My Problem With Sky Drama

[redfiona99]

I keep starting conversations with statements like, "I wouldn't mind seeing Elementary," or "Game of Thrones looks just up my street", or "I must know what happens to Cesare Borgia". And then there's nothing but radio silence from me on those topics. The problem is that over here, they're all on Sky Drama.*

Sky Drama is Rupert Murdoch's latest scheme for taking over the world taking control of British broadcasting media. And as a plan goes I get it. Sky have pretty much cornered the market in sport by buying up all the major sports. And I'm sure he was looking around wondering why not everyone had Sky, and someone pointed out to him that there are people who don't like sports. And he probably went "but I have Sky Arts and because the BBC and Channel 4 are falling down on their public service broadcasting remits, those are the only places where you can see ballet and opera**."

So his assistant says "Not like that sir, I mean popular drama."

"We tried that, and it didn't work."

"Yes, but those shows were bad. This will work if we buy in some American shows that are going to get people's interest."

"It'll cost a lot of money."

"Not that much. Who's going to bid against Sky. The BBC can't, ITV and Channel 4 have no money and Channel 5 are only interested in crime dramas ***."

"They'll whine that we're not supporting British drama."

"That's the clever part of this plan, sir. We give some money to British creators to make things that they couldn't fund with the other channels."

"Sounds risky."

"Oh no, we only choose people with a track record, people that the public will recognise. That way we get plaudits for being risk-taking and have some security. It's a business plan that works for HBO."

~~~~

Well you get the drift.

I don't think it'll work in the long term, there's no vital need to see a TV programme as live **** the way there is to see your team win the league, but it means that, for the time being, there are an awful lot of cool programmes I can't watch until they are on DVD and affordable, because 1) I live in a block of flats so can't get a dish and more importantly, 2) I'll be blue before I give Murdoch more of my money that I have to *****.

* Sadly my internet connection is not suitable for the amount of aheming that I would need to do.

** sorry for the editorialising

*** and Once Upon A Time oddly enough.

**** There's the vital urge to see the next episode as soon as possible but it's a slightly different thing.

***** Unfortunately, 20th Century Fox get a fair bit of my money, one way or the other.

Comments

[lilacsigil.livejournal.com]

I don't get free-to-air TV due to my location...so to get my two free public broadcasters I have to have a Foxtel satellite subscription! Which I do, at minimum possible cost (which is still high) and download everything I possibly can instead.

[redfiona99.livejournal.com]

It is almost impossible to avoid Murdoch's sinister tentacles, especially if you live anywhere hilly. One of the old villages near my home town literally can't get a TV signal so they've been on Sky since it came out.

[lilacsigil.livejournal.com]

Yes, I live in the foothills of the Otway Ranges, and because my town has only 800 people, we're not on the list for an upgrade (some people used to be able to get TV if they built a big antenna on their house, but not since it all switched to digital last year). This gets fun in summer when about 6000 tourists descend on the beach end of the shire and suddenly realise they have no TV and their mobile broadband isn't up to much either...