TV(s)

CNN US, 29 October 2008, From 7:08pm

I Travel Guides

Announcer: Now is the perfect time for Americans to travel.

Juxtaposed “window-frames" of announcer and travel expert. Announcer: What might be the reasons for this phenomenon?

Travel Expert: The dollar is stronger than other currencies (the Euro, the Pound, the Australian Dollar, …)

(currencies compare-contrast chart)

Juxtaposed “window-frames" of announcer and travel expert. Announcer: Means of transportation. What is the situation with air-travel?

Travel Expert: Airlines are quietly discounting.

(film: airport, planes,…)

Juxtaposed “window-frames" of announcer and travel expert. Announcer: Other means of transportation?

Travel Expert: Deep discount on cruising.

(chart of prices)

Juxtaposed “window-frames" of announcer and travel expert. Announcer: Hotel prices?

Travel Expert: Low-cost lodging. Hotels give deals

(slide)

Juxtaposed “window-frames" of announcer and travel expert. Announcer: Are Americans taking advantage of these opportunities?

Travel Expert: No. People still uncertain about how they should use their discretionary income. Current financial crisis – also a factor

II Still image: name of travel expert and cnn website. Voice briefly presents travel expert.

III The cnn 2008 Hero Honoree

Announcer: Meet one of the candidates for the cnn 2008 Hero Honoree

Film: brief presentation of candidates.

Shift to another studio (2): Announcer: Meet one of “our Heroes”: Maria Ruiz from Mexico, founder and coordinator of JEM Ministries

Pattern – repeated several times with slight variations: Juxtaposed “window-frames" of announcer and Maria. Announcer welcomes Maria; asks questions about her project, her motivations

Maria: answers

Film of Maria at work OR still images – photographs of Maria and the children her organization helps OR page from JEM Ministries website

Announcer: comments on Maria’s answer and/or asks new question

Back to studio (2)

Das Erste ARD, 29 October 2008, From 7:37pm (US Eastern Time)

Weather Forecast for Germany

Announcer: The weather in Germany will continue to be chilly and rainy this night and tomorrow.

Shift to the Weatherwoman. Weatherwoman: Very chilly tonight. Snow in the mountains.

Film: people skiing in the mountains

Rain/storm/sun map for Thursday. Weatherwoman comments.

Temperature (degrees Celsius) map for Thursday. Weatherwoman comments.

Three juxtaposed temperature (degrees Celsius) maps for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Weatherwoman comments.

Back to studio. Announcer: “Have a good night!” and the time of the next program on ARD.

Still image: “Kurze Unterbrechung” (short interruption) against blue background.

BBC World News, watched over the Internet at on http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/default.stm (One-Minute World News) on 29 October 2008, From 7:44pm (US Eastern Time)

Image of a rolling globe. Program ID against image of the globe moving: BBC News

Announcer: (without (!) introduction) The latest headlines from BBC World News.

Voice of announcer: Police in Afghanistan said three people – including two foreigners – have been shot dead in Kabul. (simultaneously) Film: Afghan police, Kabul; photo of a woman.

Fade out

Voice of announcer: UN Secretary Ban Ki Moon calls for drastic measures to protect developing countries against the financial crisis. (simultaneously) Film: Ban Ki Moon in session at the UN (?)

Fade out

Voice of announcer: The mother and the brother of the actress Jennifer Hudson have been found shot dead in their home in Chicago. (simultaneously) Film: house in Chicago, ambulance, police; Jennifer Hudson at an Oscar ceremony

Announcer: These were the latest headlines from BBC World News.

Comment(s):

- it appears to me that European TV news programmes (still) have a different “rhythm” (flow?) from the US ones. Their simplicity, clarity, and precision struck me. By contrast, the US news programmes I watched and their specific “arrangements” (of their components) puzzled (and even confused) me to a certain extent with their extremely fast rhythm (flow?), their numerous – repeating – patterns, as well as an excess of information. The US programmes brought to my mind Ockham’s principle (“razor”) – entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitatum (entities must not be multiplied beyond necessity) – which, in my view, they utterly disregard (I realize, however, that I am now extrapolating and “adapting” the principle, but I think this formulation very well captures my reaction). For me, such an excess generated alienation, rather than “absorption” into the diegesis.