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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165 Responses to General BBC-related comment thread!

  1. TPO says:

    Statistics watchdog chief accuses Home Office of abusing crime statistics

    The Home Office is at the centre of another row over crime figures after the head of the UK Statistics Authority accused it of issuing “selective” statistics on knife offending.
    Sir Michael Scholar, head of the Authority, said the release of details on an initiative to tackle knife attacks by both the Home Office and 10 Downing Street had been “premature”.
    The rebuke, which oversees the Office for National Statistics, is highly damaging, particularly as it follows disputes over the way the Home Office has dealt with release of crime and immigration and asylum figures.
    Sir Michael said that the release of stabbing data was “premature, irregular and selective”.

    The figures were handed to the BBC which used them in its lead story during early morning bulletins on Radio 4.

    http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article5332170.ece

    BBC Biased? Not at all!!!!

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  2. archduke says:

    interesting to see how people have given up on the law and taken it into their own hands…

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1094055/Convicted-paedophile-struck-stabbed-death-stripped-mutilated-suspected-vigilante-attack.html

    “Convicted paedo stabbed to death in vigilante attack”

    sounds horrific doesnt it? well, not until you read about the joke of sentencing that goes on in this country

    “He had served four months in prison for a sex attack on a local schoolgirl aged 15, in 2000, and was on the Sex Offenders’ Register until March this year.”

    yup.. attack a young girl, damage her for life and you get 4 months.

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  3. archduke says:

    by the way – have a read of the comments in that daily mail article.

    folks are definitely fed up with lenient sentences.

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  4. archduke says:

    Lurker in a Burqua | 12.12.08 – 7:27 pm

    about bloody time…

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  5. archduke says:

    Boba Fett | Homepage | 12.12.08 – 10:53 am

    fat lot of good that will do.

    the british army was defeated in Basra – thanks in no small measure to the BBC who belittled them and demoralised them at every opportunity.

    yes folks – they were not just “withdrawn” – read into it – the iraqi army and the U.S. marines had to take over from British FUBAR…

    and it was the iraqi’s and americans who retook basra.

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  6. archduke says:

    by the way – dont take my post above the wrong way – british army squaddies are the best in the world.

    i have no doubt about it.

    but iraq & afghanistan is truely a case of lions led by donkeys.

    they deserve better.

    the chap behind EU Ref is writing a book about it…

    http://eureferendum.blogspot.com/2008/12/plea-for-help.html

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  7. George R says:

    Access limited to UK viewers: a short piece on BBC ‘Newswatch’, BBC News TV channel, 8:45 pm tonight GMT:

    ‘Is Robert Peston helping the UK economy or helping to ruin it?’
    Of course, we know the BBC’s answer.

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  8. Anon BBC Serf says:

    So, if the BBC are now so keen on animal welfare that they’re dropping crufts, are they going to drop the recipes on their website that use foie gras?

    Or is it only when animal rights are put up against something that’s considered as a bit provincial, low-brow and lower middle class that they care?

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  9. George R says:

    Talking about the BBC and opinion as fact, the BBC merely presents these couple of charts and one reference (the IPCC) as its uncontrovertible ‘truth’:

    “Climate change: The evidence”

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/guides/457000/457037/html/default.stm

    Even ‘Wikipedia’:
    – proves to be a much more scientifically fairer source, with many references:

    “Global warming controversy”

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming_controversy

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  10. Martin says:

    Why does the BBC need to broadcast Crufts? Have you seen the female Newsreaders?

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  11. Lurker in a Burqua says:

    ……………the BBC have female Newsreaders?

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  12. Lee Moore says:

    The BBC News front page, towards the bottom, has a link to a feature on the Menezes verdict, with a picture above the link. The picture is just big black letters on a white background saying UNLAWFUL KILLING.

    On much closer inspection it is a close up of a T shirt on which those words are printed, but the photo close up as the advert for the link is as blatant a piece of lefty editorialising as you could wish to see.

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  13. Martin says:

    I just wonder if there were a Tory Government if wankstains like Easton would spout Government stats as facts?

    This c**t has been telling us for years that Nu Liebour don’t fiddle the crime figures or distort them.

    Yet the Government have been caught red handed and the wank covered dirty fingernailed hands of McFatso are all over this along with the fucking BBC.

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  14. Robert says:

    Archduke:
    there’s a piece about that here, saying pretty much the same:
    “After Basra, a new reality”
    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iraq/3725468/Iraq-after-Basra-a-new-reality.html

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  15. StephenB for now says:

    Andrew South London: was that your good post I saw in the Express the other day?

    —-quote—-
    Plain Stupid are “eco-facists” – people who think their “cause” gives them permission to disrupt the lives of ordinary working people going peacefully about their business. Well, their cause is a load of toffee – green is just the old red with a bit of bad science thrown in.
    —-end quote—

    Someone on the C Booker blog last Sunday said something quite funny which was green + red = brown

    Now I have realised that the best place for long-term posts are under the columnists’ names like Frederick Forsyth and Anne Widdecombe etc as they stay up for weeks.

    Just a suggestion for you lot in case you wanted to visit the Express and get some good points up. And after you have sent a couple which pass the moderator, your future posts go up immediately.

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  16. StephenB for now says:

    there are only two posts under Frederick Forsyth’s latest piece so far

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  17. Kill the Beeb says:

    Archduke:
    “He had served four months in prison for a sex attack on a local schoolgirl aged 15, in 2000, and was on the Sex Offenders’ Register until March this year.”

    Clearly you hadn’t been reading BBC reports carefully enough. Don’t you understand that the reason he attacked the girl was due to years of oppression by others more fortunate than himself. And had others attempted to understand his frustrations and dialogue with him, then none of this would have happened. It’s all the fault of the Jews/Capitalists/Racists/Global Warming Sceptics.

    Anyway, the BBC covered it all in it’s fantastic documentary:

    “Don’t Protest-er! I’m a Kiddie Molest-er.”

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  18. Kill the Beeb says:

    Anon BBC Serf:
    The BBC more than likely are dropping crufts so as not offend the beloved religion of peace.

    Perhaps if all the dogs were to face mecca and have their throats slit, Crufts could at least be guaranteed a slot on prime time children’s telly.

    But for the BBC to say they oppose the relentless in-breeding of certain breeds is a bit rich. Don’t see them protesting about Andrew Marr.

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  19. George R says:

    Apparently, for the BBC, the rejection of the Greater Manchester proposed congestion charge is largely a local matter:

    “Voters reject congestion charge”
    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manchester/7778110.stm

    The ‘Times’ provides a broader, national perspective, indicating that this is a political defeat for the Labour government:

    “Road pricing faces the axe after Manchester rejects congestion scheme”

    [Extract]:

    “Road pricing, the Government’s favoured policy for dealing with congestion, has been overwhelmingly rejected in a referendum in Manchester. There is now little chance of any pay-as-you-drive schemes being introduced for at least the next decade.”

    http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article5330301.ece

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  20. Lurker in a Burqua says:

    But for the BBC to say they oppose the relentless in-breeding of certain breeds is a bit rich. Don’t see them protesting about Andrew Marr.
    Kill the Beeb | 13.12.08 – 12:05 am | #

    ……………..just spewed hot coffee all over my keyboard & monitor!

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  21. HSLD says:

    I see that the Rhodesian Ridgeback is on the list of Al-Beebs verboten breeds.

    I don’t know how to explain it to ours, she’ll be heartbroken that she has been declared genetically unfit by some homosexual Beeboid coke head with a media studies degree.

    I’d like to go on to say that she would be offended and bite lumps out of the person responsible – being a bad ass lion dog – but she wouldn’t.
    She would just bounce up and down, wagging her tail and trying to make friends.

    That’s why I want a big cat. I do like the small ones, but they don’t have the size or jaw strength needed to take down members of the media elite. A panther would be good.

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  22. Zevilyn says:

    Menezes being an illegal immigrant is neither here nor there. 17 Members of the public have confirmed that the police LIED. If the police shot your son or daughter you would be pretty angry.

    I have lost all respect for the police, their self-serving lying and attempts to cover-up their incompetence are inexcusable.
    The Damian Green debacle adds weight to the evidence that the police are arrogant and think they are above the law.

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  23. Anonymous says:

    Peston is on Newswatch being incoherent as usual

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  24. George R says:

    BBC report:

    “Power blackouts warning from MPs”

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7779241.stm
    EU subsidied ‘green lobbyists unconcerned; no doubt more illegal occupations of coal-fired power stations planned, and to be ‘sympathetically’ reported by BBC, as it did with Kingsnorth, Kent.

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  25. mel simpson says:

    Via Guido’s “Seen Elsewhere” links..everything you need to know to avoid the telly tax by Johnathan Miller.
    http://jonathanmiller.wordpress.com/2008/11/18/13-things-you-need-to-know-about-the-tv-licence/#comment-544

    Just ignore the bastards and say nothing when they call

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  26. George R says:

    Whose side in the BBC on, in the war against Islamic Jihad?

    The UN condemns the Pakistani founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Hafiz Mohammad Saeed; but the BBC’s BARBARA ‘Tears for Arafat’ PLETT has a sympathetic chat with him! (Audio, 3 mins.):

    “Dozens held in Pakistan crackdown”

    (-three-quarters way down the page is the audio link for PLETT’s uncritical propaganda piece from Saeed.)

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7778884.stm

    In contrast,
    ‘Counterterrorism blog’:

    “INDIA: Mumbai terror probe leads to Pakistan’s ‘Epicentre of Terrorism'”
    [Extract]:
    “According to Rakesh Maria, the Joint Commissioner of Police and a lead investigator in the Mumbai attacks, Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD, a charity and front organization for LeT) chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed was also involved with Lakhvi, Hamza and Kahfa in the Mumbai plot, from planning to execution.”

    http://counterterrorismblog.org/2008/12/india_mumbai_terror_probe_lead.php

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  27. deegee says:

    ON THIS DAY Correspondents
    Kate Adie
    It became something of a joke in the British army that when Kate Adie arrived on the scene, the soldiers knew they were in trouble.
    Brian Hanrahan
    Ask anyone about reporting from the Falklands War in 1982, and before long they will be quoting Brian Hanrahan’s memorable phrase, “I counted them all out, and I counted them all back.”

    It was a clever ruse to get round reporting restrictions, so that he could say that all British Harrier jets had returned safely. It has become a prime example of good reporting under pressure.

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  28. DB says:

    The opening newspaper review on Today this morning concluded with an item from one of the papers stating that this has been the coldest start to winter in 30 years. The first report immediately after this was from Roger Harrabin at the climate beano in Poznan. Today presenters usually love a seamless segueway from one item to another, but po-faced Evan Davis and John Humphrys were so on-message and dedicated to the greater cause that they didn’t mention the irony of it. Mustn’t undermine the BBC’s MMGW agenda.

    I listened off and on to rest of the show and other highlights included a discussion about the government’s misuse of knife crime statistics which failed to mention that the Today programme itself had been the first outlet to broadcast the government’s spin, and a discussion about female MPs which, naturally enough, meant that the guests just had to be Tony Benn and his granddaughter Emily (who else?)

    Another point – it’s clear that Afghanistan is the new Iraq as far as the BBC is concerned. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that someone at the Beeb is hurriedly commissioning another poll on public attitudes towards Afghanistan to capitalise on the sad news that four Royal Marines have just been killed there.

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  29. davefromluton says:

    Ed Stourton
    According to the Times this morning Ed is being sacked from Today and will be replaced by Justin Webb. Must be his reward for all that unbiased reporting on the US elections
    If anyone had to go it should have been James Naughty

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  30. DB says:

    I don’t know if anybody else has pointed this out but I’ve just noticed Harrabin’s article from Poznan which he’s framed as a postcard to his ten-year-old son:

    I am writing this postcard for you to read when you’re 50 in case things go badly and you are wondering why we let it happen.
    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7774158.stm

    Cheap sickening propaganda straight from the Fergal Keane school of heartstring-plucking journalism.

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  31. DB says:

    I forgot to add that Harrabin’s report from Poznan on this morning’s Today programme was basically a paean to Obama and the hope he represents for the world ; Harrabin even used the phrase, “Yes we can”. Bucket!

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  32. George R says:

    No criticism of this from BBC:

    “UK gives aid package to Pakistan”

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7781108.stm

    An alternative view:

    “How much more money will flow to Pakistan?” (Hugh Fitzgerald)

    {Extract]:

    “How many more tens of billions will flow to Pakistan for a pitiful raid here, or bombing run there? When will the American military, on the spot, and the civilians at home, decide that a much less compliant policy is needed? There needs to be an end to this idiotic creation, the Infidel Man’s Burden. Instead, the Camp of Islam, with all of its instruments for conducting the Jihad, is to be held in check, and weakened from within so that it cannot continue to threaten the West and the rest of the Infidel world as it so obviously does — but mainly through, not terrorism, but the Money Weapon, Da’wa, and demographic conquest.”

    http://www.jihadwatch.org/dhimmiwatch/archives/022604.php

    Of course, the UK political parties, like Labour is this case, do not consult the mass of the British people on donations of taxpayers’ money to Pakistan, but as with Alexander, respond to the Muslim lobby; after all the General Election is not far off, and the UK political parties will parrot ‘religion of peace’ for votes.

    Here’s one Labour prepared earlier: D.Miliband in Bradford –

    “Addressing 2,500 Muslims attending Friday Prayers at the Madni Jamia mosque in Bradford, Mr Miliband said that they should not feel isolated from British communities or voiceless within Government.

    He said: “‘We are all British citizens equal together with equal rights and an equal say in how our foreign policy is developed.

    “Islam is an enemy towards no one and a friend towards all. Islam is a creed of peace and it is vital we all work to narrow gaps that can divide us across religion, geography or race.'”
    http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/Miliband-calls-for-Muslim-support.4721752.jp

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  33. Martin says:

    Harrabin is just a limp wristed left wing twat.

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  34. George R says:

    Here’s the ‘Times’ piece on Stourton being sacked by BBC and replaced by Webb, (referred to by ‘davefromluton’ above):

    “BBC presenter sacked from ‘Today’ job”

    http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/tv_and_radio/article5333370.ece

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  35. Ross says:

    From the Telegraph:

    The BBC praised Webb’s US coverage as “one of the joys of the network”. Today editor Ceri Thomas said: “The chance to bring his foreign affairs expertise home to the programme was too good to miss.”

    The BBC really thinks Webb is super duper.

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  36. Kegs says:

    Why the hell is Ken Livingstone giving his backing to The police woman who was in charge during the menezes shooting one of the top headlines?

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  37. Martin says:

    What a CUNT Brown is. He’s in the shit over fiddling the crime figures, so what does he do? Fucks off to Afghanistan for a soundbite and a picture call.

    Is there nothing this unwashed one eyed fat stinking jock won’t do to keep out of the shit?

    The only time this CUNT washes is when there is blood of British soldiers to wash in. Brown is SCUM.

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  38. frankos says:

    Not sure if my son was killed in Afghanistan, I’d be too keen in his death being seen as a sound bite opportunity for Brown. He never ceases to disappoint

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  39. Grant says:

    GeorgeR 9:15

    “Whose side is the BBC on ?”.

    The BBC supports every terrorist movement from the IRA, ETA, PKK, Hamas,PLO to Al Queda.
    That’s what they do. They will support any movement which can damage what they see as the “established” order.
    Even Somali “pirates” become romantic figures in the dirty,twisted little minds of the Beeboids.
    They are truly the scum of the earth.

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  40. Pierre says:

    ‘Newsnight Review’ last night ran a special on the ‘credit crunch’ and its effect on the arts. Cue a shower of lovies simultaneously sniggering at the plight of ‘bankers’ and whining about cuts to the arts budgets.

    It was explained to us humble viewers how capitalism had ‘failed’, an event as inevitable as it is desirable. The only debate was whether we would now see a rise in fluffy escapist entertainment or (oh please, yes!) some earnest socialist diatribes about how much better the country would be if Michael Foot had won in ’83 (presumably).

    To her slight credit, Martha Kearney had the grace to look (slightly) embarrassed at some of the champagne socialism on display.

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  41. Allan@Oslo says:

    “Why the hell is Ken Livingstone giving his backing to The police woman who was in charge during the menezes shooting one of the top headlines?”

    Cressida Dick is very high up in Common Purpose. She’ll soon be in a well-paid position in the public sector.

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  42. Martin says:

    Allan@Oslo: The BBC never lose a chance to give a total left wing tool a voice.

    Yesterday Radio 5 insisted on giving wankstain George Galloway 15 minutes of airtime to rant on about why Woolworth should be nationalised.

    The BBC just loves their left wing loons.

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  43. George R says:

    ‘EU referendum blogspot’ picks up some important aspects of the EU climate deal, which the BBC misses; the EU deal, to be achieved by 2020 has some mandatory aspects:

    ‘What is the point?’

    [Conclusion]:
    “The year 2020 is at least three if not four general elections away. Yet these matters are being decided and cast in stone by this parliament.

    “Whatever happened to the doctrine of ‘no parliament can bind its successor’? And, if this no longer applies, what really is the point of having general elections?”

    http://eureferendum.blogspot.com/2008/12/what-is-point.html

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  44. George R says:

    Interesting review of BBC2’s ‘After Rome: Holy War and Conquest’ (presented by Boris Johnson)

    “The Body Politic” (by James Delingpole) – pages 1 and 2 here:

    http://www.spectator.co.uk/the-magazine/arts/3077346/the-body-politic.thtml

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  45. Hugh Oxford says:

    Why the fuck is Shami Charkrabarti on AQ next week? Why on earth does this ridiculous woman and and her tiny organisation, dwarfed by UKIP and the BNP to name but two, get so much airtime? Who does she speak for? Who elected her? What has she ever done?

    She seems to be on every five minutes, hardly a day passes without her popping up.

    Does the BBC have a mandate to be the mouthpiece for such people and their views?

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  46. Allan@Oslo says:

    We know that a year ago, the membership of the BNP totalled circa 12,000 people. I’ll wager that it is a few thousand higher now. How many members does Liberty (chakrabati’s organisation) have? Is Liberty funded by its membership?

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  47. Ron Todd says:

    When Brown claims lessons will be learned over the knive crime figures does he mean we will learn not to get found out next time we try to get the BBC to put out dodgy statistics that make us look good.

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  48. AndrewSouthLondon says:

    BBC:” The US defence chief warns US opponents against trying to “test” Barack Obama…”

    OK Barak, here’s your first test. Its a multiple choice question. Who are the US’s opponents. We don’t want all of them, just name the first hundred. And only the overseas ones. You have two hours. Do not attempt to write on both sides of the paper at once.

    What is this tosh?

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  49. DB says:

    Mark Kermode’s review of The Day the Earth Stood Still:
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/markkermode/2008/12/review_keanu_reeves_in_the_day.html

    My comment is no.6.

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