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.
General BBC-related comment thread!
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George R and Archduke – see the other comments around 2.11pm further up re Boris Johnson
deegee | 03.12.08 – 6:59 am
I’m sure archduke can speak for himself but you can’t know him very well if you think he was implying in any way, shape or form that Chabad “had it coming” to them.
I am sure by “the bigger picture” he meant the Islamic terrorism against Jews.
TPO, “Bye bye Britain,” indeed. You guys made the right choice.
People mentioned a few days ago on an open thread that HYS had taken down 3 highly recommended comments. They did the same thing with this one:
“What lessons will be learned from Mumbai AND THEN FORGOTTEN?”
*That Islamic terrorism is global and aimed at all non-Muslims.
*That the Muslim community will demonstrate furiously against cartoons, but not against Islamic terror.
*That countries around the world will have to make many more adjustments to deal with this evil.
*That the media, including the BBC, will try to cover up the guilt of these brutal savages by calling them “gunmen” and “militants.”
It was on the Mumbai debate and doing quite well with recommendations till they removed it. Meanwhile, for over a day now they have put up no new comments on the site with a “Moderation queue” of over 1000 comments. Not PC enough for them, evidently:
http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?sortBy=2&forumID=5732&edition=2&ttl=20081204095818&#paginator
That’s the BBC’s idea of letting people have their say.
Message to any BBC HYS employee visiting this blog and reading Bryan’s posting above:
Go and pick up a copy of the Guardian (there will be hundreds lying around near you) and look up the jobs page because you will need a new one soon when the licence fee gets scrapped.
By the way, what was the job description of your current job? ‘1984 type required to purge thought crimes from HYS’.
Have you lot not realised that the rest of the internet exists and your purge of your tiny little corner is futile?
And go and read 1984. See if you can spot youself in it.
BBC World Service anger at Foreign Office request to drop piracy report
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/dec/03/bbc-radio
The BBC has been accused of putting the independence of the World Service at risk after agreeing to pull an episode of the series From Our Own Correspondent following a request from the Foreign Office.
‘At risk’. Bless. ‘..it looks as if we have given into government pressure for no good reason.’ Double bless. ‘These sort of requests don’t come in every five minutes.’ Triple bless.
This rather begs the question as to ‘who’ the BBC is, as distinct from ‘staff and union officials’, but whilst applauding the latter I am still co-funding all.
There is some, slight glimmer of a point if there is a matter of safety involved, and all other media are sharing any blackout, but as to the notion that our national broadcaster’s news output does not now dance to another’s tune…
Aunty, your reputation was shot, and by a lot more than this, an age ago.
I must say that I am impressed with many aspects of NDTV (India)-available on SKY channel 511 and its long broadcasts relating to the MUMBAI attacks of over a week ago, which continue with intelligent discussion.
I’m not suggesting that the BBC should be expected to cover Mumbai as much as NDTV, but the BBC would not give such thoughtful and sustained priority coverage to such a terror attack in the UK.
You will note that the BBC allowed him to call the terrorists terrorists in his article too.
Tom | 04.12.08 – 9:45 am | #
Yes, they generously allowed him to use the T-word, but nowhere in the article do the words ‘Muslim’, ‘Islam’ or ‘Islamic’ appear in connection with that word.
His argument seems to run along two tracks: 1) the terrorists are seeking momentary celebrity by doing something outrageous, somewhat like a streaker running onto a football pitch; and 2) the real harm was done not by the act itself, but by the “hasty and exaggerated” response to it initially by Indian government.
Easy to see why the BBC is so impressed with this bloke and his “sound ideas”.
BBC ‘sport’ report:
“Angry Mido urges action on abuse”
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/middlesbrough/7758089.stm
This BBC ‘sport’s report’ does not put the case that:
1.) criticising Islam is not yet a crime;
2.) Islam is not a race;
3.) the criticism of Mido mentioned is not a criticism of Islam, is it?
It is significant that Mido voiced his criticisms to an Egyptian TV station, Al Hayat. Of course, Islamic Egypt is a member of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference(OIC) which is planning to BAN ALL CRITICISM OF ISLAM GLOBALLY:
http://www.newenglishreview.org/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/18160
Just as some British politicians appear concerned about the possible loss of some Parliamentary ‘freeedom’ (the Damian Green case), the loss of the wider freedom of British national sovereignty to the EU is not opposed much; and the global stealth Islamization being undertaken by the OIC, with its ending of freedom of speech, seems to pass unrecognised by the Western ‘liberal’ elite, including the BBC. This issue is not just football.
“Islamophobia”
(Hugh Fitzgerald):
http://www.newenglishreview.org/custpage.cfm/frm/11102/sec_id/11102
Listening to Five Live Drive on the way home did my ears deceive me or has “Our Leader” found an hour in his invaluable time saving the world from financial ruin to spend with Simon Mayo in the studio this afternoon?
Did anybody hear it?
One can only assume it was a set-up. No hard questions, no interruptions, an hour long party political broadcast?
Gerald Brown | 04.12.08 – 6:08 pm
You can listen to Simon Mayo’s opening question here. Tell me that’s not the answer of someone who is psychologically flawed.
DB
Thank you for the link. I fear you may be right. God help us!
Anyone else seen Jeremy Hillman’s Editor piece on the editor’s blog?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/theeditors/2008/11/simpler_message.html#commentsanchor
He’s basically banging on about the current financial crisis. But a very telling line is left in at the end of his piece:
“As we spend a lot of our broadcasting time discussing bank behaviour, corporate greed, and failures of regulation it did make me wonder if there is a simpler message we should be conveying more strongly in our coverage.”
I always thought broadcaster should be reporting the news, not messages… End the licence now.
Tom 9:45
Chatham House. Let me remove the word “extreme” in my description of it as left-wing. That is maybe going is bit too far !
As for the FCO ,MoD, and MI6 being left-wing. Well I think they have drifted dangerously in that direction in the last 20-30 years that I have been following events, but I guess it depends on where you are looking from !
Tom 7:43
Re-reading the article, there are two salient points for me.
The author says “maybe the terrorists indulge in terrorism simply because they can ” and then fails to make the point that almost all of the terrorist attacks are by muslims.
That is a very left-wing stance, but I accept that the BBC may have edited the original to give this impression.
If so, the author should have insisted on seeing the final version before publication.
By the way, in my experience , many Army Officers swing to the left after they retire !
Despite Liberty usually having an open door to the BBC, there are times when the BBC’s Brownite tendency outweighs even Yuman Rights, as is the case today with the Euro DNA ruling. The BBC report tells us that the Ipswich prostitute killer was caught because of the DNA sample on file from his conviction for theft. The BBC then get totally fanciful saying, “but what if he had escaped conviction on the theft charges?”.
Also interesing that the ACPO spokesman goes as near as possible to saying that ACPO, Brown & Smith will do their best to frustrate the court.
More4 news is also featuring a lobby against the court ruling.
Will 8:07
But, how sweet that the NuLab fascists should be thwarted by the European Court of Human Rights !
( also fascists, but of a different kind ).
When will Labour learn that Human Rights Laws are a two-edged sword ?
The BBC denies the existence of Islamism, of course. I was slightly amused by the term they’ve used Pakistani Islamism … “right wing Pakistani jingoism”. So there you go – there is no Islamism, it’s simply nasty right wingers as usual!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7764475.stm
Is 164 a record for a General Comment Thread ?
To paraphrase Rod Stewart, ” I am scrolling, I am scrolling…. “
Hi guys,
I can’t help but notice a certain attitude on this thread which says “I haven’t seen it, so it can’t exist”. The TV stuff is pretty patchy, I only get around 3 hours of entertainment a week out of it, but it’s three of my favourite hours! How can you call Ian Hislop pro-Labour? Mock The Week? I know it’s going back a bit, but Absolute Power? A NuLab mocking machine! The Friday Night Armistice nailed Blair before anyone else, on election night, 1997.
Then if you actually go on the Radio you can’t move for all sorts, Mark Tavener guys? In The Chair/In The Red/etc, ripping Blair & the BBC a new one back in 1997/8. Listen Against which is just there to make fun if its self & the BBC.
Give me that for £140 a year rather than Murdoch & his ilk, the Beeb is will make fun of its self and just because you lot & your self important whines haven’t caught it, doesn’t make it any less true.
hexaq 10:03
Well, there are exceptions, but how would you feel if you had to pay for Murdoch’s output whether you want it or not, get fined if you don’t pay, and go to jail if you don’t pay the fine ?
That’s the point some of us are making about the BBC.
If it is so great, it should be a subscription or pay-as-you go channel and let the market decide.
Shilling against ‘Islamophobia’.
BBC ‘sports’ report:
“Angry Mido urges action on abuse”
[Extract]:
“He [Mido] stated: ‘The English FA said that it will be investigating the issue and will make use of the latest technology to stop such racist abuse of players but I feel that nothing will happen.
“‘I am asking the English FA to take serious action to stop such things. These chants are not directed at me as a person but it is directed at Islam.'”
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/middlesbrough/7758089.stm
If the Football Association, the police, the Labour Government and the MSM (inc. BBC), support legal action against ‘Islamophobia’, they are doing the same work as the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC):
“OIC chief: Islamophobia is a new form of racism, except it’s even worse than racism”
http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/023295.php
ALSO:
http://www.newenglishreview.org/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/13521
Latest from ‘Independent’:
“Two arrested over Mido race chants”
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/two-arrested-
over-mido-race-chants-1052073.html
Note how words ‘race’ and ‘Islamophobia’ are conflated in both BBC and ‘Independent’ reports.
Apologies. Full ‘Independent’ reference here:
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/two-arrested-over-mido-race-chants-1052073.html
Hero from the future | 04.12.08 – 12:00 pm
‘1984 type required to purge thought crimes from HYS’.
And successful purging is a stepping stone to greater things at the Ministry of Truth.
Typically, they’ve now closed the debate. Here’s the Debate Status:
Total comments:1489
Published comments:291
Rejected comments:131
I make that just short of 1200 comments they rejected or left to languish in their “Moderation queue.”
Generous bunch.
“Telling the truth is lambasted in politically correct Britain” (Jeff Randall)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/jeffrandall/3551530/Telling-the-truth-is-lambasted-in-politically-correct-Britain.html
hexaq – nobody is claiming the BBC is 100% bias. I think I remember some negative comment made about Soviet communism on the BBC about 20 years ago.
Tuning in to BBC Radio 5 to hear the 12 noon news – no such luck. Why? BBC Radio 5 decided to talk only about Honda’s decision to withdraw from Formula 1 car racing next season!
This went on for 12 minutes. The ‘News’ was merely a crypic afterthought at about 12:12 pm.
Could the BBC’s pre-occupation with F-1 have to do with possibility that the BBC is trying to drum up interest in its coverage of F-1, now that it is taking over the broadcasting contract from ITV?
George R
This ‘Islamophobia’ business by the BBC, FA etc. is simply not supported by the law.
The Football (offences) Act 1991 banned chanting “consisting of or including matter which is threatening, abusive or insulting to a person by reason of his colour, race, nationality (including citizenship) or ethnic or national origins.”
It says nothing about membership of cults, religions etc. let alone people suffering from irrational fears or other psychological disturbances.
Logically, if someone is ‘Islamophobic’ they are mentally ill…. therefore ‘disabled’. It would be most un-PC and almost certainly unlawful to discriminate against them.
The BBC will definitely get around to discussing this, sometime, maybe,..
Inequality = Labour’s Equality Office
“Inequality at the Equalities Office as Harman’s staff get paid £12,000 more”
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23597571-details/Inequality+at+the+Equalities+Office+as+Harman's+staff+get+paid+12,000+more/article.do
While the BBC has this:
“Are Mumbai attacks a chance for peace?”
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7764475.stm
The ‘Spectator’ has this:
“The global force behind Mumbai’s agony is in our midst”
http://www.spectator.co.uk/the-magazine/features/3061986/the-global-force-behind-mumbais-agony-is-in-our-midst.thtml
The BBC needs to chill out…
http://web.mac.com/sinfonia1/Clamour_Of_The_Times/Clamour_Of_The_Times/Entries/2008/12/4_Time_for_the_BBC_to_Chill_Out.html
Labour’s (and BBC’s) multiculturalism legislated:
“Labour’s new Equality Bill – all religions are equal”
http://archbishop-cranmer.blogspot.com/2008/12/labours-new-equality-bill-all-religions.html
“Fitzgerald: The Western press, Christianity and Islam”
http://www.jihadwatch.org/dhimmiwatch/archives/022616.php
The creeping/galloping commercialisation of the BBC:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1091953/BBC-rides-trouble-reveals-plans-launch-theme-park.html
The BBC spares no effort to spin the current economic crisis as a positive thing, while also helping the government put pressure on nasty, greedy bankers to cut rates against their will (and better judgment).
The Daily Politics
The video segment goes on about how people are buying lots of stuff. Of course, they don’t quite present it as people buying crap and fluff as distractions from their problems. Instead, it’s everybody’s getting a great deal, the shops are full, everyone will benefit from the recession-cum-depression….oh, sorry – “credit crunch”.
Kevin Maguire is also very encouraged by what he sees, and only Fraser Nelson is there to provide a little cold water. He actually tries to beat the BBC at their own game when the question about home owners saving loads of money off the rate reductions. He tries to frame it with BBC favored terms by saying it’s only an “elite” group who will benefit, who were just lucky enough to have tracked rates already. But anything he says is lost in the rest of the positive spin.
To further support Mr. Brown’s efforts to save the country with this “credit crunch”, the BBC has this report about how the banks are now facing pressure to reduce their rates like Mr. Brown wants (and told Peston they already had agreed to do – oops).
It’s all toeing the Labour Party line, and they even get the Health Minister (a towering source of economic knowledge, surely), and Darling gets in Mr. Brown’s number one propaganda line: “Banks must treat their customers fairly“.
The accompanying audio clip from Today has a lone voice – Ros Altman – saying this is all going wrong and hurts savers and pensioners. Jim O’Neill is not so in favor of it either. True to form, Humphrys takes the position from the start that the government’s plan is the right one, and instead of challenging and debating his guests just on the face of their own arguments, he dismisses them and defends the government.
It’s all very sad, this series of Brown-nosing. They’re clearly not interested in being helpful to the public. They’ve got a Narrative, and they’re sticking to it. It’s not that they don’t have any opposing views on, it’s the way they present them and treat them that’s the problem: “The government policy is going to help people in these difficult times, increase fairness, etc.. And now, we have in the studio today someone who’s wrong….”
The BBC fiddling while the UK burns.
Tom: bang on. The PC brigade/BBC (no difference) are always asking us to try to “understand” wrongdoers and get to the “root causes” of their “grievances”. So what about “understanding” the “root causes” and “grievances” behind Islamophobia? That is: brutal terrorism, suicide mass-murder, torture and judicial murder of homosexuals and “adulterous” (ie raped) women/girls etc etc
On the subject of persecuting homosexuals, ironically, Muslim homosexuals in Palestine have to flee their Muslim lands and take refuge in Israel, otherwise they will be killed by fellow muslims. Imagine the scandal if it were other way round.
BBC on two of its favourite themes:
1.)the wonders for the British people of being one 27th of a 27-member , supra-national club, and being ruled by the self-perpetuating ‘elite’ of the European Union;
2.)the wonders of having British politicians led the way in making the British people make some of most costly sacrifices, during a slump, in the name of some invented enemy, which makes us pay more taxes:- man-made, global warming:
BBC report –
“EU climate change package explained”
(but not criticised)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7765094.stm
“The climate change bill: a futile and very costly folly” (Ruth Lea)
http://conservativehome.blogs.com/centreright/2008/10/the-climate-cha.html
Christopher Booker, of a few months ago:
[Extract]:
“The political significance of all this, of course, is that our leaders are committing us to a range of measures whose economic effects will be without precedent, from their astronomically costly ‘carbon trading’ schemes to their determination to spend hundreds of billions of pounds on wind turbines.
“The most respected economist in this field, Yale’s Professor William Nordhaus, estimates that the cost of the measures proposed by Al Gore would be $34 trillion (£17 trillion) – all resting on the belief that, unless we spend such sums, world temperatures are doomed to rise.”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2008/02/24/do2402.xml
BBC report on GAMBIA:
“Gambia Britons on sedition charges”
OR a more accurate, immediately easy to understand headline would be:
Islamic Gambia: Britons on sedition charges”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2008/02/24/do2402.xml
There is no indication in this BBC report about how Islam, in general, is inclined, and has been inclined to treat Christians in Africa.
Another report:
http://www.newenglishreview.org/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/18282
For BBC reporters in Africa:
“Fitzgerald: Islam in Africa”
http://www.jihadwatch.org/dhimmiwatch/archives/009767.php
George R: I like your term ‘invented enemy’ for the Global Warming scam.
I have heard adverts on independent radio for interest-free loans or similar from the ‘Carbon Trust’. This is a whole new parasitic industry which is being created to administer and supervise the distribution of trillions of pounds which is going to start flowing this way and that way, and as it flows in torrents and streams, some people will become very important and powerful and rich.
Go back 100 years and would anyone believe you if you said, ‘in the future some people will become very rich by being in charge of swapping imaginary bits of air they didn’t use and trying to match them with other bits of air that other people do or don’t use in another part of the world, or something. Anyway, you write down lots of numbers in a book about not using air and someone gives you lots of money.’
The left have made a new bandwaggon which they can sit on next to the environmentalists.
Billy Hippo | 05.12.08 – 11:34 pm
And not just the Left. You can bet that the people who will make grillions out of trading the thin air you talk about will be the same investment wankers who until recently were selling credit default swaps and securitized subprime mortgage packages.
Gresham Yes you are right. Ruthless f****. And £12 billion bonuses for the banks in the year before the crunch. That’s not taking pay for work done. It’s called stealing.