Sky News.... is it them or me?

billy the squid

Mr. Byrne. It took me a while to write my responses to you. It would be a matter of good manners if you could read what people type before you critisise them.

Your friend in Russia would not be able to watch BBC news 24 as the footprint of the satelite it is on does not reach that far.

As you don't take the time out to read our posts I present you with this -rep with complements.

as for leprecauns - slagging will get you no where.

Flukey

Sky gives good news coverage, but once you've seen one hour you needn't bother looking for another few hours as you are going to see the same thing over and over again. In the hour that you do watch, much of it isn't news, but features, often with very tenuous connections to the story of the day. The day the Shuttle crashed last year, they kept showing JFK's speech on going to the moon that he made in the early 60's. Very loosely relevant. When they do go to blanket coverage mode, they do so at the loss of the regular slots for things like sport. That was a Saturday and they could easily have been showing the sports news while we were having to watch JFK again.

They claim to bring us all the news, but when they go to blanket mode, absolutely no other story gets a look in, although there would be plenty of slots for it. Even when people want to see a big story, no matter how big it is they would be glad of a break for a short while to cover some other things. It is as if nothing else was happening in the world. It appeared they were lucky that Princess Diana died when she did, as there was no other news on for a whole week. But for her death they'd have had to go off air for that week, or so it appeared.

Their onscreen snippets can be something too. Hours after a story has been first reported, you still see "Sky News Flash" or "Breaking News" on the screen. You see other headlines onscreen that are at best a minute element of the story. They do that at the top of the hour too with their presenters giving a list of so-called headlines which, bar the first one or two, are minor elements of the same story. This is done to the exclusion of other stories of the day, as I mentioned earlier. It is good to get extensive coverage on stories, but they do go way over the top, filling the hour with a lot of stuff that could be usefully used for other stories or their regular hourly slots for things like sport.

In terms of their coverage, there is a very obvious slant and the BBC and RTE are far more balanced in their coverage of stories. Backing Bush and Blair on this totaly cocked-up escapade that they have called a war is a joke. The war has been completely dis-credited. Calling it a war against terror or a liberation of Iraq is a joke. It is a war that has created more terrorism and the only thing it has done was to liberate the Iraqi people of their mortal existence. Saddam is gone, which is good, but that could have been done with one man, one gun and one bullet and that bullet might not even have had to be fired. But we are getting into another debate here, one that has long since been lost by the pro-Bush mob, even before the war started at all. Everything said by the anti-war people back then has proven to be correct.

Anyway, let's get back to Sky News. They have good points, but they are far from perfect. The only reason people turn it on is because they know it will be broadcasting. But to get a really good balanced coverage of the story in question and news on other stories, they'll wait until RTE or BBC News comes on air.

Mr Byrne

I don't have any friends in Russia. Perhaps you'll take the time to read what I said, I have a friend in Bangor who has a Niece working for The Times, he was very worried for her when the shool was being seiged and insted on tunin ginto BBC, he tuned into Sky.

Mr Byrne

Sky News don't go calling the war a "opperation iraqi liberation" I was referring to ITN calling the war "War on Saddam"

I do not believe that BBC is fair and balanced, it is a shdow of its past. there is competition now.

As for the murdock influence thing, I mean, there is a thing called the Epuality act and unfair dissmissals act. If Mrudock went sacking people that reported stuff that he doesn't agree with, well he'd be in trouble. Besides, ever listen to Tim Marshall? I my opinion one of the most informed and fair Foreign Editors there is.

I watch Sky in the morning, at lunch time usually and I usually watch Sky News Ireland @7. I can assure you that the news is different during those three time periods that I watch it. I think its the same with all 24 hour serives. You can't just dump the news flashes from the morning, someone that tunes in at 6 o clock wants a round up of the day yet you need to keep brining the news in for the people who are more informed. I think Sky have much better resources, enthusiasm and capabilities to report LIVE. And as regards Sky News Replaying things, it happens on all 24-hour netowrks for the reasons I just mentioned.

Now lets go onto RTÉ. If RTÉ said they want to set up a 24-hour news network but in condition that they upped the TV licence by 50 €- I would gladly pay it. I'm not anti-RTÉ. But I do think that every single alternative that I have paid for or could pay for (other packages) are much better than anything RTÉ has to offer. I still think that RTÉ gives the best national coverage on Irish affairs, but you need to turn off after the first 15-20 minutes, after that its about molly mc Cába in Ballygobackwards that lost a sheep. And RTÉ cannot give any good internaitonal coverage, maybe that will be the way it always will be - thats why I'm glad we have Sky News Ireland. As they hire more staff and expand, I will watch RTÉ News less and less.

flogen

I don't have any friends in Russia. Perhaps you'll take the time to read what I said, I have a friend in Bangor who has a Niece working for The Times, he was very worried for her when the shool was being seiged and insted on tunin ginto BBC, he tuned into Sky.

Ok, so what you're saying is that a friend of yours has a relative who works for the times. And this friend of yours would watch sky over BBC? What exactly is your point? That people who know journalists who work for The Times watch Sky? Oh, and if it's the Sunday Times in Ireland or The Times in England it's worth noting that Murdoch runs them... just to let you know.

Mr Byrne wrote:

I do not believe that BBC is fair and balanced, it is a shdow of its past. there is competition now.

On the contrary, I believe BBC is easily one of the most balanced news outlets going at the moment, and it has become more and more free of the government as time goes on.

As for the murdock influence thing, I mean, there is a thing called the Epuality act and unfair dissmissals act. If Mrudock went sacking people that reported stuff that he doesn't agree with, well he'd be in trouble.

Thanks for the legal update, but I can't see the unfair dissmissals Act coming into play here. If they were hired to report the news the company wanted them to report, and they didn't, they would be in breech of contract. And I'm not saying you get sacked if you don't report what Murdoch wants to here, I'm saying you would be left behind and/or given a crappy job until you quit.

I watch Sky in the morning, at lunch time usually and I usually watch Sky News Ireland @7. I can assure you that the news is different during those three time periods that I watch it. I think its the same with all 24 hour serives. You can't just dump the news flashes from the morning, someone that tunes in at 6 o clock wants a round up of the day yet you need to keep brining the news in for the people who are more informed. I think Sky have much better resources, enthusiasm and capabilities to report LIVE. And as regards Sky News Replaying things, it happens on all 24-hour netowrks for the reasons I just mentioned.

Not always, and Flukey was referring more to Sky's consistent focus on one story, so they spend hours reporting 1 incident, but only have 10 minutes of material to go with. Marlon Brandos death was reported for at least an hour straight, and it was all just clips of his movies and the same quotes from film buffs. It was a big story, but there was plenty else going on too.
Also Sky avoid having any news shows or features on their channel. BBC have finance shows, business shows, tech shows, news updates from the US, Asia etc. etc. Much more rounded look at the days events. Sky just stream the same format constantly, with the exception of CNN at night (for an hour).

I still think that RTÉ gives the best national coverage on Irish affairs, but you need to turn off after the first 15-20 minutes, after that its about molly mc Cába in Ballygobackwards that lost a sheep. And RTÉ cannot give any good internaitonal coverage, maybe that will be the way it always will be - thats why I'm glad we have Sky News Ireland. As they hire more staff and expand, I will watch RTÉ News less and less.

Firstly the idea of an RTE news channel has been discussed before, I like the idea, but it just wouldnt work at all, for financial reasons mainly.
Now, your comment has baffled me. RTE give the best national coverage on Irish affairs, but its gets crap after 15 minutes because it's covering Irish affairs? Your reference to a type of story is obviously meant to be a joke, and I do see your point that some of the later stories may not be as generally gripping as the big stories of the day, but they are still Irish affairs stories from across the country, and its RTE's job to report them, and they do it well.

I would like to think that Sky News Ireland is gone in a year, but I'm not sure. Plenty of people, like yourself, enjoy watching it, and the company has plenty of money to spend. I can see the problems with the station, and the Irish show, and I intend on pointing them out. If Sky stop making errors, stop bias reporting and stop using News Flashes and so on stupidly, I'll have nothing to complain about.

flogen

Flukey

If you only tune in briefly, a few well separated times of the day, of course you will see different news. You may get your round up of the news of the day in the evening and get all the news of the day, but stories that broke hours ago are no longer breaking news or news flashes, even if it is the first time you have seen them. If you are tuning in for the news of the day and they are in blanket mode, you won't get the news of the day, just a single story. The details of that will be covered in the first 10 minutes, after which they go into recycle. Even if RTÉ starts telling you about a lost sheep after 15 or 20 minutes of their news, at least it is a different story. If that story was on Sky they'd spend much of the hour telling you that you can make a blanket from the wool of a sheep as one of their 'features' on the story and as part of their blanket coverage, or telling you that lamb chops are not the same as pork shops, instead of giving us some of the other news of the day. If the story was at the top of the hour, they'd have a list of different elements of the same story all as their main headlines, when the first would cover it:

• Prize sheep goes missing from a farmers land.
• The farmer looked into the field.
• The sheep was not there.
• The farmer said he was worried.
• He owns other sheep.
• None of them are missing.

No other story would get a look in.

billy the squid

ok i will rephrase that your CONTACT in russia

my apologies

at least I will hold up my hand and admit when I am wrong.

Mr Byrne

OK, so let me get this straight. now murdock owns how many dozens of newspapers and news channels in so many countries and so many languages, yet he control everythign tat goes on all those news channels and papers?

- he must be superman!

Anyway, TV3 do irish news good, they don't waffle on about dead sheep. Sky News don't either! -= because they're not interested. You missed my whole point! - A lost sheep would never be considered important enough to go on sky news or even on their close up kind of reports. BUT a lost sheep would be deemed good enough for RTE. After awhile, RTE get talking about crap! - thats why more and more people weretuning tinto TV3 - and now they're starting to tune into Sky News Ireland

Now I think that a 24 news channel could be made in ireland, they could do a few 1/2 hour bulletins in the moening, then repeat them until lunch time, do a other few 1/2 bulletins, repat to 5:30 then keep going to 10, repaeat till morning .

That is the only economical 24 channel that could exist and I think that is what Sky News Ireland will be aiming for but the repeats would only be showed on News Active, like they are right now, Sky News Ireland is shown on news active between 8-10 and its also shown in the UK!

Now despite what you think, sky news ireland is actually successful! - They are exapanding! Bigger studio being built, exec producer, producers, editors, technicians andmore reporters are being hired.

So, Sky News Ireland will get bigger, and more and more people will tune into it. I watched sky news ireland @ 7 yesterday. I hope some of you did. They had a very good report on the Irish born hostage, then they went live to a correspondant in Baghdad, about the Irish hostage! - they questions asked were of interest to Irish people. Then they went on about the A&E crises, they had a report on the footballer that broke a blokes Jaw. Then they had a report on new advertsiements to be placed on cigarette packs. Then they had a special report from Sky's Africa Correspondant Stuart Ramsy (And if you know who he is, you'll have as much respect for him as I have for him, he's done a lot) it was about a group of irish builders out near Cape Town doing charity work to convert shanty towns to real houses. It was very interesting and really tocuhed the heart. Then the sports news, now I'm not a big sports fan but I was talking to my brother the other day and says one of the reason he watches Sky News is because they have the best Sports coverage.

Then the weather, well maybe not as detailed as RTE, but certainly better than TV3 and good enough for me, I want to know what the weather going to be like tomorrow, not aten page essay on low pressure and rhuabrbs building up and then at the end they tell us what its going to be like!

billy the squid

OK, so let me get this straight. now murdock owns how many dozens of newspapers and news channels in so many countries and so many languages, yet he control everythign tat goes on all those news channels and papers?

- he must be superman!

maybe not, but Mr Murdock has a say in who is appointed to these newspapers higher up positions.

Anyway, TV3 do irish news good, they don't waffle on about dead sheep. Sky News don't either! -= because they're not interested.

It is not whether or not the station itself is interested in dead sheep, it is whether or not the viewer is. This is how Sky are so out of touch with their irish viewers with sky news ireland. BTW they showed a couple of thousand dead sheep on sky news during the foot and mouth outbreak.

You missed my whole point! - A lost sheep would never be considered important enough to go on sky news or even on their close up kind of reports. BUT a lost sheep would be deemed good enough for RTE.

you seem to have an obsession with sheep, seriously though, if I was a farmer and sheep went missing off my land, it would be important to me, it would be my source of income after all just the same as news of a factory closing down is important to a factory worker when the factory is their source of income.

After awhile, RTE get talking about crap!

Same question I asked you about the BBC, is this a statement of fact? and if so give examples, or are you just insulting RTE now. you never answered my question on the BBC by the way, was it an insult that they show news which is a week old or do you actually have evidence of it.

thats why more and more people weretuning tinto TV3 - and now they're starting to tune into Sky News Ireland

do you have links or statistics to confirm this. Last report I read about Sky News Ireland was in the evening herrald several weeks ago and stated that sky news ireland's viewership was actually falling.

Now I think that a 24 news channel could be made in ireland, they could do a few 1/2 hour bulletins in the moening, then repeat them until lunch time, do a other few 1/2 bulletins, repat to 5:30 then keep going to 10, repaeat till morning

http://www.irelandlivetelevision.tv

nice and repetative like sky.

So, Sky News Ireland will get bigger, and more and more people will tune into it. I watched sky news ireland @ 7 yesterday. I hope some of you did. They had a very good report on the Irish born hostage, then they went live to a correspondant in Baghdad, about the Irish hostage! - they questions asked were of interest to Irish people. Then they went on about the A&E crises, they had a report on the footballer that broke a blokes Jaw. Then they had a report on new advertsiements to be placed on cigarette packs. Then they had a special report from Sky's Africa Correspondant Stuart Ramsy (And if you know who he is, you'll have as much respect for him as I have for him, he's done a lot) it was about a group of irish builders out near Cape Town doing charity work to convert shanty towns to real houses. It was very interesting and really tocuhed the heart. Then the sports news, now I'm not a big sports fan but I was talking to my brother the other day and says one of the reason he watches Sky News is because they have the best Sports coverage.

Did they mention any of these peoples names in the bulletin, I think the hostage in iraq is named margaret Hassan, as for the footballer, i dont follow football so his name could be michael jackson for all i care.

Then the weather, well maybe not as detailed as RTE, but certainly better than TV3 and good enough for me, I want to know what the weather going to be like tomorrow, not aten page essay on low pressure and rhuabrbs building up and then at the end they tell us what its going to be like!

RTE's wether is not a part of the news gathering team, met eireann (people who know what they are talking about ) do the weather for RTE.

RTE is a public broadcaster, its not their job to compete with sky news.

flogen

Mr. Byrne, I really have had enough of your muppetry. As far as I'm concerned you're just being a troll now, and nothing more.

RTE don't report on missing sheep, and as Billy pointed out, it doesn't matter what the station thinks is interesting or important, its what the viewers think. RTE workers are paid to cater for all of Ireland, they dont always do a good job, but they do a damn better one that Sky.

Murdoch does ensure that everything he owns he controls, why do you think he put his son in charge of BskyB?

And stop making statements like "RTE talk about crap" and "people stopped watching RTE and started to watch TV3" without facts to back them up. Of course people started to watch TV3 news, it was on a half hour earlier and it's tabloid. The fact is some people like tabloid, others dont.

Now, we all gather you like Sky News. I'm sure you've gathered that I don't, and others don't. The fact is that Sky News make error after error (I'll see if I can find that map of Ireland they had on their ads for Sky News Ireland, the one where they had a red dot over Wicklow and 'Dublin' written beside it). As long as they do, people here and everywhere will point them out. You can do the same with RTE if you like, but saying they talk about sheep doesn't count, and I don't want to see it again.

flogen

Mr Byrne

You never once referred to the success story of Sky news Ireland. Why do they say its a success? why are they expanding?

radiospan

flogen wrote:

(I'll see if I can find that map of Ireland they had on their ads for Sky News Ireland, the one where they had a red dot over Wicklow and 'Dublin' written beside it).

Here it is.

Mr Byrne

right. well very often when your watching RTE they have technical difficulties with reports.

billy the squid

Technical difficulties are one thing, that was not a technical difficulty, that was just an uninformed mistake. They have their Irish main office in Dublin, surely they should know where Dublin Is.

Mr Byrne

Well, I still reckon that Sky News Ireland is the better one to watch. Lets go back to the Friday bulletin. If you want the most informed reports on the Irish born hostage, Margeret Hassan, then watch Sky News. RTÉ don't have anyone in Baghdad.

Whta I am referring to by technical difficulties, is that you say there is a lot wrong with Sky News IRELAND, well tell me, what technical difficulties are they having compared to regular difficulties with playing reports on RTE.

Lets also go back to someone said that the reason why Sky news is most popular is thta they're always there, well I mean, we now have BBC News 24, ITN, CNN London and EURO News (If it is an internaltional story you could also refer to MSNBC or FOX News, if you're an idiot and can speak arabic- al jazera). WE are spolit for choice with 24 news networks, 4 of which are london based. So, you don't have to tune into Sky News, yet the majority of people living in great Britain and Ireland feel Sky News give the better coverage.

As regards someone earlier saying that SKY don't show programmes, its always the news and :rolleyes: BBC show programmes and sky never do - well I refer you do a programme that they showed last night @ 9:30PM on bullying and abuse in the Briitsh army , I refer you to "sky accross america" - three half hour prgrames every day this week - sky can afford their very own private jet to fly around america getting the stories that matter on the the US Presidential acampagins, and they are VERY fair and balanced doing it. - Sky have a news active service, you can shoose what news you want to watch and there are no shcedules or bounderies. I can also point out that Sky showed the debates in special programmes, they regularly have special programmes for exclusive interviews. Go back to the last gulf war, they showed the saddam interview and other interviews in special programmes on their news channel. Most people also feel that sky are the best when it comes to Sports nes - they have their own channel for that and they are the best when it comes to Business news, in my opinion and the opinion of alot of people - go to a load restaurant or a decent pub during lunch on Mon-Fri and Sky News is likely to be on the TV.

As regards murdock, you didn't read my statement that he owns too much and is too busy with the busienss side of things to have the time to control the news that goes on everything. - In my opinion, wether the news service is biased, has a lot to do with the producers - like American netowrks calling it "opperation iraqi liberation" - or ITN calling it "War on Saddam" - sky called it "war on Iraq" - now most of it has to do with the journalist on the ground , he/she could be biased or fair. Murdock doesn't go to baghdad and hold all his journalists hands telling them what to report.

As regards James Murdock, he is a great business man, he before BSKYB, he was in India. Murdock has a network their, it was ailing, going down the pot, James went over there and he turned it wround, it is a now a rocketing netowrk, that is why he let him be CEO of Sky. And that isn't made up, I read that in Newsweek, James Murdock is one of their "people to watch" for the year 2004, I usually save god copies of Newsweek, so i'll have a look for the article and scan it on for you. - Already you can see the differences, - look at Sky One, they've swipped most of the good American Drama's, and there are plenty more to swipe. - Sky News Ireland - yet another ingenius creation since James Murdock became CEO of BSKYB.

Awaiting your biased left-wing-conspiracy responses.

flogen

Mr Byrne wrote:

Well, I still reckon that Sky News Ireland is the better one to watch. Lets go back to the Friday bulletin. If you want the most informed reports on the Irish born hostage, Margeret Hassan, then watch Sky News. RTÉ don't have anyone in Baghdad.

Every channel gave good coverage to the Hassan story. I know she was born in Ireland, but that doesn't mean only Irish based channels can give good reports on her ordeal, what about the BBC?

Whta I am referring to by technical difficulties, is that you say there is a lot wrong with Sky News IRELAND, well tell me, what technical difficulties are they having compared to regular difficulties with playing reports on RTE.

Can you make reference to a technical error that is as idiotic as not knowing where Dublin is on the map? And make sure you back it up too, please.

Lets also go back to someone said that the reason why Sky news is most popular is thta they're always there, well I mean, we now have BBC News 24, ITN, CNN London and EURO News (If it is an internaltional story you could also refer to MSNBC or FOX News, if you're an idiot and can speak arabic- al jazera). WE are spolit for choice with 24 news networks, 4 of which are london based. So, you don't have to tune into Sky News, yet the majority of people living in great Britain and Ireland feel Sky News give the better coverage.

The majority of people in the UK don't get Sky, the majority of people in Ireland can only get sky (because they don't have digital). While other 24 news channels exist, some people still dont have the choice, me being an example. Even people with Sky Digital dont always get BBC 24, it has to be manually tuned and people often dont realise it.

As regards someone earlier saying that SKY don't show programmes, its always the news and :rolleyes: BBC show programmes and sky never do - well I refer you do a programme that they showed last night @ 9:30PM on bullying and abuse in the Briitsh army , I refer you to "sky accross america" - three half hour prgrames every day this week - sky can afford their very own private jet to fly around america getting the stories that matter on the the US Presidential acampagins, and they are VERY fair and balanced doing it. - Sky have a news active service, you can shoose what news you want to watch and there are no shcedules or bounderies. I can also point out that Sky showed the debates in special programmes, they regularly have special programmes for exclusive interviews. Go back to the last gulf war, they showed the saddam interview and other interviews in special programmes on their news channel. Most people also feel that sky are the best when it comes to Sports nes - they have their own channel for that and they are the best when it comes to Business news, in my opinion and the opinion of alot of people - go to a load restaurant or a decent pub during lunch on Mon-Fri and Sky News is likely to be on the TV.

Actually, that deepcut piece was a "special report" not a programme. The same applies to "Sky Across America", the presidential debates, the Saddam Trial, the sports news and the Business news. They are all just sections of the news reporting. BBC have dedicated 30 minute shows to international business, sport, technology. It makes for much more detailed and interesting viewing than the same 3 stories reported constantly until something new happens.

As regards murdock, you didn't read my statement that he owns too much and is too busy with the busienss side of things to have the time to control the news that goes on everything. - In my opinion, wether the news service is biased, has a lot to do with the producers - like American netowrks calling it "opperation iraqi liberation" - or ITN calling it "War on Saddam" - sky called it "war on Iraq" - now most of it has to do with the journalist on the ground , he/she could be biased or fair. Murdock doesn't go to baghdad and hold all his journalists hands telling them what to report.

Yes I did, and your theory shows the lack of journalistic knowledge you have. Have you ever heard of "House Style"? Basically its the type of story and style of reporting that a publication or station would usually stick to. You wouldn't write a tabloid story with slang and so on for The Irish Times, and you wouldnt write a piece on the Hong Kong markets with long words for the Sun. It doesn't matter what the reporter thinks, they have to stick to the stations house style or they dont get broadcast. Some places have a very bias house style (fox being the extreme example) some dont (the BBC and RTE generally).
It is also rumored (and I'm not sure if this is true) that Murdoch rings his editors every day. It was said that had The Sun gotten their hands on the pictures that cost Piers Morgan his job he would have stopped The Sun from printing them, thats the kind of input he has.
I really don't see what your point is on the "war on Iraq" thing, can you clarify it?

As regards James Murdock, he is a great business man, he before BSKYB, he was in India. Murdock has a network their, it was ailing, going down the pot, James went over there and he turned it wround, it is a now a rocketing netowrk, that is why he let him be CEO of Sky. And that isn't made up, I read that in Newsweek, James Murdock is one of their "people to watch" for the year 2004, I usually save god copies of Newsweek, so i'll have a look for the article and scan it on for you. - Already you can see the differences, - look at Sky One, they've swipped most of the good American Drama's, and there are plenty more to swipe. - Sky News Ireland - yet another ingenius creation since James Murdock became CEO of BSKYB.

I don't know if he did or not, but you don't have to be un-bias to draw in the crowds, look at The Sun. Its full of crap stories, under investigated pieces and general trash but its still one of the most popular "papers" in the UK and Ireland.
And we're not talking about Sky One, go to the TV forum if you want to praise that.

Awaiting your biased left-wing-conspiracy responses.

Ah the cry of the Right winger... everything I say is a left wing conspiracy. It's not reality, its a commie plot to take over the world

flogen

billy the squid

Lets go back to the Friday bulletin. If you want the most informed reports on the Irish born hostage, Margeret Hassan, then watch Sky News. RTÉ don't have anyone in Baghdad.

The job of a news service is to gather news, process it and distribute it. Having someone in bagdad, washington or on the moon for that matter doesnt make that station any better. RTE probably do get their news through different means but they still get it. and they distribute it without the right wing slant.

nice to see you finally rememberd her name by the way.

Lets also go back to someone said that the reason why Sky news is most popular is thta they're always there

That is NOT what I said, what I said was that more people watch sky because Sky is in a prominent position on the Electronic Programming Guide on satelite, where as here in Ireland BBC news 24 ihas to be tuned in manually. Manually tuning a digital satelite tuner is a little more difficult than flicking up and down on a radio you know,

well I mean, we now have BBC News 24

EPG number please

if you're an idiot and can speak arabic- al jazera

To ignore the news from a different point of view and then to call someone who does not ignore an alternative news source an idiot is not only racist but ironic.

and you dont need to know arabic to get the al-jazeera view of things

http://english.aljazeera.net

yet the majority of people living in great Britain and Ireland feel Sky News give the better coverage.

The majority of people in "Great Britain" and Ireland don't even HAVE sky.

As regards someone earlier saying that SKY don't show programmes, its always the news and BBC show programmes and sky never do - well I refer you do a programme that they showed last night @ 9:30PM on bullying and abuse in the Briitsh army

it was a special report which was on at 4.30, 5.30 6,30 7,30 8,30 as well. It was on at work over and over again.

Sky have a news active service, you can shoose what news you want to watch

when you find bbc news 24 on the EPG see what happens when you press the red button. you cannot accuse BBC of not having this feature when you obviously havent watched it.

you my good man are starting to irritate me. calling people "idiots" for whatever reason will not do your credibility any good.

Mr Byrne

I'm replying to floggan here first:

"Every channel gave good coverage to the Hassan story. I know she was born in Ireland, but that doesn't mean only Irish based channels can give good reports on her ordeal, what about the BBC?"

- I watched TV3, RTE and then Sky News last friday, I felt Sky gave the better coverage on the story.

"Can you make reference to a technical error that is as idiotic as not knowing where Dublin is on the map? And make sure you back it up too, please."

- I can't go into specifics. I'm referring to before RTE playa report, they regualrly have a techinical feck-up. Like two weeks ago after one of the Presidential debates, I was very interested to hear what they had to say about it, but they had a technical feck-up and the report was delayed half an hour. - even tv3 can manage to put their reports on the air without technical error, most of the time.

"The majority of people in the UK don't get Sky, the majority of people in Ireland can only get sky (because they don't have digital). While other 24 news channels exist, some people still dont have the choice, me being an example. Even people with Sky Digital dont always get BBC 24, it has to be manually tuned and people often dont realise it."

- A lot of people in the UK do have Sky. Like us, they also have NTL and other packages in which they can avail of Sky News. Sky News is now free to air, yso if you buy a satellite without any network, as far as I was aware, you can also get Sky News. All digital packages in this country give you ITN and CNN. - in fact I do like CNN and I am writing to NTL to get them to put it back on instead on CNBC, - I suggest you do the same.

"Actually, that deepcut piece was a "special report" not a programme. The same applies to "Sky Across America", the presidential debates, the Saddam Trial, the sports news and the Business news. They are all just sections of the news reporting. BBC have dedicated 30 minute shows to international business, sport, technology. It makes for much more detailed and interesting viewing than the same 3 stories reported constantly until something new happens. "

- ohh - so you watched it? Well Sky do have other programmes. thye have a 24 hour sports channel but they also have a thing called "sportsline"- seen as they control most of the soccer rights, they get the best football coverage. I'm not interested in soccer, I don't understand why hetrosexual men would be interested i that sort of thing, but most people do like it, and Sky News have a programme dedicated to it - its on @ 10:30 most nights - right after Sky News Ireland. Sticking with that topic - ever heard of "little john" - how about "Boulton on Sundays" - (Something like that) and they had some programme where there was three women interviewing people, don't know if thats still going or not. Also they do have a business news every night.

"House Style"? "

- I understand what you're saying but I do not believe that Sky News is as tabloidish as the Sun. I don't like the Sun, but the average Working Class man loves it, and murdoch loves it because it earns him money! - I'm not forced to read the Sun, nor do I ever buy it - everybodies happy. - "Live and Let Live" - isn't that the phrase you lefties live by?

"I really don't see what your point is on the "war on Iraq" thing, can you clarify it?"

- Well you can judge the opinions of the producers to what they call the war. I don't think calling it a "war on saddam" is very fair and balanced, do you? Well, at least you don't watch ITN, thats a start, well done.

"James Murdoch"

- you are very uninformed. I checked my Newsweek archive, luckily I kept those magazines! - Seen as you don't like my main source- sky news, I hope you don't feel the same way about my second source - newsweek. They're owned by the Washington Post - Remember - the people that broke the Abu-Ghrave atrosities. - Newsweek is very respected around the world.

Anyway, a few quotes to put thing sin perspective from evidence A - newsweek dates December 29th 2003. - Title of the aritcle - "The Other Son rises, by Johnnie L. Roberts"

First quote: "...BskyB in which News Corp. owns 35 percent and Rupert Murdoch serves as chairman." --- "35" they say! - you thought the owned loads more than that, didn't you?

Second quote: "Things began to turn around for James with his appointment to the ailing Star TV in 1999. It was reportedly then losing about $100 million a year. James reoriented the programming from an emphasis on the massive but different Chinease market to India. The result: Star is posting its first profits this year. His performance there apparently put him in the running for the top job at BskyB in which News Corp. owns 35 percent and Rupert Murdoch serves as chairman."

There we go, I'll give you more quotes from newsweek as this conversation progresses.

"Ah the cry of the Right winger... everything I say is a left wing conspiracy. It's not reality, its a commie plot to take over the world "

- I just put it in to see your responses, I'm i pressed, I expected you to dive in. But no, I'm not saying everything you say is a conspiracy or anything now that you mention it, I was yahoo chat last week and there was this room called "Do you trust your Gov" - it was these weird Americans who were trying to persuade me that insurance companies are taking over the world and are in control of all of our governments! I hope you don't believe that but what you said about Rupert is quite similar. He phones all his editors every day? Does murdoch speak French? Spanish? Chinease? This is news to me. He phones all of them? - wow, News Corp will be bankrupt in two weeks if no ones running the shop. He'd have to spend all day phoning all his editors and making sure they're putting on what he tells them to.

Mr Byrne

Now to deal with billy the stupid:

"The job of a news service is to gather news, process it and distribute it. Having someone in bagdad, washington or on the moon for that matter doesnt make that station any better. RTE probably do get their news through different means but they still get it. and they distribute it without the right wing slant.

nice to see you finally rememberd her name by the way."

- I REMEMBERED HER NAME FROM THE BEGINNING. And as regards RTE getting it from different sources - they're called "reuters" and the "Associated Press" - Great to see you're finally admitting that RTE get their foreign affairs from second hand sources - sure you may as well watch TV3 news, they do that too but thats because they can only afford that. you see 500,000 people don't tune into TV3 News and they don't get money off of us to provide an News Service. Also, lets go back to the last gulf war, when RTE used to get their sources from FOX News - LOL. YES 0 remember? They used to pump Fox into their own news whenever they wanted LIVE footage. I remember one evening watching 6.1 and Brian Dobson was talking to an Irish army officer and he said how he saw a live battle on Sky News that morning.

"That is NOT what I said, what I said was that more people watch sky because Sky is in a prominent position on the Electronic Programming Guide on satelite, where as here in Ireland BBC news 24 ihas to be tuned in manually. Manually tuning a digital satelite tuner is a little more difficult than flicking up and down on a radio you know"

- maybe its also because BBC couldn't give a toss about Ireland. What time is BBC News Ireland on at? remind me again please. (and don't don't go waffling about Newsling Northern Ireland, they rarely do anything in the Republic)

"EPG number please"
- BBC News 24 is tuned in on NTL digital. It is also free to air if you just buy an ordinary satellite without any network. Maybe Sky don't bopther tuning in BBC because no one wants it except you two.

"To ignore the news from a different point of view and then to call someone who does not ignore an alternative news source an idiot is not only racist but ironic.

and you dont need to know arabic to get the al-jazeera view of things

http://english.aljazeera.net"
- Sky News show me both sides of the argument. I don't need to watch a one sided muslim news service. Ever heard of Khalid? You know the Irish guy, went to Saudi Arabia, got arrested, was brainwashed and now he's home, then went to england and is spokesperson for a radical Muslim group, know him? He says 9/11 was "justice" - he thinks beslan was great and he said Ken Bigley deserved to be beheaded. - and he watches Al Jazera.

"it was a special report which was on at 4.30, 5.30 6,30 7,30 8,30 as well. It was on at work over and over again."

- I dissagree with you. I was watching Sky News at 7:30 last Sunday night and I saw A report about bullying, it was about 5 minutes or so long, maybe a bit more, when the report was finished, anchorman Alan King, said and I remember "... and you can see the full report at a speical bulletin at 9:30PM" - eat that.

"you my good man are starting to irritate me. calling people "idiots" for whatever reason will not do your credibility any good."

- I irritate people when I prove them wrong - is that your problem? ohh and "calling people "idiots" for whatever reason" - "Billy the stupid" - I think thats reason enough.

flogen

Mr. Byrne, you were warned about personal insults, banned for 1 week.

You can continue your point after that, once you stick to the rules.

flogen

Memnoch

Mr. Byrne is really Ruport Murdoch in disguise trying to prevent the "left wingers" from reducing the popularity of his news channel.

soon the FBI will be requesting billy the squid's extradition to the United States for "supporting terrorism" after his post defending Al Jazeera.

The FBI will also attempt the same for Flogen but not provide any evidence to support their claims, in order to protect their "operatives in the field."

Hows that for a left-wing conspiracy theory?

billy the squid

dont forget the indymedia cookies in the temp internet folder

I will write a reply for you Mr. Byrne when I have more time.

no fair by the way he "replies" to you and "deals" with me, i feel like a bold boy.

billy the squid

oh here goes

"...BskyB in which News Corp. owns 35 percent and Rupert Murdoch serves as chairman." --- "35" they say! - you thought the owned loads more than that, didn't you?

actually what I said was that Rupert Murdoch owned a higher shere in sky news before it merged with brittish satelite broadcasting. his shareholding was diluted by the merger.

BBC News 24 is tuned in on NTL digital. It is also free to air if you just buy an ordinary satellite without any network. Maybe Sky don't bopther tuning in BBCSky News show me both sides of the argument. I don't need to watch a one sided muslim news service because no one wants it except you two.

If only the two of us wanted to watch it it wouldnt be on NTL now would it. My point is that it is not on the irish sky EPG. We have BBC1 BBC2 Northern Ireland on the EPG, BBC3 and BBC4 along with CBBC Cbeebies BBC parliment and BBC News 24 have to be tuned in through the Other Channels on the Sky Box. I am actually a big fan of BBC five Live as it happens.

Oh we don't have NTL in limerick so the only way to get BBC is through satelite. I won't say "through sky" as they ended their encryption agreement with sky last year.

Sky News show me both sides of the argument. I don't need to watch a one sided muslim news service

how do you know it is one sided if you don't speak arabic. I don't watch the station because of the language barrier but in my experience I have found that they keep their news reporting and their analisys in separate sections of their website, and from what I hear in their broadcasts too. Stations like sky mix their reporting with their political leanings.

Ever heard of Khalid? You know the Irish guy, went to Saudi Arabia, got arrested, was brainwashed and now he's home, then went to england and is spokesperson for a radical Muslim group, know him? He says 9/11 was "justice" - he thinks beslan was great and he said Ken Bigley deserved to be beheaded. - and he watches Al Jazera

Adolf Hitler liked classical music, should we stop listening to it because of that

at least we found one thing in common, CNBC is a dire channel, it is like watching paint dry. Bloomberg beats them all for business news.

Joe Shurlock

Had to set up a new a/c because some good christian banned me. Perhaps he/she would kindly remove the ban so we can continue with the conversation. It would appear to an innocent bystander that he/she beanned me because he/she failed to argue his/her point and was getting embarrassed because I was proving him/her wrong and he/she is used to having his/her way and therefore had to ban me to save face.

Now I'll continue...

"If only the two of us wanted to watch it it wouldnt be on NTL now would it."

- Have you seen NTL digital? It's terrible, its cheap, they put as many free channels as they can onto it, to reduce their costs and maximise their profits.

"Oh we don't have NTL in limerick"

- Oh, Limerick you say. Well that explains a lot.

"how do you know it is one sided if you don't speak arabic. I don't watch the station because of the language barrier but in my experience I have found that they keep their news reporting and their analisys in separate sections of their website, and from what I hear in their broadcasts too. Stations like sky mix their reporting with their political leanings. "

- Al Jazera have a big reputation for being one sided and biased, SKY do NOT have such a reputation. If Al Jazera isn't biased, then neither is FOX.

"Adolf Hitler liked classical music, should we stop listening to it because of that"

- I'd say you should start listening to it because of that.

But you didn't answer me at the start about RTE showing FOX footage and Brian Dobson referring to footage on Sky News.

Perhaps Floggan would be kind enough to answer what I gave him, the message above entitled "I'm replying to floggan here first"

And to "Memnoch" - I am flattered that you think I'm Rupert Murdoch, but I'm not. And yes, that is a typical example of what you hear in left-wing conpiracy rooms on Yahoo Chat.

By the way, you people assume too much about me. Who said i'm right-wing? Well I suppose you're right, I am right-wing but not extreme right-wing. I did not support the War on Iraq either! - but for reasons different to what you might think! - I don't particualrly like Bush either, but Kerry is just as bad in my opinion, however if I was in America, I'd most likely vote for Kerry.

billy the squid

bad idea its up to the good christians, the admins now.

creating a new account to circumvent a temporary ban is bold, very bold

you were banned for the S word in this sentence

- I irritate people when I prove them wrong - is that your problem? ohh and "calling people "idiots" for whatever reason" - "Billy the stupid" - I think thats reason enough.

Gordon

Flukey wrote:

Pedants of the world: Unite!

Dyslexics of the world: Untie!

flogen

Joe Shurlock banned until I could be bothered unbanning the account, the same applies for Mr Byrne and any other account that he decides to set up.

Thread locked too, I think we can all agree that this thread has run its course and its just become people trying to justify their opinions rather than prove something with facts.

flogen