What could be more innocent than the BBC obtaining substantial low-interest loans from the European Unions’ “long-term financial institution”? I mean it’s not as if the fact that the BBC is now in hock to the tune of £141m to the European Investment Bank might in any way cloud its nominal neutrality on the topic of the EU, is it? You can read the gory details over on EU Referendum. I wonder at the mindset that prevails at the highest level in the BBC in that it fails to see how the pursuit of such a loan clearly jeopardises the perception of BBC impartiality on EU issues. The EIB, like it’s Euro-weenie masters, is committed to bringing about ever closer convergence of the Euro-superstate. Borrowing this large sum from it creates the impression that the BBC may itself share a similar agenda, as any follower of its “coverage” (Propaganda is a much more accurate term here, I feel) will know. It is said that he who pays the piper calls the tune. In this case, the BBC’s squeaks of protestations of innocence at this deal seem designed to stop us hearing the relentless pro-EU tune it plays.
HE WHO PAYS THE PIPER…
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Another new thread whose story has already been well rehearsed in the comments.
I thought they’d drafted you in as a leader, not a follower Mr V.
Poor show.
This is a very interesting point. The other day the guardian published the results of a poll which shows that the British acceptance of the EU as growing.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/eu/story/0,,2247318,00.html
(Did the Beeb report that news?)
Maybe there lies the reason why Gordo won’t give us a referendum. Why the BBC apes the EU and the fact that Reith has a new tactic of being the first to post in which to try and discredit DV. What’s up Reith your masters at the BBC mosque getting worried about this blog? Don’t worry I’m sure you’ll be happier when your masters get the right to use Sharia law against the non-payers of the BBC thought tax and the contributors to this blog.
John Reith,
I was asked to do it and was only following orders. I’m sure you will be familiar with that line. Now if you can’t deal with the substance here, I would suggest you leave that to more capable others.
typical leftist comment from Reith. Throw as much mud as u can at the messenger without addressing the issue.
Well we wouldnt really expect anything diffeerent from a beeboid would we
John Reith: “Poor show.”
Well, John, now you know what most of us think of the BBC’s news output and current affairs position.
In fact, I bet you hear that a lot at beeb towers among all those colleagues paid via the tax-man.
The reith collecives’ response says it all really. ‘Nothing to see here. move along now’.
Has anyone investigated whether the Beeb could obtain this finance more cheaply from other sources? Cos even to someone who doesn’t think the EU is an evil construct determined to cast Britain into commie hell for eternity this looks well dodgy.
“Poor show.
John Reith | 29.01.08 – 12:56 pm”
Wrong thread JR, surely that is meant for the one about the all-too-common standard of BBC tv productions.
Cockney | 29.01.08 – 1:51 pm
Has anyone investigated whether the Beeb could obtain this finance more cheaply from other sources?
No of course not.
Yer man Vance hasn’t even ‘investigated’ the EU Referendum blog story that he links.
He writes:
I mean it’s not as if the fact that the BBC is now in hock to the tune of £141m to the European Investment Bank might in any way cloud its nominal neutrality…
The EU Ref story makes clear much of this money has already been repaid.
Then EIB Vice-President Peter Sedgwick was cited as saying:
Public service broadcasting like that of the BBC, plays an important role in providing high-quality programme production. The project will sustain the international competitiveness of European audiovisual production and will also enhance demand for independent producers as they will be largely in charge of programme production
Public service broadcasting like that of the BBC, plays an important role in providing high-quality programme production. The project will sustain the international competitiveness of European audiovisual production and will also enhance demand for independent producers as they will be largely in charge of programme production
Did you read before you posted on it David? Nothing like a conspiracy theorist following orders!
“I was asked to do it and was only following orders.”
How independent of you!
Pot and kettle?
”Has anyone investigated whether the Beeb could obtain this finance more cheaply from other sources?”
How about the licence fee payer?
Probably equates to thruppence ha’penny extra on a licence.
Obviously £3BN pa doesn’t go as far as it used to.
David Vance 29.01.08 – 1:19 pm
I was asked to do it and was only following orders.
So if I ask you to go boil your head, will you oblige me too? 😆
John Reith
Don’t ask him, order him, then he will follow orders.
‘Public service broadcasting like that of the BBC, plays an important role in providing high-quality programme production.’
Does it? The BBC is mainly an important mass manufacturer of complete trash. Eastenders, the flagship programme on its main TV is an obvious example.
The EIB boss obviously has the same critical faculties when it comes to broadcasting quality as Eurovision has when it comes to music.
Are telly-taxpayers having to pay interest on this loan?
Still, it might improve the programming. Let’s see what’s on tonight:
The One Show
Eastenders
River City (unwatchable Jock soap, you’re not missing anything folks)
Holby City
News-effect Prole-feed read by someone welsh
Lenny Henry
Nope, no “high-quality programme production” there then. But I still have to pay for it or go to prison.
Bob Spink MP to the House of Commons,
“Last night, BBC Radio 4’s “Westminster Hour” at 10 pm covered the House’s upcoming business, yet at no time was the EU debate mentioned. That shows, of course, the lack of publicity given by the BBC, because of its bias and probably as a result of the EU’s funding of the BBC. The soft loans and other funding amounts to some €256 million over the past five years alone.”
Via EUReferendum
The EU has designs on European culture This will include the BBC and is probably another reason the BBC is brown nosing the EU.
Dear Hannah,
“they will largely be in charge”? so who else will be pulling the strings?
Same old propaganda, same old tired cliches reading like a soviet press release!
Do you really think that ‘competitveness’ can be helped by loading the industry with free money?
Just look at the awful trash that makes up the majority of Euro film making that wallows in taxpayer subsidies.
Do you think that the EU will not want something in return for its cash? are you so shortsighted? These pathetic lies wrapped up to look like facts will not do your case any good in this blog I can assure you.
When The JR CPU(counter propaganda unit) resorts to “go boil your head” you just know that B-BBC is getting too close to the BBC dirty laundry.
Hasn’t the Commons select commitee on culture (or whatever it’s called) recently agreed that the BBC should have it’s finances open to full NAO scrutiny, as they only have partial accountability to the NAO, at the moment? Will be interesting to see if McStalin, allows this to happen for his chums at Al-Beeb, it could be a tad embarassing for them, as I’ve heard the running of their finances, makes Enron look responsible.
All that easy public money swilling about, with no proper accountability as to how they run their finances, makes you wonder what will crawl out when a few stones are turned over. The brand could be destroyed by financial scandal.
John Reith,
Are you one of the poor souls that will be losing their job at Al-Beeb soon due to their hilarious claim that they are short on TV Tax funds?
Hopefully so.
Perhaps a job in McDonalds would suit your skills better when you are unemployed? You’ve got the right skills already!!
– You think the customer (the UK audience) is stupid and doesn’t know any better.
– Ripping of the customer (phone in scams experience essential) is second nature to you.
– Your creative journalism skills are perfect for McDonald’s advertising division so that you can tell everybody how healthy their food is.
Think of it as career progression.
Cassandra,
“Do you think that the EU will not want something in return for its cash? are you so shortsighted?”
The EIB has been perfectly transparent about its goals,the furtherance of the EU and its objectives.The BBC one the otherhand has been furtive and underhand.If the aims are not the same as those of the EU,then the BBC is cheating the EU.If the BBC has the same aims as the EU,the BBC is cheating to license tax payer,spitting on its Charter to boot.
The issue of concern here is that the BBC, which is supposed to be an apolitical publicly funded media organization, appears to have entered into a commercial debt relationship with an organization that was created to fulfill through financial means an avowedly political agenda. How can an apolitical organization enter into a debt relationship with an avowedly political organization and not become the object of suspicion. Simply by entering into such a relationship the BBC’s impartiality is called into question. This may or may not have been commercially convenient but it is potentially politically compromising and I think that Parliament /NAO should be asked to investigate.
I see that irony is lost on Hannah and her sister.
Vance was ape’ing the robotic reply from the “I wan’t to be the first to comment”, cyborg Reith.
Another new thread whose story has already been well rehearsed in the comments.
I thought they’d drafted you in as a leader, not a follower Mr V.
Poor show.
John Reith | 29.01.08 – 12:56 pm
Oh what a masterly demolition job. Yes lads and lassies, the Reith collektive really has our number – how can we possibly contend with such carefully crafted rebuttals?
Let’s just close the blog down and setup direct debits to TV licensing for triple the licence fee amount.
The issue of concern here is that the BBC, which is supposed to be an apolitical publicly funded media organization, appears to have entered into a commercial debt relationship with an organization that was created to fulfill through financial means an avowedly political agenda.
Spot on.
Dear John Reith(s),(nice one please)
Mission impossible?
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is….
Please can you supply links to any BBC top story that is critical of the EU and any reports of anti democratic/criminal activity/vote rigging/destructive economic policies/EU fraud and dishonesty?
I know you like doing links but I feel that you might have some difficulty with this mission(should you choose to accept it).
Old proverb, If you sup with the Devil then use a long spoon????
Are the EU’s accounts a scandal?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7091043.stm
Auditors reject EU accounts again
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4438888.stm
EU accounts failed for 13th year
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7092102.stm
Watchdog urges EU fraud clampdown
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4313547.stm
More here;
http://ww.google.co.uk/search?as_q=EU+accounts+fraud&hl=en&num=10&btnG=Google+Search&as_epq=&as_oq=&as_eq=&lr=&cr=&as_ft=i&as_filetype=&as_qdr=all&as_occt=any&as_dt=i&as_sitesearch=news.bbc.co.uk&as_rights=&safe=images
Anybody seen a re-run ANYWHERE of the excellent BBC (I believe) drama series called The Gravy Train. As the series (fictional, of course) shows the EEC, EC or EU (delete as applicable for the time) in a less than glowing light I have always suspected that its non reappearance may be somewhat more political than the absence of The Goodies!
Dear John R,
Thankyou for reply and links and I am just trying to digest the reports. At first sight they seem to be playing up the ‘its all a mistake’ and ‘its the member states fault’ and we just dont have enough staff’ and ‘we are trying our best, honest’ and the BBC reporter seems to belittle the critics and tries very hard to make them look like cranks and ‘deniers’ with an axe to grind?
Perhaps I have read the reports wrong and am a little guilty of bias myself!
Shame on me, but then again, I dont charge 3 odd billion and beat up and bully and lock up old people who cant pay the the BBC polltax.
I pity the poor EIB employee who has to monitor the BBC’s output to make sure it is helping fulfill the EIB’s aim of closer EU integration and who has to consider if the results merit futher loans to the BBC.
Imagine having to sit through Eastenders, Flog It, Casualty, celebrity ballroom dancing and w*nking questions from Joanathan Ross for hours every week. If I were that poor man I’d rather clean out the bank’s toilets than do that job.
Cassie, I didn’t know the Beeb ‘beat up’ old people who don’t pay the license fee??!! That’s a story and a half…
Cockney:
Cassie, I didn’t know the Beeb ‘beat up’ old people who don’t pay the license fee??!! That’s a story and a half…
Cockney | 30.01.08 – 2:58 pm | #
Yup
It really is shameful that video. Makes me glad I am only part-time these days.
If you’ve met some of the boot boys TV Licensing employ that You tube clip won’t be much of a surprise. Most of them are just mindless wannabe bouncers and baliffs.
But then the ruling classes have always been very good at using the lower classes to do their villainous bidding for them. Eh Beeb?
I have met quite a few of them, having been without a TV License since 1989, and they usually aren’t too bad until they realise you know your rights and you aren’t going to let them in.
Thats when the mask slips.
Doesn’t bother me any, but for vulnerable people it must be a very unpleasant experience.
I see that the sad ‘Poor show’ Reith is unhappy that we serfs dare discuss the BBC’s shameful behaviour on this thread also. You know something, Reitho – we’ll continue doing so, however much it displeases you.
Peter, the BBC has been in breach of its charter many times every single day for the last 30 years at least.
Gerald Brown: ‘The Gravy Train’, and the follow up ‘The Gravy Train Goes East” were TXd on Channel 4. They recently appeared on the Virgin VOD service (as part of the ’20 years of Channel 4’)
Via VOD, I watched most of the former series, and a bit of the latter. Very good.
Nearly Oxfordian.
“Nation shall speak peace unto nation” unless it is Israel.
Well I’m disappointed. I recently bought a big fat Sony Bravia TV and TV licensing haven’t even bothered to drop me so much as a postcard asking for their license fee which I won’t be paying.
However, when they do finally bother to turn up at my door, I shall tell them over the intercom that I am muslim, and if they bother me again I shall deem it as a hate crime and shall contact the police immediately.
I would expect that will get rid of them permanently. They’ll probably send me an apology too.
Peter, can you please construe. You are a little too cryptic for me this morning – I only do the weekend crosswords. Thanks.
Steve Jones.
Thank you for your message. Thinking a bit about it the BBC would probably never have commissioned it or bought it in with the story line!
Nearly Oxfordian ,
BBC motto.
Yes, Peter – but was that a dig at Israel or at Al Beeb? Is Israel the first or the second nation in that motto?
John Reith,
I see you ignored the truth. Your master [the BBC] has taught you well.
You have now been upgraded from BBC employee to Idiot status… congrats.
Your problem now is convincing the good people on here that your left/centre/god knows what is left of left agenda/I’m so dizzy… anyway agenda actually makes a difference to the UK.
Now that you have been upgraded to an idiot: why not stop being a BBC idiot and show some common sense and shut up?
Like your employer… you have nothing to offer the general public.
Remember… that upgrade in McDonalds?
Come on… Jonny Reith… you still could convice an 8oz burger that NuLiarBore is the best government that ever existed?
Nearly Oxfordian
BBC motto
Peter, which part of my post didn’t you understand? What does ‘except Israel’ mean? That is not part of the BBC motto, leastways it wasn’t when I checked.
However, when they do finally bother to turn up at my door, I shall tell them over the intercom that I am muslim, and if they bother me again I shall deem it as a hate crime and shall contact the police immediately.
I would expect that will get rid of them permanently. They’ll probably send me an apology too.
The People’s Front of Judea | 31.01.08 – 7:37 am
A memo will go around that you are not to be hassled for a licence under any circumstances.
Nearly Sentient,
Do piss off, there’s a good little kid.
Too dumb to get it?
I suspected so.
Go b*** yourself, Peter. You are too thick for this board, and in any case you might break your mummy’s ‘puter.