40 Responses to BECAUSE WE’RE WORTH IT?

  1. dave1east says:

    a quarter of Asian men are rapers

    but you have to work hard with this article’s headline to get that

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-24021573

    imagine if it was `men in Lincolnshire`

       18 likes

  2. The Prangwizard of England says:

    I posted this on Stephen Pollards page – it’s much the same as I have commented here in the past but with some additional comments. I apologise to those who have seen my views on the subject already.

    ”There is much speculation that the BBC Trust, being now unfit, with which I agree, should be dissolved and supervision of the BBC transferred to Ofcom.

    As for the BBC itself; it is completely unacceptable that I or anyone else should, in a supposed free society, need the permission of a State to watch television, and pay a fee(tax) to do so. The BBC is an anachronism, conceived in a different by-gone age. What is the State doing through the BBC, making entertainment programmes? What is it doing covering sport? We don’t need to be told what to do, or what is good for us by the State. We are not at war, we don’t need a State broadcaster to boost morale, to teach us how to behave, to eat the right foods. And the way the BBC has gone, it is politically partisan, to the Left, an extension of its perceived role as ‘protector of the people’, and a perfect model for the Left wing political activists to enter and influence.

    We have had some political and democratic devolution, (with the exception of England). We now need to address the problem of what to do with the BBC in the same way. There is already some separation of programming, a BBC Scotland for example. But there is no BBC England, just regions, which people have rejected.

    We should have total devolution of broadcasting. Let each nation decide what it needs and how it is financed. And given that England has no parliament of its own yet, it is paramount that only MPs from English constituencies and the people of England contribute and vote.”

       57 likes

  3. Roland Deschain says:

    Last night’s News at Ten did cover the Public Accounts Committee, but then again it couldn’t avoid it. However there was the distinct impression they couldn’t get it out of the way soon enough, because it was something of a “blink and miss it” story.

    Had that been Murdoch, can anyone doubt that half the programme would have been devoted to it, with every utterance dissected by Nick Robinson et al to the nth degree, plus a Special Guest Appearance by Tom Watson?

       57 likes

  4. George R says:

    ‘Yorkshire Post’:-

    “Incompetent BBC is now broke says MP”

    [Excerpt]:-

    “Former chairman of the BBC’s board of governors Lord Grade said the corporation ‘suffers more and more from a lack of understanding the value of money’.

    “He told BBC2’s Newsnight: ‘The cheque comes in every April, £3.5 billion, and if you don’t have to earn the money and you’ve got that quantity of money it’s very hard to keep a grip on the reality of the value of money.’”

    http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/main-topics/general-news/incompetent-bbc-is-now-broke-says-mp-1-6032354

       44 likes

  5. George R says:

    “BBC gets the thumbs down from national newspapers”

    By Roy Greenslade.

    http://www.theguardian.com/media/greenslade/2013/sep/10/bbc-markthompson?

       25 likes

  6. George R says:

    “BBC to implement Newsroom Computer System worth up to £104m”

    http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/software/3467816/bbc-to-implement-newsroom-computer-system-worth-up-to-104m/?

       25 likes

    • Old Goat says:

      I suppose computer-aided bias will largely be much the same as the usual stuff.

         29 likes

      • Lobster says:

        We might even have a computer generated virtual Albaman posting on here. By the way, where is he lately?

           24 likes

        • Joshaw says:

          On tour with Zippos Circus.

             21 likes

          • GCooper says:

            One thing I’ve noted over the years is the marked absence of our Lefty trolls during weekends and evenings – suggesting they expect someone else to finance their activities.

            The paymaster probably isn’t the BBC but it’s most likely to be some other organ of the state that pays the trolls – with our money.

               18 likes

            • Albaman says:

              Good to know that I am being missed? Interesting that anyone who deigns to disagree with the “favoured contributors” who inhabit this blog must be a “lefty troll”. Guess you do not want any debate but just a forum to “stroke each others egos”!!

              Is the ongoing assertion that anyone who fails to follow the bBBC “party line” has to be in the employ of the BBC or “some other organ of the state” ever been proved or is it just a sign of this blogs insecurity?

              I know that my email address is known to the site owners. Using this information a simple google search would show that I am not connected in anyway to the BBC or any “other organ of the state”.

                 5 likes

              • Chop says:

                Erm…

                But you ARE a lefty troll Alby.

                At this moment in time, no one, and I really do mean, NO ONE can possibly back or support the BBC.

                Yet, here you are…again…trolling.

                   24 likes

              • Richard Pinder says:

                “I am not connected in anyway to the BBC or any “other organ of the state”

                Does that mean you retired or left the BBC or “other organ of the state” with a very large wad of cash.

                Albaman, we all think you are inept, and do not know the value of money, probably because you are both Scottish and a Socialist.

                   8 likes

            • Albaman says:

              “One thing I’ve noted over the years is the marked absence of our Lefty trolls during weekends and evenings” …………… Strangely when posting at weekends or of an evening I have been accused of “working overtime”. In fact, on numerous occasions, Guest Who has accused me of colluding with others on a shift basis. According to Alan we all post from the same PC although when asked to publish the evidence he went rather quiet.

                 4 likes

              • GCooper says:

                My, my.. two responses to a general observation about our Lefty trolls.

                Touched a nerve, did I?

                   24 likes

                • Roland Deschain says:

                  What could have made him think you were talking about him when you mentioned lefty trolls? Has he outed himself?

                     20 likes

    • John Anderson says:

      The axiom is – the bigger and more complex the system, the more likely it will fail.

      £100 million sounds like a huge, huge complicated system. OK, some of it will be hardware such as user terminals – but the software could end up like a plate of spaghetti, given the BBC’s track record.

         17 likes

  7. George R says:

    “BBC Trust under review, says Jeremy Hunt.

    “Former culture secretary says overseeing body has been flawed since it was set up in 2007 following Iraq dossier row”

    By Nicholas Watt.

    http://www.theguardian.com/media/2013/sep/10/bbc-trust-review-jeremy-hunt

       16 likes

  8. George R says:

    “Cheers ring round BBC newsroom as Corporation personnel chief is branded a liar by MPs.

    “MP Margaret Hodge accused Lucy Adams of changing her evidence.
    “At one point Mrs Hodge said: ‘I’m not having any more lies this afternoon’.
    “BBC’s media correspondent tweeted: ‘There was an audible cheer.’
    “Grilled with 6 other BBC bosses with salaries worth a total of £1.6million.
    “Blame game rumbles on with all sides insisting they are not at fault.”
    By SAM GREENHILL and MATT CHORLEY.

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2416497/Cheers-BBC-newsroom-staff-MPs-Corporation-personnel-chief-Lucy-Adams-liar.html

       31 likes

    • David Preiser (USA) says:

      Is Davis being set up as the fall gal here? While clearly guilty herself, she ran a close fourth or fifth in the race to lie the most. The lowest ranking person there is going to take the most heat? Figures.

         10 likes

      • #88 says:

        That’s why organisations have HR people!

        Anyway, I note that she is the ex (or soon to be ex) Director of HR.

        I wonder if she jumped or was she pushed…and, whichever, what size of £pay-off was made to ease her path for her.

           8 likes

        • David Preiser (USA) says:

          I was under the impression that she gave her own notice once she saw the writing on the wall.

             3 likes

          • DavidA says:

            Or more likely, was promised a nice well-paid post somewhere else, once the heat has died down, in addition to her hefty payoff, which she obviously will not have to pay back when reinstated/relocated.

            That seems to be the usual run of things among the Common Purposers when one has to fall on his/her sword to save their hive mates from the spotlight.

               12 likes

      • John Standley says:

        As they say at the beeb:

        (Deputy) Heads Will Roll!

           9 likes

  9. stuart says:

    just makes me sick reading this,half the country is living off food banks,we are all struggling to pay are gas and electric bills because we are getting ripped off by these energy company cartels,and these lot down bbc hq are behaving like mafia bosses sharing out the profits from there extortion rackets,how much more can we take of this,just scrap this damm tv licence and let the bbc go commercial,if itv.channel 4 and channel 5 can live off commercials why cant the bbc,i dont mind the 3 minute add breaks,do you.

       18 likes

    • Chilli says:

      Slight correction: Energy company profits make up a not unreasonable 5% of what they charge customers. By contrast, green taxes currently make up 20-30% of your energy bill and this proportion is due to increase to 50% by 2020. But I agree that the energy company cartels are largely supportive of the government’s ‘climate change’ tax scam – since they reap a large slice of the spoils. So yeah, they’re in on the scam, but the politicians are to blame for it. You can’t blame businesses for sticking their heads in a trough willingly provided by elected politicians.

         31 likes

      • David Preiser (USA) says:

        A reminder that the BBC censored a line from a report from Mervyn King where he said green energy policies are damaging and cause higher energy costs.

        Stuart, the BBC wants you to direct all your anger at the greedy cartels and ignore what’s really causing the problem.

           29 likes

        • #88 says:

          …and the train companies (who make only 3p in the £).

          All part of the Labour / BBC ‘we are all so poorly off because of the Tories’ narrative that is being ratcheted up, as we speak.

             18 likes

  10. The Prangwizard of England says:

    I have read the Mail Online article. I’ve looked at the pictures. That Lucy, she’s not bad looking, bit of a hard face maybe but well turned out. Nice black dress, nice silver necklace and rings, in a nice warm soft environment …. but stop, stop!
    In the picture of her entering the place she’s not wearing the glasses, nor carrying them. Inside they are on her head -are they just a fashion accessory? Suspect she really does fancy herself, don’t yer think?
    Anyway – she is a liar. She is said to have resigned from the BBC. Why not sacked for lying – and thus bringing the BBC into disrepute – no, don’t laugh. Why? because they are all covered in excrement, they can’t see it on each other. Why hasn’t Patten, who claims to be whiter than white and a guardian of the BBC’s reputation not seen to it? It’s his duty isn’t it?
    He must go, the Trust must go.

       28 likes

    • The Prangwizard of England says:

      Forgot to put in word for Margaret Hodge. I don’t share her politics but she’s got some balls on this. She must be under a lot of pressure from the Establishment Elites to back off, but she deserves our support and encouragement.

         10 likes

      • David Preiser (USA) says:

        Sort of. Hodge seemed more like she was concerned about protecting the BBC’s National Treasure status than about getting the public their money’s worth.

           14 likes

    • chrisH says:

      I`m with you there Mr Wizard!
      Maybe if we had “I Love Lucy” T-shirts and begged her to take over from Kirsty Wark, we may yet see the return of the missing Newsnight audience.
      A petunia amidst the gnomes and cabbage patch lardies…she deserves better!
      Still-as long as Sarah Palins about, she`ll not be my fovourite-Matron only allows me one poster per week!

         6 likes

  11. George R says:

    BBC besmirches Britain’s reputation globally.

    One of the phoney arguments for the perpetuation of the BBC ‘s massive global broadcasting empire is that it enhances Britain’s status in the world.

    On the contrary. And BBC’s self-serving interest in all that is a key reason for ending the BBC World Service before BBC licence-payers are saddled with the expense.

    “Pay row has undermined BBC”

    [Opening excerpt]:-

    “The controversy over excessive pay for senior staff at the BBC has ‘undermined’ the corporation’s reputation around the world and is as damaging as the Jimmy Savile sex abuse scandal, according to one of its award-winning journalists.”

    http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/national/news/10665631._/?

       22 likes

    • David Preiser (USA) says:

      The massive global broadcasting empire enhances the BBC’s status, period. I’d bet that just about the only people who feel encouraged to like Britain more from watching the BBC are those in the US who grew up on Dr. Who and what we call Britcoms, or are currently enamored by the televised fantasy Britain of Downton Abbey, Midsomer Murders, and various dramas. Does anyone think people in Pakistan or Malaysia or Brazil view Britain more positively, or that Nigerians hold Britain in higher esteem, because of the World Service?

      The Beeboids feel as if they have a divine right to do it, as well. It’s as if they can push their personal viewpoints anywhere in the world, simply because it’s the BBC. Just ask Jeremy Paxman about spreading influence.

         14 likes

      • Richard Pinder says:

        Just like the NHS, I was brought up to believe that Britain’s National Health Service was the best and most envied health service in the world. A look on the internet shows that the World Health Organisation ranks the NHS in 18th place. But then Cubans are told the same thing about their Health Service, but are in 40th place.

           16 likes

  12. Derek says:

    Did ex-DG Thompson mislead the PAC?

    He implied Patten should have known from newspaper reports the details of Mark Byford’s redundancy arrangements, which Thompson claimed he made sure were made known in the interests of transparency.

    As Thompson also categorised Byford’s redundancy arrangements as ‘contractual, ‘standard’ and ‘good value’ it is clear his use of the word ‘transparency’ has little to do with common usage but is simply Orwellian Newspeak, in which Thompson seems very well practiced.

    Having looked at DailyMail and Telegraph articles Thompson alluded to there is nothing explicit to show what a manipulated raid on the licence fee money this was. Some choice quotes and links below.

    “The signal that top level staff are suffering the same as everyone else at the BBC will send out a strong message to rank and file workers.”

    Hah! That quote is from the DailyMail 12th Oct 2010 reporting Mark Byford’s redundancy. And from the Telegraph 11th Oct 2010 we have

    “Sacrificing Byford is definitely born out of embarrassment over his pay, his expenses, the size of his pension pot and the fact that news has two people in charge – Byford as chair of the journalism board, and Helen Boaden as director of news.”

    So the BBC not only pays the same person twice over to do a job, it also has more than one person getting rich supposedly doing that same job. They just throw money at themselves, don’t they?

    And, rather contradicting Thompson’s claim of transparency (my emphasis) from the Telegraph 28th June 2011:
    ” John Whittingdale, the chairman of the Commons culture, media and sport select committee, said: “At a time when the BBC is facing severe pressure on its budgets it is extraordinary that it should cost such a large amount of money to part with Mark Byford, especially given the size of his pension pot.”

    A spokesman for the BBC refused to comment on the figures…

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1319644/BBCs-Mark-Byford-redundant-given-1m-pay-off.html

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/8057696/BBCs-Mark-Byford-made-redundant.html

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/8604532/BBC-boss-who-lost-his-job-left-with-950000-pay-off.html

       15 likes

  13. David Preiser (USA) says:

    This is all good fun, but ultimately will allow the BBC to escape much-needed scrutiny about the endemic Left-wing bias. Restructuring management and compensation packages won’t fix that.

       15 likes

  14. chrisH says:

    I liked the comment of Michael Deacon in todays Telegraph that Snow White and her six gnomes and numpties( the BBC stiffs sent out to bat for them at yesterdays PAC) resembled little more than a post mortem from The Apprentice before Sugar fires one of them.
    Do`nt suppose there`ll be any jokes about this on the BBC anytime soon-no doubt, like the Battle for Stalingrad-they await the winners before garlanding von Paulus or Zhukov-and mocking the one that lost.
    The BBC themselves probably see yesterdays camp comedy classic as worthy of an AJP Taylor analysis here-they`re so vain, venal and up their own fundaments.
    Still-let the carnival of clowns come by us all again-and maybe we can slit a pocket or two this time…

       12 likes

  15. Justin Casey says:

    Meanwhile ….. An even worse `culture` of peadophilia, grooming, molestation, and subversion of any Police investigations and complete denials of any kind of cover-ups or knowledge of rumours about members of its` own staff spanning a period of forty years at least…… Is quietly and deliberately being obscured by this charade of an inquiry about BBC staff caught with thier trotters in the till…. Chaired by a woman whose own lack of honesty regarding her tax returns and accounting in general are just as bad as those she judges…. The BBC are quite happy to use this inquiry as a means to sweep the forty years of child sex and raping of vunerable people by perverts who without thier status within thier corporation would never have had access to thier victims in the first place…. I couldn`t give a flying f*ck about overpayments to BBC staff when they left thier employ, I want to see the whole staff purged of sexual predators and a full and complete, unimpeded investigation by the Police and the Crown Prosecution Service pressing charges for what they did and also charges of aiding and abetting whenever it is apparent that witnesses to thier crimes chose not to report it to the police at the time as well!!! We all know these twats waste our money and fill thier pockets either in over inflated payoffs, salaries, expenses and squander hundreds of millions funding IT systems that do not work or on overseas media outreach projects every single year!! The criminal actions carried out by those within the BBCs` sphere of influence need to answer to the Law… Inquiries are a complete nonsense nobody gets anything more than a bit of criticism then it`s business as usual until the next public inquiry into the shenanegans of a complete bunch of absolute ar$eholes who will still pocket thier massive cheques and still be the same arrogant b*$tards they were before they were belittled by a dodgy MP who is nothing more than a hypocrite!!

       2 likes

  16. George R says:

    “The obvious solution to the incompetence, arrogance and elitism of senior corporation figures is to scrap the licence fee,

    writes George Kerevan.”

    http://www.scotsman.com/news/george-kerevan-bbc-chiefs-like-bankers-1-3090653

       2 likes