This is a guest post by B-BBC reader A Libertarian Rebel…do give it a read.
“There must be very few, if any, B-BBC readers unaware of the visceral hatred which our much beloved national broadcaster harbours towards all things Murdoch and News International.
It’s dressed up, of course, as a lofty, altruistic, public-service-broadcasting concern about quality standards and the monopolistic effects of excessive market share (conveniently ignoring, err, the Beeb’s own 70% share of broadcast news & current affairs coverage): but what it’s really about is a determination to neutralise NI’s position as a right-leaning print media alternative to the left-liberal BBC/ Guardian/Independent nexus, and head off the threat of what, for the Corporation, would be the ultimate nightmare – a wholly NI-controlled BSkyB or a UK version of Fox News, presenting the UK viewing public with a libertarian, small-state, free-markets, EU-sceptic option for their news and current affairs viewing.
We’ve seen this operating already in the highest gear with the BBC’s far from impartial and blatantly anti-Murdoch tenor of its coverage of the phone-hacking scandals and the Leveson Inquiry: but what flicked in into overdrive on Tuesday evening was the news that Rebekah Brooks had been charged with conspiracy to convert the course of justice. Despite Merkel/Hollande meeting on the EU Fiscal pact and the euro visibly collapsing about our ears with Heaven-knows-what implications for the UK economy, BBC News channels not merely led with it (not unreasonable – other channels did too) but gave it virtually saturation coverage for the remainder of the evening.
So it was interesting come across these 3 tweets posted late that same night by someone for whom the BBC evidently has a high regard:
Make Murdoch eat all of Brooks’ hair, and I’m willing to forget everything.
What a shame if Rebekah Brooks choked to death on her hair tonight. Or caught her hair on the cell bars, twisting them into a fucking noose.
Brian LimondImagine finding Rebekah Brooks dead in her cell. The trauma! Why, I would wish to compensate the officer £10,000. I repeat, £10,000.
Brian Limond is of course the serially unfunny & offensiveness-dependent (no doubt classified in BBC commissioning parlance as “edgy”) Scottish “alternative” comedian who about 6 months or so ago distinguished himself by gleefully anticipating the death of Baroness Thatcher and adopting an avatar showing Lady Thatcher bloodied and with her throat (presumably “edgily”) slashed.
More to the point however, the Beeb loves Limond’s output so much that it’s commissioned not one but two series from him, one in 2010 and one in 2011, both undoubtedly generously paid for by the licence fees which we’re all so delighted to provide in the form of a compulsory regressive tax extracted on pain of fine or imprisonment. With material as erudite and subtle as Limond’s, you can see why the Beeb values him highly.
But wait a minute – sending a message of an indecent, obscene or menacing character is an offence under S127 of the Communications Act 2003, isn’t it? And despite the necessities of safeguarding free speech, it’s surely difficult to argue that an invitation or recommendation for hanging or bridge-pushing isn’t menacing; nor that it doesn’t constitute an incitement to violence which, if uttered in a public place, would be an offence under S5 of the Public Order Act 1986 as well. Either of those offences, or preaching racist hate, will get you fired from the BBC (unless directed at BBC-approved targets like white male Christian libertarians, of course).
The Corporation would no doubt say that Limond’s not employed by it: but the fact is, it’s already commissioned two series from him. So the questions arise: does the BBC think it’s an appropriate use of licence-payers’ funds to commission material from someone who openly breaks the law to incite violence? Will it repudiate and disassociate itself from his comments? Will it undertake not to commission him again?
An ethical and responsible taxpayer-funded public service broadcaster should do all three: but ah, he’s virulently anti-Murdoch, isn’t he? Don’t hold your breath.
follow A Libertarian Rebel on Twitter at https://twitter.com/#!/A_Liberty_Rebel
I can barely endure the smug, metro-trendy BBC current affairs output anymore; they support more than they report and they predictably select ‘news’ that stays within the boundaries of middle class left wing respectability. For months we had Syria, and had to swallow a constant barrage of appalling biased ‘reporting’ that glossed over atrocities committed by rebel fighters; then we had to stomach the whole hacking affair compounded by gloating commentary from sanctimonious Liebour stooges; then it was the Stephen Lawrence coverage for weeks etc.
Each of these stories received extended wall-to-wall headline coverage, while racist child-rape by grooming gangs was a one slot superficial affair, quickly relegated to the depths of provincial broadcasting. The BBC has a its own agenda FUNDED by you and me!
Shouldn’t Mr Limond be in prison for making such remarks? There’s at least one person in prison for such twitter (or was it facebook – but does it matter?) activity, isn’t there? So, why not him?
Lemmond is a pure coward he sits behind the wall of Twatter and BBC to spout his pathetic misogynistic crap he is the worst kind of closet hater and small minded pigs I have come across now I like Boyle bad as he can be yet the BBC dumped him for sod all as bad as this !!!
By their tweets shall you know them. Why is the bBC giving this worthless excuse for a human being a penny of my license fee?
Brian Limond @DaftLimmy
@DonnieKerrigan I mean off her head, right doon tae the scalp.
15 May Brian Limond @DaftLimmy
@paulwhitelaw Straight off the head.
15 May Brian Limond @DaftLimmy
Make Murdoch eat all of Brooks’ hair, and I’m willing to forget everything.
15 May Brian Limond @DaftLimmy
Tie Rebekah Brooks’ hair around Murdoch’s neck and chuck the prick off a bridge.
15 May Brian Limond @DaftLimmy
Retweet if you’d like Rebekah Brooks to be hanged.
Rebekah Brooks’ husband said she’s the victim of a witch-hunt. Unintentionally spot on.
15 May Brian Limond @DaftLimmy
What a shame if Rebekah Brooks choked to death on her hair tonight. Or caught her hair on the cell bars, twisting them into a fucking noose.
15 May Brian Limond @DaftLimmy
@DonnieKerrigan Haha.
@roddyhart You smelled fucking superb.
Imagine finding Rebekah Brooks dead in her cell. The trauma! Why, I would wish to compensate the officer £10,000. I repeat, £10,000.
Rebekah Brooks? ARREST her. DETEST her. Let her fucking FESTER.
“Hate” anyone?
‘Why is the bBC giving this worthless excuse for a human being a penny of my license fee?’
Covered, it would appear, under ‘uniquely different’.
“Imagine finding Rebekah Brooks dead in her cell. The trauma! Why, I would wish to compensate the officer £10,000. I repeat, £10,000.”
This one sounds very close to incitement to me.
You can see why Limmond is obssessed with Rebecca’s hair. Looks like he hasn’t got any. Doesn’t take a psychatrist, does it?
or a psychiatrist, even.
Have you noticed that the victims in Bosnia were ‘Muslims’ whilst the perpetrators of paedophilia and child rape were ‘Asian’
Surely the Bosnian ‘victims’ were European.
Well spotted!, HR.
Yep, they couldn’t use the ‘M’ word often enough in the reports on Mladic.
Standard.
One thing we clearly ARE spending money on is Justin Webbs railcard.
For wasn`t it only yesterday he was moaning round Cologne Cathedral as those gloomy bells tolled the death of the European Dream?
Still he did manage to find some “European Studies” bloke from Duisburg Tech or wherever, to say that the SDP there win elections as long as they continue to bail out the Greeks and show “international solidarity” via the ECB.
Wonder who pays for Professor “Jah” and his “seat” then?…how did we Justin find one of the few Germans that think like that too?
Still-time to rush along with the usual technical cock-ups…so I sense a rushed job here ,as Webb headed for…where else…Madrid(Humph includes Athens in his manor., so Oi..Webb…NO!).
Justin happens upon the Guardians correspondent there-quelle surprise-and so we get the BBC dripping poison into Spanish ears this time…run on the banks ,please by the time my nanny needs paying overtime, Pablo, por favor.
This clot Webb is like a tsetse fly on dung around Europe hoping to pass on something that puts Cameron in the dock-no matter at what cost to the Greeks and Spaniards.
And why the hell do Europes finest even talk to these incessant bitching Beeb girls spreading goss and bad vibes round the playground anyway…will someone tell them over there that its not 1945 anymore…the BBC lie for Obama and the UN…nothing less.
Britain`s just the flag of convenience for these Harmful Globetrotters.
So I ask again…who is picking up the tab for Webbs superannuated student railcard(name of Woods 1968)-and if the little shit is using planes, then set Tony Juniper, Laurie Penney and George Monbiot onto him…Gaia Genocidists all of `em!
Eurpoe has enough troubles without us sending our landfill over there to infect the water table.
And-whether Cameron “plays down” talk of a rift with Hollande because he didn`t meet him a few months back(unlike the visionary Ed)-or whether Cameron “claims” that he is in agreement with Plan B or otherwise…only shows ME that the BBCs use of language needs a good looking at.
Surely Camerons “support” of Sarkozy despite that “world-defining handshake -that -never -was”; only shows what an equable, sanguine, graceful helmsman under pressure we have in the great Etonian, playing for Corinth and Britain..as opposed to those emotional libertines like Silvio and Nicolas over in Euroland.
Now why don`t “Number Ten claim” THAT?…have we to do their job for them?
Must be galling for BBC’s Admiral -Field Marshall -General Director Mark Thompson when he sits down and thinks,
‘New Score took a blank sheet of paper and an empty office and turned it into 10.2 million paying subscribers. What have I done in my time in charge? Ah yes,
1. given patronising smiles to lots of my employees and told them how valued they were,
2. handled tough contract negotiations with our ‘top talents’ by paying them twice what they dreamed of and five times what they expected.
3. slapped the wrist of our top talent who invited Hollywood ‘A’ list actresses to fuck him and abused a respected elderly actor in a phone call.
4. Resigned in the hope of getting a much more highly (and anonymously) paid job with BBC’s quote unquote commercial arm.
The license payers, they’re lucky to have me.
Thompson has overseen significant growth in revenue for the BBC, with an increase in licensing BBC content to foreign regions, expanding the reach of the World Service, revamping the US division for increased audience share and revenue, and the development of a subscription iPad app for the iPlayer was brought to fruition under his watch. The BBC has made quite a large sum of money thanks to Thompson’s sure hand at the tiller. He also guided the BBC through that difficult move to Salford, granting employees large living stipends and helping to pay for their homes during the move, while at the same time paying for various talent to jet from London to Salford to improve their lifestyle and well-being.
Oh, wait…I’m sorry…you were wondering what he’s done for the license-fee payer. Sorry, can’t help you there.
lol 🙂
And presided over a near 5% loss in Radio 4 audience , only over this last year.
Do you think for a second that we`re all turning over to Ken Bruce, Talksport or Brian Matthew because we`re fed up of the incessant leftie crap on Radio 4?
The BBC itself probably think not-we`ll be wanting more Brigstocke, Coogan and Toksvig won`t we?
Still-at least Paul Gambaccini isn`t following me around with a tape measure…now THAT`S the sign that Radio 4 need someone to provide a eulogy for a “pop person”.
Wonder who Radio 4 will ask to praise Paul when it`s HIS turn to get that final curtain call?
Toksvig thinks that Jeremy Hardy is a comedian. Hardy thinks that Toksvig is a comedian. But less and less of the audience or former audience agree.