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Shock horror as expats across Europe lose all Brit TV channels
| Published: | 13 Feb at 6 PM |
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After the BBC’s satellite switch last week, wails from Southern Spanish expat hubs could be heard for miles as aficionados realised they’d probably watched Eastenders for the last time.
The initial new satellite coverage map issued by the BBC showed a swathe of Europe covered by possibly less satisfactory signals, but at least they were there, unlike in the Costa del Sol and a few other Spanish expat hubs. Subsequently, ITV and Channel 4 switched as well, bringing the curtain down on Coronation Street to even louder wails.
Faintly reassured by the Beeb’s announcement that the new satellite had yet to be fine-tuned, expat life in Spain and France simmered down a few notches to await developments. Bitter disappointment followed when the new satellite beam map issued by the BBC showed the beam covering the UK, a small slice of north western France and endless swathes of empty ocean.
Expat TV screens across the continent fell dark, and even the professionals were amazed at the unexpected tightness of the beam. To make matters worse, a spokesperson from the BBC stated that the broadcaster was only obliged to provide a service to UK residents, a comment which totally excluded him and his company from everyone’s popularity list.
According to experts in the field, purchasing a huge satellite dish isn’t going help either expats’ bank balances or their TV reception, and might cause other problems such as roofs collapsing under the weight. Local European satellite dish installers are due for a boost in their incomes, as the immediate advice out there is to ensure your dish is aligned correctly.
The only way to go, it seems, is restricted to those with high-speed internet connections capable of streaming live, high-definition signals from across the world, Watching TV via the internet gives a huge choice of channels, and now seems like the only expat option.
The initial new satellite coverage map issued by the BBC showed a swathe of Europe covered by possibly less satisfactory signals, but at least they were there, unlike in the Costa del Sol and a few other Spanish expat hubs. Subsequently, ITV and Channel 4 switched as well, bringing the curtain down on Coronation Street to even louder wails.
Faintly reassured by the Beeb’s announcement that the new satellite had yet to be fine-tuned, expat life in Spain and France simmered down a few notches to await developments. Bitter disappointment followed when the new satellite beam map issued by the BBC showed the beam covering the UK, a small slice of north western France and endless swathes of empty ocean.
Expat TV screens across the continent fell dark, and even the professionals were amazed at the unexpected tightness of the beam. To make matters worse, a spokesperson from the BBC stated that the broadcaster was only obliged to provide a service to UK residents, a comment which totally excluded him and his company from everyone’s popularity list.
According to experts in the field, purchasing a huge satellite dish isn’t going help either expats’ bank balances or their TV reception, and might cause other problems such as roofs collapsing under the weight. Local European satellite dish installers are due for a boost in their incomes, as the immediate advice out there is to ensure your dish is aligned correctly.
The only way to go, it seems, is restricted to those with high-speed internet connections capable of streaming live, high-definition signals from across the world, Watching TV via the internet gives a huge choice of channels, and now seems like the only expat option.
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