ONWARDS AND UPWARDS.

Pleased to say that June saw the B-BBC site record the highest number of comments for the past year! Contrary to the whinging of some Beeboids here, this site is on the up and traffic grows. The fact that the odd troll (Indeed some very odd trolls) have to be banished from time to time does us no harm whatsoever and has not lessened the quality or depth of debate. I have a BIG announcement to make to you all concerning the development of Biased BBC and hope to share this in a few days. Thanks again for your support – much appreciated!

BULLDOZING REALITY

. I see that the BBC are reporting on the latest instance of Palestinian savagery – this time a Palestinian has driven a bulldozer into a bus and several cars in Jerusalem, killing four people before being shot dead, Israeli police say. Dozens of people were hurt, at least seven critically, in the incident on Jaffa Road, in the city centre. The BBC leaves it to the Jerusalem police to describe this as – and I quote- “a terrorist incident.” Naturally Al Been cannot bring itself to utter such a judgemental term when referring to the actions of a member of the world’s most oppressed people. The BBC also is quick to report that Hamas was not to blame. Indeed the BBC helpfully adds that “Attacks by Palestinian militants in Jerusalem have been a rare occurrence, with none of their trademark suicide bombings since September 2004. “ Mmm – militants, interesting choice of word for scum who strap on an explosives pack and enter a wedding feast or a disco or a pizzeria. I guess this must have been the act of just one poor Palestinian, deranged by Israeli brutality perhaps, eh? I express my sympathies to those people murdered by this evil Palestinian and my contempt for the BBC for failing to use the t is for terrorist word once again.

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.

Mr Mote’s Objection

Independent MEP Ashley Mote has written to the President of the European Investment Bank questioning that organisation’s issuing of soft loans to the BBC. He claims this has led the BBC to breach their charter and gives a few examples. Read the whole thing, but here is Mr Mote’s selection:


1. Listeners were invited to nominate the one piece of legislation they would most like to be repealed. The European Communities Act 1972, which took the UK in to what was then the European Community, was far ahead of all other nominations. The result of the poll was never broadcast.

2. The BBC’s director general Mark Thompson admitted to the Daily Mail a lack of objective coverage and “serious flaws” in BBC coverage of EU matters. Nothing noticeable has since been done to improve the situation.

3. The BBC Trust tells me in writing it has nothing to do with the EU, later publishes an annual report entitled “Forging the Union” directly contradicting the fact, and has only last month been quoted on the BBC itself as “representing licence-payers”! Opaque, if not downright deceitful.

4. Within days of the first EIB loan the BBC’s then Economics Editor broadcast a series of interviews and news items from around the EU about the prospects for the euro. Balanced and objective they were not. They were so embarrassingly deferential that any news editor worthy of the name would have binned them without a second thought.

5. During the signing of the Nice Treaty, within the hearing of many potential interviewees from the UK, the BBC producer on site instructed his crew not to record or report the significant demonstrations against the treaty going on all around them. Opposition was quite literally whitewashed from the screens of British viewers, whose money funds the EU and your bank in the first place.

6. Jonathon Chapman, described at the time as a senior BBC World News Reporter, told the Malta Press Club in March 2004 that “The BBC’s job is to reflect the European perspective…and make the news less sceptical. That is why the BBC has such a large bureau in Brussels”.


On the other hand, I would just add one of my favourite little lyrics:

“You cannot hope to bribe or twist, Thank God! the British journalist But, seeing what the man will do unbribed, there’s no occasion to”