On TV2 and how The United States ultimately can safe the existence of DR.


This posting is not really new, nor is the core criticism particular original, but the stigmatism of the issue makes the issue the more compelling.

Over the last few days I have been observing – not watching – the program-profile of Danish TV broadcast station TV2, nursed partly on commercial and public licens-fondings.
Of 41 programs aired on Monday January 7th 2008, 19 programs were American produced. That’s approximately 12 hours – 50% - of a station that broadcast around the clock. Reruns of Beverly Hills 12345 (on year at least 7), Friends, The King of Queens, Reba, Sams Bar, Sopranos and what not.
Apart from the troublesome and non-reflecting cultural flatliner this profile constitutes – as the day to day TV2 program profile is very similar, meaning up to 60 hours or more of American TV a week – there is, I find, more troubling issues concerning the program-profile of TV.

Firstly: Around the clock TV. Who needs it? The ability to choose? Oh yes, but the signal of placing “young segment” TV till 0600 in the morning? Or really: why the fuck shoud anything be broadcasted after 0200, that is not actually news? I mean why waste the money?
Which takes me to,

Secondly: The price of it. I do not doubt that TV2 can do the reruns on low costs, but anyways: A serious cut back, a very unliberal cutback in the “around the clock tv” they represent, could and should be able to re-direct some of the public licens-funds to the marooned DR, which – though under heavy pressure – by far fullfills the public service obligation more qualified than TV2.

And thus: A cut back in the one-eyed American profile TV2 represents could ultimately safe the serious economical problems DR undergoes.

And no, I am not a l l anti-US. But any such one-eyed profiling should in my book raise concerns. Imagine the noise in the media-machine if DR went ahead with 6 hours of iranaian or Northkorean tv-productions a day.