Monthly Archives: January 2009

MORAL DEPRAVITY DEFENDED.

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In my book “Unionism Decayed”, there is a section on how the UK government used the media, and the BBC in particular, to advance it’s’ own appeasement agenda at all costs. In particular, I point to how an accidentally leaked memo by a senior civil servant, Tom Kelly, made clear that certain high profile individuals had been identified as “champions” for the government view. One of the named individuals was Lord Eames – the same man who has co-authored the current proposals to pay the families of terrorists the same amount of money as their victims. The BBC is VERY sympathetic to Lord Eames, as you can read here. Ever wonder where that manipulative Mr Kelly came from? That’s right – the BBC. Ever wonder where he went to after the deal was done to institutionalise terrorism? That’s right – Tony Blair’s press office. It’s a funny old world watching those from the BBC effortlessly melt into the heart of government propaganda. I guess their on the job training is very good?

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BIAS WITH A SMILING FACE

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Ordinarily, I will tune in to Radio 4 “Today” or else check out the BBC main news portal as a means of assessing the presentation of news by the State broadcaster. But this morning, I am in London on business and I can only watch the TV news in my hotel room. So, for a change, I tuned in to the “Breakfast” programme on BBC1. It’s an eye-opener because it too has a rampant bias which is ever so subtle and aimed at the wider audience watching at this time in the morning. In that regard one could argue it is all the more dangerous in terms of its’ malign influence.

The lead story was concerning how people are being aggressively pursued by debt collection agencies. And who did the BBC choose to interview about this? A lady, clad in full Niqab gear, who claimed she was the victim of identity confusion. The fact that we could not even see her face because she chose to wear Islamic garb seemed an irony lost on the BBC. Cut to fluffy dog story – and then we had a story about Lord Rumba of Rio’s bail-out to the UK car industry, with an touching human interest interview with an ever so grateful car industry worker. Good ol’ Mandy – he’s providing much needed job security. Cue more feel good news about the octuplets. Then a story about rising child care costs in GB which are, thank goodness, being obviated at least in some areas by progressive local Councils and our wise government. It’s the proverbial curate’s egg, inane in some bits, toxic in others!

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The usual suspects.

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Robin Horbury made this comment a few days ago:

BBC drama once led the world. Today, it is little more than political correctness and pantomime agitprop.

Did anyone see the latest BBC1 example, Hunter? (Sunday and last night 9pm). The plot was that a group of Pro-Lifers (natural BBC villains because they don’t support sexual free-for-all)were so incensed that they decided to start killing children unless the BBC showed footage of a post-24 week abortion.

It was license for some horrendous images of the Pro-Lifers abducting and injecting innocent children with various lethal drugs – sequences that were so graphic that they would not have been shown on terrestrial television a few years back. And of course to portray the villains as heartless, callous, evil scum.

I have combed the internet to see if Pro-Life groups have ever done anything remotely like this. I found a few nastly examples of intimidation and violence in the US where staff of clinics have been targeted.

But – tell me if I’m wrong – there’s not one example anywhere in the world of a Pro-Lifer killing children, under any circumstances.

So Hunter looks to me to have been an example of a BBC coterie sitting down somewhere and deciding how they could find new ways tovillify a group that the corporation hates. Any passing resemblance to something called reality was abandoned in favour of the political need.

I personally do not support a lot of what Pro-Lifers want. But I do support their right to say and camapign for their goals – and not to be attacked in this wholly ridiculous way by the BBC.

The other ludicrous element of the plot was that the Pro-Lifers believed that exposure on BBC news bulletins would change attitudes. Of course, that was yet another reflection of the puffed up self-importance of BBC types.

A commenter called Tom replied,

I seem to remember the first of BBC’s Spooks (or the first I ever saw) had a similar plot – pro-lifers as terrorists.

They’re clearly into recycling their rubbish.

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General BBC-related comment thread!

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Comments Off on 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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TRIANGULATION

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The BBC is hyping up it’s refusal to air the ad from the DEC appealing for cash for Hamastan, thus suggesting it is without bias. Mark Thompson was on to say that he believed showing this appeal could be taken as favouring one side over another. Quite right. Sky has also refused to show the DEC sppeal so BBC virtue in this regard is not unique! So what do we make of the BBC approach here? Superficially I welcome it but of course having endured three weeks of pro-Hamas propaganda dressed up as news reporting, I rather worry that what the BBC is actually doing here is a little bit of sophisticated triangulating, giving itself cover so that any future criticism of its coverage of matters in the Middle East is invalidated because of this move. Your view?

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LABOUR BROADCASTING CORPORATION

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Tuned into “Today” this morning and was immediately struck by the revolving door it provided to government apologists. We had the loathsome Denis McShane being interviewed about the Corus job losses. Naturally McShane used this bully pulpit to point out how bad things had been under the Conservatives, and Ken Clark! He also endlessly emphasised that this issue is global and nothing whatsoever to do with Mr Brown. No other political opinion was sought. Then, a few minutes later, we had the abomination that is Baroness Kennedy in the spotlight discussing those “newspaper allegations” that some Labour Peers are for sale. Kennedy was also allowed to wiggle on the line and allege that the problem here lies with the lobbyists! The Labour establishment plans to kick this into the long grass and you can sense the BBC is going with this line. Again, no contrary opinion was allowed. Herein lies the issue – these are all political matters but the BBC is very keen to allow just one side – Labour – to have its say on them. This skews the entire debate and presents the listening public with a very unbalanced view.

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LORDS A MERCY

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The Sunday Times has done us all a favour in exposing the rapacious Labour whores in the Lords who are prepared to accept fees of up to £120,000 a year to amend laws on behalf of business clients. However I was curious about how the BBC has chosen to treat this expose of NuLabour corruption. It appears there is “concern” but I was amused to see that the BBC’s political correspondent Iain Watson felt able to suggest that whilst trying to influence Parliamentary legislation was outside the House of Lords code of conduct, peers not paid a salary can offer general advice to private firms as consultants. “That may be where there’s a bit of a grey area, where people can quite honestly say ‘I haven’t broken any rules’,” he said.

Sure. Thing is I don’t recall such generosity of spirit being extended to any Conservative found in such a “grey area”. Then it was sleaze. Now it is quelle surprise!

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A FIRST ANNIVERSARY!

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Hi folks. Today may be 250th anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns but it is also a milestone in my time here at B-BBC for it marks one year to the date since I first started posting here! I wanted to firstly thank Ed for his very kind invitation to me in the first place, and to all those other illustrious writers who have preceded my time here some of whom still illuminate the site with their excellent work. I also wanted to thank all of you readers for your wonderful contributions, believe me I feel your insights always dwarf my own efforts. It’s a breeze being able to write here for you and after this time I hope you have become accustomed to my ways! Thanks to you all – after one year I’m now warmed up – now let the sport begin!

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