John Whittingdale confirms that the BBC is to lose its power to judge whether the BBC is biased. Good. About time.
John Whittingdale, the UK culture secretary, has confirmed that the BBC will be stripped of its power to adjudicate on allegations of political bias in its coverage.
Speaking at the Conservative party conference in Manchester, he said the public should have confidence that complaints are examined independently and carefully. He said it must no longer be the case “that if you make a complaint against the BBC, the decision on whether it is justified is taken by the BBC”.
Whittingdale first signalled such a move in an interview with the Telegraph in June, in which he said he wanted to think about the way questions of impartiality were judged by the BBC Trust.
In his address to Tory conference, Whittingdale said the BBC was the finest broadcaster in the world at its best, but claimed many people feel it had “not always been as fair and impartial as it should [be]”. He said this was one of the key issues being considered in his review of the future of the corporation, which has already had 80,000 responses.
In a green paper published in July, Whittingdale’s department said the BBC Trust model needed to be reformed, with its regulatory functions given either to a unitary board, a new standalone oversight body, or a third party regulatory body such as Ofcom.
It is of interest that there are 80,000 or so responses to the Charter Review from the Public so far…..the BBC and its hangers on constantly claim that the Review Panel is anti-BBC (it is definitely not that….some worked for the BBC and one is from the the Voice of the Listeners and Viewers group of which David Attenborough is a supporter…”If you want to help ensure its quality, please join me in supporting VLV which is doing so much to protect the principle of public service in broadcasting” and which has many ex-BBC types on its board). So apart from much support on the Review Panel itself, the BBC and BBC Trust have a huge voice in the Review along with many, many other interested parties….and here we see evidence that the Public also get a chance to voice their opinions.
The BBC has been extremely dishonest in attacking the Review Panel and trying to suggest the Panel is anything but impartial and that it is the sole arbiter of what happens to the BBC when that is far, far from the truth.
It is interesting also to note that the BBC’s seeming biggest fan, Tory Lord Fowler, who is one of those who maligned the Review Panel so mendaciously, pops up in the Sunday Times letters page to attack the Government’s proposal to subject the BBC Charter to review every five years instead of ten…this he says will increase the control of government. He doesn’t like the Royal Charter in itself saying it is ‘a cover for political meddling…..thoroughly undemocratic and hands power to whatever government is in power at the time’….paradoxically suggesting that the answer might be that huge changes to the BBC should be subject to parliamentary scrutiny and approval….not sure how that isn’t a BBC still under a level of political control. Not sure though how he thinks the current review process is undemocratic and unaccountable as it seems open to anyone to have a say and for Parliament to speak up for or against as the members wish. Lord Fowler’s ability to comment doesn’t seem to be too constrained by the ‘undemocratic process’. It’s not as if the BBC itself isn’t political, apart from its proven left-wing bias, it wields enormous power of its own over politicians…as Fowler admitted in 2012…’Surely the corporation has a massive political influence, for why else would cabinet and shadow cabinet ministers queue up to be interviewed on Today or Andrew Marr’s Sunday programme?’
No link to the Times article but essentially Fowler only repeated what he said in the Lords last month…
The Government, in their consultation on the BBC royal charter, skirt around the most basic question, the 20th question: do we need a royal charter at all? The noble Baroness touched on that. It all sounds very grand. It sounds as if it is a defensive mechanism against political interference—the kind of recognition that should be given to an organisation as important and venerable as the BBC. In fact, the royal charter means that the BBC is the plaything of any Government who happen to be in power as the 10-year renewal comes around. It is not just Conservative Governments, but Labour Governments as well.
I’ll believe it when I see it.
I think that John Whittingdale has got it about right.
‘John Whittingdale, the UK culture secretary, has confirmed that the BBC will be stripped of its power to adjudicate on allegations of political bias in its coverage’.
This statement indicates that the BBC has a future.
Far from getting rid of this biased broadcasting corporation, Whittingdale has let the cat of the bag.
The only action will be to ‘strip the corporation of its bias’.
Its all very depressing – The only salvation is to vote UKIP.
J Edgar Hoover kept files, full of potentially damaging information, on a whole host of people which he used to manipulate them. I have absolutely no doubt that there are those in the BBC who maintain a similar system and who use it to manipulate useful idiots like Fowler.
TPO, Good point. The BBC would use anything , including threats and blackmail , to maintain their “unique” , priviledged, position. An evil organisation.
BBC’s unbiassed view of all things to do with Palestinians and Muslims.
Jerusalem Terror Attack: BBC Headline Shocker
http://honestreporting.com/jerusalem-terror-attack-bbc-headline-shocker/
As somebody mentioned already, public tv across the world is biased to he left. There are many reasons why. You will never get impartiality with the BBC. It needs finishing.
The BBC recently commissioned a report on whether it was biased or not and got an independent review from Cardiff University. Cardiff University cleared it of bias.
Click to access impartialityatthebbc.pdf
http://isthebbcbiased.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/why-cardiff-universitys-claims-of-bbc.html
However, the Internationally respected think tank Civitas looked at the report, and concluded that there was so many connections between the BBC and Cardiff University it was almost embarrassing. Even the BBC stars admitted it would be a problem before the report was published, and complained to the top brass. They were ignored.
The BBC has too many tentacles, too many fingers in too many pies. Too many people on the payroll. Impartiality is virtually impossible. It has to be disbanded or become commercial. Then it can do what the hell it wants under OFCOM rules.
It is all window dressing and spin. The entire liberal establishment is on show now. Defend the BBC but throw a sop to the masses.
The Tory cabal needs the BBC to deliver a yes vote in the EU Referendum.
There is no logical case for keeping a tax funded broadcaster. It makes no sense and to enforce payment by the threat of prison is about as anti social as it gets. I am sick of it all.
Just privatise it and return the tax to the people.
Our entire arts/legal/educational/media class is in thrall to cultural marxism. Like lemmings they are blindly following each other to the disaster that is the future. What enrages me is that they will take good people with them. Our children and our grandchildren.
This country deserves better and for once we need to tell this class of 68 and it’s successors that their reign is coming to an end and it is time for them to clear the road and make way for new people and give our children a a chance. That this old nation has had enough of their stupidity and lying. That we want to be ruled by people who love this land, it’s history and it’s people.
For centuries with only brief periods of respite we have been ruled by this self centered greedy and entitled class of the useless.
Now they think that at last they are going to finally overcome us. They are wrong and now is the time we stop listening or arguing with them.
My ancestors have fought for them for centuries like many of yours. Enough is enough as they have finally betrayed us and our children’s futures. They have handed our freedoms to outsiders without authority from those in whom all sovereignity resides -that is us. They have opened our borders to the world in order to enrich themselves and subdue us.
In a old English four letter word= F### them.
Submission on Question 17: On the investigation into the Governance of Complaints handling and Editorial failings at the BBC.
That was a strange coincidence, the submission has already done its job. That means these are the people who are to be made redundant.
Fraser Steel, BBC, Editorial Complaints Unit, Head
Colin Tregear, BBC, Editorial Complaints Unit, Complaints Director
Richard Hutt, BBC, Editorial Complaints Unit, Complaints Director
Alison Wilson, BBC, Editorial Complaints Unit, Complaints Manager
Jessica Cecil, BBC, Chief Complaints Editor
Paul Moseley, BBC, Senior Complaints Adviser
David Jordan, BBC, Editorial Policy and Standards Director
Claire Powell, BBC, Editorial Policy, Chief Adviser
Paul Smith, BBC, Head of Editorial Standards for Audio and Music
Michael Fadda, BBC Worldwide, Editorial Standards Manager
Liam Boyle, BBC Worldwide, Deputy Complaints Manager
Stephanie Harris, BBC News, Head of Editorial Compliance
Lucy Tristram, BBC Trust, Complaints Adviser
Hannah Godfrey, BBC Trust, Complaints Advisor
Fran O’Brien, BBC Trust, Head of Editorial Standards
Bruce Vander, BBC Trust, Editorial Standards Committee Secretary
Leanne Buckle, BBC Trust, Senior Editorial Complaints Adviser
Sorely missed.
Wonder where their unique skill sets will find a new home?
That’s a very easy one; they’ll be taken on by the new independent complaints body, because their ‘experience’ will be of such benefit to it.
Now there’s someone who has seen how government works!
Don’t know if TUPE will apply, but the notion of this cabal of shysters simply swapping business cards to carry on as before under a new name seems uniquely credible.
That’s an awful lot of people dealing with the standard computer generated reply to complaints.
There’s the entering in the log and circulating too, don’t forget. That takes a lot of time. Apparently.
I don’t see any Junior Complaints Managers. Assuming this list is just the top tier. What is the total staff and who cleans the toilet , or should I say, toilets ?
That’s just the senior BBC Staff. There are about 400 Capita staff in Belfast who face redundancy from April next year, and another 26 BBC staff of the Editorial Complaints Unit, and another 57 staff in the BBC Trust Unit.
So that is a total of around 500 people who are due to be made redundant. But many of them may be transferred to work with Moderation services team leader Paul Wakely’s set up in Salford, if the Capita contract is not renewed.
I think that if there any white people cleaning the toilets in these Units, they must be working for MI5.
There seems to be a distinct lack of representation there from certain preferred groups, whose experience in grievances would surely be invaluable.
Fraser Steel, declaration of personal interest:-
Organisation:UK Immigration Services Ltd.
Type of work:Non-executive director and chair of the board (unpaid). UK Immigration Services is a small firm of licensed immigration practitioners.
Colin Tregear reply to concerns of viewer:
“You have been given an explanation as to why the footage was changed; there is no reason why the audience should be made aware that any such editing has taken place; and BBC News is under no obligation to tell you the source of the substituted images which were broadcast.” – to Robert Stuart
Robert Stuart noticed the BBC were using the same footage of a chemical attack for different allegations of other chemical attacks, but with the date stamp removed. He also noted that the footage looked suspiciously like an emergency drill. It was. The drill was ran for the BBC. The program was a BBC panorama documentary called Saving Syria’s Children.
https://uprootedpalestinians.wordpress.com/2015/07/26/finally-an-admission-from-bbc-that-their-syria-aleppo-footage-was-faked/
https://bbcpanoramasavingsyriaschildren.wordpress.com/2015/06/01/bbc-no-reason-why-audience-should-be-told-footage-was-changed-bbc-news-under-no-obligation-to-reveal-source-of-substituted-images/
Just the first two ‘Trustees’ show unbelievable bias. UK Immigration services director working for the BBC trust. Cover ups of staged chemical attacks in Syria for propaganda purposes, and for those that notice? It’s none of your business.
“its regulatory functions given either to a unitary board, a new standalone oversight body, or a third party regulatory body such as Ofcom”, will not work. Maybe Ofcom is ok for now, but once the BBC started to manipulate it behind the scenes, then… . Remove the licence fee (obviously). Become commercial or disband.
It is just window-dressing for the conference. The Tories do not have the balls to so anything about the BBC , or anything else important, for that matter. I remember way back in the sixties, when I was a little boy, my Dad saying “They are just slow-motion socialists”.
Grant I’m afraid their hands are somewhat tied. There is no doubt that the BBC has been naughty, but to put cane to botty does not sit well with the notion of democracy and free press. The govt. has to be clever in this – how to safely get rid of the BBC? Method???
All sugestions gratefully received.
PS I see that the BBC has withdrawn its knife from the back of the police force long enough to be ‘actively involved’ in the search for the perps of the murder that killed the poor unfortunate officer on Merseyside.
The height of hypocrisy.
Seismic, fair point. The Tories should have put abolition of the licence fee in their manifesto . It would not have lost them any votes .
Yes well, effectively it would be a tax cut so there is potential there.
Throw them to the wolves, or the commercial market and see how their distorted view of the world looks then.
I guess the BBC assets belong to we taxpayers , so maybe there could be a management buy-out or it could be sold off, maybe Rupert Murdoch would be interested. It would be fun ! Just need to say the proceeds will go to the NHS and ” Bob’s your uncle ” !
I should have thought it was just a matter of appointing a Controller General who would employ Producers, Directors and Managers who are Right leaning and thereby provide a balance with the plethora of Lefties.
Or…. simply those committed to professional impartiality.
And a culture that rewards them when viewers respond favourably, as opposed to ideological suck-ups producing what the hive queens think the public needs to be told. Sorry Eddie.
Welcome of course, and could be very helpful and far reaching. But when will it happen – we don’t want more ‘consultation’ – it needs immediate implementation. But the whole review is taking far too bloody long and we all know why. I wish all power to Mr Whittingdale’s elbow. He has a very difficult job and deserves all the support and encouragement he can get. Getting anything to change in such an organisation and against entrenched Establishment opposition is a Herculean task.
BBC power must be destroyed; the Fee must be abolished. If there is to be a public service broadcaster then let government take on the cost of paying for the bloated beast, and then cut it. Those bits which have value can be sold. They can’t say they can’t afford it – after all they can give away £12 billion a year overseas without batting an eyelid and with no audit.
“BBC power must be destroyed; the Fee must be abolished”
hallelujah !
sorry. Alhamdulillah, I nearly forgot.
I think a toothless committee will be appointed
If past performance is anything to go by then all government oversight department need to be abolished ! Every single one of them is completely incapable of making a decision against the industries they are supposed to oversee. On the rare occasions when they do, the sanctions are laughably light.
I note that when Whittingdale talks about this new independent body he makes no mention of any powers of sanction they might have. What would be the point of receiving a letter which confirms your allegations of bias, if the BBC is not compelled to address it?
What is needed is an element of sanction to force political bias back the other way, so when they’ve had the usual line up of Billy Bragg, Jeremy Hardy, Marcus Brigstocke, etc etc, we can look forward to an evening with Nick Griffin, Roy ‘chubby’ Brown etc etc. It would stick in their corporate craw so much they would soon mend their ways !
Alternatively a withholding of a days licence fee – to be returned to licence payers might also work.
Balen report anybody.
The trouble with proving bias is that it’s in the eye of the beholder and therefore easily dismissed with “we think we got it about right”. Far more effective, in my view, would be to force the BBC to publicise the methodology and statistics it uses in maintaining impartiality, on a regular basis. This would open the whole matter up to discussion.
In fact I’m pretty certain they have no methodology or statistics other than seat-of-the-pants what they think they’ll get away with, so to force them to do that would be a start.
Sadly, the BBC has an ignoble history of shrugging off countless exposures of just how bent it is when the cord around the sack of rats is forced open all too rarely.
Here’s a suggestion fofr MR. WHITTINGDALE
” To-day I am announcing the end of the mandatory bBC lICENCE TAX.
The final year’s installment of the fee will be converted by the Govrment to a £145 Christmas hamper distributable to all fee payers as a final thank-you and apology that it took so long.”
The bBc will convert to a subscription model , commencing transition from 2016.
I don’t watch any television – not even iPlayer. I therefor don’t need and don’t pay for a TV licence. After about a year and a half of peace, the BBC in it’s guise as TV licencing has started sending its unsolicitated, threatening, intimidating, patronising and offensive letters demanding that I either pay up or tell them that which they already know – I don’t need a licence.
I have previously complained to MPs, but after it gets to the incumbent government minister the BBC’s independence can not be interfered with. Offending me is irrelevant. I have never during the years that I have been TV free been confronted by one of their inspectors.
The only time I ever see TV is during infrequent hotel visits. I am always reminded what a load of drivel is being thrown at the British public and it is a myth that the BBC tripe is any better than anybody else’s.
I am a law abiding citizen and would not encourage anyone to commit a crime. I do often wonder, however, what would happen if even half of the TV licence renewals due in the next month or so failed to materialise.
“or a third party regulatory body such as Ofcom”
That fills me with no confidence whatsoever.
I regard the Conservatives as the least worst option, and a poor option at that.
Pull your finger out Cameron, pack the BBC Trust with EU haters,
I volunteer for the top job, no salary, just approved, publicised, expenses.
Dave, I promise you the lefties will be on the dole before the weekend.