Blair resigns, Bush resigns.. what was that on CNN a moment ago?

I love my hard disk recorder (PVR Personal Video Recorder ie like TiVo or Sky+). These occasionally happened also in the past, on TV or radio, you see something or hear something, and it goes by too fast to react. What was it they said? Did I hear what I thought I heard, or was that really what I thought I read.

So earlier today (11 AM Hong Kong time) CNN international ran its regular update of the news at the top of the hour. The second story was of Blair resigning. CNN showed a picture of Brown and Blair. In the story they would talk about Blair's close relationship with Bush. So someone in the newsroom doing the graphics, accidentially wrote the wrong name. CNN ran a big headline "Bush resigns" black text on white background. Simultaenously in smaller print below it, the CNN ticker ran "News Tony Blair to step down as British PM June 27". The picture was of Brown and Blair.

I did the classic double-take, WHAT did it say on TV? Has George Bush really succumbed to the pressure and resigned? But obviously not. It was only a typo, whoever wrote it meant Blair and accidentially wrote Bush. But I thought it was funny, also in terms of our blog and modern technology. The mistakes in life get more attention. I would not be surprised to find this on the Daily Show as a gaffe (and yes, I did record it of course). The next run 30 minutes later did not have this typo anymore so CNN had also obviously quickly noticed the error and corrected it (they never mentioned the error on the air).

Now, first of all, I love CNN, I am a news junkie, and I consider CNN the best source of international news (as BBC is still to my mind too much UK-centric). Far far superior to other international news services such as CNBC, Fox, Euronews, Channel News Asia etc. I love CNN. I did not mean to pick on CNN that someone made a typo. That happens, its human nature.

But I also loved the fact, that now with PVRs, it is possible to rewind a bit of live TV and see - what was that they just said. A wonderful innovation for TV. Since my first PVR (this is my second already), I could not imagine TV without it, and I really hate hotel TV around the world - not because they might not have my fave channels, but specifically because I can't rewind live TV - remember I'm a news junkie, so whenever something is happening, while a news channel is on the background and I am not really paying attention, I'll want to rewind to the start of the story - what was the final score? Finland made it to the semis in World Championship hockey? What happened to the Ducks? What was the story on Raikkonen, etc...  Oh, and yes, the more boring stuff like Iraq, Blair resigns, T-Mobile strikes, the iPhone, etc...

Just an observation of new technology and how it often does, in small ways, enrich our lives.

Comments

[Bertil]

> other international news services such as CNBC, Fox, Euronews, Channel News Asia etc.

Have you tried France 24 ? I'd be curious to have a foreign eye on it. And if you like typos, they are probably amateur enough to keep you entertained for a while. . .

[tim harrap]

Yes Tomi but I haven't seen your recording on Youtube yet!

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