Monthly Archives: April 2009

Paxo needs Stuffing

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I’ve been away ‘avin a loverly time /wish you were ‘ere.

Now I’m home there’s this backlog. Millions of comments and posts have accumulated.

All I saw on telly last week was The Apprentice. The one who was fired was useless, but then so were the others. How on earth did they ever even get where they are today? But that’s not BBC bias.

Something that appalled me was Jeremy Paxman. Honest Reporting has:

“Newsnight of 20 April Jeremy Paxman interviewed the UK Ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Peter Gooderham following the walkout during Ahmadinejad’s speech:

Paxman: What is the difference between Zionism and racism?

Gooderham: Well, we see the two as being quite distinct. We…

Paxman: Yeah what’s the difference?

Gooderham: Zionism is a political movement relating to the establishment …

Paxman: So are some forms of racism!

Gooderham: …some form of homeland, a Jewish homeland in what is now Israel.

Perhaps Paxman was playing Devil’s Advocate in his usual style. However, is it a sign of the broader mindset within the BBC that finds it acceptable to ask questions such as “What is the difference between Zionism and racism?” View the footage and decide for yourself.”

But the things that I thought were even more ridiculous were, 1, Paxo’s exaggerated facial expressions – comedy exasperation – and 2, the outrageously hypocritical question “Why didn’t you do him the courtesy of listening to him?”
COURTESY? from Paxo the discourteous? Courtesy to Listen to AhMADinajad’s discourteously racist speech?
Stuff you Paxo.

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Something for the weekend 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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THE CAMERON INTERVIEW.

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Did you get a chance to listen to Sarah Montague interview David Cameron? Here it is in case you missed it. Wonder what you think? My view is that Cameron was OK – in what was clearly a hostile environment for him. Some of his responses disturb me and he still uses Blairist vocabulary on some issues and is wary of stating clearly that the State MUST be rolled back. He waffled on about teacherndoctorsnnurses too much. Montague’s tone (I know it’s subjective!)was simmering hostility and she was out to make Cameron say something Thatcheresque which could then be seized upon by Labour so I can understand his hesitations. Comments?




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IT’S GETTING BETTER ALL THE TIME!

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The CBI must have a hot-line to Number 10. As we prepare to have the awful truth about shrinking GDP in our ailing economy unveiled today, the BBC have been able to slip in the news that the CBI are pretty sure that the worst is now behind us, so ameliorating the awfulness of the current economic position. Ask any small to medium-sized businessman if he agrees with that – because the BBC sure as hell won’t! No, they prefer to use the CBI as the alleged authentic voice of UK business and the CBI is singing from the same hymn book as Brown/Darling. It seems that each time bad economic news is announced we now have the CBI popping up to say that although it’s not good, it’s getting better all the time. Why can’t the BBC seek out broader business opinion on the state of our economy? Simple – it only ever asks the opinion of those who will provide the acceptable answer. The narrative is clear – green shoots are everywhere if ONLY you look hard enough. Pathetic.




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BIG FOOD GOOD, BIG PHARMA BAD?

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Just before budget day, the BBC were cheering on the massive profits Tesco announced. My contention was that this rather unusual BBC approval for vast corporate profits was aimed at creating good mood music as in “green shoots of recovery” ahead of Darling’s dismal Budget. Things reverted to form this morning however and I invite you to listen to the sneering tone Angus Stickler adopts when interviewing the Pfizer representative at the start of this item. The disgust for “profits” drips off his lips.




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SARAH MONTAGUE – FREEDOM FIGHTER.

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I know I have brought this subject up before but did anyone else catch this item on Today this morning. I challenge you to listen to it since it positively drips with anti-Sri Lankan Government bias and pro-Tamil Tiger sympathies from the fragrant Sarah. Bias can be subtle but I don’t think this was – it was blatant. There is a comparison between how the BBC reports events in Sri Lanka and events in Gaza. In both cases, the terrorists somehow become innocent civilians and the bad guys are those trying to weed out the terrorists. In both cases the BBC uses the UN to advance its own sympathies for the “fighters”.




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DOING BROWN’S BUSINESS…

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So, the BBC finally discovers the Conservative shadow chancellor George Osbourne exists (He is interviewed just before an item on chair design, natch!), and then headlines the interview with the proclamation “Shadow Chancellor George Osbourne says he cannot promise to reverse the 50% top tax rate.” Now then, we know that Brown set this outrageous tax increase as an elephant trap for the Conservatives – damned if they don’t undo, damned if they do. That’s how Brown works and I can understand why Osbourne refused to give the BBC fresh blood this morning.

However, there are clear ideological reasons why punishing those who create wealth in this country is wrong and quite frankly, if a Conservative cannot articulate these in a reasonable and convincing manner then what exactly is the point in being a Conservative? The BBC seem excited about the proposed “squeezing till the pips squeak” tax hike , as one would expect from committed socialists , and of course Darling’s continued and indeed even increased “investment” aka proligate spending in the public sector gets a pass with no tough questions being posed. It is at the point where Labour are desperate and drowning yet the BBC are determined to spin this in such a way that it damages the Conservatives. Truly, they do Brown’s business.




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QUESTION TIME LIVEBLOG

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Morning folks – hope you have all recovered from Mr Darling’s scintillating Budget yesterday. No doubt this will be the lead question on QuestionTime later tonight and we will be blogging it live! Yes, we are back and ready for some more lively debate, the wittier the better. The panel may prove interesting insofar as we have two communists, a gay historian, a living saint and a token mild conservative – the usual representative mix. Hope you can potter along and join in the fun later – I will be expecting you!




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