watching everything.....

My wife is a news junkie and I am her dealer....We live in the middle of nowhere, at the end of a country road surrounded by cows and trees and hills....My neighbors are all French speaking profound country type folks. Five years ago, I decided to install a satellite dish with an old analogue satellite receiver. Great! Suddenly we could get BBC World and some Arab and German stations with English language news. Of course, I was on the internet, reading the NY Times, LA Times as well as The Toledo Blade and Detroit Papers. I was just discovering all the alternative news services available on the Web!
Then, I upgraded the satellite system and got a digital decoder and a motorized dish. This was a trip to purgatory for me as I am no techie by a long shot. But somehow, I got the thing aimed and started to program in satellites and now we get CNBC, CNN, SKY, SAHRA2, BBC World as well as BBC1, 2 and 3, Al Jahzeerah, lots of Arab stations, lots of German stations, Euro News as well as all the major French channels. A regular smorgasbord of information.
We see Meet The Press and McGlaughlin Group on Sundays...I usually leave the house when Meet the Press comes on because my wife starts to foam at the mouth and yell at the screen. It's pretty interesting to compare the coverage between what is seen in the rest of the world with the American Media...luckily, I don't get FOX! I would have to pay for it and I don't think I have the stomach for it.
I love the discussions and in depth reportage on the French Channels. I think that is a real problem with American news...it's geared to have minimal impact, then move on to something else, as if there is a plot to keep Americans uninformed and thinking about the newest pointless health scare instead of the real issues. When a French Politician appears on the news for an interview, it is tough and embarrassing questions are always asked, there is no pussy footing compared to the cake walk that Tim Russert usually gives his honored guests. I have repeatedly come away angry because he will ask a "tough" question and he will get a ridiculous answer and let it stand with out challenging it.
Well, in the recent coverage of the Israeli Invasion and destruction of Lebanon, the best western media coverage, hands down was SKY NEWS. Believe it or not! I was surprised! Relatively unbiased gutsy on the ground reportage form the heatt of the action! I saw nothing like it on any other netwok and most of the reporters were SKY personnel! It took real guts and Isay Congratulations to SKY for a job well done!