PBS and ABC's live broadcasts in Bejing both started to have intermitiant picture freezes and scrambled video then both went dead. Anybody have any news on the China status?

Just mike

-- justmike (Justmike11@yahoo.com), December 31, 1999

Answers

I thought I saw that too. I am asking myself the same thing.

-- david wayne carroll (dcarroll@deniz.com), December 31, 1999.

Watching CNN, they haven't even alluded to this. Talk about control of the media, damn shame.

-- Michael (michaelteever@buffalo.com), December 31, 1999.

Just Mike I noticed that too. I would feel better if they showed some more live shots of celebratons in China...

-- Jenny (HomeFor@Good.Now), December 31, 1999.

Interesting that I've also seen quite a bit of use of sat phones on the networks too, including CNN. Why, in this time of live video feed via sat would they need to use sat phones?

Mike

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-- Mike Taylor (mtdesign3@aol.com), December 31, 1999.

It seems all media coverage is on Times Square. What's up with that? This is suppose to be GLOBAL COVERAGE (Their words, not mine) and they are covering someplace that won't hit midnight for over 12 hours from now, something doesn't feel right?????

-- Michael (michaelteever@buffalo.com), December 31, 1999.

Anything from ham operators or shortwave? Being at work is limiting.

-- Mike Lang (webflier@erols.com), December 31, 1999.

The picture breaking up was due to satellite link noise. It happended several times on ABC.

The reason for the sat phones is that live video feeds are via Geostationary satellite 22,000 nautical miles up. The delay can be very annnoying. Ever notice when the anchor asks a question, and it takes a minute to get a reply? They were problably using an Iridium low earth orbit satellite phone for lower delay.

-- nobody (nobody@nowhere.com), December 31, 1999.

They're using sat phones because the other lines are unreliable. Better to be safe than telegraph to the world that phones just went out... More Spindoctor protection... You don't think they will tell you if something substantial goes down do you??? Think again. Only of its caught live on video...before they can do a quick switch back NYC.

You guys are not watching NEWS... you are watching Nazi-style media management...Watch the old newsreels carefully...you'll note amazing similarity... our media lost its objective journalism perspective years ago.

-- RC (racambab@mailcity.com), December 31, 1999.

i have a friend that writes a news letter intitled the last trumpet. he said he saw a video tape about covert operations concerning stirring the public at times square. his web address is www.lasttrumpet.cjb.net

-- david (dcarroll@deniz.com), December 31, 1999.

Yeah, RC, that must be it. The nazi news media. Dang. Wish I'd thought of that.

-- jumpoff joe a.k.a. Al K. Lloyd (jumpoff@ekoweb.net), December 31, 1999.

There are video freezes often, especially in international broadcasts, if there are/were issues they would be all over this forum.

I would'nt jump to conclusions over something like this, things are looking good, be happy.

-- LALA (LaLALAND@aol.com), December 31, 1999.

My only experience with overseas TV consists of live British Open coverage and it has never been good and does the freeze up. Get over the conspiracy crap.

-- Slickaroo (no@no.com), December 31, 1999.

david (re: stirring up crowd video in Times Square):

That was an admitted hoax. I think the guy claimed it was performance art or something.

I watched some of the coverage and noticed that every now and then they would pause to remind us about terrorist attacks, sabotage, "cyberterrorism", and the delayed effects of the y2k bug.

Believe me, the news media wouldn't mind it if things got a bit out of hand. Otherwise why would you watch? To see yet another chinese dragon thingy and some more lame fireworks.

So far even the goofy little countries have beared the year rollover without significant problem. Too early to claim victory (for all people over technology, not for pollies over doomers). But we're amassing a pretty good 1st quarter lead.

-- Mike B. (mike@noemail.net), December 31, 1999.