An Experiment in TV

It must be getting closer to Christmas, all the free-to-air (FTA)TV stations have reverted to repeats and treating the viewer like a guinea pig, or is that monkey? When you get a reward for acting the way they want you to.

Every year, early to mid November all the regular shows that I enjoy watching on FTA TV are removed or moved to some stupid time slot. Doesn’t matter that I record everything I watch, it matters that the timing of the recording is no longer relevant and I have to re-set everything.

So once were I might be watching CSI or Criminal Minds, or some other mildly interesting but mind-numbing show, I get some stupid show about ‘bewdiful’ people in the USA parading around on red carpet and acting the goat.

I’m sorry, that’s NOT why I watch your crappy channel and why I supplement my viewing with Foxtel.

Foxtel has its’ own dangers, too much garbage, made by second rate producers, but some and I stress some of the shows can be very interesting, if you can get past the introduction.

I watch Foxtel mostly for the factual/truth/discovery type programs and reserve the FTA viewing for my more light-hearted, less involved type viewing.

I don’t particularly like too much choice, it makes life confusing, why have 200 stations, when perhaps 50 with high quality content would suffice?

I remember when Foxtel first came on the scene, people thought it was the best thing out. I resisted acquiring Foxtel for many many years, remembering that Foxtel made its’ debut onto the Australia market in 1995. What I saw of it then, only impressed upon me the fact you were paying for repeat TV every 8-12 hours. In other words in Aussie slang, a wank of a feature. Only get if you wanted to impress your mates with how much money you have.

FTA TV remained my best friend for the next 12 years. I refused to pay for something that I could otherwise receive for free and the content was not often repeated.

One day things changed. I was stuck on the couch for 4 months and Foxtel saved my butt, or at least my mind. I still record everything I want to watch from FTA TV, and watch live anything that catches my fancy on Foxtel, when I get the time to sit down.

I still say that FTA TV has a place in our life and I believe that those less fortunate who can’t/or shouldn’t afford Foxtel, should still be able to learn something from FTA TV, even if it is how to clean the kitchen or do the odd home renovation. FTA TV is not for dummies, it is for Aussies, who shouldn’t have to pay for quality TV viewing in what the TV stations consider off-peak viewing periods.

**FTA = Free-to-Air TV