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Update: Aug 10th 2005: Stuart Murphy has now made the BBC Threechannel DOG the most horrendous and huge thing ever. Tell him what a moronhe is directly at the link below.
Similar toChannel 4’s red dot,the BBC are starting to place a “PRESS RED” icon on an increasing number ofprogrammes, and while the Channel 4 dot can be temporarily removed by quicklypressing red then ‘backup’ – at least it works until you change channels -the BBC version cannot.
“But surely since the BBC doesn’t have adverts so it won’t come back?”,some will cry. You’d think so. Channels with adverts make sure the red dotscome back after each advert break by refreshing it, but now the BBC arerefreshing theirs every few minutes.
This time, though, when you try to press red then ‘backup’, BBCiimmediately launches, so you cannot get rid of it in the same way.
That said, I don’t know about you, but I hardly watch live television anymore. Irecord everything I want to watch on myTiVoand play that back at a time and day to suit myself. This is a device whichallows you to watch your programmes when you want to and not when the schedulersdecide and more information can be found about it in my reviewhere.
Why does this have an impact? Because if the drones at the BBC want me to’press red’ to access their interactive services then they’re sorely mistakenbecause pressing red during a pre-recorded programme will achieve absolutelynothing. All it will do is screw up any other recordings taking place.
The interactive icons are bad enough on standard or widescreen televisions,but the prices of Plasma screens are coming down and it’s on those that theicons will have a much quicker effect on killing the screen. The icons havealready claimed the lives of the BBC’s own televisions in their reception.
At present a 32″ Plasma can be bought for around £2,499. Give it another12-18 months and a 42″ Plasma will be as affordable as a large widescreen TVis now.
Since Comic Relief Does Fame Academy began, the “PRESS RED” is takingthe effect as described above. You just cannot get rid of it for any morethan a few minutes. It’s intensely annoying and it WILL damage your TV.After all, why do you think PC monitors have screensavers?It’s time to complain.
You can also use this complaint method to email your feelings about theirlengthy voice trailer dropped in during last night’s 24 (March 9th 2003)about the subsequent “Pure 24” programme, telling you how you couldsend your comments into the show. Is the BBC completely staffed by dullards,or is that just the bods in control?
Addition: March 18th, 2003 – Schindler’s List.:
Go on, have a big guess. Yes, the “technical error”, according to StuartMurphy, controller of BBC3, that caused a long voice announcement to go outduring 24 on Sunday 9th March at around 10.55pm, surfaced itsugly head yet again when, at approximately 1.18am, one was introduced intothe BBC1 late-night broadcast of Steven Spielberg‘s 1993 drama,Schindler’s List, making mention of the following week’s Oscars broadcast.
Addition: June 9th, 2003 – BBC TWO Scotland.:
If you feel the same, then click the following link which will forward youremail to BBC’s reception, their Points of View address, the BBC DirectorGeneral Greg Dyke, BBC1 Controller Lorraine Heggessey, BBC3 Controller Stuart Murphy and the latter’s boss,Jana Bennett and BBC2 controller Jane Root. A copy of the email will also goto Logo Free TV, who are keeping a record of all the protests made against the BBC.
If you include further text with your email, please keep the replies politeand to the point.
CLICK HERE TO COMPLAINNews page content input by Dominic Robinson, 2003.
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.