. Reporter Paul Revoir writes:
BBC staff, viewers and politicians have accused the broadcaster of ‘overkill’ in its coverage of the diaries, which Mr Campbell himself admits have been sanitised to protect Tony Blair and the Labour Party.
As well as three hour-long episodes which run nightly until Friday, the corporation has already carried lengthy interviews with Mr Campbell on Sunday AM with Andrew Marr and Radio 4’s Today programme.
On Friday, Newsnight Review will also be discussing the diaries.
The week-long coverage comes despite the fact that the contents of the book have already been widely trailed across the media.
Revoir quotes Conservative MP, Philip Davies, who sits on the culture, media and sport select committee, as saying:
“Personally I think it is a complete outrage – [Campbell] should be paying them for over three and a half hours of free marketing he has been given. By Alastair Campbell’s own admission it has been sanitised so as not to damage the Labour Party, there is no justification for them showing more spin”
Even a ‘broadly supportive’ senior BBC insider goes on to admit:
Three hours is a terribly long time to give to a guy who is known as a spin doctor and a propagandist as opposed to a seeker of truth.
…to which there is little more that needs to be said. The BBC’s three hours of Campbell’s sanitised Labour-Party-safe spin (sorry, history) starts tonight, Wednesday, at 8pm on BBC2, continuing on Thursday at 8pm, concluding on Friday at 7pm.
Update: Kid Gloves comments: “To paraphrase the senior BBC insider, £135.50 is a terribly large amount of money to give to an organisation which is known as a spin doctor and a propagandist as opposed to a seeker of truth.” 🙂
Thank you to commenter George Whyte for the link.
I’ve moved the comment Dave made about global warming to the previous thread about global warming, which is where I presume he intended to put it (if you want it back here, Dave, just let me know).
I’m quite interested in seeing this program, so not too concerned that the Beeb has spent money making it.
After all, some of my license fee goes on televising various tedious ‘sports’ that I don’t watch.
One cannot have everything one’s own way.
Campbell’s diaries, published so soon after the events they chronicle, admittedly ‘sanitised’ and read out by their author amount to a three hour political statement. It will be interesting to see how the BBC proposes to balance it’s output with equivalent extravaganzas from the other parties.
The BBC are fascinated by the Labour Government. I’m not.
Any predictions for the overnight viewing figures? I’ve just had a look and its a horribly made show, bits of random archive over a dreadful narration.
I’m going to call it the lowest ever audience for that time slot. (i can hope)
Seems as good a reason as any other to tune in to Sky Sports to watch the Copa America.
‘Any predictions for the overnight viewing figures?’
The show has been heavily hyped by the BBC both in trailers and in news broadcasts so the first episode should have done wellish.
This is how the BBC work, they overhype rubbish to get viewers so they can then justify the money they spent.
Recorded the first episode. Gave up after 15 minutes.
Fanzine tv.
GB is the fans favourite true ex player turned manager.
TB is the slightly iffy ex manager who did wahat was necessary to get us promotion.
AC was the stout centre half who took no prisoners.
Like a fanzine, you have to be a fan to enjoy it…or make it.
Very interesting towards the end. Campbell said the needed ‘sophisticated spin’ to try and help solve the problems in Northern Ireland, so he…..phoned up someone senior in BBC news (can’t remember who he said).
So that’s it, in plain language. When Labour needs spin, it calls the BBC.
To paraphrase the senior BBC insider, £135.50 is a terribly large amount of money to give to an organisation which is known as a spin doctor and a propagandist as opposed to a seeker of truth
Kid Gloves: very funny! 🙂