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Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Radio Changes the time for Día de Canarias
Backwards Clock, available for purchase at FadToys.com
During the whole of the day today for Día de Canarias, news reports on Spanish radio networks will give the time in Canarian time, report the Canarian Government in this press release.
Confused, you will be! :) The time in the Canary Islands is the same as it is in London - Western European Time - an hour behind the rest of Spain who operate on Central European Time.
An agreement was reached with four national stations; SER, COPE, Punto Radio and Onda Cero to confuse the hell out of listeners. Sorry, no, the aim is to "augment the notoriety of the archipelago" as a tourist destination to the mainland market. The confusion information will reach almost ten million regular, daily listeners of these four private stations throughout the length of the day.
I only ever listen to radio over the internet and mostly English, so I won't hear this. However, it is worth noting that this hour of difference is most convenient, especially for British nationals resident on the islands and who have relatives back in Blighty. On the other hand, when you watch national Spanish TV stations here, you have to remember that when they say a program will start at 7 p.m., what they actually mean is here, it will start at 6 p.m. Don't ask me to count the number of times one switches on, only to remember - too late - that the program you wanted to watch is already over. Meanwhile, local TV stations in the Canary Islands use all Canarian time. National news reports usually give the current time in Spanish (Central European) time, followed by the statement, "una hora menos en Canarias" (an hour less [behind] in the Canaries).
Today, there will be no "hora menos", they will only give the Canarian time.
At New Year, we get double celebrations in the Canaries, because those from the mainland are televised at our 11 p.m. and our own at midnight.
Mañana no será una hora menos en Canarias
