I can hear Bill O’Reilly whining, now!


Serious news and full-spectrum debate -- on which democracy depends -- are disappearing from television. Across the globe, news media are concentrated in the hands of a few entertainment conglomerates whose interests determine news coverage. They promote superficial "infotainment" over tough investigation, context and holding authority accountable.


This may be the replacement for NWI-TV I’ve hoped for. And more.

The Problem

Serious news and full-spectrum debate -- on which democracy depends -- are disappearing from television. Across the globe, news media are concentrated in the hands of a few entertainment conglomerates whose interests determine news coverage. They promote superficial "infotainment" over tough investigation, context and holding authority accountable. Public broadcasters face shrinking budgets and growing political and commercial pressures.

The Solution

We need a news and current affairs network that defends the public interest and the highest standards of journalism. Independent World Television will be such a network, a non-profit broadcast service financed by viewers across the globe -- independent of corporate or government funding and commercial advertising.

Reading their prospectus in detail, I'm hopeful. Since they have an operating partnership with LinkTV, I should be able to receive their programming on DirecTV if and when it starts.

I'd suggest that folks take a look at their projected programming mix -- and a couple of their videos; since, after all, this is to be a TV-centric operation. They have the Walkley Prize-winner, "Unimbedded in Afghanistan", and a couple of interviews online.

Posted: Thu - August 18, 2005 at 09:50 AM