History
The SBS World News Channel was officially inaugurated by Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Senator Richard Alston on 12 June 2002, with the launch broadcast simultaneously live onto the channel.
It was previously known as The World News in its first year.
Tagalog, Vietnamese, and Arabic language broadcasts were added to SBS' WorldWatch schedule in 2003. The Vietnamese service, taken from the government-controlled channel VTV4, was heavily protested against by the Vietnamese community, many of whom found the bulletin's portrayal of the communist Vietnamese flag and Ho Chi Minh offensive. The Vietnamese Community of Australia, claimed that the program's lack of reports on political arrests and religious oppression were also offensive, especially to those who fled the country following the Vietnam War
The backlash resulting from these events prompted SBS to begin showing disclaimers before all externally-produced bulletins, distancing the broadcaster from each bulletin's editorial content.
Genre restrictions imposed by the Australian government on digital multi-channelling were lifted along with the media ownership laws passed through the Australian parliament on 18 October 2006.
Between broadcasts, a commercial for the channel was shown. The dialogue is as follows:
The SBS World News Channel delivered more than 200 news programs from around the globe each week, providing an up to date and varied perspective on the headlines of the day. Each bulletin is in the language and format of the country of origin. From 6:00am Monday to Sunday, continuous telecasts from international broadcasters via satellite from some of the most respected news bureaus of the world, news reviews and magazine style information programmes. The most comprehensive international news channel in the world, with unparalleled access to continuing news and current affairs from 17 countries in languages other than English. Available only on the SBS World News Channel.
The channel was set up as an experimental full service channel.
Read more about this topic: SBS World News Channel
Famous quotes containing the word history:
“So in accepting the leading of the sentiments, it is not what we believe concerning the immortality of the soul, or the like, but the universal impulse to believe, that is the material circumstance, and is the principal fact in this history of the globe.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“I cannot be much pleased without an appearance of truth; at least of possibility—I wish the history to be natural though the sentiments are refined; and the characters to be probable, though their behaviour is excelling.”
—Frances Burney (1752–1840)
“The custard is setting; meanwhile
I not only have my own history to worry about
But am forced to fret over insufficient details related to large
Unfinished concepts that can never bring themselves to the point
Of being, with or without my help, if any were forthcoming.”
—John Ashbery (b. 1927)