Andy Ball wrote in a message to Tom Walker:

 AB> In the U.S. that certainly seems to be the case, perhaps in part
 AB> because VHF is still used here for TV.  Geography is probably also
 AB> a factor (things are so spread out over here that there's a good
 AB> chance people are far away from the transmitters).  U.S. TV
 AB> production seems to tend towards the shoddy too. 

Except that none of that production is done in the US.  It's all been done
overseas for a number of years...

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