Dear Editor,
I wish to record my annoyance with some television stations which air BBC News as a filler (filling airtime until time to air scheduled programme).
So you are following a story on BBC and then it is unceremoniously cut, with no consideration for the viewer. I do recall not so long ago, the British Prime Minister, on her maiden visit to the USA as Prime Minister, was giving an address when in the midst of the address it was cut to bring a sports programne.
Another station would air ‘Law and Order’ as a filler. This is a one hour programme and after half-an-hour it would be cut to bring the scheduled programme, again with no consideration for the viewer who might have been following the programme.
It would be appreciated if stations could be more mindful of their responsibilities to viewers and if they have to fill airtime they choose something which would not be disruptive to the viewer if cut. It is realised that from time to time it would be necessary to fill airtime.
Stations ought to have fillers of appropriate duration packaged and available to on-air personnel.
Yours faithfully,
Shamshun Mohamed
