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Ham Radio Served as Main Link to Disaster Area
SonicSpike writes "A University of Central Florida ham radio operator K4VUD (and founder
of their film program) was caught in Port
Blair during the earthquake and following tsunami! He and a team of other ham radio operators arrived in the Andaman
and Nicobar Islands to setup the region's
first ham station 2 weeks prior to the disaster. Once they realized what
happened they immediately began transmitting for 20 straight hours using car batteries as a power source. Most cellular and land-line communication was down. His team became the main link to the rest of the world from the region."
And I'm not just saying that because I'm a HAM. :-)
Here's the story of a dog Saving a life in the disaster
I think they're just covers.
FOX does the "low brow" commercials for get rich quick etc. CNN does the "equitty insurance blah blah blah" investment group commercials.
The net effect is the same thing. They're groups of advertisers who want you to part with your money. It's just the quality of the suit worn by the sales person on the other end of the phone as you sell over your life that differs.
That and CNN is much more "funny" on how they can totally zoom in and micro-report stories then totally ignore the rest of the world/stories.
Tom
Someday, I'll have a real sig.
Personally, I do, in fact, find Fox to be the better network. There isn't a single story on CNN that can not be found on Fox, but there is, indeed, an abundance of news found on Fox that CNN simply will not cover.
As a keen watcher of both networks, I disagree with your "fox covers more". Both networks have exclusive stories.
Are they bias? Of course, but CNN is more biased to the left than Fox is to the right. The primary difference is that Fox seems to have embraced the idea of wearing your biases on your sleeve... and the audience loves that sort of honesty. You may get a biased perspective, but you do get MORE THAN ONE perspective on Fox (love them or hate them) and you know where everyone there is coming from.
Not defending any intelligence that may appear on CNN, or lack thereof. But, Fox is tailor made for rightish conservatives. To even say CNN is "more left" than "Fox is right" is insane.
For starters, CNN is not terribly left. The spinners did exactly what the government wanted to do during the buildup to the war. Also, according to my last roomie (who works for CNN), he says the guest selection for shows is carefully selected to give a 50/50 left/right view. This also goes for commentary.
Then there is Fox. 18 hours of commentary. They can't even get a headline about a disater reported for more than 10 minutes without adding political commentary to the mix. Perhaps you are unaware, but take a look at the guests on Fox shows. The "liberal" will almost always be some kind of fuck up who puts up a weak fight in any arguement. Take Hannity and Colmes.. That Colmes guy is there for entertainment value only.. None of the remarks he makes really represents anything of value, all he does is take a position of whatever liberal guest is around at the moment. This is similar having a clown around to spray selzer water in its face for a quick laugh. While CNN has Crossfire, I consider that to be one for morons too. Both the left and right hosts just sit there and bark out a bunch of inciteful stuff, but this is only 45min a day and really the only hardcore stupid show they have in the lineup. Compare to Fox and their mountain of conservative talk and commentary.
There is also the fact that Fox News is owned and managed by some of the most conservative people to have ever retired from public office.
The audience appreciates that sort of respect (instead of the snooty "we aren't biased... how DARE you silly peeon-consumers!" type attitude at other networks). That's why fox has absolutely CRUSHED everyone else in the ratings for quite some time.
If you really enjoy having your news handed to you, extra brown with a side of crap, all while being yelled at like you are at boot camp, then yet, Fox is for you.
If european accents bother you, then yes. Fox all the way for you. We will make sure you get a white guy, or someone that "sounds white", to tell you your news in the most basic form of american english.
Also, where are you getting the ratings data? Both networks claim to have the largest audience, but I noticed Fox specifies "american audience" when it touts how it "stomps" the competition.