[QUOTE=slipshot;7355339]Oh how you mock.

They do cover other news. If it involves an Australian, or an Australian at a big event (such as Hugh Jackman at the Oscars who we could be forgiven for even thinking it was the Oscars and not the Hugh Jacman show, although I thought he did a very good job), or an Australian who is actually a Kiwi (like Russel Crowe but why let that stand in the way) or even if they like to stretch the point enormously and focus on someone who goes out with an Australian (like Orlando Bloom). However, Orlando is a pommie bastard and they mustn't say that, so they like to change this to 'adopted Aussie Orlando Bloom'. Then it's a story that has an Australian flavour because that's really all that matters.

That is sooo true. I noticed that they have tried to adopt Billy Connolly. Not sure how well he would take it really - and they will never beat the acccent out of him! Actually thinking about it I suppose as long as they are giving him piles of cash he probably doesn't give a flying monkeys.

The Aussies are so self-centred they don't know when they are being mocked/patronised! It amazes me that they make headline news out of anyone on a PR tour from another country when they say 'oh how I love australia it is the best place to be'.
Well they are hardly going to say 'this place is a dump and i think you are all tossers. Now please buy my book/album come to see my film/show' are they? Dooohhh.

Today in the Australian news, if anyone is interested:

• Afghanistan: No review of Afghanistan rules: Defence ...
• Iran: Iran test-fires new missile: reports ...
• Spain: In 1492, did Pedro Scotto sail the ocean blue? ...
• Saudi Arabia: 2,000kgs of cannabis seized in Saudi drug busts ..
• Egypt: MP's aid convoy attacked in Egypt ...
• Zimbabwe: Tsvangirai heading home for wife's funeral ...
• Japan: IWC chief flags whaling compromise ...
• North Korea: Kim Jong-il's son 'chosen as successor' ...
• China: Authorities braced for conflict in Tibet ...
• Northern Ireland: Real IRA claims killing of British soldiers ...

Perhaps... but if you consider there are 5 UK channels and 4 or 5 Aus channels, but SBS is out on a limb.

Regardless of who pays, the amount of decent quality TV that is put out by those channels in terms of dramas, documentaries and the like is remarkable compared to a very similar set-up here in Aus. OK, viewing figures are smaller but that does not mean budgets have to be.

Simply, they'd rather spend money trying to outdo their opposition and buy up crap US shows than actually make anything of any decency here.

Look at the number of decent dramas made in the UK that are shown in Aus. And how many are drama are shown in UK from Aus - hardly any.

The only exports of note are Neighbours and Home & Away (fair enough) and Kath & Kim that had a select audience. I cannot think of anything else that came close.

It really is poor quality compared to other countries - and as others have posted - The Mentalist by Australian Simon Baker is just continuous 'rub rub rub look another Aussie made it good' so you have to watch because 'it's the Australian way'.

Thank heavens for choice. Mrs Slip is Australian and fully agrees - it's mostly nonsense or overblown hype trying to outdo the other channels.

Look at the current crop ' Farmers wants a wife' - quite amusing really but come on - it;s weak reality TV, and The Biggest Loser, which is hardly attractive TV at it's best, not a pretty sight with overweight people in bikinis and ridiculous levels of attempts to engage the audience with terms like 'Camp Biggest Loser'.

Just because a show gets a decent rating says more about the lack of anything else to watch than the value or quality of the show. And in hard times like a recession, TV viewing figures go up as people go out less.

It is, overall, very poor....

No thanks.......... (crop being a good word for a farmer, but my eyesight thought the word was something else at first, which I also agreed with)


I pick and choose what I watch, and prefer not to watch, what I think of as rubbish.

I don't actually care where the programs are made, I just watch the ones I like.

And to be honest, there is plenty still left to watch, and I would hate to waste even more time watching more TV shows that I was drawn to.

Best free to air world news coverage can be found on SBS @ 6:30pm every weekday evening (not sure about the weekend coverage). Very good world and domestic news coverage. Many of the overseas reports come from the BBC.

I am a real SBS fan. They broadcast some excellent, real cutting edge documentaries and award winning (subtitled) movies from around the world. I know, not everyones cup of tea but I love it. Having said that I also love Desperate Housewives (USA), Packed to the Rafters (Aus), Underbelly (Aus) and of course the Simpsons

I like News Radio too - The World Service streaming is excellent, and even some of the NPR stuff is ok too.

As for the TV based stuff, well my TV isn't actually connected to the antenna, so apocryphal it is. I really miss Newsnight and the Channel 4 news. Luckily, the latter can be streamed over the internet, which is a great way of keeping up with international current affairs.

As for the rest of the TV here, I hope you like forensic investigation crime scene based 'dramas', made utterly unwatchable by advertisement breaks every 7-10 minutes...


S

That's the american influence creeping in. It takes about 2 hours to watch 25minutes of news in the states, because they have so many ad breaks.

What is happening with this proposal in the UK ...