Freeview Tuning problems

"It's not our fault!" That's what Freeview are screaming. Well, I'm sorry but you are not entirely blameless in this fiasco, neither are the manufacturers. I am ready to accept that a small amount of the problems can be laid fairly and squarely at the consumers door, but only a small amount. The UK Govenrment must also take a very minor part of the blame here too, and I don't mean Westminster, I mean Whitehall - were the power really resides.

Tee biggest problem? No-one really thought seriously about one thing that bugs a lot of the and independent industry experts and support operations: backwards compatibility. Over the past few years it's become a "dirty word" for the decision makers, it's messy, it means they can't force people to buy our new shiny box with more bells-n-whistles (which no-one will really ever use!).

Yes, I know, I'm old and cynical, but I've been around the media industry too long not to be.

Big Brother gone? I doubt it.

Initially, anyone of the same opinion as myself would say "At last! Some relief!" as today's London Times announces: "Channel 4 finally evicts Big Brother". This sentiment would be echoed by fellow residents of Borehamwood in Hertfordshire where the programme originates in the UK who have to endure the fireworks at 11pm every time there's a major eviction. (The Google maps image is the front of Elstree Studios.) However, I can't see that Endemol - the producers - would let a good thing go and I can quite see the programme itself dragging on hosted on a different channel for a good few years yet.

There's no doubt that it's still popular with certain audiences: the queues for the Friday night evictions at the studios testify to this, but after ten years, the format is a little tired and the production team are deliberately looking for more outlandish contestants to keep the ratings up in the UK. How the other 41 places around the globe are faring is anyone's guess!

Endemol's site states:

Big Brother is all-seeing, all powerful and getting even bigger across the globe. There is no limit to the Big Brother phenomenon.

Well, maybe there is a limit, we'll just have to wait and see.