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Like Abandon Ship I listened to the Today Programme this morning (OK the last fifteen minutes of it) and it was terrific. Almost a caricature of itself. The Today team were in “let the foaming righties have their say mode” and we had TWO slots with unmistakeably right wing folk putting right wing views. There was a chap called Dennis Avery who was doubting anthropogenic global warming, and Richard North (presumably the one from EU Referendum) doubting the need for the BBC. In each case, instead of the normal arrangement for lefties putting their views (long spout by lefty, Jim chips in sympathetically) we had the standard arrangement for right wing interviews – a second and hostile interviewee hired to counter the right wing filth. In each case they just came out with a torrent of ad hominem abuse. Which was silly, because there were perfectly rational counter arguments that could have been put. It’s absolutely standard practice for Today to do it this way – we must not be biased and never let an inappropriate opinion on the air at all. Occasionally (not too often mind) we must let one or two of these wild eyed right wingers on, but the viewers must be protected from contamination by making sure that we never let one on unoppposed. (Like we let sensible Guardian reading folk on unopposed.)
Is there any chance that Al Beeb will do ‘catch-up’ and do critical
exposure of Islamic terrorism to match that of Ch.4 ‘Dispatches’, or even this forthcoming piece from Fox News?
“This weekend, Fox News presents an extraordinary investigation that sheds light on interstate scams and international terrorism and begins in the tobacco country of North Carolina.
“It’s a story that starts before the attacks of Sept. 11, when most Americans woke up to the reality of Islamic terrorism, and is still unfolding today, more than a decade later.
“But it’s not a story about Al Qaeda. It’s a story about another sophisticated – and perhaps even more dangerous – Islamic terror organisation: Hezbollah.
“Tune in this weekend for a Fox News report that raises perhaps the most critical question facing America today: Is the war on terror too focused on Al Qaeda?”
http://www.foxnews.com
go to ‘search’ and tap in ‘hezbollah’. Title is:
‘Smokescreen: Hezbollah Inside America’. Screening: Sat. 20 Jan, at 8 pm eastern time. UK time: ?
Extensive coverage on R4 ‘Today’ this morning of Big Brother. The 2 guests [1 black, 1 asian] spend 10 minutes pondering whether the events indicate that white Britain is ‘extremely racist’ or merely ‘very racist’.
Meanwhile, the 15yr [white] schoolkid who was held down by 5 asian men and battered with a hammer is still in hospital with brain damage. Not that the BBC is interested.
http://www.thisisswindon.co.uk/mostpopular.var.1120720.mostviewed.parents_stage_protest_after_hammer_attack.php
Abandon ship!:
The Today programme is in overdrive this morning:
The attack on the “Global-warming denier” was astonishing- almost racist! Naughtie’s interviews regarding BB were very revealing. It seems the white English working class need a revolutionary form of education so as to appreciate the delights of ethnic diversity. SO Leeroy Jaspars on BBC2 Newsnight last night, and, in the meantime, “anything you say will be taken in evidence and used against you”. Oh dear, the poor white English working class. What has happened! How did it come to this? Why have they not been following BBC soaps & dramas and absorbing the cultural messages? This, indeed, is the logic behind the BBC soaps/dramas- from Dr. Who’s assistants through to Eastenders.
If the soaps do resemble Dickensian novels- some of the writers genuinely believe they serve the same function- they are equally guilty of the simple 19th century critiques from Marx, that they obscured the real contradictions. The BBC soaps obscure the genuine(almost genetic) sentiment of the white English working class towards the foreigner. In the 18th century you could be attacked in London for speaking a foreign language because people thought it might be French! Oh dear how are we going to educate people to differentiate between Gujarati and French in 2007. Well at least they can recognise an “Indian” nowadays- thats progress!
The BBC world and the people that inhabit it are the real contradictions!
Daily Telegraph Leader today:
BBC must regain focus
‘Only an organisation as blissfully featherbedded as the BBC could view today’s TV licence settlement as a grievous setback………………………………..’
‘The focus must be on programmes, not empire building. This could well be the last TV licence settlement. Given the speed of media evolution, it is hard to believe that Auntie will still be exacting licence fees as we approach the third decade of this century. It should use this collision with the real world to make itself fit for the future.’
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml;jsessionid=RAPBSQBKFTOC1QFIQMFCFFOAVCBQYIV0?xml=/opinion/2007/01/18/dl1802.xml
I may be wrong but it would appear that Monday night’s Panorama ‘investigation’ into an IVF clinic (seems no one watched it as they were all watching Channel 4’s Dispatches) may have backfired.
I have heard that there is a police investigation into criminal conduct within the bbc apropos bogus clinical referrals which, I am reliably informed, is a criminal offence.
Anybody else heard about this or can throw more light on it?
archduke,
Interesting debate, but no time now, unfortunately.
How do you know which aircraft at an airport is carrying the plethora of bbc staff on yet another overseas junket?
When the engines stop the whining continues.
Here’s the bbc’s latest whine:
TV licence fees around the world
‘The UK is not the only country which has a TV licence fee – about two-thirds of European countries have one, or use an indirect charge to fund their public TV stations.’
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6241013.stm
just a heads up. jeremy vine will be talking about the license fee on radio 2. first item on the agenda.
Interesting programme last night on BBC4, “Blog Wars”. (Probably will be repeated as BBC4 progs seem to be on a rotation)
It centred on the blog campaigns in the Ned Lamont/Joe Leiberman Dem primary.
Put faces to many bloggers.
Andrew Sullivan, who I tired of as he seems to view all politicians via the filter of attitude to same sex marriage, redeemed himself somewhat. He stated that the BBC was a left wing news source, with the big problem that it wouldn’t admit to its bias.
” will | 18.01.07 – 11:42 am |” i was listening to the diggnation podcast last night , broadcast from the recent macworld exhibition – and they mentioned that the next version of the xbox 360 will have IPTV (internet telly) built into it. basically you’ll be able to watch internet streamed tv via your games console.
one less reason for the license fee.
The Telegraph runs a story about allegations that the French socialist Presidential candidate has been fiddling her taxes (legally.) They major on the embarrassment to her. But they briefly mention her complaints that it’s a dirty tricks operation.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;jsessionid=MUPQNQ3TGNNQDQFIQMFCFF4AVCBQYIV0?xml=/news/2007/01/18/wfra18.xml
Royal is accused of dodging tax on her wealth
Ségolène Royal, the doyenne of the French Left, suffered an embarrassing blow to her image as a presidential candidate yesterday when she was accused of tax dodging.
On the BBC, though, it’s the dirty tricks front and centre, while precisely what the alleged tax trickery is, is glossed over :
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6271837.stm
Royal claims Sarkozy dirty tricks
The French Socialist presidential candidate Segolene Royal has accused aides of her opponent Nicolas Sarkozy of dirty tricks in a row over tax
Does Auntie have a horse in this race, one wonders ?
This is of course a classic structure for a partisan media organ (copyright NYT). If an allegation against your enemies breaks cover, you run that allegation straight away. If an allegation against your side breaks cover, you wait for the denial, and then run the denial.
now this is interesting – countries where the tv license has been abolished:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Television_licence#Countries_where_the_TV_licence_has_been_abolished
australia, belgium, gibraltar, hungary,malaysia, netherlands, new zealand
Washington ‘snubbed Iran offer’
’Iran offered the US a package of concessions in 2003, but it was rejected, a senior former US official has told the BBC’s Newsnight programme.
In return for its concessions, Tehran asked Washington to end its hostility, to end sanctions, and to disband the Iranian rebel group the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq and repatriate its members.’
‘One of the then Secretary of State Colin Powell’s top aides told the BBC the state department was keen on the plan – but was over-ruled.
“We thought it was a very propitious moment to do that,” Lawrence Wilkerson told Newsnight. “But as soon as it got to the White House, and as soon as it got to the Vice-President’s office, the old mantra of ‘We don’t talk to evil’… reasserted itself.”‘
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/6274147.stm
Curiously the bbc glosses over the idea repatriating members of the Iranian rebel group the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq.
vine debate on radio 2 on the license fee. standard practise – the anti-license fee chap was on the phone. the pro-license guardianista was in the studio (and therefore able to drown out what the other guy was saying)
archduke:
SO the European countries where the tv license has been abolished are:
Belgium, Hungary and the Netherlands
Hey I’m a European too. What about my rights? I wonder what the European constitution says about this?
Watch out beeb – the future is coming and it doesn’t come with a license fee atatched.
http://www.wired.com/news/wiredmag/0,72506-0.html?tw=wn_index_14
Can they wrestle the broadcast beast onto the Net? Friis and Zennström are players now, big names with a fearsome track record. Even more amazing (or scary, if you’re a TV insider), they have zero stake in the traditional media pillars. They don’t own shows, channels, or networks. They don’t have billion-dollar ad deals to protect. Steve Jobs has married Walt Disney. Jeff Bezos is dating Hollywood. Google, the ur-online software company, is building a globe-girdling web of proprietary pipes and monster servers. And along come these two Eurogeeks — where the hell is Denmark, anyway? — toting serial-killer technology, a multimillion-dollar checkbook, a blank slate, and a crazy dream.
‘Militant’ shot dead in West Bank
…
Israel agreed a truce with Palestinian militants in Gaza in November but has continued raids in the West Bank.
No mention of the continuing Qassam rocket attacks on Israel from Gaza
(‘truce’? what truce?)
More prceise information from The Jerusalem Post:
IDF kills Palestinian gunman in Nablus
…
During the overnight operations in the West Bank, troops also arrested 13 wanted Palestinian fugitives.
In one of the operations, shots were fired at the soldiers, but none were wounded.
“Obfuscation; it’s what we do”
It is worth a licence fee of anyone’s money to see the smug gits at the BBC proved hopelessly wrong. It happens every time – they always back the wrong horse. They were wrong about Hitler and wrong to refuse Churchill airtime, they were wrong on Communism, spectacularly wrong on President Reagan, always backed Kinnock over Thatcher. Imagine if they had their way over the miners – it would have been great to watch them tying themselves in knots over the British Coal Industry v Climate Change arguments.
Seeing as we’re stuck with this anachronistic tax for a few years yet, I’ll just console myself with watching their propaganda on the Middle East, the ROP, Climate Change, Gordon Brown and (I think) George Bush be shown to be complete drivel.
What is worse than the fact that the monolith is so biased is the fact that it is always biased in the wrong direction.
Can I just mention again how very sweet it is that the BBCs favoured candidate (Gordon Brown) from the BBCs favourite Political Party (New Labour), has been the one to rip the arse out of BBC funding.
Watch `em start sucking up to Cameron.
Lee Moore wrote:
“Richard North (presumably the one from EU Referendum) doubting the need for the BBC.”
The author of “Let’s Scrap the BBC: Ten years to set broadcasters free” is Richard D. North and he’s not the same man who is responsible for the content of EU Referendum Blog.
Richard D. North’s homepage is
http://www.richarddnorth.com/
If somebody gets to read this book, I wouldn’t mind if he or she wrote something about the content here.
John,
Careful what you wish for; in all three countries the licence fee has been replaced with funding from general taxation – in the Netherlands income tax was raised to pay for the state-run broadcaster.
What other countries do is irrelevant; there is no case for a tax-funded news/entertainment provider while there are so many examples of successful news/entertainment providers who operate without tax funding. End of story. The BBC can be as biased as it likes when I’ve got the choice to not support it.
“An MP has called for a police investigation into claims that extremist views were preached by an imam at mosques in Derby and Birmingham.
Roger Godsiff, the Labour MP for the Sparkbrook and Small Heath areas of Birmingham, has written to the chief constable of West Midlands Police and the Director of Public Prosecutions urging them to take action.”
http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=131596&command=displayContent&sourceNode=124371&contentPK=16424151&folderPk=55129&pNodeId=124522
Nothing about this on The BBC
BBC’s policy of booking extraordinarily biased “independent experts” seemed almost to embarrass Adrian Childs on BBC2 “Working Lunch”.
Childs was interviewing a professor of communications about the licence fee settlement. The prof was an ultra supporter of bigBBC. So much so that Childs felt the need to splutter brief caveats (ie that some may hols differing views). But these splutters were only asides. He didn’t go so far as to ask the prof challenging questions.
(D) HYS on the licence fee
http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?threadID=5273&&edition=1&ttl=20070118135852
SiN – Al Beeb’s favourite political party is not New Labour it is the Liberal Democrats. They like some of New Labour lots and lots and some not at all!
Thankfully Al Beeb have been stuffed by the new license fee and other financial arrangements, though in my opinion not stuffed enough.
As for sucking up to New Dave Conservatism they already have been! If they thought they could ditch the genuine conservatives from all semblance of power in the NDCP they would have a love-in that would last to the next general election and beyond…
xbox 360 “will be morphed into a set top box delivering IPTV like functionality”:
http://www.nyquistcapital.com/2007/01/08/xbox-iptv-announced-at-ce
throw in the Joost project, and maybe Apples tv box product and you can see where this is all heading.
however, my guess is that the powers that be will just slap a license fee on PCs (if you dont have a telly), as they did in germany.
On the subject of the climate change interview this morning, it’s interesting that the sceptic Avery was opposed by one Mark Lynas.
Lynas is the guy who shoved a pie into Bjorn Lomberg’s face at a book signing.
He himself was given an interview on the Today program a week or so ago. He was unopposed (either by anyone of different views or the interviewer, Naughtie) and generally treated as if he were an impartial and independent expert.
http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?sortBy=2&threadID=5273&edition=1&ttl=20070118144916&#paginator
needs some attention!!!
media moonbattery at its finest. C4 chief exec press conference at the moment – he thinks that BB is contributing to the “debate” about “multicultural britain”.
oh right so. so broadcasting utter scummy trash tv that is damaging the image of britain abroad is educating people eh? well – yeah. now the indians think we’re all a bunch of racist chav scum wankers. gee – thanks c4.
D Burbage, from your HYS link:
Added: Thursday, 18 January, 2007, 08:29 GMT 08:29 UK
Well people on here are complaining about license fees again! In some countries you cannot buy a television without first buying a license and then producing it at the store. Then you have to still put up with adverts during the programmes.
I suggest if you do not want to pay for a license then you throw out your TV, get off this website and dispose of your radio.
Georgina Bass
Recommended by 82 people
Which countries would they be Georgina?
Al Beeb do have something on the “Undercover Mosque” programme now:
Fury at Australia cleric comments
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6273629.stm
Oh ye of little faith…
THE MUSLIM HANGOVER CURE
The Insider is Channel 4’s new weekly series of polemical authored programmes featuring politicians, journalists, high profile individuals and people with real experiences speaking passionately about important topical current affairs subjects. The first programme in the new series features Zubair Mulla, a non-drinking, Muslim Accident and Emergency doctor, who has strong and candid solutions to tackle Britain’s booze culture.
From the channel that brought you BB…
the more i see that C4 chief exec repeated on the news channel the more i realise that we’re actually seeing the reality distortion field that the media drones actually live in.
what next c4? why not go the whole hog and start broadcasting KKK videos..
oh by the way – i caught a glimpse of BB last night , and the torrent of abuse was WORSE than anything i’ve ever seen on Jerry Springer. sheer unadulterated bullying verbal hatred…
britains reputation in india is fast dissapearing down the plughole i’d say.
archduke
I think the channel 4 guy is right. If imams at mosques are preaching hate against Christians and Jews – then put them on tv so we all know.
And if some of our so-called celebrities are chavs – then we ought to be aware of that too.
and if they find the KKK active in Essex or somewhere – why not expose that too?
at least c4 are being consistent.
mephisto -> but c4 wasnt raking in millions on 25p a minute text votes off the back of Dispatches. its an important difference. anyway , i’d say they’ll have to pull it – Jack Straw has weighed into the row calling for Ofcom to immediately “investigate” C4. sky news had some lawyer type on a while ago saying that c4 could be prosecuted under the race laws.
tis all escalating a bit i think.
” Because Britain is beholden to the tenets of multiculturalism and diversity, British Muslims have long realised that they can get away with anything.”
From:Aaron Hanscom, ‘The Truth about Londonistan’
http://www.frontpagemag.com/ 18 Jan
I am writing from the USA where the Ch4 “Dispatches” documentary on UK Mosques has been watched by thousands on YouTube. The reaction has been one of horror. At last we have been given real evidence of fascist statements from the horses’ mouths. The Imams can’t spin themselves out of this one.
However, today (Thursday 18th January) YouTube has taken the programme off their service – their reason is given as “copyright infringement”.
Now while Americans wait for it to air on some brave US TV channel, I ask this question: would the BBC have ever allowed this program to be made? Surely it is the sort of show the old ‘Panorama’ or ’24 Hours’ programmes would have have made.
MCB Doesn’t like Dispatches: http://ibloga.blogspot.com/2007/01/muslim-council-of-britain-press.html
joc -> why am i not surprised?
Wonderful news, BBC wings clipped as licence fee set at lower rate by government. £18 million for willy waffler wonathon woss who I never listen too, and if I saw him in the street would cross over the road to the other side to avoid him. He alone must have cost the BBC as much as the millenium dome, and they got the same return, a large empty tent.
Astonishing bit on Blue Peter this evening (about 1705, 18/1/07): long feature on the joys and general loveliness of the Religion of Plumbers in Oman, especially for the youngsters. Bless.
At the end of Ramadan, a goat is killed. And as two men hold it down, and one slashes its throat, Blue Peter muppet looks to camera and says “At least it’s done humanely….”!!!!!
John Bosworth | 18.01.07 – 4:43 pm
I ask this question: would the BBC have ever allowed this program to be made? Surely it is the sort of show the old ‘Panorama’ or ’24 Hours’ programmes would have have made.
The BBC have made similar programmes. Here are two.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/file_on_4/6147238.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/panorama/4171950.stm
John Bosworth:
I put a copy of the dispatches on google video, its still there at the moment, sadly there’s some audio drop out on my copy and its very compressed
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2668560761490749816
Abandon ship, yes, I heard the Today proramme this morning, and also noted they were on good form.
In response to “anonymous” – I stand corrected.
YouTube has taken the programme off their service – their reason is given as “copyright infringement”.
John Bosworth | 18.01.07 – 4:43 pm
It’s still there:
Via http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=24026_Busted_Islamic_Leader_Reacts&only
indian hot babe alert part 2:
end of c4 news tonight.. interviewed by jon snow.
(loosens collar, and lets out a “wooo”)
sorry. back to normal bbc bashing.
Biodegradable, thank you. The link you supplied is not the only one to new postings of the same show.
The documentary is being re-posted as quickly as it is being removed. I guess once the genie is out of the bottle etc…
I am not in favour of copyright infringement but this programme needs to be seen.