Internet TV

Round about this time of year I start following the big cycling races such as the Giro d'Italia, the Tour de France, and the Vuelta de Espagne. Of course, it's no good relying on UK broadcast media for coverage of these events, because cycling doesn't even exist so far as they are concerned. But in 'continental' Europe (as in so much else) things are ordered different there. They have live helicopter reports from the Alps and the Dolomites twelve hours a day, full coverage, plus results and analysis on tap.

My Bakelite TV doesn't receive European stations. But no matter, because with the wonders of the Interweb, I can access sites such as the excellent steephill.tv which I have been using to watch the Giro for the last two weeks. It's an amazing site - clunky, old-fashioned in look and feel - but PACKED with links, archive footage, live feeds, video clips, and photos. Plus, smack up to date at all times. I wonder how they do it.

So I am watching events the same day, with a time delay which suits me, and I can watch again if I wish. I can compare with other events of the same kind, get links into commentary and analysis from other fans, and even clips from sites from the riders and their teams.

So - the media implications of all this are that the subsidised national television service does not deliver what I want, whereas lots of other smaller, independent providers are doing so. You can see why people increasingly resent shelling out nearly two hundred pounds a year to keep overpaid BBC executives in brandy and cigars. More importantly, you can also see how the digitization of media has a liberating and democratising effect - which is why some forms such as printed newspapers are already going out of business unless they are heavily subsidised.