Live bullfights back on Spanish TV

Televisión Española is to air a 'short but symbolic' series of bullfights after new rightwing government took control of its board. Live bullfighting is returning to Spain's public broadcaster Televisión Española (TVE) after six years of viewers being unable to watch, in real time, the last few minutes of a bull's life.

A fight at the bullring in Valladolid is set to be broadcast on 5th September, allowing bullfight fans to see half a dozen animals fought and killed on the sand of the city's arena.

The decision to show live bullfighting comes after the conservative People's Party (PP) of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy took control of the broadcaster's board and changed its senior management.
TVE will not pay the three bullfighters involved or the company that runs the Valladolid bullring, though it will bear the cost of setting up the multi-camera broadcast.Top matadors Julián López – known as El Juli – José María Manzanares and Alejandro Talavante have waived their royalties as part of a campaign to stop growing anti-bullfight sentiment that has already succeeded in getting the practice banned in the autonomous eastern region of Catalonia.

“TVE believes that the potential audience that might be attracted to this lineup is, in itself, a sufficient reason for broadcasting it,” a spokesman said. “This will be the first of a short but symbolic series of bullfights … which Spain's public television channel plans to programme,” TVE added.
bullfight1TVE pulled bullfighting from its schedules last year, saying it contravened its code of conduct for programmes before Spain's late evening watershed hour. Bullfights mostly start at 6pm or 7pm, falling into children's viewing hours and so raised issues of protecting children from the bloodshed. However, furious fans had accused the broadcaster of shunning a key part of Spanish popular culture. “This means that TVE, which belongs to us all, will deprive us of something that over the centuries has formed part of the cultural patrimony of many Spaniards, both of the political right and the left,” columnist Andrés Amorós wrote in the conservative daily ABC.

But Rajoy's PP, which swept to power in November, is involved in a controversial reform of the broadcaster and is accused of removing senior journalists who are seen as too leftwing.

The section preventing children from watching live bullfights was removed from its code of conduct earlier this year. “Management has acted accordingly,” a senior TVE source said.

TVE had not banned bullfighting completely, and continued to cover it on late night television and radio programmes devoted exclusively to what fans consider to be an art form – newspapers cover it in their arts pages.

Regular live broadcasts of the major bullfighting festivals from Madrid, Seville and elsewhere stopped in 2006, after TVE was priced out of the market by private broadcasters.

bullfighter“Now the bullfighting lobby seems prepared to do anything in order to bring live fights back to our public television channel, even if that means trampling over European Union television rules,” the Animalist party, which lobbies against bullfighting, said. TVE sources denied that any such rules were being broken.

Anti-bullfighting supporters are also raising the issue that ‘Spain’s National Art’ has been exempted from the IVA/VAT increase which comes into effect this Saturday, 1st September 2012. The IVA paid on other cultural tickets sees IVA rise from 8 percent to 21 percent. For Bullfighting it stays at the lower rate.

source: coastrider.net/component/content/article/46-headline/18087-live-bullfights-back-on-spanish-state-tv-

MGM HD Free Weekend - 31st August to 3rd September

For a whole weekend MGM HD unlocks its vaults to give you unprecedented access to Hollywood’s largest modern film archive.



Over 25 of MGM’s best films, back-to-back, without breaks and all for free. Including Martin Scorcese’s Oscar winning great, Raging Bull, Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis’ epic road movie, Thelma and Louise and 80s classic Teen Wolf.

The Free Weekend starts 7.15pm Friday 31st August and runs through to 6am Monday 3rd September, 2012. Available to all viewers with a Sky HD+ box: no subscription required!

Gol TV offers 47 Real Madrid, Barcelona matches per season

Football fans in Spain can now enjoy eight games from La Liga on Gol TV every weekend with 47 games per season from heavyweights cand Real Madrid including the first el classico of the season in October.

As well as guaranteeing to show either Barca or Los Merengues every weekend, the package includes all of the Spanish teams’ Europa League, the Copa del Rey, the Premier League (5 games exclusively each day) and international leagues.

After offering Real Madrid’s season opener against Valencia, for the second game of the season Gol TV has booked Barcelona’s trip to Pamplona to meet Osasuna and then the battle of the red stripes between Atlético Madrid and Athletic Club de Bilbao.

source: rapidtvnews.com/index.php/2012082223691/gol-tv-offers-47-real-madrid-barcelona-matches-per-season.html

Possible reception changes for to UK TV in Spain - Eutelsat 28A / Eurobird 1

Eutelsat have said that Eutelsat 48b has arrived at 28.5e.

28.5e is the location of their UK TV satellite Eutelsat 28A - formally known as Eurobird 1.
Eutelsat 28A / Eurobird 1 carries a number of UK TV channels, many of the free to air UK TV channels, such as True Movies, CBS Action, CBS Drama, Food Network, Challenge, and many Sky Pay TV channels also.

It looks like reports of drop in power on Eutelsat 28A / Eurobird 1 may be true and Eutelsat will simply swap the channels on Eutelsat 28A / Eurobird 1 over to Eutelsat 48B/ Eurobird 28B.

Most of the chanenls on Eutelsat 28A / Eurobird 1 are free to air channels, channel like True Movies and Horror Channel.

It will be unknown what reception of the channels will be like if / when they are moved over to Eutelsat 28B

Updates on http://www.satandpcguy.com/forum/showthread.php/112591-Possible-reception-changes-for-to-UK-TV-in-Spain-Eutelsat-28A-Eurobird-1

Help I've lost my Sky TV signal again and only getting “No Satellite Signal is being received” messages. Has anyone got any new frequency please?

Help I've lost my Sky TV signal again and only getting “No Satellite Signal is being received” messages. Has anyone got any new frequency please?

In some difficult reception areas such as Spain, you needed to use an alternate frequency to help the box download from the satellite critical information it required to function.

Normally this should be set to frequency 11778, which carries the Sky Guide & day EPG Programme Synopsis Information. But in many areas of Spain this 11778 frequency, may not be available all day on small satellite dishes in Spain.

And is usually required when the Sky box has been disconnected from the power, usually by one of the frequency power cuts that happen in Spain!

Changing the default transponder frequency gets the Sky box to download a small amount, not the full 7 days worth, of EPG data, enough to get the Sky box working again.

Whereas frequency 11778 carries the full 7 day EPG Sky Guide information and programme synopsis, all other frequencies use by Sky boxes carry limited EPG Sky Guide information. This information is limited to blocks of 6 hours.

There are around 50 frequencies available that can be used to help to boot a sky box up. There is no "best" or "exclusive" one to use.

Popular frequencies to use are 12207 V 27.5 2/3 and 12051 V 27.5 2/3.

Once you have been through the process to change the default transponder:

Sky Standard digiboxes: http://www.satandpcguy.com/Site/sky_satellite_default_transponder_frequency_settings_costa_blanca_spain.php
Sky HD digiboxes:  http://www.satandpcguy.com/Site/sky_satellite_default_transponder_frequency_settings_new_hd_epg_costa_blanca_spain.php

And the EPG Sky Guide information has loaded, you will see the programme banner at the foot of the screen populate with Sky Channel 998 information.  In many cases the channel itself may be unavailable and show “no signal messages”, but as long as the programme banner has been populated with information then your channels should all be up and working again.

It is also important to note that changing the default transponder frequency does not improve individual channel reception. Changing the default transponder frequency only helps the sky box boot up.  Once the EPG Sky Guide information has loaded and you have channel, then your manually input default transponder frequency is ignored, and the Sky box will use whichever of the 100plus frequencies it needs to use for the channel you have selected to watch.

Apple iPad becomes Sky+ remote control from today

Sky has updated its Sky+ app for iPad to enable its satellite television subscribers to control their Sky+ HD set top box with the Apple tablet.

From today, Sky customers can control their main TV experience by using swipe and tap gestures on the iPad app, including the changing of channels and all Sky+ functions, such as pause, play and rewind live television.

They can also manage their planner through the app, allowing them to add and delete their recordings on their Sky+ HD set top box without interrupting viewing on the main TV screen.
Sky's enhanced app features a redesigned TV guide featuring new genre tabs, along with improved search and navigation to help users discover new content.

Later in the year, Sky intends to introduce further improvements to the Sky+ app including the integration of "second screen functionality" building on its recent partnership with Zeebox.
Sky took a 10% stake in Zeebox in January with a multi-million pound investment in the service developed by ex-BBC iPlayer chief Anthony Rose, which offers users additional information and content around the TV they are watching via a second screen, such as a laptop, iPad or iPhone.

Sky intends to use the Zeebox technology to enable its customers to "interact with their favourite shows through integrated twitter feeds, plus enjoy bonus second screen experiences created specifically around key Sky content".

The Sky+ app for iPad launched earlier in the year, and Sky claims it has already reached "millions" of customers.

Sky said that to benefit from the new design, users need to have the new Sky Guide on their Sky+ HD set to box and must make sure their iPad and box are connected to the same WiFi network.
"The Sky+ app has proved hugely popular, with millions of Sky customers embracing the convenience of being able to set recordings of their favourite shows while they are on the move," said Luke Bradley Jones, Sky's brand director of TV Products.

"We're now taking the Sky+ experience one step further, handing our customers even more control over their planner - not to mention being able to use the app to change channel and play, pause and rewind their favourite TV.

"Today's update marks a major step forward in using mobile apps to make the Sky TV experience even better, and it's just the start, as we'll be following it up with a series of further enhancements later this year."

Sky has also released some research on how people use remote controls in their homes after it commissioned OnePoll to survey 2,000 adults in August.

This revealed that one third of Brits have more than six remote controls in their house, and a quarter of us spend over 15 minutes trying to find a remote after it has been misplaced.

People spend four days a year deciding what to watch due to the massive number of TV channels now available, and over a third (39%) have changed the channel while a partner or housemate was watching something.

source: digitalspy.co.uk/tech/news/a399528/apple-ipad-becomes-sky-remote-control-from-today.html

iPhone 5 to go on sale in a month's time, reports suggest

The much-rumoured new Apple iPhone could be in stores in just under a month, according to a new report.

An anonymous source, claimed to be an employee of Verizon, told TechCrunch that the US telecoms giant was restricting all its staff from taking any holiday between September 21 and September 30.

Apple is expected to announce the new iPhone - often referred to as the iPhone 5 despite it actually being the sixth generation of the handset - on September 12.

The firm tends to release its new mobile products on Fridays to give them a full weekend of sales, similar to the approach taken with blockbuster movies.

Taking into account the Verizon source's information, this would suggest that sales will start, in the US at least, on September 21, as Verizon would want all its staff focused on what could be the biggest product launch in Apple's history.

Last year Apple announced the iPhone 4S on Tuesday, October 4. The phone went up for pre-order on the Friday (October 7), and was available in stores a week later on October 14.

But this autumn, Apple is expected to start pre-orders on the same day as it launches the iPhone 5 (September 12), and then ship the smartphone and make it available in stores ten days later on September 21.

There have been reports that Apple will use the launch event to also announce its rumoured Apple iPad Mini, a small-screen version of the iPad tablet.

Sources within Apple European resellers told MacRumors that they have been told by Apple to make new space in their display sections, suggesting that a new product is coming.

Some sources say that older products such as the Mac Pro, Mac Mini and certain iPods are being moved out to make space for a mystery new product.

However, other reports have suggested that Apple will not look to overcrowd the September 12 launch event with two major products, and instead just announce the iPhone 5 as expected.

The firm could then hold a separate event for the iPad Mini in October, but still look forward to having a bumper Christmas with both products on sale in key markets, including the UK.

source: digitalspy.co.uk/tech/news/a401034/iphone-5-to-go-on-sale-in-a-months-time-reports-suggest.html

"Help my Sky box is getting no signal" - buy a new box say the cowboy installer...but easily solved with a quick phone call

I get many emails and phone calls from people all around Spain, asking for help and advice. It is nice to feel appreciated and that people trust my advice that I can give them. This is highlighted by the many "It's a shame you dont work in our area" comments I receive.

In a recent case, my advice highlights what some other installers will do just “to make a sale” and not really care about the clients.

I received a telephone call from someone in the south Alicante area. They had had a power cut and, no matter what, they could not get their Sky digibox to start up, always getting the dreaded “no satellite signal is being received” messages. Assuming the worse they called a “satellite tv engineering company” in that area to see if they could diagnose the problem, and propose a solution.

The “installer” arrives, and, according to the client, took a look at the box, didn’t even turn it on, and proclaimed the box was dead and that they would need to buy a a new Sky box. "Luckily" he had a "second hand" Sky+HD box in the van, which could be theirs for 400 euros – in addition to the call out charge of 50 euros!

(The clients did not really need the more expensive Sky+HD box, as they only wanted the "free to air" channels, and with no Sky subscription would not be able to take advantage of the hard drive recording functions of the Sky+HD box!)

The clients asked the installers if the signal was OK, and the installer said yes, everything is fine with the signal from the dish. The client was a bit confused as the installer had done nothing to test the signal from the satellite dish and LNB at all.

Being overcautious, the client said OK they will have to think about the new box, as it was a bit more than they would have like to pay, paid the 50 euros call out charge, and the “installer” left.

The client found my website details from a quick Google search, and called me for advice.

After about the first 2 minutes of our conversation, they commented that “I had already told them more than the installer had told them”.

A few questions and the Sky box was turned on, and I talked them through the routine to change the Sky box’s default transponder frequency.

This process they knew.

However, they were still using the frequency of 12.129. Since May 2012, it has been impossible to boot a Sky box up using 12.129 as thedefault transponder frequency setting.

So I advised them of a few alternate frequencies to use, such as 12207 and 12051. Within a minute of doing this process with this revised default transponder frequency, they were watching their favourite UK TV channels via Sky TV digibox again.

Which just shows that the so called “installer”, whom I have heard of prior to this incident, was totally bullshitting (sorry but there is no other word to describe it) about the sky box being broken, will say anything just to try and make a sale, and has no problems in ripping off fellow expats. Businesswise...maybe. Morally...wrong.

Horror Channel on SKy TV: Sky Digital Channels 198 (9am-9pm) or 319 (9am-4:30am)

Sky Digital Channels 198 (9am-9pm) or 319 (9am-4:30am)

Horror Channel viewers can now get their fix from 9am to 9pm on Sky Channel 198, in the Entertainment section of Sky's EPG.

The channel is listed as The Horror Channel and is a simulcast of the original channel which will continue to be broadcast on Sky Channel 319 from 9am until 4:30am every day. The programming will be the same on both Sky channels, however Sky Channel 198 will only broadcast the pre watershed programming 9am to 9pm.

Viewers will need to switch over to Sky 319 for the daily night time movies.

La Vuelta Espana - Tour of Spain Cycling Race on TV

The 67th edition of the Tour of Spain - La Vuelta a Espana, in 2012 starts on Saturday August 18 to Sunday with the final stage in Madrid on September 9, 2012.

La Vuelta will start in the north of Spain in Pamplona and Madrid, and will have 21 stages over some 3,300 kilometers.

Breakdown of stages:
• 11 flat stages,
• 8 stages of middle and high mountain,
• 1 team time-trial stage.
• 1 individual time trial stage,

The race features some big stars in the international peloton as:
Alberto Contador, Chris Froome, Cobo, Joaquin Rodriguez, Denis Menchov, Damiano Cunego, Igor Anton, Robert Gesink, Thomas De Gent, Alejandro Valverde, Juanma Garate.

Live coverage on Spanish TV of La Vuelta
La 1 (TVE1) will cover all stages from 1600 hours
Teledeporte on TDT wil hace delayed coverage stages in the evenngs
Eurosport will have live coverage from 16.00
ITV4 will be showing an hours highlights of La Vuelta in the evenings.