LINK-TV can be awesome when they want to

[Syrinx]

I'm watching a program called "Rich Media, Poor Democracy," and it lays out the story of how the American "news" media is a total corporate joke on the American people. The story is told mostly through the words of Robert McCheseny and Mark Crispin Miller.

And that channel carries Amy Goodman. And some other good stuff.

But at any given time, when I switch over to channel 375 on DirecTv, I'm most likely to land on some weird Arabian music videos.

It doesn't seem to me that LINK is using it's time efficiently.

I would like to see Thom Hartmann or Laura Flanders. Or even Mike Malloy.

Why don't they merge with Free Speech TV? Which is available on DirecTV, but only if you pay the extra fee to get HD programming, even though such programming is only available in SD?

I'm tired of the Arabian music videos on LINK, and the endless loop of about ten or twelve poor to good to great documentaries.

Let LINK and FSTV merge, or clear channel 375 for FSTV. Unless there's some unholy corporate connection that I don't know about yet.

LINK can bring great things on occasion, but it is usually tiresome and boring.

[Scuba]

1. Link is my link to Al Jazeera. n/t

[Syrinx]

2. Just sometimes though?

Do they have a regular slot for Jazerra?

[Scuba]

3. No, not continuous coverage. Just sometimes. But it's my only access. n/t

[Syrinx]

7. I wish DirecTv would put al-Jazeera on full-time

I have no doubt that al-Jazeera is biased. But it's not the same corporate bias that dominate our corporate media.

I think they would broaden the perspectives of American media consumer. But of course that would be bad. ;)

[ret5hd]

4. Donated yet? Neither have I, but I should.

[Syrinx]

6. you're right

I'm pretty poor these days. But I should send them a Lincoln or something, at least.

[rurallib]

5. I got DISH many years ago just for FSTV

FSTV seems a cut above Link. I believe FSTV is in the basic package for DISH.
FSTV has Grit-TV with Laura Flanders, 2 hours of Thom Hartmannduring the day and an hour evening show by Hartmann. Plus they have David Packman and Riz Kahn. pretty darn good stuff. Plus scheduled AlJazeera and lately quite a bit of unscheduled live AlJazeera.

[Syrinx]

8. I've been thinking of switching

For the reasons that you already understand.

And I find your typo "Thom Hartmannduring" hilarious for some reason. :rofl:

[cascadiance]

9. I like both... LINK TV has some unique value too...

They actually invested in Arab news and Al Jazeera moreso earlier than FSTV had, when they put on Mosaic before Al Jazeera was on either channel, which had many middle eastern news sources. And they had one of the first Al Jazeera shows on either channel when they put on Witness show.

Some other good shows on LINK-TV
- Viewpoint with James Zogby (weekly) is a good interview show where Zogby gives an Arab perspective on current events and has a call in show too.
- Arab Labor was a pretty cool Israeli comedy that iwn't something you would expect from Israel, and really pulls no punches in talking about Israeli and Palestinian cultures going head to head with each other.

I do think that recently FSTV has been a bit more political whereas LINK TV has tried to keep a lot of its apolitical (but more international roots). That has a role too, but I think FSTV is filling a bigger need now where there is such a void of news and commentary from the progressive perspective out there. So they are making better programming moves now and are also adding more Al Jazeera to their lineup that picked up on what LINK TV did more of earlier.

I also do think that LINK TV has had more problems funding lately with its pledge drives not getting as much money to keep the supply of good fresh documentaries as well supplied as they were in the past. FSTV probably is getting better deals by putting on more serial commentary shows like Thom Hartmann and Laura Flanders.

I think LINK-TV would do well to get a talk show of its own on each day if they could arrange the financing for it. I gotta believe there are some good decent liberal radio hosts out there that might do well for them on the air too. Maybe one of the other RT shows besides Thom Hartmann's show too.