writes:
In browsing the BBC complaints website recently, there is a report on complaints over the last few months, preceded by a statement from Mark Thompson, the Director-General.
In that statement, I found a remarkable sentence. He states:
“Of course there will always be cases where people are dissatisfied with the BBC’s initial response, and the aim then is to give them the opportunity of independent investigation by the Editorial Complaints Unit – and it will be genuinely independent, because we have removed the requirement for the Unit to seek agreement from the management of the programme division before finalising a decision to uphold a complaint. Cases already in the system will be processed according to the old rules, but the Unit’s view on the cases which reach it after 1 February will be final, subject only to appeal to the Governors.”
(I have added italics and emphasis). Is it not incredible that under their pathetic complaints system, if I have understood this correctly, the BBC Complaints Unit had to get the programme division (this presumably means the actual makers of the programme would be consulted and would be dragging their feet all the way) to first agree to a complaint being upheld against them. How likely is that to happen? Turkeys voting for Christmas ?
OT, but check out this BBC World story on hunting with eagles:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4101887.stm
I can’t imagine a story as sympathetic about the ‘traditional’ sport of hunting foxes with dogs as this story about hunting foxes with eagles..
Is this change of policy the reason why the recent “Thought for the day” row ,resulted in such embarrassment for the Beeb?
It is certainly unusual to see such a climbdown so quickly as in this case.
OT: More worthless tripe from “Our Man in Washington” Justin Webb.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4284069.stm
I thought that Matt Frei was useless, but this guy is even worse than Matt Frei.
It boggles the mind. Even worse than Matt Frei!
I understand your pov on the BBC complaints procedure as i too have posted an article on my site about the commercial side of the BBC.
Nice site its now bookmarked 😛
BBC Commercial Article
http://www.stainmedia.com/politicalmaestro/blog/index.php?p=42
RE: Justin Webb
What an utter buffoon.
Who hires these people?
Here is a comment I just e-mailed to the Today programme at the BBC:
“Just now you had Robin Cook on the programme to discuss the dislocation of the electorate from politicians.
After a few sentences about that, Cook was led by the interviewer into a critique of the Iraq war, with all the usual matters – ignoring those who marched, legal basis etc etc.
Iraq may have had some relevance, but it was so predictable for the interview to turn in this direction. Indeed, your presenters seem to be obsessed with drawing forth criticisms of the Iraq war from everyone who is interviewed (whilst trying to get the supporters to admit they were wrong).
You might be surprised to know that there are listeners who fully support the actions of the coalition to remove Saddam Hussein from power in Iraq.”
OT-ish, but again on the Today programme,
They have just wasted five minutes of airtime “doorstepping” Associated Newspapers, who had already previously declined to give an interview. The justification of this piece of pointless “journalism” being that the Evening Standard were doorstepping Ken Livingstone when he made his infamous remarks.
… but, Auntie Beeb, Livingstone had not already told the E.S. that he wouldn’t give an interview and I noticed that at least the Assoc. Newspapers spokesman was polite and didn’t compare the BBC hack to a Stalinist Gulag guard!
So why did the Beeb just take up airtime with a thinly veiled and worthless exercise in apparent defence of Livingstone?
Eamonn
good luck with that. Please keep us informed of any outcomes.