BY SHENGAS MCGLUMPHIE

Farmers across the country made over a hundred complaints following the start of a new on-line channel specifically aimed at the farming market, called Ewe Tube.

Brainchild of IT programmer Danny McCann from Sion Mills, the subscription-based internet service went live at the weekend, promising ‘news and views, farms and fields, walking and wellies’ to subscribers. However, many viewers were left feeling disappointed and patronised by the service.

“I was expecting to get a Tyrone version of Countryfile”, fumed farmer Dessie Dillon from near Creggan. “Instead he just had sheep photos and videos off the internet, which included a sheep rolling over a cattle grid, a sheep wearing a Tyrone jersey, and a sheep sneezing. How can he call that ‘news and views’, the hoor? I want my £1.49 back. It’s a disgrace. Although the sheep sneezing was pure class”, he admitted.

Sean McKillop, a farmer from Altmore, also voiced his dissatisfaction.

“I spent a week installing one of thon new fangled dial-up connections for the computer yolk so I could watch it”, he complained. “But the stuff they had on was cat. And by that I mean sheep. Danny McCann? Danny Mc-Bloody-Can’t as far as I’m concerned. All it had on was endless picters of sheep. What’s the point of that? I wouldn’t have minded so much if there had been a few good-looking ones. Is he going to do one with cows, maybe Fresians?” he asked hopefully.

McCann had to defend other criticisms, including plagiarising the channel’s name from a weak joke that had been doing the rounds for years, and of publishing pictures of new born lambs frolicking in a field alongside a recipe for lamb bhuna curry.

“Look, this is what viewers want”, he insisted. “This is a first in Tyrone and the world. It’s unique. I’ve had lots of positive feedback on it so far, so they can shove their criticism. In fact, maybe that should be, ‘ewe-nique’”, he said, before braying with laughter at his own joke.

This weekend will see the launch of a new pay-per-view service, ‘Ram-Cam’.