70th Anniversary D-Day - No Coverage???

[Private_collector]

There was live coverage of at least two ceremonies, through the day. I watched them.
Don't remember if it was ABC or SBS. Most news programs did a piece on the event.

I was actually pleased with coverage this year.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Brian Williams reports: Journey to Normandy

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/...rmandy-n125211

(Have not yet watched it myself.)

H.

[Tony Wheeler]

Originally Posted by Private_collector

I was actually pleased with coverage this year.

I agree, it was absolutely top class coverage this year. The entire ceremonies and speeches live on ABC with Scott Bevan hosting, and he didn't put a foot wrong all day. He knew his facts and he was perfectly in tune with the occasion. I watched the whole thing live and I was up during a lot of the replay as well. My TV is always on ABC 24 unless I'm watching a movie recorded on one of the commercial networks, which is all they're good for.

I'm surprised to hear people say there was minimal coverage, evidently you're all talking about the commercial networks. I wouldn't know myself as I haven't watched commercial TV for 30 years or more, but it wouldn't surprise me if they were screening re-runs of Hey Dad or Home and Away on D-Day or Anzac Day.

[Little Jo]

HI Guys

I agree with Tony. ABC had good live coverage, though I flipped between the ABC and CNN all was very good. I was not so sure about the "Ballet" type show on the beach, But then, some people may have liked that.

Cheers

Tony

[Private_collector]

Oh yeah, I had forgotten about the choreographed 'ballet' sequence.
I hated that bit! What was the deal there?
Nazi Atrocities & Occupation, the musical?

[Tony Wheeler]

Originally Posted by Private_collector

Oh yeah, I had forgotten about the choreographed 'ballet' sequence.

I think we're all trying to forget about it Tony! I think the expressions on the faces of world leaders forced to watch it said it all. I'd be interested to know what the vets made of it, I bet they never thought they'd live to see an interpretive dance of WW2!! Somehow it doesn't quite capture the horror of war.

[Marc Montgomery]

CBC-Newsworld coverage (canada) was pretty good in terms of amount. Peter mansbridge was -as usual- about as exciting as drying beige paint. But RDI- (french equivalent of CBC Newsworld) which had similar but less coverage, had some dismal "expert" commentator making several absurd comments. such as describing the Typhoon..as being not a very good, or useful aircraft.

[Tony Wheeler]

Originally Posted by Marc Montgomery

describing the Typhoon..as being not a very good, or useful aircraft.

This kind of criticism relates to the early Typhoon with the thick wing, which was a failure in its intended role as a replacement for the Hurricane. The redesigned Typhoon with the laminar wing was a far superior aircraft, and was renamed the Tempest.

All things considered the Typhoon would have to be rated well down the list of WWII fighters. Despite its huge power advantage it was outclassed by the FW190 at altitude, whereas the Spitfire reclaimed superiority by simply upgrading the engine. Certainly the Typhoon was an extremely capable ground attack aircraft, but WWII is littered with examples of fighters relegated to ground attack roles after failing to mix it at altitude, and most of them performed creditably. To my mind the mark of a great fighter aircraft is its ability to perform in a variety of roles, plus its development potential with improved power plants. On that basis the Typhoon rates well below fighters like the Spitfire, P51, P40, Hurricane, Me 109, FW 190, etc. Not to mention the Zero, which was unequalled for the first half of WWII, and may have remained so if the Japanese had access to a more powerful engine. Fortunately the Typhoon never had to face it.