An excellent spot by ‘Tommy Atkins’ in the comments:
Spotlight falls on Televisa, Mexico’s all-powerful TV station
Critics accuse Televisa of manipulating politicians and viewers and threatening democracy.
For decades Televisa‘s logo – a golden human eye gazing at the world through a television screen – captured the company’s success at controlling and dominating what Mexicans watched.
The media firm, the biggest in Latin America, produced soap operas, quiz shows, films and news bulletins that reflected and reinforced the country’s concentration of economic and political power.
The company’s alleged use – abuse, say critics – of programming for political and commercial ends has become an explosive issue in Sunday’s election.
“The power of the television networks does not lie in their economic power but in their ability to manipulate opinion. About 98% of homes have a television, and it is on between four to six hours a day in around 60% of homes,” said Purificación Carpinteyro, a former under-secretary of communications.
“The degree of concentration in television is an attack on democracy. It gives them enormous power to extort. The [networks] have the political class under control because nobody wants to be insulted or rubbed out or exhibited on TV. The television calling somebody corrupt is tantamount to a judgment from the supreme court.”
Any thing starting to sound familiar? And I’m not talking Murdoch.
yes, I have just read Tommy’s comment and followed the link; of course they take the line that it is ‘Murdoch on steroids’ but of course that IS exactly what the BBC is: a massive mutated power-hungry monster that will try to crush all comers by hook or by crook.
What is laughable is that the whole issue is about supposed favouritism towards a politician (in this case the favourite to win…but favourite now after a few hiccups in the last few months). Now, the BBC has been a darn sight more considerate towards Gordon Brown and CONTINUE to do so!
‘The power of the television networks does not lie in their economic power but in their ability to manipulate opinion.’
But £4Bpa does buy a lot of power when pumped out as a compelled funding monopoly, especially when it is, uniquely, immune form being held to account.
There seems to be something holding Britain back.
Yet another reason to sign and share the ePetition requesting the UK Government for a Referendum on the BBC’s Licence Fee
Sign up here
http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/34655
tell your mates…
Unfortunately the petition is doomed to failure: a large majority see the BBC as excellent value (it is really) because they think of multiple TV and radio channels, especially local radio etc., films documentaries blah blah blah. The BBC bias in it’s news gathering, omissions, agendas etc., is clear and undeniable to many that know and compare BUT most of the population believe “ah well, it may be a bit bad but overall it is great” type opinion; this is the danger and the politicians know it: any that comes out with a clear CUT THE BBC policy will be cut to ribbons because the opposition have a mountain of old grannies, young children etc to say they love the BBC.
I think the only hope is that the BBC news will become increasingly bias (as they appear to be doing) to the point when it becomes so obvious even to the most dim-witted soap follower and that is the time to strike.
I’m afraid I have to agree. If you want a referendum on anything, you must time it for when you think you can win. Right now there wouldn’t be a hope in hell of winning as the BBC is still held in high regard by a great number of people. This site does a lot of good work to show the BBC in its true colours, but in the grand scheme of things it isn’t enough without a concerted high-profile campaign by those adversely affected.
You’d think the Tories would be up for that but, as many have noted here in the past, are too useless and cowed by the BBC to do it.
” even to the most dim-witted soap follower and that is the time to strike.”
well there you have it, a definition that sadly defeats the aspiration they will ever waken from their slumbers.
Aint never goint to happen I’m sorry to say. A society that is glued to inane soaps is beyond help.
Here’s an easy target for someone…how is it that bbc3 is so full of utter nonsense, but they have the wonderful “family guy” cartoons: my fave bbc prog?
Perhaps the answer is to do what the US does in cases of “anti-trust” -split the corporation into separate entities.
I’d like to see the licence fee reserved for those parts of programming that are not economic. BBC Worldwide could fund the “entertainment”, and I’d like to see two independent news divisions with a clear mandate to present news from a left-wing and a right-wing bias. I think it is clear that there is no such thing as unbiased news.
I don`t imagine that Operation Fast and Furious got any more coverage there than it did here…did it?
BBC_NUJ wants to make parts of its global monopolistic broadcasting empire ‘commercial’, so that it can supplement BBC licencepayers’ money to finance its ‘leftist’-Islam political output.
“Caroline Thomson: BBC quality won’t be sold out for cash”
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/caroline-thomson-bbc-quality-wont-be-sold-out-for-cash-7897000.html
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