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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just a thought –the BBC has been crapping on about it’s new improved website. Very nice I’m sure but they have failed to tell me so far, as I politely requested, the cost to the licence payer.
Has noone told them there’s a war on?
As the polls worsen for Brown expect the Tory demonisation propaganda to go into overdrive.
Oscar | 07.04.09 – 12:30 pm | #
Oscar, it already is in overdrive overdrive!
Heard the same story on Radio 5 Live this morning. That and the evil Tories bringing back fox hunting.
And the e-mails were read out endlessly. All those furry animal lovers (who happen to run when they see a stray dog!) up in arms.
The thing is, the normal goon out on the street simply accepts this bullshit as ‘news’. The real news is as follows: –
Is the UK bust?
When do the IMF arrive to clear up the shit?
How much will taxes need to rise for the UK to survive financially?
When does an MP actually take responsibility for their pay and expenses?
But will that ever be reported? Not whilst the BBC continues in it’s present form.
Gerald Brown – the BBC is going into 1980s overdrive. They are relentlessly pushing the message that everything wrong with the country is all the fault of Margaret Thatcher. Meanwhile the last 12 years are being wiped. Labour aren’t responsible for anything bad – only the wicked Tories.
Twizzle – you are right. Operation demonise a Tory is already in overdrive plus. And as for furry animals, I was amused that at the end of a grovelling interview with a Nigerian playwright on Front Row yesterday he announced how much he loves hunting. He calls it ‘taking my gun for a walk’! Now if Sarah Palin had said that …
http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_7982000/7982021.stm
curious story on the today programme this a.m. – sedation in church of england care homes
“Nine other former residents of Kendall House, who were all similarly drugged, have also gone on to have children with a range of birth defects, including brain tumours, learning difficulties and cleft palate. ”
the source for this scientific analysis ?? – the primary victim herself !
” Teresa decided to track down other girls from Kendall House to see if they were having similar problems.
She found that 10″
nice round number isn’t it , ten.
” of the girls had gone on to have children with birth defects. Those girls were all given drugs.”
there you go …bbc journalists didn’t think to find them it seems.
” Two girls she contacted who were not drugged had children without birth defects. ”
case solved then ! no need for a double blind random study. we can just ask the patients to do their own research and publish it. peer review ? phooey!
she goes on….
“We were young girls – we were going through puberty as well – and I do believe those drugs did something and they affected us. ”
please email the today programme to get her full c.v. and qualifications in pharmacology / genetics.
cue the expert , Prof Aronson…
“Changes in genes and chromosomes induced by drugs may lead to birth defects or abnormalities later in life,” he says.
“But the fact that there were 10 of them affected in this is quite suggestive.”
so, “may” lead to something…. suggestive….
haradly a smoking gun is it ? never mind , any excuse to bash the church of england…
DB:
“Matt Frei: It helps I guess to have a glamorous wife and be a popular president yourself if you’re going to pick up the phone to the Germans and the French and say “Please send more troops” or “Please send more money.””
Only it doesn’t. The French and Germans told him to whistle for either further stimulus or more troops. The fact that Matt Frei doesn’t seem to know this says it all.
Oh, and Obama’s regarded in the States as being the most divisive president they’ve ever had after less than three months.
DB | 07.04.09 – 1:06 pm |
Just think: The BBC bosses believe that Matt Frei is an unbiased, serious journalist. He may have done some reasonable reporting in the past, but his stint as anchor of the US-targeted newscast has revealed his petty personal prejudices and political opinions.
What is “gritty glamour”, anyway? Is it ‘cos he is black? Or is Frei Boy just doing his own version of Justin Webb’s fawning over The Obamessiah being “solid”?
Following on from last week’s “angry individuals” we now have a “motorist”.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7987317.stm
DB | 07.04.09 – 1:06 pm | #
—————————
I didn’t realise he could be as inventive as that. Been quite industrious, thinking up flattering epithets for his fantasy couple, hasn’t he, our Matty Boy?
What a willing hero-worshipper and fantasist he turns out to be. Perhaps he writes novels too.
I haven’t listened to Radio 4, or any other station for months. Today I thought I’d try Radio 2 in the background while I work • how irritating could that be? Music and a bit of chat. This afternoon they’ve got Derek Draper on. There’s just no escape from the Labour spin. They introduced him as ex spin doctor, but he runs ‘labourlist’? now, and they’re talking about Brown and others
jimbob | 07.04.09 – 1:53 pm |
I heard the article on Today this morning about sedating children in C of E homes. To be fair it sounded a pretty awful thing to do.
However the uppermost thought in my mind at the time was “what are they not telling us?”. Which is, sadly, how I view all reports from the BBC these days.
Guido is reporting that MPs are renting their expenses paid homes to other MPs, who claim the rent on expenses, see also http://anon126.blogspot.com/2009/04/mp-scam-merry-go-round.html
strangely the BBC are not covering this unusual situation…odd that!
Did anyone see this story about a Palestinian getting himself shot dead after trying to kill Israeli officers? It’s shoehorned into the standard BBC template of course:
“Israeli police have shot dead a Palestinian motorist in East Jerusalem who tried to run over officers guarding the demolition of a home.”
Of course, he was simply a “motorist” and not a criminal, a would-be murderer or a terrorist. Just another motorist.
“A police spokesman said officers shot the man after his car hit three guards, injuring them lightly.
Police responded by firing more than 20 bullets into the windshield, killing the man in Sur Baher village”
And there you have it. Emphasize the fact that the would-be killer only injured the guards “lightly” and then contrast that by immediately telling us that police fired “more than 20 bullets” into the windshield. Because more than anything, the purpose of a story like this is to downplay the actions of the Palestinian as trivial, while insinuating that the Israeli response was overkill.
The “on the one hand….on the other” template continues with this next shopworn juxtaposition:
“Clashes erupted in the area after the shooting, as about 50 Palestinians threw stones at police, who fired back with tear gas and stun grenades.”
And of course don’t forget to editorialize the article by cherry picking the right opinion:
“Human-rights groups such as the Israeli group B’tselem have described the demolition of houses as “a clear case of collective punishment which violates the principle that a person is not to be punished for the acts of another”.”
And again here:
“In 2005 an Israeli military commission concluded the policy of destroying a Palestinian attacker’s home ineffective as a deterrent, but might encouraged further attacks.”
And what BBC story about Israel would be complete without this irrelevant piece of information:
“Israel occupied East Jerusalem in 1967 and annexed it in 1981 but its claim to the area is not recognised internationally. Instead, under international law, East Jerusalem is considered to be occupied territory.”
Just another day at the BBC folks. Hardly even worth drawing attention to.
One of the many negative effects of Labour’s stealth ‘policy’ of mass immigration to Britain, not pointed out by the BBC:
the comcomitant importation, and imposition of foreign political demonstrations and worse, often illegal and violent, on British people, as with Tamils today:
“Clashes as Tamils rally in London”
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7986838.stm
Of course, such political demonstrations will become much worse with the mass immigration of over 1 million Muslim Turks to London, after Turkey’s imminent entry to the EU is secured by Brown and Obama, despite the opinion of the British people.
Ah yes,Diane Abbot MP: the Socialist who helped wreck state education, then had her own kid(s) privately educated.
Even worms couldn’t stomach her corruption.
“Of course, such political demonstrations will become much worse with the mass immigration of over 1 million Muslim Turks to London, after Turkey’s imminent entry to the EU is secured by Brown and Obama, despite the opinion of the British people.”
We’ve battled them for centuries. It makes me weep.
You think there would only be a million? We should be so lucky.
Quite what anything going on in Sri Lanka has to do with us I don’t know.
normally we’re being told to mind our own business.
They should have just turned the hose pipes and tear gas on this scum.
RR: Spot on. Barry O has been told to piss off by most of Europe except for the grinning one eyed Scottish chimp.
Jason | 07.04.09 – 4:19 pm |
Just another day at the BBC folks. Hardly even worth drawing attention to.
Yeah, but they have two Jews working at the BBC Jerusalem bureau. So they can’t possibly be pro-Palestinian at all, no matter what any of us think.
1 million Muslim Turks to London, after Turkey’s imminent entry to the EU is secured by Brown and Obama, despite the opinion of the British people.
I’m sure you are correct about the view of the British people, but the media tend to state that Turkey’s admission to the EU is opposed by France but supported by Britain. For the media L’État c’est ZaNuLab
Irish budget – http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7986862.stm
If only we got this from our government
“First, and most urgent, we must stabilise our public finances. Until we show that we can put our own house in order, we cannot expect those who have invested here and who might invest here in the future to have confidence in us,” said Mr Lenihan.
But the BBC does its best to portray it negatively
BBC economics editor Stephanie Flanders explained that: “There’s method to his madness.”
Straight away trying to balance your books like any responsible person is “madness.” After setting the tone she then moves on “And also some lessons for the UK. The first lesson is that, if you’re lurching further and further into debt, there comes a point when fiscal stimulus isn’t very stimulating at all.” Keynesian fiscal stimulus during the bad times doesn’t work at all if you’ve been running deficits during the good times like Labour.
Mr Lenihan “The problem is our expenditure base is too high and our revenue base is too low. If we fail, refuse or neglect to address this structural problem we will condemn our generation and the next to the folly of excessive borrowing.” Wise words.
God we need to get rid of this appallingly inept and corrupt government.
Obama`s World Without Nukes — Just Like 1939
“He didn’t say that a nuclear-armed Iranian regime is unacceptable. He didn’t express a commitment to preventing such an outcome, or confidence that the United States and international community would prevent such an outcome. He simply suggested that it wouldn’t be optimal for Iran to choose that outcome. And if the rulers of the Islamic republic disagree?”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/06/AR2009040601602.html?hpid=opinionsbox1
God we need to get rid of this appallingly inept and corrupt government.
Doug | 07.04.09 – 6:11 pm | #
God we need to get rid of this appalingly inept and corrupt broadcaster.
BBC economics editor Stephanie Flanders is quietly raising the trail balloon of a tax rise in the UK by coughing gently and discussing Ireland:
When fiscal stimulus isn’t stimulating
Pouring more money into a shrinking economy won’t do anything, says Ms. Flanders. In fact, tax increases might be the way to go.
If investors conclude, on the basis of this budget, that the government has things under control, that yield could fall back again – and this tightening could turn out to be a stimulus.
I suspect Alistair Darling would find a tax-rising budget on April 22nd a pretty hard sell. We can’t remember many stimulating tax rises. But as Kevin Daly reminded me, the Irish can.
Back in the late 1990s, debt was over 120% of GDP, and everyone thought that a recession would be the price to pay for bringing borrowing back down. Instead, getting the government’s books in order was the start of the long boom.
But Flanders is pretty sure there won’t be a tax increase this year. Probably. But if there is one, it worked for Ireland, wink, wink, the UK’s deficit is likely to be almost as large as Ireland’s, nudge, nudge.
Meanwhile, our favorite Gordon Brown biographer, Robert Peston, is seeing signs of recovery. Again. Every time Mr. Brown seems to hit rock bottom, Peston comes out with something like this.
That was yesterday. Today, he’s back to telling you that nasty bankers are killing British businesses.
Some bank managers were exploiting technical breaches of borrowing agreements or covenants – breaches that really didn’t imply that a business was in serious trouble – to demand their money back or screw a massive increase in fees or interest out of the vulnerable borrower.
It’s impossible to know how many fundamentally sound businesses were killed off by banks’ panicky attempts to cut their losses. But there was a fair amount of collateral damage to the innocent as banks brutally reduced the availability of loans to match the depletion in both their capital and in their ability to raise funds on wholesale markets.
Damn those greedy bankers. Even after Mr. Brown pumped them full of cash to get credit flowing again, those bastards sat on it and let solid British businesses die.
Peston also suggests that nasty banks were lending money overseas instead of to British businesses. Of course, he realizes that’s a fatuous thing to bring up, so he explains it away. There’s actually nothing wrong with banks doing business with people who will pay them back. “In fact,” Peston goes on, backtracking even further, “there is quite a lot of that return-to-home banking going on.”
So what was the point of pointing the finger at them, Robert? Nasty bankerses. We hates them!
Just to let us know that he really, really has considered both sides of the issue, Peston does a Matt Frei-like snotty closing gesture the other way:
Or would even mild nationalism of that ilk undermine their managers’ ability to make rational lending decisions?
May as well pass out matches to the gathering mob.
Dan Hannan let slip some his experiences with the BBC.
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/daniel_hannan/blog/2009/04/03/after_american_television_the_bbcs_bellicosity_is_quite_a_shock
My local BBC television news in the South East asked me such questions as “aren’t you just a nasty old Tory” and “Haven’t you got anything positive to say?”
When was the last time the BBC asked a leftist politician if he was just an old socialist or old communist or old Stalinist or old Marxist?
As for the “positive” remark this just shows how the BBC thinks that opposition politicians on the right should conform to their collectivist view that everyone should agree with the government and support it.
There must be so much of this but Tory MPs are scared of the retribution that the BBC can inflict.
P.S. The BBC are just reporting on Ireland’s budget and have led with tax increases rather than the wide ranging spending cuts that Ireland are going to implement. The BBC won’t dare broadcast the idea of spending cuts. More tax, more spending is always good in the BBC’s eye.
Ted Stevens ex Republican Senator has his conviction for corruption quashed
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7988402.stm
Justin Webb blogged on his conviction, can we now expect him to blog on the Mr Stevens being found innocent?.
And lets not forget that the prosecution team who are now facing their own legal battle (ordered by the judge who overturned the conviction) are registered Democrats.
Obummer wants the Turks in the Eu – is this to facilitate the Islamic take-over of Europe, already well underway?
This man is a combination of all the worst aspects of Jimmy Carter and Bliar.
A world without nukes is a joke. Even if the USA and UK threw all theirs away the technology and ability to manufacture more still exits.
Banning nukes is no more possible than banning the wheel.
And from the NY Times:
Don Siegelman, the former governor of Alabama, and Paul Minor, a prominent Mississippi trial lawyer, have charged that Justice Department prosecutors engaged in unethical behavior in cases that led to their convictions. Both men claim that they were singled out for prosecution because of their affiliation with the Democratic Party.
Well then, they should never have forced Mr Stevens to have to go to court to defend himself, and they should not have withheld evidence that would have cleared him!!.
What you will also find missing from the BBC report is the two names I have mentioned, wonder why?.
You’re missing the point about mass immigration – it brings in much needed Labour votes, which is why, as a subject, it gets virtually no BBC coverage, despite the fact it’s the biggest concern of 80% of the people.
I was lucky enough to miss dolly Draper on the Steve Wright Show – why have a Labour spinmaster on a Radio 2 show? It is usually guests selling their new book or film. Did Steve ask him about his American qualifications? I am sorry he wasn’t on the TV instead – bigger audience – all the more to see how revolting he is!
Doug: re Hannan
I once entered into a conversation – I still can’t believe it happened – when I tried to convince a BBC producer that conservatives could be nice people. Isn’t that surreal?
Jackboot Smith getting a right grilling on C4 news right now over expenses…
Doug | 07.04.09 – 6:27 pm |
P.S. The BBC are just reporting on Ireland’s budget and have led with tax increases rather than the wide ranging spending cuts that Ireland are going to implement. The BBC won’t dare broadcast the idea of spending cuts. More tax, more spending is always good in the BBC’s eye.
Excellent. Just as you were listening to this, I was writing my comment (@ 6:26pm) about Stephanie Flanders saying the exact same thing.
Agenda? What agenda? Of course, the defense of the indefensible is that it’s the economics editor’s job to get into helpful details of what the BBC reports on air. Except, it’s practically presented as an endorsement.
Martin | 07.04.09 – 6:31 pm |
A world without nukes is a joke. Even if the USA and UK threw all theirs away the technology and ability to manufacture more still exits.
Cue cries that it’s really Israel’s nukes that are the most dangerous.
David Preiser (USA) | 07.04.09 – 6:26 pm
but what Ms Flanders doesnt point out is that Ireland has far more wiggle room than the UK – its % tax take is one of the lowest in the EU, because during the boom times, policy was to lower taxes year on year.
needless to say – the tax and spend One Eyed Snot Gobbler has pissed any sort of buffer up against a wall.
David Preiser (USA) | 07.04.09 – 7:49 pm
some of the budget cuts include:
cuts in child benefit, halving of the dole for the under 20s and childcare benefit to be abolished by end of the year. there is also a 10% cut in expenses for MPs (not enough.. but its a start)
The gift that keeps on giving. Latest instalment today
Iraq shoe thrower’s jail term cut
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7988035.stm
But the BBC can get a bit more mileage from it yet
An opinion poll carried out for the BBC and ABC – the full results of which appear next Monday – suggested 62% of the Iraqis polled considered Zaidi a “hero”.
Anyone notice anything different about the BBC 1 6PM news and ITV 6:30PM news?
ITV covered the liebour sleaze over expenses mentioning all the Liebour Minister scumbags (Beckett, Hoon, 5 bellies, fatty one eye and on and on and on)
The BBC zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Nothing happening here move along please.
archduke | 07.04.09 – 8:06 pm |
some of the budget cuts include:
cuts in child benefit, halving of the dole for the under 20s and childcare benefit to be abolished by end of the year. there is also a 10% cut in expenses for MPs (not enough.. but its a start)
Well, that’s not a stimulus plan, according to the BBC economics editor. She said that until now, “they haven’t had any stimulus plans to speak of.”
It’s the Gordon Brown Narrative:
Spending = Doing Something (aka “Real Help”)
Not Spending = Doing Nothing (aka “Tories’ Plan”)
Is it me?
On the BBC iplayer, a drama set in Northern Ireland, “Five Minutes of Heaven” about a Loyalist murdering a Catholic.
Has the BBC ever done a (Northern) Irish drama where the victim was a Protestant or Loyalist?
does anyone else agree that the key to the downfall of the BBC is to champion and encourage all other broadcasters.
If ITV and the broadsheets can figure how popular they are holding the opposite view of the beeb they can become the peoples’ champion, increase audiences and weaken their biggest competitor.
All non-beeb MSM outlets need to be encouraged with each outbreak of views that counter those of the beeb.
That is surely the only way to bring them down?
David Preiser (USA) | 07.04.09 – 8:27 pm
one thing they are NOT doing is borrowing like crazy to cover the cracks – hence the tax rises + spending cuts.
3.5 billion euro in annual cuts doesnt sound like much – but when you extrapolate to UK economy levels , that roughly equates to 35 to 40 billion.
per year.
David
It looks like ITV is getting closer to the extent of the evil we face :
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1168224/The-worlds-youngest-terror-suspect–ready-blow-age-11.html
How many opportunities has Jeremy Bowen turned down to interview captured terrorists ?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1168224/The-worlds-youngest-terror-suspect–ready-blow-age-11.html
Nothing happening here move along please.
Martin | 07.04.09 – 8:16 pm
will be interesting to compare the 10 o clock news on both channels.
David: You are partly right. As other forms of broadcast media grow the BBC will seem less relevant.
The real future though will only come when we have really high speed internet access.
For example, the likes of David Vance would be able to run their own anti BBC TV channel live on air. you wouldn’t need any broadcasting equipment other than a couple of web cameras and no Ofcom crap.
Imagine a live version of Youtube. Why would anyone then bother with the BBC?
Already the next generation of TV tax fodder don’t see the BBC as relevant, the Youtube, Facebook, Twitter generation will ask why they have to fork out £150+ for a bunch of wet liberals to keep themselves in work and prop up the Liebour party.
“Hugh Oxford:
You’re missing the point about mass immigration – it brings in much needed Labour votes, which is why, as a subject, it gets virtually no BBC coverage, despite the fact it’s the biggest concern of 80% of the people.”
Part 2 of Matthew D’Ancona’s series on British identity was on R4 this morning. Hard to believe the man is associated with anything that bears the label “conservative” in any sense: he wandered earnestly through thickets of latent or open conflict, seeking a way of squaring a circle that would reconcile absolutely everything that happens to be dwelling, sojourning or happening in the country. He seemed to find the very impossibility of the task agreeable, seeing as it was in line with the historical precedent for non-codification of the country (such notions having been simply unnecessary until recent times).
Hooray, the diffuseness and disconnectedness of the EU-Britzone is as British as beer!
R
So our revered Home Secretary thinks that obtaining money illegally and, when found out, repaying it, means she shouldn’t be prosecuted. I suggest that other fraudsters and thieves should try the same argument and see how far it gets them. But the real scandal concerning her is that she employts her husband at £40,000 a year. As this is governement money, why wasn’t the job advertised and interviews held to find the best applicant? Isn’t her behaviour against all equal opportunity laws, for which her department is responsible? No one at the BBC ever seems to bring up this matter.
Martin | 07.04.09 – 10:09 pm
that future has already happened – the website spaceflightnow.com did a live outdoor broadcast for the launch of the shuttle a few weeks ago.
1 camera , 1 macintosh laptop + 1 box of tricks connected wirelessly to the internet.
no need for a big outdoor satellite broadcast truck.
it was impressive… thousands of folks watched it live. (plus there was realtime chat with the presenters too..)