by Mark Wilkins

The UK publication MediaWeek defines "Zapping" as "Rapid channel switching or surfing via a remote control". It's that act you experience when the TV programme you are watching fails to hold your attention for more than a fleeting period as you click the remote control, seeking to be more "engaged".

It's said that a country gets the TV it deserves. In Spain's case I suspect that the former sentence could be good grounds for the Spanish TV audience to institute libel proceedings. Spanish TV is a very curious blend of the extraordinarily banal, the overly serious and the totally retentive.

I make no excuses for the fact that as a result of living in Spain I expect my family to have a more than capable command of the Spanish language. I believe it has to be one of the lasting legacies of a childhood in Spain, a real gift.

Many will know that the "footprint" of the UK's SKY TV service embraces Spain and depending on the package chosen you can assure your family of wall to wall international media. Thus ensuring no one is behind on the comings and goings of a favourite soap opera or the trials and tribulations of your team's progress in the Premiership. However, we noticed that our kids, who all go to an International school and speak some Spanish during each school day, were not advancing their fluency as quickly as we had expected. We placed the blame squarely with the Cartoon Network and the Disney Channel.

In moving house we decided to experiment. Whilst our SKY dish, which is the size of a Green Lines bus, would have appeared ugly on the side or roof of our new home, we thought we'd see just what impact not having SKY would have on our kids' language, and mine for that matter. The experiment has worked to the extent we are all speaking much more Spanish, but at what cost.

The national TV channels such as RTE 1 appear to have the gravitas of BBC1. They carry World news that is invariably accompanied by the most gruesome footage of carnage from a troubled hot spot. Images continue to haunt for months after witnessing and whilst I am not one for sugaring the pill, I am not at all convinced that the warts and all approach is the best.
"Memo to self": get the kids to bed and dinner eaten before switching on RTE 1.

This news coverage is delivered by a series of Madrileos-accented - frankly to my ear the most easily discernible Spanish - cardboard cut-outs. These ultra serious communicators are usually dressed in light grey suits that appear to have been tailored for another member of staff; it's as though the names pinned to the lapel have been switched on the runner rail by a mischievous wardrobe assistant. Their ties and coiffure have had disproportionate amounts of attention. The questionable colour and poor tying of the former being firmly beaten into second place by the time, trouble and effort that has obviously been taken with the latter.