A major frustration to a film buff like me when I was growing up was that we heard about the latest releases from the US but had to wait eons for them to appear in UK cinemas. What was even more confounding was that, if you went on vacation to France, you could see the latest films on the same release schedule as the US.
It was only many years later that I found out the reason for this - the prints for a film cost thousands of pounds, so the UK would receive US prints once they had done the circuit the other side of the Atlantic. In France,of course, there were subtitles, hence different prints, which were in turn destined for Algeria and Martinique.
In the video on demand world a similar game is playing out. Typically, tops shows such as ER, House and CSI are aired on the networks in the US before being passed down to humbler cable channels and overseas broadcasters. But, in the on demand world they're as likely to appear on a Bit Torrent related service the night they're broadcast.
In all other senses the Americans treat the rest of the world as their own back yard. maybe it's time to apply the same consideration to content ?
It was only many years later that I found out the reason for this - the prints for a film cost thousands of pounds, so the UK would receive US prints once they had done the circuit the other side of the Atlantic. In France,of course, there were subtitles, hence different prints, which were in turn destined for Algeria and Martinique.
In the video on demand world a similar game is playing out. Typically, tops shows such as ER, House and CSI are aired on the networks in the US before being passed down to humbler cable channels and overseas broadcasters. But, in the on demand world they're as likely to appear on a Bit Torrent related service the night they're broadcast.
In all other senses the Americans treat the rest of the world as their own back yard. maybe it's time to apply the same consideration to content ?
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