Jon Snow leaves Channel 4 News

 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-59770835

Youview

A while ago I wondered why Alan Sugar never got into the Freeview PVR market a few years back. But he has seem to have got involved with this project, an IPTV system backed by the non-Sky major broadcasters.

On paper it is interesting, the proposition is that there is still a market for buying the box upfront and not getting involved with any contract or subscription. But it is running late, and is probably missing its window (it would have picked up sales during the digital switchover). Also now internet enabled TV's are becoming more common place, really nothing more than a custom portal on iPlayer type services - there is stiff competition to buying yet another box.

There do seem to be concerns about this consortium overstepping the BBC remit to public service broadcaster (you could argue that catch up services like iPlayer have already done that). I kind of agree, but unless it turns into a success that's not a major problem.

Ceefax

With the analogue switch over happening in the UK, the analogue text service Ceefax will soon disappear. Introduced in 1976, it is a system that I grew up with. In the days before internet and 24 hour news it was the place to get up to the minute sports results or news stories. The page numbers would be ingrained in your mind.

But it has had it's time, more immediate forms of finding things out have dominated the last 15 years. It is the end of an era though, but will the internet suffer a similar fate to one day be replaced by something more convenient and more suited to the task? It is more likely to evolve into that thing rather than be replaced by it - unless excessive regulation or government controls come in to stifle it.

Mclaren Sports Car

There has been an interesting documentary series showcasing British engineering. In reality showcases the niche areas that we still manage to survive in, as we've never really done mass production (although perversely we seem to do it fine with Japanese management in car factories).

This week it was building of the latest McLaren supercar. In effect McLaren are doing the body work, paint work, and out fitting. Engines are built in the UK by another company.

It was an impressive operation, the programme did give an insight into the over meticulous Ron Dennis - who seemed perturbed by cracked or replaced tiles in his foyer area. But a tribute to perfection on one level, part of me did think "Red Bull have taken you to the cleaners this year, maybe this is the wrong thing to focus on!".

The programme had some interesting people interviewed, a 20 year serving employee now working back at the factory after having worked for the F1 team for most of his time. They also showed just how big and expanding a facility it is, they have sold out the first two years of production already - and the expansion means more car production. All an an "affordable" £160K, not bad for a supercar I suppose.

ITV

I watched ITV yesterday for the first time in a long time. The channel proudly presents itself as "Terrestrial channel of the year", which is slightly strange proud claim. I was also exposed to TV advertising, Jenson Button trying to sell me head and shoulders.

So not a bad experience but not one I will repeat for a while, they just do not have enough content worth watching. A possible concern for them is that TV manufacturers realising the world is changing are trying to muscle in on advertising revenue by providing their own advertising spots on over the top content (after all why should the broadcast stream be the only insertion point of adverts).

Over The Top

A term you hear more, delivery of services via streaming over the internet rather than traditional broadcasting.

So BBC iPlayer for example, and other on demand services like Netflix. All effectively a download model for content.

All well and good, but hang on where is all that bandwidth going to come from? If these services have massive uptake then surely there will be a problem? Even a quick search now reveals North America at 20-30% Netflix traffic at peak times.

And this area is still in its infancy - I for one do not want to see the internet clogged up with people who do on-demand instead of being able to plan what they want to watch entertainment wise.

With planning you shift out all the peak time traffic to quieter times. All you have to do is choose the things you want to see, and have them downloaded and then available locally when you want to see them. At that point you are guaranteed the content, and don't have to rely on an flaky bufferring over the top service in "on demand" mode.

Still I think we'll have to see a bandwidth crunch before anything sensible like that happens.

TV Search

With the increasing fusion of traditional broadcast and internet based TV services, search is playing an increasing role.

But I am beginning to think it is misplaced in a sit back experience. Our daily lives are already based around (mostly) futile Google searches that need to be refined and tailored to deliver results. How frustrating that is in a TV experience! It is almost like the providers are saying "we've got this stuff and we're not too sure how to present it to you, why don't you just search and find what you want - save us the trouble".

Other arguments against search are lack of content, does a legitimate provider really have a catalogue of more than a few hundred items at a time? Probably not for the next five years or so, beyond that then maybe - although the commercial drivers for this seem dubious.

What would I want, a presentation by good old fashioned genres easy to navigate and channel neutral with filters to get rid of content I don't want (i.e. in my case pay for) - that would work!

Alan Sugar interviewed by Piers Morgan

The normally banal interview programmes turned up a rare good one. Alan Sugar was interviewed and taken through the various stages of his life.

I'm by no means a Sugar fan, but he came across quite well and the latter stages of the programme showed his somewhat humble beginnings. From the window of his school the city and square mile buildings could be seen. Sugar said "those guys have made enough out of me over the years, and tell me what they do in return". Referring to the floating of his business in the 1980s, and Tottenham Hotspur dealings. This is one point I think he was totally justified in saying.

I was also quite impressed he valued his integrity, and fairness in his business dealings - although that is slightly at odds with previous stories I read over the years.

Still an interesting self made man, he has to answer to no one and he did tolerate the interviewing style of Morgan pretty well.

The Stig Unmasked

I suppose it had to happen some time but the Stig's identity has been revealed. All as part of a book deal to pay the driver some much needed cash for his ailing promotions company apparently.

It looks like he might get dropped from the show though, which is a shame.

As Clarkson might say "Some say he's a former NASCAR driver with a debt problem, all we know is he's called the Stig!"

Working Lunch Ending

The BBC has announced that Working Lunch is to end in July. The business and personal finance show has been running for 12 years, and I had been watching since about 2003.

My interest waned a little after the 2008 remake, but it was still a good show. This is also the show that bought Adrian Chiles into main stream reporting.

Apparently steadily declining viewings (well it is on in the day time) has convinced the BBC to give up on it. Was always a show I had recorded once I got a PVR!