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Archiver > SOG-UK > 2004-10 > 1096842360


From: "David Wason" <>
Subject: Re: [SoG] Why are people interested in Genealogy?
Date: Sun, 3 Oct 2004 23:26:00 +0100
References: <001601c4a988$003116c0$a1c6883e@Packard>


Frank Hardy wrote:

>Why do we not put messages on this list about
> these programmes?

That's exactly what Janet did. She put a message on the list about the
discussion on the Today programme on the list and Peter Christian
immediately provided us with a link to it.

>Four minutes - that is about 240 seconds longer than the attention span
of most people in the media.

Come on! Stop complaining, Frank! Today is a daily news/magazine programme.
Be grateful for those four minutes.

>Unfortunately, what we want to hear is not
>seen as being of popular interest by the media people who control what
>we can listen to or see.

Seems to me there's an explosion of interest about genealogy and family
history. Take, to give one example:

"Who do you think you are?" about to start in the UK on BBC2 (next week I
think) Their website (and frequent on air promotions) says it aims to
inspire the nation "to explore its roots. ...A major new series on BBC TWO -
Who Do You Think You Are? - delves into the family history of ten familiar
faces, tracing their ancestry and revealing secrets and surprises from their
pasts."

If the BBC or other "media people" see these kind of carping whinges, I
can't imagine they'll be all that keen on contacting SOG representatives.

David Wason


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