"SaveFOXnews" Japan

[Andrushka]

Hey. My first GD post! Woo-hoo!

I live in Japan and this caught my eye today (June 22) in the Japan Times (largest English language daily):

Foxnews subscribers have been notified that Foxnews is planning to cancel the service on July 31. Two years ago, the same thing happened and a group, Savefoxnews, worked to keep it on the air.

Those interested in keeping Foxnews on the air can contact [e-mail] or [e-mail]

Now, the story is that FAUX is broadcast here on the only satellite channel in Japan (SkyPerfecTV). You can't get it in a pack - it's an extra $12 or so each month on top of whatever pack you have. They tried to shut it off two years ago, but they got a petition going and it came back once more.

I have been following Al Franken and talk of getting Rush off the Armed Forces Network (or get a counterbalance happening at least). AFN is listened to by many Japanese people. I don't know of many that watch FAUX (thank heavens), but...fighting to keep FAUX on the air here? There's enough biased news in Japan already, thanks.

I must admit, though, on the 'free preview' day each month, I turn it on for a laugh. I would miss it if it went! (kinda)

By the way, the author of the above lines wrote this two years back about the last time this came up. It's a riot!:

Newshungry TV viewers fighting for English service

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?fl20020627kj.htm

By KEN JOSEPH JR.

To start off, we have a request from "Friends of Foxnews," who are working to keep Foxnews, the up and coming challenge to CNN and BBC and the only non-edited English language news program on SkyPerfecTV here in Japan.

I must confess that I keep it on nearly 24 hours a day at work and at home, although I stumbled upon it purely by accident. It's surely the best kept secret in Japan.

Apparently Foxnews is scheduled to go off the air at the end of July unless they can get more subscribers and or companies to place ads on the channel, which to date has none.

When I was going to school in Los Angeles, there were three Japanese TV networks, all supported by Japanese companies in the community. When you think about it, there should be at least one channel out of the dozens for the international community, with local news and information presented properly.

[alcuno]

1. I wish I could pay $12/month to get rid of FAUX.

I try not to watch but the fact that it exists really irritates me. "Local news and information presented properly." Right.

[BigMcLargehuge]

2. Konichiwa and welcome to GD!

interesting post. I am guessing the SKY satellite TV is the same Sky TV owned by Rupert Murdoch that we suffered with (except for Premier League Football) when I lived in the UK.

[daa]

3. Welcome

Interesting post.

[Andrushka]

4. Thanks!

I am so happy I am still welcomed every time I post on DU, even though I've been lurking about for months! DU-ers are great people!

Yes, it's a consortium of Sky (boo! hiss! 'Though, they do show 'The Simpsons'...) and I PerfecTV, a consortium of Japanese interests (Sony, I believe) is the biggest). They pretty much have the sky all to themselves here.

$12 to keep FAUX OFF the air!! Love it!!

[Bluebear]

5. Arigato gozaimashita and belated welcome to DU!

[Bluebear]

6. dupe

[Fenris]

7. FOX News is about as informative as a White House press release.

Welcome to DU.

:toast:

[AntiCoup2K4]

8. So why would Murdoch kick FAUX News off his own network?

Unless he's buying a Japanese news channel so you can get your right wing brainwashing from a supposedly local source.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

9. Google Ken Joseph and....

Son of an Evangelist with Bush ties (A letter on his web site), Started Shredder rumours, RW nutcase fundie living in Japan.

[gatorboy]

10. Is it dubbed in Japanese?

I'd love to see the Japanese version of O' Reiley going nuts! :D

[Andrushka]

11. Priceless!

Imagine that! A dubbed O'Reilly going nuts in Japanese before Gozilla crashes through the set and chomps his squarking head off.

Yes, Ken Joseph Jnr, a right-wing shill for the invasion of Iraq if there was one. Used his 'Lifelines' column (a sort of 'Ask Kenny' advice column in the Japan Times for expats) to bleat on about how regime change would be good for Christians in Iraq for many weeks earlier last year. His father is a true nut-case. Came to Japan in the 50's and started his own church (he's an evangelist). Ken Snr. writes an opinion column in a crap English language mag called 'Tokyo Weekender' and has got himself in deep do-do in the past for, among other things, equating Muslims with pigs. Lovely piece of work.

It comes as no surprise that sonny-boy is right in there pressing for FAUX to stay on the air in Japan.

By the way, here's a useless fact for you: In the Democrat caucuses, Democrats living in Japan overwhelmingly picked Dean as their man, I am told.