The BBC brings us a celebration of girl power:
Wonder Women: busting stereotypes across the world
On 28 October the BBC will host a day of events focusing on the power of women – those who have changed the world around them and inspired others to do the same.
Our keynote speakers include Joyce Banda, president of Malawi from 2012 to 2014 and named by Forbes magazine as the most powerful woman in Africa.
They obviously forgot to tell John Simpson….
John Simpson: BBC run by tough women is grotesque
BBC’s John Simpson has criticised the ‘tough women’ running the organisation saying it is ‘grotesquely managed’.
The World Affairs Editor, who has reported from war zones around the globe been with the BBC since 1988 said it is now a ‘ghastly outfit’.
Mr Simpson was speaking to former BBC correspondent Denis Murphy on stage at Ireland’s Happy Days Festival, which celebrates writer Samuel Beckett.
Mr Simpson, 69, was quoted in The Sun newspaper saying: “The BBC is even more grotesquely managed now than it was then — tough women running the place now. It was nicer and gentler then. The BBC is such a nanny — and ghastly outfit.”
Joan Bakewell is not impressed by Simpson nor by the BBC’s empty promises on ‘old girl power’….
Joan Bakewell laughs at BBC contract for ‘old elephant’ John SImpson
Given that John Simpson had only two months ago laid into what he called the “tough women” who run the “grotesquely managed” BBC, Dame Joan Bakewell can see the irony in the corporation awarding its 70-year-old world affairs editor a contract that will enable him to work for it for as long as he wants.
“I don’t dispute that John is one of the great old elephants at the BBC – and nobody else does quite what he does – but wouldn’t it be great if, just for once, this organisation that he feels is dominated by tough women would allow a woman to grow old there, too,” says Bakewell,
Mandrake disclosed in 2010 how Bakewell had been involved in brokering a deal with the then BBC boss Mark Thompson that allowed Julia Somerville, Fiona Armstrong, Carole Walker and Zeinab Badawi – all then over 50 – to take turns presenting on the BBC’s 24-hour rolling news channel, but the arrangement soon petered out.
“Since then, people at the BBC have made all the right noises about allowing women to work for longer, but it always comes to nothing,” says Bakewell. “There is this idea that the viewers like the craggy, Hemingwayesque faces of old men on television, but they don’t care for the faces of old women.”
And Miriam O’Reilly is still seething….
Ageism row presenter Miriam O’Reilly attacks BBC for giving John Simpson new indefinite contract ‘because he’s a man’
Former Countryfile presenter Miriam O’Reilly who won a landmark ageism case against the BBC has attacked the corporation saying John Simpson has been given a new indefinite contract ‘because he’s man’.
The 57-year-old, who successfully sued the BBC for age discrimination after she was dismissed from the programme, hit out on Twitter after learning of the new contract awarded to the broadcaster’s world affairs editor.
The 70-year-old journalist, who has worked for the BBC for more than 45 years, has been given the new deal that will see him work for the corporation for as long as he likes.
The top woman is the Queen who rules over more land surface than any ruler, man or woman. The Royal Commonwealth is the largest Empire in the 21st Century, comprising of 100 Territories in 16 Realms with a total land surface area of 10,335,644 square miles.
top bloke john simpson,deserves better from these sexist politacaly correct maleaphobic bbc dinosuars.
I wonder if a BBC spokesman, or in this case spokeswoman, may be produced to claim these friendly fragging comments from sack ‘o rats central are in fact a healthy sign that they are, again, ‘getting it about right’?
Nothing says balance like a bunch of BBC crinklies airing their dirty privilege.
Just have to hope that Young Turk Danny Cohen doesn’t blunder into the arena and tell them all to hush up, or else. Again. Seems he’s another eyewateringly-remunerated talent in the same mould as Hugs, and accorded the same respect by his colleagues.
Speaking of the cadres of BBC top floor totty that seem to have passed by the girls, maybe they could ask for comment that exec who has to skip off early to her second job as a barista, despite being on a few hundred k?
Can’t wait for 28th ! We will be able to remember Maggie and all the real changes she made to the world.
Dream on! She’ll be declared an “honorary man” for the day and be routinely ignored. I am sure that Harriet Harperson had a word with Mr Dimbleby on QT, to sort it out.
Margaret Thatcher.
“You turn if you want to, The Lady’s not for turning”.
Now there’s power, authority and change.
Whatever your politics she was probably Great Britain’s most influential woman.
But no, as mentioned above, it’ll be names we’ve never even heard of from places which have no relevance to GB.
I have known many Malawians in my time and they are lovely gentle people. A country racked with HIV/AIDS and little in the way of natural resources. Most live a subsistence life mostly fishing Lake Malawi and supplement with corn.
Just read up Joyce Banda’s profile. Good lefty profile that ticks all the boxs. Womens lib, rights bladydiebla. Been in office a mere 2 years, done a few shady deals and not much else so far. There is nothing there to judge her on except she refused to turn a blind eye to the ICC arrest warrant for the murderous Al-Bashir for an AU conference.
Ageism? According to the government website Mmost people can retire when they want to. Will we see an aging BBC?