General BBC-related comment thread

! 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 also be moderated. Any suggestions for stories that you might like covered would be appreciated! It’s your space, use it wisely!

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277 Responses to General BBC-related comment thread

  1. Martin says:

    Anyone know if Al Bore has blamed the earthquakes in China on climate change yet? He tried it with the Cyclone in Burma (and got shot down in flames by the scientific community) and he did it with the Tsunami a few years ago.

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  2. TPO says:

    Guido gets it!

    At last a policy from the government that Guido can support. Let us hear no more from Labour politicians about Tory “unfunded tax cuts”. The government is going to have to go to the City to borrow the extra £2.7 billion…

    http://www.order-order.com/2008/05/unfunded-tax-cuts-hooray.html

    Just watch the BBC and the Guardian spin this one.

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  3. Allan@Oslo says:

    Martin, I’m not sure if Al Gore blamed the tsunami on ‘global warming’ but somebody in the BBC did – yes, the BBC said that – so one of our American contributors opined (paraphrasing): “… our military sets off a tsunami and then amkes it avoid our base in Diego Garcia. Wow!! Our tax dollars at work!”

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  4. Martin says:

    The BBC have used film of the Tsunami in articles on climate change.

    As for Al Bore I’m sure it was him or one of his lackies that tried to put it down to cliamte change. Here’s a typical piece of shite from the Independent.

    http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/ios-2060-tsunami-horror-hits-britain-423027.html

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  5. Kelvin says:

    I watched this evening’s BBC News item about the biggest U-turn in history regarding the 10p tax band. I then watched the same item on ITV.

    Guess which one was completely defending Labour (to be fair Nick Robinson was non-biased), but Robert Pest(on) was going on about how the country could afford it as we are not bankrupt blah blah blah.

    Tom Bradbury was very bluntly saying what we all know to be the truth. It was total political manavouevring to dig Brown out of a black hole.

    Anyone know of any bye-election about to take place soon?

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  6. Anonymous says:

    http://dizzythinks.net/

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  7. Martin says:

    Brian Paddick will have a good future at the BBC I’m sure. Gay and soft on crime. Ye gods if he were a Muslim it would be perfect.

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  8. DB says:

    I got a distinct sense of deja vu watching the report by David Shukman on drought in Spain. Where had I seen similar shots of empty reservoirs and heard similar alarmist claims about a bleak, water-deprived future? Of course – it was a BBC report on the drought in England in 2006 by none other than David Shukman. What’s the betting Spain will have record rainfall this year?

    And while I’m on the subject, in November 2005 David Shukman was telling us that the UK’s failure to embrace biofuels was “embarrassing”:

    “At the moment only a tiny fraction of the petrol and diesel we buy is so-called biofuel. We’re way behind many other countries on this which is a bit embarrassing for a government which likes to see itself as a leader on climate change.”

    Not as embarrassing as present-day food shortages caused in no small part by the rush to produce biofuels. But being a BBC environment correspondent means never having to admit you’re wrong.

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  9. Nearly Oxfordian says:

    “Brian Paddick will have a good future at the BBC I’m sure. Gay and soft on crime. Ye gods if he were a Muslim it would be perfect”

    … and a lesbian whale 😉

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  10. Peter says:

    I am sure that if the BBC were to be privatised,assets sold off etc,that the money raised would fill part of the black hole in the Treasury’s coffers.

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  11. Martin says:

    Very True. Alistair Darling could have given everyone a year off from the tele tax to make up for it.

    I still don’t understnand why the media are not making more of the fact that although Darling has given (or will give) some money back to those who lost out, they are actually still losing out as they didn’t benefit from the abolition of the 10p tax?

    Am I missing something here as I’ve emailed theBBC and Sky to point this out but no one seems to be picking up on it.

    I did well out of the abolition of the 10p tax rate and the reduction from 22 to 20p on the standard rate.

    I now also get another £120 on top of that.

    What do those on less that 18K get? All they seem to be getting is back some of the money they lost and if they don’t quality for tax credits etc they are stuffed.

    How are they better off now than before the budget?

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  12. George R says:

    2 reports on bombings of Jaipur, India:

    1.) BBC report:

    “Bombings rock Indian tourist city”

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7398989.stm

    2.) ‘Jihadwatch’ report:

    “Banned jihadist group suspected of responsibility for blasts in India”

    http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/021000.php

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  13. Reversepsychology says:

    The BBC want to invent a apprentice type show staring Gordon Brown so that he will become more popular to the waifs and strays of the general populous?????

    How desperate can this lot get???

    http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/44359/Ministers-gaffes-reveal-secrets-of-Brown-makeover-and-housing-crisis

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  14. Sue says:

    Can’t understand why anyone should want to knit Dr. Who characters. Definitely sue the evil woman who does. Bravo Beeb.

    http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/tv_and_radio/article3926859.ece

    Dammit. Just as I was devising a pattern for a knitted Nick Robinson. Had plans for Phil Mitchell egg cosy and cuddly George Allegiah. Still considering stuffed Jeremy Bowen with interchangeable wardrobe and accessories.

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  15. George R says:

    The BBC’s compliant reporting on Turkey:

    The Queen’s speech in Ankara, was a political one, written by the Foreign Office. Labour’s Foreign Secretary, Miliband, is big campaigner for Muslim Turkey to be given entry to the European Union.

    (Note for BBC reporters on Turkey: the main issue is not the hijab.)

    The EU, with the full support of the UK Labour government, is planning the Islamisation of Europe. Turkey’s membership (population estimate: 70 million now, nearer 80 million at date of proposed Turkish entry) would totally change the composition of the EU. Most people in the EU are OPPOSED to Turkey’s entry, but the BBC does not reflect this in its reporting.

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7397544.stm

    Through its ‘multiculturalist’ presumptions, the BBC does not give priority to the wishes of the British people opposing Turkish entry. Instead we are given nonsense like this, in this BBC report:

    Turkey is a “secular Muslim country”

    For a corrective, suggest see:

    “Turkey and Straw” (by Hugh Fitzgerald)

    http://www.newenglishreview.org/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/11477

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  16. WoAD says:

    Good comment George R.

    “Turkey is, despite more than 80 years of Kemalism, with its systematic campaign to suppress Islam’s political and social power, not nearly “secular” enough.

    Turkey stays secular thanks to the Turkish SS: The Grey Wolves.

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  17. George R says:

    There is no BBC update on which political group detonated 6 bombs in 15 minutes in Jaipur, India, yesterday. (Just as, in the context of the UK, the BBC not named on its website the 31 year old ‘man’ detained at Manchester Airport as HASSAN BUTT, but the Manchester Evening News did.)

    To help out the BBC with its ‘non-reporting of certain matters relating to the Jaipur murders, ‘Jihadwatch’ has:-

    “India blast has hallmarks of Al Qaeda”

    http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/021009.php

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  18. George R says:

    We’re waiting for the condemnation, Al Beeb:-

    “Why Hezbollah should be condemned”
    (by Dean Godson)

    http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article3926959.ece

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  19. nrg says:

    According to the beeb the bomb that murdered a Spanish policeman and injured other people was planted by the “Basque separatist group eta”.

    By “seperatist group” do the Beeboids perhaps mean terrorist.

    Beeb has a have your say type board under the story. I have sent a post asking about the choice of words. What are the odds it will make it through the censors?

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  20. Triple G says:

    hi NRG,

    planet beeboid does not use the word “terrorist” as they believe it’s to “judgemental”

    cheers

    Gas Guzzlin Geeza

    save a seal, club a beeboid

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  21. Arthur Dent says:

    By “seperatist group” do the Beeboids perhaps mean terrorist

    The two terms mean different things and may or may not be connected. It is reasonable to describe ETA, in normal circumstances as a separatist group, since that is what it is. If indeed ETA was responsible then to be accurate the BBC should have reported along the lines of “the separatist Group ETA today committed a terrorist attack in….”

    See BBCers its really not too difficult

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  22. Nearly Oxfordian says:

    But it does require intelligence, literacy, integrity and elementary morals, Arthur – so that rules it out on 4 counts.

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  23. SilverShadow says:

    Sky News Web Site: Teenage Girl Used In Suicide Bombing.

    A teenage girl strapped with explosives has blown up and killed an Iraqi army captain.

    BBC News Web Site: I’d post a link if I could find one.

    Despite Sky News reporting this incident for most of the afternoon and it appearing prominently on their web site I can’t find any mention of it on the BBC News web site.

    I wonder why not?

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  24. George R says:

    Amazing update on the ‘non-story’ which the BBC has stalled on since last Saturday:

    “Airport ‘terror’ arrest man held”

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7401227.stm

    The BBC has really updated its report by saying that ‘the man’ is not aged 31, but 28!

    Of course, many other media outlets named this ‘man’ as HASSAN BUTT, days ago,
    e.g. ‘Sky News’:-

    http://uk.news.yahoo.com/skynews/20080511/tuk-terror-police-quiz-al-qaeda-recruite-45dbed5.html

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  25. pounce says:

    Bias what BBC bias.

    These past few weeks the BBC has inundated the ether with coverage of the 60 th anniversary of the birth of Israel. Which is either today or tomorrow from whichever angle you wish to look at it.

    However if you limited your news solely to who Abu Bowen works for, you don’t get that impression instead you get story after story about the ‘al-Nakba.’
    So do the two stories go hand in hand? Yes. However the BBC’s coverage of Israel at 60 has taken a back seat to the BBC’s coverage of ‘al-Nakba’.

    Hang on were the Arabs the only victims. No?
    But for some strange reason the BBC omits, the Jews who became refugees in1948 after the Arab countries kicked them out.
    Why doesn’t the BBC mention this fact alongside their Arab victims?
    Why don’t they mention that a lot of them left because the invading arab armies, told them to leave so as not to get in the way. (Pity they lost)

    60 years ago today the Jews declared themselves rulers of their homeland after years in the wilderness and how does the BBC report that event today?
    Inside a Palestinian refugee camp
    Sixty years ago many Palestinians fled or were forced to leave their homes in what is now Israel and some of those people found their way to refugee camps such as Shatila in Lebanon.
    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7398071.stm

    So the above is the only mention for today on the Birth of Israel. Not last week, not next week but today and the BBC reports from a refugee camp in Lebanon on the plight of these poor people. Anybody else find it strange how the BBC glosses over how the Arab world keeps open the wound of refugees in the Levant?

    But lets move forward 60 years. How quick is the BBC on reporting the news whenever Israel slots somebody in Gaza minutes? Yet this afternoon while in the Gym I saw on Sky TV a headline of a rocket attack on Ashkelon. 14 people have been hurt. Seeing as I was in the gym for 2 hours between 3.30 and 5.30 I expected to be able to catch up with the news on my return. However don’t bother your arse looking for anything on the BBC as over 6 hours later they still haven’t reported it.
    Here is the screen dump for the BBC’s Middle East page as of 23.30hrs (that’s 11.30 Alex) today Or 14/2330/05/08.
    http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/527/image1xt7.jpg

    Neither do I expect the BBC to report that over 60 years ago 5 Arab armies invaded the new state of Israel in which to push the Jew into the sea. No instead the BBC reports on what is eating the soul of the jew.
    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7400202.stm

    Oh yes here is how the guardian reports on that rocket attack
    http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/may/14/israelandthepalestinians?gusrc=rss&feed=worldnews

    Bias what BBC bias.

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  26. Biodegradable says:

    pounce,

    There was a very brief mention of the Ashkelon missile attack on BBC World TV in the afternoon. Like you I saw updates on Sky News, Al Jazeera and also on CNN.

    But the only mention on the BBC website is buried in this piece:

    Bush praises close US-Israel ties
    Before he spoke, several people were injured when a rocket fired from Gaza hit the city of Ashkelon. They include a mother and daughter.

    Earlier in the day, four people were killed in Israeli military operations in Gaza.

    Indeed, “several people”, reports range from 14 to 30, and some of them were in serious condition, including a two year old child, “serious” means life threatening injuries or amputations.

    The BBC doesn’t tell us either that the missile was a medium range Grad supplied by Iran or that it struck a womens’ health clinic. But they make sure they tell us about the “four people” killed in Gaza – they even get a whole page to themselves where we can discover that three of them were terrorists.
    http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7400526.stm

    Just add this to the growing list of attacks on Israeli civilians being ignored and minimised by al-Beeb.

    Here’s a more informative report:
    http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3543378,00.html

    Including this quote you won’t hear the BBC report:
    The Salah al-Din Brigades, the military wing of the Popular Resistance Committees, claimed responsibility for the attack. A spokesman for the group, Abu Abir, told Ynet: “This attack was intended as a message to Israel that if it continues to escalate the situation and reject the ceasefire proposal, Zionist residents of southern Palestine will continue to live under danger of mortal peril and this will be their own government’s responsibility.”

    The attack, said Abu Abir, was dedicated to Palestinian refugees marking 60 years since the ‘Nakba.’ “We promise Palestinian refugees scattered all over the world – you will return to your homes that were robbed from Palestine in 1948,” he said.

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  27. simon says:

    “SilverShadow:
    Sky News Web Site: Teenage Girl Used In Suicide Bombing.
    A teenage girl strapped with explosives has blown up and killed an Iraqi army captain.”

    I’m pretty sure this is the incident where the teenage girl was remotely blown up by an “insurgent” somewhere out of view. I can’t find where I read that a couple of hours ago, but if true, is a particularly heinous escalation in the tactics of those “militants”.

    But nothing newsworthy on the BBC….

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