Please use this thread for comments about the BBC’s current programming and activities. This post will remain at or near the top of the blog – scroll down for new topic-specific posts. N.B. this is not an invitation for general off-topic comments, rants or chit-chat. Thoughtful comments are encouraged. Comments may be moderated. Any suggestions for stories that you might like covered would be appreciated!
General BBC-related comment thread:
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Hugh, while I probably wouldn’t describe myself as a royalist I really don’t have much of a problem with the monarchy in general. I’m happy for it to maintain it’s role as a safeguard against more extreme forms of government… oh wait… we do have a Prime Minister that nobody voted for and no word on when the next election might be 😉
NotaSheep:
“Bob Geldof praised George Bush during his recent trip to Africa but I don’t remember seeing the BBC cover this story. ”
Well, apart from when Matt Frei asked him several questions about it when he interviewed him last week. All very nice and positive, as you probably didn’t expect.
You obviously missed it, it will be online somewhere I’m sure.
As it was really rather sympathetic towards Bush and he came across very well, it didn’t get discussed here much.
Here is another story the BBC is not reporting on:
Saudi Arabia Stands By Its Arrest of An American Woman in Starbucks
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,331254,00.html
You obviously missed it, it will be online somewhere I’m sure.
Anonymous | 19.02.08 – 8:48 pm | #
So where is it? Any chance you could supply a link.
I admit I am no expert at the internet, but I searched the BBC news site and couldn’t find anything. I searched the terms ‘Bush’ ‘Geldof’ ‘Matt Frei’ and ‘Africa’ in a number of different permutations………nothing.
Anti-Aunty | 19.02.08 – 9:34 pm,
The BBC search engine is close to useless. Rather search using Google http://www.google.com and put BBC in with your search terms.
A search for BBC Bob Geldorf praises Bush takes you to this first page:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=BBC+Bob+Geldorf+praises+Bush&btnG=Google+Search
And there’s one BBC article mentioning his praise for Bush, heavily diluted by criticism:
Geldof received a lot of criticism when he recently praised the Bush administration for its fight against hunger and Aids in Africa.
Some aid organisations point to how the religious influence in the Bush administration has tied its Aids campaigns to sexual abstinence. Others have accused Washington of using food aid as a covert subsidy for American farmers.
And the date of the article?
2003:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/uk/2000/newsmakers/2949678.stm
Err…Geldof.
Thanks Bryan, I don’t normally use the BBC search engine but thought it would be the most likely place to find said article. More fool me.
So, Anonymous….where is this recent (ie not 2003), positive, glowing BBC piece on Geldof praising Bush?
The BBC will do everything it possibly can to minimise and cover up the good done by George W. Bush and the US of A.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7245670.stm
Put ‘Bush’ and ‘Frei’ into BBC search and it comes up top of the list. Not really hidden or difficult to find at all then.
Bryan watch the interview, be aware that it was broadcast all over the main BBC networks, then reconsider your statement.
Or if you are reluctant to do that, perhaps add the caveat: “From where I am sitting, unable to view the BBC’s main television networks, it is my perception that… etc”
In case I need to, I just want to make it clear that Frei talked about US aid to fight AIDS in Africa without reference to Saint Bob.
He didn’t waste the President’s time talking about something Geldof said five years ago.
Anonymous – that is not what we were talking about, and you know it.
Here is the original post that I responded to:
Now why would the BBC choose not to report this? Anyone would think they were biased against George W. Bush.
NotaSheep | Homepage | 19.02.08 – 6:49 pm | #
It is quite clear in that context that the big story is Bush’s ‘on the quiet’ aid to Africa to fight AIDS and not the ramblings of some hasbeen pop star.
Frei took a clear and complimentary line on this of his own – and you know it.
The BBC has not covered the story that Bob Geldof praised Bush for his help in Africa.
Frei taking a “clear and complimentary line of his own” (which is debatable) is neither here nor there. Initially, Notasheep said: “Bob Geldof praised George Bush during his recent trip to Africa but I don’t remember seeing the BBC cover this story. ”
The Washington Times covered it. Why does the BBC feel it’s a non-story? Surely in this day and age when George Bush is blamed for almost all ills in the world, it would make interesting reading, if nothing else, to show that even the likes of Bob Geldof can give credit where it is due.
Obviously the BBC feel very strongly that giving credit to George Bush for anything is anathema to them.
Obviously the BBC feel very strongly that giving credit to George Bush for anything is anathema to them.
Anti-Aunty | 20.02.08 – 7:30 pm | #
Have you watched that interview or read the transcript?
Why don’t you, then see how you feel about that last sentance?
Of course I have read the interview. Here’s how I see it:
This quote: “You rate pretty well. It’s sort of – you know, in the average 80s… Is that one of the reasons why you’re going there? This is one the parts of the world where you’re still very popular?” – instead of just saying to Bush that his ratings are high, he has to insinuate that the only reason he is doing anything to help Africa is for his own approval ratings.
This comment: “Why not take some credit for it?”
That’s Frei’s desperation to manipulate Bush into boasting about all the good work he’s done.
This one:
“But, do you regret, rather, I should say that you didn’t listen to your – some of your commanders earlier, to send more troops to Iraq to achieve the kind of results that we’re seeing now?”
How the hell does Frei know what Bush listened to or did not listen to?
Good God, I could trawl through the whole thing again and pick up his snide comments and insinuations, but I think they are clear for anyone to see.
In no way did this interview take a “clear and complimentary line”.
By the way, you can try and sidetrack as much as you like, it does not change the fact that the BBC hasn’t covered the story about Geldof’s praise for Bush. Why not?
PS It’s “sentence”
Put ‘Bush’ and ‘Frei’ into BBC search and it comes up top of the list. Not really hidden or difficult to find at all then.
Anonymous | 20.02.08 – 10:30 am,
Give us a break with the moving of the goalposts. We were talking about Geldof and Bush not Frei and Bush. Besides who in their right mind would want to watch Matt Frei interview George Bush or interview anyone else for that matter.
However, I scrolled at some speed through the transcript till I got to this:
Frei: Can you honestly say, Mr President, that today America still occupies the moral high ground?
‘Nuff said about the pathetic Frei with his standard anti-US BBC agenda.
When you watch it, it comes across in nothing like the way either of you are trying (rather weakly) to insinuate.
In no way is it snide or anti-US or any of the other things you claim.
Your refusal to even be able to see this (if you have watched it) this speaks volumes about how blinkered and unable to see the evidence on screen that this blog is becoming.
In particular this comment of Bryan’s is (unintentionally) hilarious “Besides who in their right mind would want to watch Matt Frei interview George Bush or interview anyone else for that matter.”
How about someone who continually claims that Frei is anti-Bush – surely you would HAVE to watch a live interview with the President to judge that?
Clearly not.
LOL!
Ha ha ha ha ha. Are you seriously trying to defend your comments and Frei’s interview? Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
“blinkered and unable to see”
You’ve captured your mentality perfectly there.
Oh, and by the way, I said: “By the way, you can try and sidetrack as much as you like, it does not change the fact that the BBC hasn’t covered the story about Geldof’s praise for Bush. Why not?”
And Bryan said: “Give us a break with the moving of the goalposts. We were talking about Geldof and Bush not Frei and Bush”
Anything to say about the actual point we’re making?
Anti-Aunty,
Yes, and isn’t the arrogance of the typical BBC apologist like Sarah-Jane something to behold? Frei and Webb and others have used the BBC as their personal publishing house for the narrowest of mocking lefty criticisms of George Bush and Christian America for years. And for years they have lent the BBC’s considerable weight to anti-American and anti-Christian feeling worldwide. But if there is one allegedly unbiased interview, the long-suffering contributors to this blog are supposed to sit glued to their screens to watch the magnificent Frei demonstrate lack of bias. And we’re supposed come away from this fine display of “impartiality” shaking our heads and mumbling contritely that we were wrong all along about Frei.
As you rightly ask, where is Sarah-Jane’s rebuttal of the points you listed from the transcript and the point about Geldof?
And no, Sarah-Jane, I didn’t make any “unintentionally hilarious” observations. I thought you or someone else would pick up on that one. I only have a limited amount of time to sift through the bias the BBC spreads around and very often that doesn’t include inviting the likes of Frei into my living room. Now since you claim that watching the interview is a completely different experience to reading the transcript, perhaps you could explain why. Maybe Frei assumed a respectful expression while he was getting his barbs in?