9/11 Remembered

Map of Four Flights on 9/11 (U.S. National Archives)

This month marks the 10th anniversary of September 11,  2001, a time for families, friends and others to reflect on the loss of nearly 3,000 people killed during the ter-rifying attacks on the symbols of  American prosperity and  power. Four planes were hijacked; two destroyed the Twin Towers in New York, one plane dived into the Pentagon in Washington DC, and the other crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. That day was not only a terrible day for the families affected; it marked a watershed in U.S. history. This was the first time ever the U.S. had been attacked on its soil, and at the beginning of the 21^st century, this day would be.......

The End of 648 kHz BBC World Service and of News as We Know it

(Tropic-7's photostream/Flickr)

While driving on a Dutch highway, I'm trying to find the BBC World News on my car radio. I only hear empty sounds, when I suddenly remember the BBC announcement earlier this year that it would end its 648 kHz transmissions of World Service English language radio due to budget cuts.  It was effectively ending direct broadcasts to Europe, and I am now a ‘victim” of this closure. For those not familiar with the BBC World Service, it was founded in 1932 initially focusing on English speakers throughout the British Empire. By now it has reached a reported weekly audience of nearly 190 million people and is broadcasting in 27 languages worldwide. According to the BBC, the World Service’s aim is to be "the world's best-known and most-respected voice in international broadcasting, thereby bringing benefit to the UK, the BBC and to audiences around the world".  Clearly, the BBC World Service has not only succeeded in reaching this goal, but has also played an unique part in ....................