news/623708/14 "2012-06-06T02:03:45Z")
> [@janeslogin](#): > > I can believe you but how were you or I or anyone else is supposed to know this? The question now is not regarding the legality or illegality of the sites that linked to streaming but how was one to know they were illegal? Allow me to quote a poster from this very thread: “Generally if it’s some foreign site that is no way affiliated with the network it is playing - it’s illegal.”