Monthly Archives: August 2008

WHAT’S AN INVASION BETWEEN FRIENDS?

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As has been pointed out, Russia has just invaded Georgia with 150 tanks rolling across the border. Sky has it as the lead story – the BBC has the Olympic opening ceremony as its lead story. World class broadcasting, eh? If you want news, best avoid the Olympic broadcaster. Clearly given the HUGE investment that the BBC has made with OUR money, viewers are going to have the Olympics shoved down their throat, like it or not, invasions or otherwise.

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OLYMPIC FEVER.

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Trying to escape the hype the BBC is producing for the Olympic Games is difficult, unless one turns off! But I happened to tune in to Victoria Derbyshire this morning and was amazed to hear her ask a listener who had phoned in to say that awarding the games to China was a disgrace given its’ human rights record why he had not also objected to LA getting the Games back in 1984. She clearly equates the tyrants that run China with the democratically elected US government.

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General BBC-related comment thread!

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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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BIAS ALL THE WAY.

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Some days the BBC excels itself by exhibiting bias beyond the call of even left-wing duty. This morning of BBC Radio 4 Today between 7.30 and 8.00am was such a case. My god but they went to town on their favourite memes with no pretence whatsoever of balance.

First up with we had Hazel Blears (I know..) who chirped that we were winning the theological battle with militant Islam. How? Well she is supporting Muslim community centres to help stop young Islamics turning Jihadist. As she points out, when people are young they are angry, frustrated about world poverty and UK foreign policy, and so naturally….. they want to slaughter us by the dozen. Happily Hazel is here to rescue us and she may even attend some of the seminars with young angry Muslims. I’m just hoping they don’t get mad with her.

Next, we had a discussion on the soaring costs of the London 2012 Olympics Aquatics Centre which will cost more than three times as much as originally estimated. They key theme the BBC were pushing here was that unless we want the London Olympics to be known as the “Accountants Olympics” we should not restrain the cost. Finance without limits, it’s the BBC’s daily prayer

Finally, we had an all out attack on the United States for having the temerity to find Bin Laden’s driver guilty of supporting terrorism. Lord Goldsmith was wheeled on to declare that the US lad lost the “high moral ground” of 9/11 and had it replaced with the Orange jump suits of Gitmo. Pathetic simpering stuff from the ridiculous Goldsmith.

Throughout this 30 minute whinge-fest, there was no attempt to offer alternative views. This was an extended sermon from the BBC and it was riddled with bias.

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WHY FIVE A DAY IS BAD FOR YOU!

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I try not to listen to BBC Radio 5 Live for health reasons. It is so appallingly biased that raised blood pressure is the inevitable consequence and that’s just not good for me!One program that I try to avoid at all costs is that of Simon Mayo in the afternoon. The good news is that Mayo is away at the moment. The bad news is that Colin Murray is replacing him and he makes Mayo look almost adequate. During an interview with the Minister of State for Schools Jim Knight I heard him ask if Knight “who works 24/7 to make things better” got depressed by the bad publicity from the delays in getting SAT results out. Toughie, huh? Meanwhile Colin let the dark Knight distance himself and his lousy Department from having ANY responsibility for the process it instigated and manages.

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A certain lack of clarity

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Consider the following introduction from a BBC report of hospital infestations:

“The cleanliness of most NHS hospitals in England is threatened by frequent invasions of rats, fleas, bedbugs, flies and cockroaches, a report claims.”

Yeah right- bugs first, dirt afterwards.

Consider also the way the information is presented as “by the Conservatives ” when it is said later in the article that the figures were obtained “under the Freedom of Information Act”- and thus by inference we can say are official figures; but only by inference.

You certainly need to check under the carpets when the BBC are tidying the newsroom.

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A CROCK OF A ROCK.

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I know you’ve been discussing this over on the open thread but I’ve been away all day and didn’t want to let the BBC’s coverage of the great Northern Rock debacle today to pass without some comment. I listened to the Today coverage and then again to that on the PM programme and it was quite amazing to hear the BBC commentators blithely pass off the £3bn that is being wasted on top of the £26bn from last year as just one more economic necessity in this credit crunch world. I think it cuts to the mindset that characterises the BBC, it sees nothing wrong in principle with government taking £££billions of taxpayers cash and just peeing it up against the wall. Expenditure without responsibility is the name of the game and the fact that Brown and his pals have entirely screwed up over Northern Rock, costing us all a fortune, all in order to sustain the mortgages of those in the Labour voting north-east of England heartland does not seem outrageous to the BBC. It seems natural.

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ELEVATED IMPORTANCE

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. Is it just me or do others find the attention the BBC is paying to the case of a former Tory candidate who has pleaded guilty to a campaign of harassment against his Liberal Democrat rivals excessive? It ran as a major item on the PM programme earlier this evening and whilst I do understand that the behaviour of Ian Oakley was despicable, I just don’t get the high priority the BBC is giving this lowdown story. Unless, of course, it is to try and obviate the endless bad news that afflicts poor Mr Broon and his cronies?

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RED KEN AND RED CHINA.

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I’m just watching Newsnight onBBC2 and there is a discussion on the image of China and on the studio panel who else is there but the malignant Red Ken Livingstone. Does he now work full-time for the BBC as he seems a permanent fixture since the people of London rejected him? Maybe he is testing the water for a run as Mayor of Beijing? Ken was there in his unofficial capacity as goodwill ambassador for the tyrants that run China and he was quick to point out there is little if any oppression in China. He complained that only 30 years ago communists in the UK were treated just as badly!!! Newsnight has produced its own timely poll which shows British people having a positive impression of China. So all is well, nothing to see here as regards outrageous breaches of human rights, move along and just don’t mention Tibet…. you’ve been warned.

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General BBC-related comment thread!

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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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