MID WEEK OPEN THREAD….

On the day the BBC reveals that 100 of its employees earn more than the PM, here is a new OPEN thread. To me, the scandal is not the red herring of ‘pay gap” but rather one of the annual extortion of £3.5bn from anyone who owns a TV. A stalinist construction in 2017. Thoughts?

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659 Responses to MID WEEK OPEN THREAD….

  1. Dystopian says:

    Just heard your Talk Radio discussion and for once found myself agreeing with Paul Ross who seemed to share your views, apart from his final comment upon which he did not give you the chance to comment.
    (His claim that the BBC have also been accused of bias against Labour).
    I agree this whole “sexist pay gap” non issue is a smoke screen to divert attention from the real issue of the way the BBC extort their funds from a public who, as you correctly stated have no say whatsoever in how the money is spent.

       89 likes

    • Fedup says:

      Quite simple – mass disobedience – don’t pay the licence tax.

      I would prefer to pay a fee by choice but I won’t do so by compulsion and whilst al beeb has a political stance .

      Anyway – al beeb is leaving the tax avoiders out – those who set up false companies to pay themselves dividends to avoid income tax.

      This means we are only getting a glimpse of reality.,

      Part of the “fun” today will be looking for the absence of so call high status beeboids not on the al beeb list. These will be the tax avoiders

         106 likes

      • Doublethinker says:

        Good point about those not on the list Fed, I look with interest.

           37 likes

        • nofanofpoliticians says:

          Surely, the other point in all this relates to the invisible BBC employee as it has been proven that the BBC has an unequal pay culture.

          So what about the thousands of people in the BBC who are paid below the threshold and who are on unequal pay to their work counterparts?

          One rule for them, another for us? The BBC does have a problem here, if only a budgetary one but it could become bigger.

             14 likes

      • Joseph says:

        “Quite simple – mass disobedience – don’t pay the licence tax.”

        Agree.

        “No Taxation without Representation”, a founding principle of American independence in 1776, had its roots in Magna Carta. If we accept that the licence fee is a tax, and I don’t see why it is any less of a tax than, say, Excise Duty, where is my representation?

        Putting it crudely, how do I avoid being forced to pay obnoxious, talentless rubbish like Graham Norton? Doing without a TV entirely is not a reasonable alternative, IMO.

        I’m trying to persuade my other half to ditch the TV licence. I might even go illegal. I don’t believe that the BBC has a valid moral claim to my cash.

           40 likes

        • Fedup says:

          Joseph,
          Good luck with your other half. I hope you succeed . There is an element of stress in the endless threatening letters from capita you get but just ignore them. YouTube has bits on to licencing people and how to deal with them.

          The American British were right in 1776 because of misgovernment and we are right now. In time £146 might be worth it but the BBC is not fit to receive money now.

             16 likes

        • Bones says:

          The way I see it when the radio and then TV licence was introduced there was a limited amount of households with radios and televisions. As televisions became more affordable and ownership increased the licence amount should have reduced year on year, particularly as the population has increased in recent years by the equivalent of another Birmingham I believe. Instead there has been mission creep. It isn’t possible for independents to compete against BBC for radio, TV and online and it has been easy for BBC to demand more instead of leaving it up to the market to provide.

             5 likes

    • Richard Pinder says:

      The BBC has been biased against the ten Labour MP’s who supported Brexit and also the only Labour MP with scientific qualifications, who not only supports Brexit but is also a full blown Climate sceptic, as is the brother of the Leader of the Labour party.
      So yes the BBC can be biased against the Labour party. But only the few Labour supporters who are educated. Proving the fact that the term “Uneducated “ can cover people with university qualifications in the Arts and Drama, such as Opera and the Proms, and Marxist Philosophy, etc.

         49 likes

  2. MarkyMark says:

    Just calculate how many doctors and nurses and policemen could be created with £3.5billion
    … Tomorrow start transferring the £3.5billion …
    end of the BBC, end of Labour austerity complaints, end of news about austerity. We all go to Netflix.

    “Austerity Kills” placards replaced with “BBC Sacrifices Itself and Large Golden Pensions For Its Country”

       78 likes

    • MartinW says:

      … and just think what the HS2 £100 billion would pay for.

         17 likes

      • MarkyMark says:

        … we could have 28.5 BBCs for the price of HS2! Each BBC have it’s own channel and represent 2.45 of the new genders (71 and increasing) in the ‘New World’

        Asexual, Female to male trans man, Female to male transgender man, Female to male transsexual man, F2M, Gender neutral, Hermaphrodite, Intersex man, Intersex person, Intersex woman, Male to female trans woman, Male to female transgender woman, Male to female transsexual woman, Man, M2F, Polygender, T* man, T* woman, Two* person, Two-spirit person, Woman, Agender, Androgyne, Androgynes, Androgynous, Bigender, Cis, Cis Female, Cis Male, Cis Man, Cis Woman, Cisgender, Cisgender Female, Cisgender Male, Cisgender Man, Cisgender Woman, Female to Male, FTM, Gender Fluid, Gender Nonconforming, Gender Questioning, Gender Variant, Genderqueer, Intersex, Male to Female, MTF, Neither, Neutrois, Non-binary, Other, Pangender, Trans, Trans Female, Trans Male, Trans Man, Trans Person, Trans*Female, Trans*Male, Trans*Man, Trans*Person, Trans*Woman, Transexual, Transexual Female, Transexual Male, Transexual Man, Transexual Person, Transexual Woman, Transgender Female, Transgender Person, Transmasculine, Two-spirit

        Facebook’s 71 gender options come to UK users {telegraph jun2014}

        “… language is an important part of this battle … “@6:33 – The Mark Steyn Show with Jordan Peterson {youtube}

           14 likes

        • Ian Rushlow says:

          “Dear Mr Zuckerberg, thank you for advising us of the expansion of the gender option in your mass surveillance and advertising website. Unfortunately, the present application links between yourselves and the NSA and GCHQ systems are hard-coded to reflect the normalold-fashioned use of the term ‘gender’. We would like to arrange for our programming team to meet yours to agree the necessary coding changes at the earliest opportunity. Your sincerely etc”

             9 likes

        • Fedup says:

          Hell Markymark, I feel quite left out of all this – I dare not wonder what a neutrois might be but it might be useful in a pub quiz or if al Beeb brings back ” call my bluff” with Davina, Jezza, mishal and others on no less that £150k pa plus package ( inc sky bundle).

          Just to link things up – the 34 old snp girl who wore the jock strip in solidarity with the jock girls footy team playing to night used to work for The former mp Alex salmon . She is officially gay – I guess she can claim additional parliamentary expenses for sex orientation as well as the football shirt . Her name – for the record – is Hannah Bardell.

          I’m sure my hero – Jacob Rees Mogg would have an appropriate response to this creature. I’m certainly don’t.

             7 likes

          • Fedup says:

            Update
            The English Ladies team answered the Scottish shirt in the Commons issue; 6-nil.

               10 likes

  3. Oaknash says:

    Lord Halls reaction to this
    ” The Corporation needs to go further and faster on issues of gender and diversity”.

    Of course Aunty – thats the problem!

    Maybe they should start with the low hanging fruit instead. – I know start telling the truth.
    “Whats that?”

    “Its the thing Aunty that always gets in the way of a good story”

       68 likes

    • MarkyMark says:

      The problem is the EU, so we need more EU.
      The problem is diversity, so we need more diversity.
      The problem is countries are struggling to accommodate migrants, so we need more migrants.
      The problem is lack of talent, so we need to make it easier for people who are not interested in the job to apply and promote them based on ‘diversity’ quotas.
      The problem is finances, so we need to talk about diversity.

         109 likes

    • Deborah says:

      I listened to most of the Lord Hall interview at around 7.30 am on Today this morning. I was just waiting for Mishal to ask Lord Hall if she had got the job on the Today programme BECAUSE she was a woman (and a Muslim, but that is for another day). In Mishal’s shoes, I would have felt insulted by the way Lord Hall was going on about the number of women he was putting into post to equalise the number of men and women. I am sure like me those women would want to feel they had got the job because of their ability not their gender. And how many white males realise that it isn’t worth them applying for a job with the BBC because they just will not get offered the job?

      I noticed that Lord Hall said that by 2020 he hoped that 50% of those presenting the news would be women. I cannot remember what figure he gave for the present split but either it suggests some large degree of churn or that he is hoping to hugely expand the number of presenters. I wonder which?

      I haven’t even started on the size of BBC pay. Perhaps Amber Rudd’s description of Labour’s money tree is what comes to mind. If Gary Linnekar wants to go to Skye or wherever, then I suggest, let him. Is he so irreplaceable at half his present salary?

         44 likes

      • G.W.F. says:


        Deborah

        I was just waiting for Mishal to ask Lord Hall if she had got the job on the Today programme BECAUSE she was a woman (and a Muslim…

        Mishal – a double token, Moslem and a woman

           45 likes

      • Aerfen says:

        I am sure like me those women would want to feel they had got the job because of their ability not their gender

        They delude themselves that they did!

           20 likes

  4. TrueToo says:

    Dunno if any of my esteemed colleagues have read ‘The Aachen Memorandum’ by Andrew Roberts, published in 1995 and set in 2045. It’s remarkably prescient, along the lines of ‘1984’ and ‘Brave New World’. There’s even a Brexit-type vote, set in 2015, that has Remain fraudulently winning 52-48%!

    Made me reflect on that nail-biting referendum (no less nail biting as I watched it from afar) and on how you just managed to avoid being bludgeoned into submission by the EU. And what an awful day that was for the BBC as it dawned on the alleged journalists who work there that all their propaganda for the EU and against Brexit had been in vain.

       68 likes

  5. Doublethinker says:

    I don’t care much about the BBC gender pay gap itself, I do care about their hypocrisy in berating every other organisation for having a gender pay gap. But the stench of hypocrisy lies heavily around Broadcasting House on a wide range of issues, you can find this exact same smell wherever leftists are , e.g. Abbott , Hartmann etc on private schools.
    As mentioned on this site the other day, the weak Tory government feels safe to haul the BBC over the coals on the minor issue of the pay gap because it is the right on PC thing to do. But the government cowers before the might of the BBC when it comes to leftist bias , or anti British propaganda, migration, Islam . These types of issues are of critical importance to the future of the country and yet the Tories run away from the BBC on them. The Tories had a chance a few years ago to cut the BBC down to size but they ducked it. You can only conclude that the Tories are in agreement with the overmighty corporation on these critical issues. Yet there is a large section of the population that is very firmly against the BBC’s favoured policies on these issues but it has no representation in the politics of our country and is suppressed and ridiculed by the state funded broadcaster.

       89 likes

    • MarkyMark says:

      So as well as BBC wages we need to know how many and how much was paid for politicians TV appearances, broken down by party and if from the European Union.

      This would give an idea of who they favour.

         48 likes

      • popeye says:

        Also worth a comment – why does the Beeb also supplement the salary bill of its house journal by constant appearances of its staff? Notably Owen and Polly

           19 likes

  6. Joseph says:

    According to the BBC this morning, it has to offer high salaries because the competition for talent is so great.

    Really? If the highly paid are so talented, I’d expect broadcasters throughout the English speaking world, and perhaps beyond, to be chasing these precious individuals.

    Who, FFS, would want Graham Norton, Gary Lineker or Chris Evans? These people are nobodies. Call their bluff and offer them nurses’ salaries.

       96 likes

    • Tabs says:

      I agree.

      I cannot stand Graham Norton, Gary Lineker or Chris Evans and will switch off or switch over if they appear. What kind of special “talent” do they have where they can annoy the audience (me) without even saying a word.

         74 likes

      • MarkyMark says:

        You can witch off the BBC, but you can’t switch off the money you send!

           54 likes

        • Manxman says:

          Ofcourse you can switch off their money, just so no -mas, Up yours amigo’s.

             16 likes

        • Cranmer says:

          You don’t have to send any money to the BBC. Simply sell your telly, or give it to charity, and watch non-BBC catch-up TV online. A lot of BBC material is available on Youtube as well. With the money I saved in the first year of non-payment I bought a projector, and can now watch films, documentaries etc of my choice in my ‘home cinema’ without a penny going to the BBC.

             25 likes

          • Dystopian says:

            “You don’t have to send any money to the BBC. Simply sell your telly, or give it to charity, and watch non-BBC catch-up TV online. A lot of BBC material is available on Youtube as well. With the money I saved in the first year of non-payment I bought a projector, and can now watch films, documentaries etc of my choice in my ‘home cinema’ without a penny going to the BBC.”

            If it were only me in my household I wouldn’t think twice about it.
            However, I tried once to avoid paying by not watching live the or BBC content, but the Mrs & the kids did nothing but complain that the picture quality was poor on YouTube and moaned they couldn’t get the same kids programmes.
            Besides that we still got the regular barrage of threat letters from the BBC (masquerading as the “licensing authority “).
            Knowing of their underhand tactics with regard to stitching people up with fake “evidence ” it seemed less hassle to pay the fee.
            This is the problem. The BBC do not respect your choice to be legally licence free. They cannot comprehend that some people can live without their left wing biased drivel.

               24 likes

      • BRISSLES says:

        Someone on Sky critiqued Gary Lineker as an example of earning £2 million for reading an autocue and cracking a few jokes once a week. But of course it was replied with ‘well he does have a wealth of experience ‘, nearly choked on my toast ! What else does he do then ? nature programmes, travel documentaries, judge a talent show. He’s an ex footballer from the last century, promotes a brand of crisps, and what else, oh yes and I remember this at the time of the Icelandic volcanic eruption in 2010………..

        “Gary Lineker made it back just in time from Tenerife to host Match of the Day in a journey that involved a plane, two trains, and a hire car”………………. er, and who paid for that little trip one wonders ?

           57 likes

    • MarkyMark says:

      BBC does not operate in the open broadcasting market, it runs on an enforced tv tax (£145pa) so, we the people, the payers are entitled to set salaries.

         42 likes

    • Lobster says:

      Joseph –
      I quite agree with what you say – whatever happened to the “Indispensable” Jonathan Ross for example?
      We don’t see much of him now, do we?

         38 likes

    • Ian Rushlow says:

      In a very strange, paradoxical sort of way, the BBC benefits from publicising the salaries of these ‘stars’. Many people will think: If they are paid that much, they must be good!
      It’s the old adage of knowing the price of everything and the value of nothing.

         26 likes

      • MarkyMark says:

        With BBC wages add time in studio and expense claims … then see the outrage. Is that tomorrow’s news for the BBC “For the Many High Earners, Not the Few who can stop paying the enforced TV tax”.

           9 likes

    • Wild Bill says:

      This “we have to pay the best to attract the best” bollocks is the same argument that the Banks always trot out, if Chris Evans and Gary Lineker are the best then God help us.

         29 likes

  7. Up2snuff says:

    No concern from Lord Hall this morning on under-performers among this high paid ‘talent’.

    No concern from Lord Hall that the BBC might have lost its political neutrality.

    No concern from Lord Hall about doing better at elimination FakeNews & FalseNews from the BBC.

    No concern from Lord Hall that the Licence Fee payer is forced to fund aggressive tax avoidance by its top paid ’employees’.

    It is an old trick of the Left: ‘divert the discussion’. It is something Labour did very much and very successfully from 1997-2010.

    Interesting similarity of approach.

       63 likes

    • Fedup says:

      Up2snuff
      Rather than just gender perhaps they should classify their luvvies under sexual preference – reflecting the wider commmuuunitttee and all that nonsense.

         22 likes

      • Up2snuff says:

        Fedup, that might be too much thinking for Beeb bosses to have to do.

        If Lord Hall is worried about pay equality in this transgender age, there’s a very easy solution: add the over £150k salaries and share them equally irrespective of gender. Just work on a per capita basis.

        The so-called ‘talent’ [see what I did there 😉 ] that then receives a massive pay cut may choose to go elsewhere or may stay and merely grumble. But, if they are LeftyLibbies, they ought to agree wholeheartedly with the reason for their pay cut and not complain at all. [Smirk!]

        If it is talent that is poor that chooses to stay, the public will increasingly complain and may migrate away to no-Licence Fee-required entertainment sources.

        The pressure on the BBC for widespread reform – on terms that B-BBC and posters here would welcome – will, I would have thought, grow even greater.

           21 likes

      • Ian Rushlow says:

        Fedup… this could be difficult. There are presently 32 genders (it’s been confirmed by Facebook) and the number is increasing by 2 a week… A Guardian-reading acquitance (I know, please don’t judge me) told me that ‘everyone is unique and in effect has their own individual gender’. FFS.

           25 likes

        • Manxman says:

          ‘everyone is unique and in effect has their own individual gender’. FFS.

          i like the ffs bit, fat female and single ?.

          I Get it now,, when people here say ”Diane Abbott ffs”. or” Adele ffs”.

             21 likes

        • Fedup says:

          Ian,
          I live in such a sheltered world.i can’t even imaging what chaps do with other and I can’t believe ladies would prefer other ladies yet alone 32 varieties. I don’t do this Facebook thing so won’t be able to inform myself.

          Off gender – had a quick look at The Annual Report – under “comedy ” if complains about the ” glut of American comedy” competing against al Beeb. It left out the words’ glut of good American comedy ‘ versus “poor albeeb comedy” – or sad lack of it. Only Dead Ringers is worth it .

             7 likes

        • Kaiser says:

          does this mean instead of just having men and womens football on tele we can now have 32 differently gendered match of the days, boy is the other half going to be pissed off, she hates football

             8 likes

  8. Fedup says:

    Albeeb has reported – with a straight face – that the overseas tax giveaway department has ‘given’ 30 million to the department of kulcha to spend building museums in north affrica. Please let this be false news.

    If the minister in charge of the overseas tax giveaway department wants to be on the next PM shortlist she should just recommend closing it – and if the is a bill for leaving their EU – use the 13billion a year to get rid.

       31 likes

    • Tabs says:

      £30 million?!?!

      That could pay for an extra 50 BBC staff for a whole year!

         23 likes

    • Beltane says:

      Sensible move. Nice, big, airy buildings, will easily adapt to make holding centres, with an eye to the future….

         10 likes

  9. Tabs says:

    Apparently the BBC are transferring it’s staff contracts from the “BBC” to “BBC Studios”, a private company, and those staff will no longer need to have their salaries published next year. Only staff employed directly by the “BBC” (and not “BBC Studios”) have to have their salaries published.

    Only News and Radio staff on over £150K will have to publish their salaries next year until the BBC work out a scam to avoid that as well.

    BBC Studios is still funded by the TV License payer and this move by the BBC is a middle finger to those that pay their wages.

    Edit:
    A link explaining the BBC Studios scam…
    http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2017-07-18/how-much-do-the-bbcs-top-on-screen-stars-get-paid

       48 likes

    • Grant says:

      Tabs,

      Sums up the sheer dishonesty that runs through everything the BBC does. I wouldn’t trust them on anything whatsoever.

         48 likes

      • Up2snuff says:

        I would have thought that the BBC should not directly run private companies. Strictly speaking, the BBC is wholly public-owned. If they wish to start private businesses, they should seek public approval (Referendums!) and have a majority of ‘the public’ (as in ordinary people public, not ‘great & good insiders’) on the Boards of these companies.

           22 likes

        • Tabs says:

          The whole thing stinks of poo. It was created without BBC Trust approval who then approved it 8 months later. Must have taken quite a few meals at The Ivy to persuade them.

          It’s nothing more than a privatisation of the profitable bits of the BBC stolen from TV license payers hard earned cash. The profits of the new BBC Studios can then be creamed off without any public scrutiny.

          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC_Studios

          https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/oct/13/bbc-studios-cut-staff-songs-of-praise-holby

             14 likes

        • Ian Rushlow says:

          I would have thought that the BBC should not directly run private companies.
          Oh, I don’t know. I wouldn’t have a problem with them running, say, a TV-subscription operation – let’s call it BBCFlix for the sake of argument – where people could pay for the channels and programmes that they want to watch, on a total commercial basis and without the need for a licence.

             11 likes

    • Dystopian says:

      The debate is still running on Talk Radio. Are you happy with the way the BBC is spending your licence fee?
      0344 4991000
      I think the BBC themselves must be voting en mass as the YES votes are increasing.

         23 likes

    • Fedup says:

      Tabs
      I think the other thing they’ll do is not mention those paid directly by al Beeb for some work and then paid into their tax avoiding company for others – for instance some one who regularly compares ( hosts – I believe it is now) a sports programme but then turns up an annual one sports awards show…

      Albeeb must really be praying for a big story to divert attention – Rolf and jimmy- innocent – perhaps

         13 likes

      • Manxman says:

        Hotline to finsbury mosque, order a lone wolf.

           18 likes

      • Lobster says:

        Fedup
        “Albeeb must really be praying for a big story to divert attention – Rolf and jimmy- innocent – perhaps”
        Or something really serious like Nigel Farage drives at 31mph in a 30mph area.

           18 likes

        • Ian Rushlow says:

          Or one of Donald Trump’s relatives once drank a vodka and tonic, thereby proving a link to Russia and Putin (“Melissa, dahling, can you speak to CNN and The Guardian and get them to run the same story, please?”)

             20 likes

    • Wild Bill says:

      “The top seven BBC stars incidentally are all male: Chris Evans, Gary Lineker Lineker, Graham Norton, Jeremy Vine, John Humphrys, Huw Edwards and Steve Wright.”

      Steve Fecking Wright! I have actually stopped listening to Radio 2 because of him!

         21 likes

      • Ian Rushlow says:

        Do you mean the seven that the BBC considers to be stars?

           22 likes

      • DYKEVISIONS says:

        Bill, they all look a little pale male and definitely stale.

        Listen to the interview with T Hall, ‘I can sit here in 2020…..’ that is a little presumptive!
        Tony H will be first against the wall and shot by Corbynistas if the tories don’t get a grip.

        Would not answer the question about what is the commercial equivalent of Radio 2 and Radio 4.

        Slippery, evasive and basically should not be in charge of spending our telly tax.

        The gender pay gap is the smoke screen and having a virtual monopoly of the airwaves will always give you a better chance of winning the back slapping BAFTA gongs.
        Pathetic argument.

        https://audioboom.com/posts/6120436-mishal-husain-v-tony-hall

           7 likes

      • Roland Deschain says:

        Steve Wright?! That makes me so angry I could throw the phone down.

           10 likes

  10. Sluff says:

    The D Mail are running a story today about the interview on Toady yesterday between John Humphries and ‘Ozzy Brit’ tennis player Joanna Konta.
    I heard the interview live and it was toe- curlingly embarrassing. Humphries makes a great play of knowing nothing about sport and boy did it show.
    Today it may be revealed what he and the rest of his colleagues earn. With the possible exception of Brillo the answer in all cases will be far too much for what they actually do, their competence and ability to think on their feet.
    However they are probably underpaid according to the bBBC Guardianistas for the amount of emoting, shaking of the head, and disdainful commentary on each and every centre- right contribution on anything.

       42 likes

  11. Up2snuff says:

    I am currently listening to the BBC advertising, oops – sorry!, publicising … no that’s not right, promoting no, er … detailing the work of an artist, Nancy Fouts.

    The British Broadcasting Corporation likes to inform, educate and entertain.

    Nancy Fouts is the non-British artist currently receiving this free advertising.

    Last week it was Donna Freitus.

       16 likes

  12. Ian Rushlow says:

    The BBC really does not want the public to know how much it pays its ‘stars’ and has concocted a deflection strategy and several scams by way of damage limitation. But remember the fuss they made over President Trump’s tax return, taking the moral high ground that we should know how much money he makes…

       43 likes

  13. StewGreen says:

    BBC News-Circus Again as BBC news progs have been banging on about the salary announcement for the last 2 days
    From 6am both BBC local radio stations led with the story
    and then 8:15 R4Today had 10 mins with Whiitingdale vs Lord Grade

    BUT speculation is NOT news
    * The way news works is something happens, journos check and explain *
    So If the announcement is on Wednesday, news stories don’t need to touch it on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday morning
    Actually better on Thursday when journos have had time to digest it.

    Bottomline there is nothing wrong in paying star performers millions, if they make a difference
    eg Clarkson and Co generated tens of millions in worldwide sales, so are good value for money.
    But remember what counts as pay it TOTAL benefits including pension minus his/her costs eg someone like Clarkson might have been supplying his own computers and researchers and signing away his own image rights etc.

    Someone like Laura Kuenssberg doesn’t supply any input other than self and has no utlity except being anti-Trump, anti-Brexit, anti-Tory etc.
    Someone like Andrew Neil is worth millions cos he really does hold power to account.

    The argument for against PRIVACY is that it announcing salaries is ANTI-CORRUPTION.

    Nicky Campbell just admitted he’s on the List
    Caller says that normally the list would have been issued LAST WEEK yet seems to be have been delayed cos parliament rises tomorrow.

       25 likes

    • BRISSLES says:

      Most of the BBC ‘star’ acts, including presenters and news readers, are like footballers, they all have ‘agents’ to negotiate terms, so there is the agent’s cut included on top of the salary !! Silly me, during my working career I should have invested in an ‘Agent’ to get me the best deals with my employers. Can you imagine ? a mere PA in the NHS sitting down with my ‘Agent’ negotiating pay rates with my Team Leader. Bloody ridiculous

         16 likes

  14. Dave666 says:

    BBc North West blessed is the cult. Lead story muslim leaders call on Police to investigate a fire at an islamic centre in Manchester. They have already run this storybefore as noted here upgrading the meeting center to a mosque. So are the Police not investigating? If so why? Who knows we don’t get told.

       28 likes

  15. Ian Rushlow says:

    I have heard several calls over the past year from members of the Labour Party for there to be a cap on salaries. For instance, for directors’ salaries or the idea that nobody should earn more than twice the average wage. The BBC faithfully and gleefully reports these pronouncements from the Wise Men Of The Left. Presumably Comrade Corbyn will be on the news later calling for a maximum salary for BBC employees? No, thought not.

       36 likes

  16. Dystopian says:

    What baffles me is why John Whittingdale still expresses his support for the BBC when they are so blatantly anti Tory!

       22 likes

    • Doublethinker says:

      Dystopian,
      This love of the BBC by most Tory MPs has had me baffled for years too. The Tories must know that the BBC is out to get them and will stop at nothing to defeat a Tory government, yet they still allow the BBC to broadcast leftist propaganda 24/7 and repeatedly say in public that they admire the corporation and see it as a key pillar of British values around the world.
      On this site we know that just the opposite is true. So what is that makes the Tories behave in this self harming way? I think it must be a combination of fear that the BBC will be even more anti Tory if attacked by them and of believing that the Tory government needs the BBC ,or at least shares some vital interests with the corporation. What could those vital interests be ? Possibly anti Brexit propaganda , but that has only been an issue for the past couple of years and the Tories have been subservient to the BBC for much longer than that.
      I think it is more likely that the Tories believe that the BBC is a necessary evil to keep the lid on the civil unrest , created by mass immigration and Islamification , that rumbles away just beneath the surface. Politicians of all stripes have created this highly dangerous and unstable situation over the past forty years or more but have no clue what to do about it. They hope that by some miracle the tensions and unrest which they have created , totally unnecessarily, will somehow dissipate. They need the BBC to keep tensions to a minimum , to buy time and to try and promote integration. They have realised that Muslims won’t abandon Islam and that Islam is incompatible with Western values so they are now using the ever willing BBC to try to change the host community i.e. to make us more acceptable to ,and more accepting of , Islam

         50 likes

      • Grant says:

        DT,

        Excellent analysis and, sadly, I suspect correct.

           16 likes

        • Kaiser says:

          but as we all know the more you give in to islam the more extreme their ahem requests become,

          you can not placate/appease /pay off islam, we know it , they know it , everyone knows it

          many names will go down in history on the same wiki page as Vidkun Quisling,

             26 likes

      • Dystopian says:

        Thanks DT. Agreed this does seem to be the case.

           7 likes

  17. StewGreen says:

    9:55am Nicky Campbell had something strange about his voice when he made the claim after a caller complained of Lefty bias
    “Yes, we get the number of complaints from the other side… about the same”
    I think he was touching his nose, the way people do when they know they are lying.

       33 likes

  18. MarkyMark says:

    Jeremy Corbyn outlines plans to ‘cap’ boardroom pay {bbc.co.uk jan2017}
    “Jeremy Corbyn has set out plans to curb boardroom pay while seeming to back away from the idea of a maximum wage. … In a speech in Peterborough, Mr Corbyn did not mention bringing in an absolute cap, instead saying excessive pay at the top of society was “driving poverty pay” at the bottom. … Under a future Labour government, he said the chief executive of any company awarded a government contract would not be paid 20 times more than the company average.

    Tony Hall, Director-General £450,000
    £450,000 / 20 = £22,500 should be the average in the BBC according to Labour

    A salary comparison story for the BBC. (old story)
    “Mr. Hall, Directory of a National TV Station paid £450K per year but claims expenses for a External hospitality (massage? drink? meal?) at £34.76 {2014} using money that is demanded from the public, the public cannot say how the money it pays is spent, sometimes the money for the Director’s salary is extracted from the public using enforcement officers. {guardian feb2017}

    Just re-read the BBC title and it suggests that Corbyn is drawing a hardline and capping director’s pay – but the article says ‘Mr Corbyn did not mention bringing in an absolute cap’. Would a better BBC title be – ‘Jeremy Corbyn outlines plans to link average salaries with boardroom pay‘?

       5 likes

  19. gaxvil says:

    We can all take comfort with this – from next year ads depicting ‘male’ and ‘female’ roles i.e.: man mowing lawn, woman cooking, are to be banned. They put up the Yorkie ad as illustration but hey, that was comedy. Brave new world huh?

       16 likes

    • Charlie Martel says:

      Beeb’s obsession with blurring gender differences, so we’ll all end up with dyke-y women and trans-gender men.

         18 likes

    • Dystopian says:

      Strange considering the pre election interview with Mr & Mrs May describing their traditional roles at home.

         10 likes

    • Dystopian says:

      I guess it will be a good excuse for posh spice to get David Beckham doing more ads-maybe for make up
      or skirts.

         5 likes

      • BRISSLES says:

        In light of recent events – cocking up his ‘relationship’ with the royals, and being vocal about his non–knighthood, I should imagine doing trans gender adverts will be the only work he can get – as long as he doesn’t open his mouth.

           9 likes

  20. BRISSLES says:

    Victoria Derbyshire doing her ‘stirring up’ act again, with the Grenfell tower residents. All the same questions again. I wonder how much she gets.

       25 likes

    • KatieH says:

      She as clearly winding them up for a riot at the grenfell meeting tonight. The same old face brought before the camera but this time coached on what to say and how to act by toning down the bile and venom. It was sad faces all round today. The anti tory venom off of VD was very obvious. The ringleader of the ‘victims’ today couldnt hold the anger in and let loose at the end. It was just one long demand for more money and houses, this time using the mental health excuse. They have all been offered housing but have refused it probably hoping for the townhouse and millions the 3 pound tramp promised them. They want to bring down the council and will do anything to do it aided and abetted by albour and momentum.

      Piers morgan handed the local grandstanding labour councillor his arse this morning on itv. He came in with a few ‘victims/activists’ from grenfell thinking he was going to get his arse kissed but piers didnt play his game. He even brought up the fact that camden towers was under labour the first person to do so. His face was getting redder and redder as his anger grew. i was half expecting him to say ‘but piers i’m labour you cant do that to us’. His sidekicks were openly calling for riots tonight with one of them blaming everything on the tories. Too thick to listen and stank of momentum

         32 likes

    • BRISSLES says:

      Ah, just discovered, she earns between £200 – 249,000 !

         6 likes

  21. Roland Deschain says:

    Ooh, touchy!

       46 likes

    • Dystopian says:

      Typical. If the viewpoint isn’t agreeable close down the debate.
      Wouldn’t it be nice if we could close down the BBC so easily!

         39 likes

    • Doublethinker says:

      Am I missing the impolite bit somewhere ? Or is Simpson being his usual sanctimonious Prattish self. These BBC types are so supercilious they make you want to vomit.

         32 likes

    • StewGreen says:

      Context She’s a mad lefty but seems to have said nothing impolite in her tweet.
      Knowing LibMob It wouldn’t surprise me she had sent an impolite tweet earlier and then deleted it.

         4 likes

      • Manxman says:

        Yeah the pink hair is the give away stew.

           6 likes

        • Dystopian says:

          She might have died her hair blue had she been more diverse and less stereotypical!

             2 likes

      • StewGreen says:

        oops that came out wrong
        Simpson started the conversation with
        “Why does the govt actively seek to damage the BBC,
        one of the few things the world admires about the UK at present, with this pointlessness?”

        I note that again it breaks editorial guidelines about News Presenters staying out of politics on Twitter
        (or is he retired ?)

           12 likes

  22. G.W.F. says:

    Trigger happy US cop kills unarmed woman, more deaths from US cops.

    Hold on, this cop is a Somali American and the woman is white.

    BBC will now seek every avenue to present the cop in a good light. He is one of their favourite kind.

    Don’t expect a BBC campaign against US cops on this one

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-40651470

       28 likes

  23. Framer says:

    Have you ever seen a more pathetic interview than that with Lord Hall and some over-promoted BBC interviewer? They were both well-primed that the ‘gender pay gap’ was to be the diversionary tactic. Oddly despite the 11 am embargo the percentage number of women being paid £150,000 was revealed well in advance.
    What a transparently deceitful bunch the BBC are. And most of the churnalists since have fallen for the trick as will the metropolitan chattering classes.
    Why the figure of £150,000 anyway given we know certain ‘stars’ are hugely paid?
    Much more interesting to see the names of the army of BBC journalists and other paid over £50,000, and clocking up large pension benefits too.

       28 likes

    • Grant says:

      Framer,

      Because , for the BBC , anything below 150, 000, is peanuts. 50000 would be more realistic so we could see what jobs people in the 50-150 bracket actually do I certainly wouldn’t buy a second-hand car from Tony Hall. What an odious, slimy creature.

         28 likes

      • Fedup says:

        Grant,
        Since al beeb has a mission to inform the public I have always thought that the people appearing on it – particularly expressing political views should have their backgrounds displayed on the bottom of the screen .

        For instance – if talking about low pay – how much they earn/ or worth
        Against private education ? – theirs and where they send their kids. –
        Nhs – private health plan – that sort of thing .

        Would apply to all on al beeb

           21 likes

        • Grant says:

          Fedup,

          I have said that for years but not here. Also if they are a member of a political party and which one etc. Not room for everything but just the basics .

             5 likes

          • Kaiser says:

            Keep it simple

            it could just be a hypocrisy meter across the bottom of the screen

               7 likes

      • Ian Rushlow says:

        In fairness – and I state this as a committed BBC hater critic – the figure of £150K has become currency because this is what the Prime Minister is paid (£150,402).

           9 likes

    • Kaiser says:

      uni’s have to report all staff over £100k

         7 likes

  24. Charlie Martel says:

    The ever weirder, cadaveric looking Evan Davis on News-shite doing a piece on the hideous R. Kelly and his under-age / cultish sexual activities, or rape as it’s sometimes called.

    Towards the end, Evan wonders if there’s a ‘race element’ to this? For a nano-second I thought a beeboid was actually going to get real about the whole ghastly rap/ hip-hop scene: a cesspit of abuse, misogyny, violence, lasciviousness, crime, drugs, guns, bling and machismo. Or perhaps he was referring to the fact that R Kelly has been allowed to get away with his misdeeds for so long because he;’s black and everyone is terrified of being called racist for holding a famous black celebrity to account.

    But no, the ‘racial’ element according to our skeletal unshaved Evan is that ‘some would say… that society asks fewer questions about the welfare of black girls than white’.

    See? It’s white racism to blame. All whitey’s fault as usual. Pass me the sick bucket.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b08ysclf/newsnight-18072017

    (38′ minutes in if you can bear it.)

       52 likes

    • Grant says:

      Charlie,

      But not if the rapists are muslims and the victims are white. Did wee Evan refer to that ? As for his appearance, I can only assume that he is on some kind of medication.

         21 likes

      • Kaiser says:

        ha ha ha ha ha ha its whiteys fault again, lets no presume R-cuntys fault but its still whiteys fault

           11 likes

  25. Lobster says:

    *** STOP PRESS ***
    BBC salaries on Guido’s site
    https://order-order.com/2017/07/19/bbc-salaries-revealed/

       15 likes

  26. Sluff says:

    Turning out to be a good day for this website.
    1. Huge egg on face time for the bBBC when the exhorbitant pay for their ‘talent’ is revealed.
    2. A report shows inequality has reduced since 2008. Yep, the evil Tories have reduced inequality.

    That’s torn the bBBC agenda.

       25 likes

    • Kaiser says:

      is the inequality measure like the stoopid government poverty measure??

      when the figures magically improve when we all get poorer

         3 likes

  27. Fedup says:

    Remember – the high profile beeboids not on the list are likely to the tax avoiders —-/( which is obviously legal)

       13 likes

  28. MarkyMark says:

    Remember to include the managers in todays salary revelations … Tim Davie, CEO, BBC Worldwide & Director, Global £????? (salary is not shown, hidden in a commercial company)

    “BBC Worldwide is the wholly owned commercial subsidiary of the BBC, sells BBC and other British programming for broadcast abroad, supplementing the BBC’s licence fee income.
    In 2013/14, BBC Worldwide generated headline profits of £157.4m and headline sales of £1,042.3m and returned £173.8m to the BBC.”

    But Tim Davie (whose salary is not shown) is so poor that he has to rely on gifts to watch TV … Tim Davie / Freesat TV distribution / Freesat new generation box {nov2012 – £72.99 from John Lewis}

    … if the BBC Worldwide is profitable, why not use this model and get rid of the BBC UK TV (enforced by threat of court) license?

       11 likes

    • gaxvil says:

      As bbc shareholders I think our position stinks.

      Anyhow, Macron (you know, saviour of the EU, Trump’s BFF, Obamarite and French messiah) has tripped over his budget already. They don’t reach the 2% minimum for NATO but he’s cut the military budget and lost the head of the army. Reckon Merkel will do a little dance.

         14 likes

  29. Dave666 says:

    Well after watching several lectures from the BBc about the gender pay gap and each time turning to Mrs Dave and telling her every where I’ve worked everyone got paid on the same pay scale, apparently the BBc is revealed as somewhere with an apparent gender pay gap http://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/bbc-gender-pay-gap-revealed-two-thirds-of-top-earners-are-men/ar-AAopVwf?li=AAmiR2Z&ocid=ientp
    The phrase f***ing hypocrites comes to mind.

       21 likes

    • gaxvil says:

      Now Tony Benn has gone – find me a Lefty who’s not a hypocrite?

         15 likes

      • Ian Rushlow says:

        Now Tony Benn has gone – find me a Lefty who’s not a hypocrite?
        The difficulty here is that a part and parcel of being a Lefty is that you are a hypocrite. Alternatively:
        A Muslim who commits an act of terror is not a true Muslim.
        A Lefty who is not a hypocrite is not a true Lefty.
        But I understand the sentiment re Tony Benn. George Galloway, perhaps, is a man of principles, (albeit usually misguided ones).

           13 likes

      • pertelote says:

        Frank Field

           8 likes

  30. Cassandra says:

    DFFxLfvXkAApmRY.jpg

       63 likes

  31. Foscari says:

    I predict that Gary Lineker will be fall guy I suspect that the BBC have wanted to replace him in the name of positive
    discrimination and diversity for ages. I expect it will be a woman . However I expect she will know something
    about the game. She will be paid the same salary as Lineker.

       23 likes

  32. Dystopian says:

    George Galloway now on Talk Radio questioning the worth of the likes of Chris Evans, Graham Norton, Gary Linecker.
    Very good point made that we are not getting the full picture, as the likes of Mary Berry are not subject to the same scrutiny, due to being paid indirectly, by “independent” production companies.

       31 likes

  33. Manxman says:

    Gabby Yorath 1/10, 8/1 bar the rest

    https://twitter.com/GabbyLogan?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

    She will fit right in footballers daughter and bbc fav

    Gabby Logan‏Verified account @GabbyLogan Jul 11
    More
    Gabby Logan Retweeted Lee Penfold
    I can only apologise for how I hammed this up. Endure the interminable graphics to enjoy some shockingly cheesy TV.

       5 likes

    • Mustapha Sheikup al-Beebi says:

      It would be racist etc to appoint yet another White-privileged, heterosexual, able-bodied, employed person.

      Here are some alternative suggestions:

      Ebony Rainford Brent – Black, female, knows about sport (well, a bit about cricket anyway).

      Nadiya Hussain – ticks most of the required boxes … and she seems to be in almost everything else.

      Eniola Aluko – Black, African, female, current ‘England’ football player.

      Denise Lewis – Black, female, Olympic Gold medallist, experience of TV punditry.

         9 likes

  34. Charlie Martel says:

    So today we learn that large numbers of useless beeboids receive obscene salaries for reading an autocue and promoting socialism, multiculturalism, islamism and Remainism. And as a bonus, there is a large gender pay-gap in that bastion of egalitarianism and feminism. Or as the DM succinctly puts it: “Pay Panic at the bbc.”

    Enjoy.

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/index.html

       30 likes

    • Dystopian says:

      “Disgruntled staff already using hashtags #notonthelist after seeing salaries”

         12 likes

  35. MarkyMark says:

    Possibly a new BBC campaign – #BBCAndTheSocialistPotOfGlory ?

    A call to all BBC Top Earners who are in the Labour Party, we are going to implement the socialist Labour dream today!

    You will give all your savings, wages, clothing, cars, house keys, furniture, pets, future earnings, pensions and food to Jeremy Corbyn, he will then divide them all up and give everyone, what he thinks is an equal share.

    To begin this momentous moment in history the top leaders and BBC presenters might drop their offerings into the Socialist Pot Of Glory Today – ready to be shared equally!

    Jeremy Corbyn – Salary £125K* + expenses + gifts from companies
    Chris Evans – £2.2 million + expenses + gifts from companies
    Sadiq Khan – £143K + expenses + gifts from companies
    Gary Lineker – £1.8million + expenses + gifts from companies
    Keith Vaz – £75K + expenses + 5 houses (1 house is used for MP duties, so tax payer is paying for it) + expenses + gifts from companies
    Diane Abbot – £75K + expenses + BBC TV appearances + gifts from companies

    * Please note that these people are paid with money extracted from the public in the form of taxes.
    * Salaries based on data found internet, willing to adjust if wrong.

    Find out who else could contribute to the ‘Socialist Pot Of Glory’ {wiki – Labour Party supporters}

       22 likes

  36. wronged says:

    c632b467-0e46-4bb2-bfaf-5b281edee247.jpg

    We are sinking to new depths

       22 likes

    • Roland Deschain says:

      A a Scot, may I say what a f*cking embarrassment I find that. Seriously, did no-one in the SNP think they should have a word with her first?

         20 likes

      • wronged says:

        I wasn’t aware that the sponsorship of companies such as Adidas was allowed in the House of Commons.

        Adidas is clearly on view.

        Next we’ll probably get Corbyn wearing a ‘Onesy’ Durex to demostrate what a dick he is.

           21 likes

        • Dystopian says:

          Quite apt, Wronged, if you consider what he’d do to the country if he ever came (no pun intended!) to power!

             5 likes

        • Dystopian says:

          Apparently Adidas is an abbreviation of “All Day I Dream About Sturgeon “

             12 likes

          • Mustapha Sheikup al-Beebi says:

            Or, for the SNP’s Jenny G, …

            “NIKE” = Not If Kezia E-mails.

               5 likes

    • Payne by name says:

      That really is f**king outrageous. Have some respect for the house and the institute that it represents. How the hell is the speaker not commenting on this – good god.

         19 likes

  37. Up2snuff says:

    I was not available to post yesterday (Tuesday) which was a shame as the TODAY Programme was a complete train wreck disaster and had me guffawing out loud at several points during the morning.

    Sir Michael Marmot, director at UCL Institute of Health Equity was accorded a great deal of attention in talking about a study he has done into UK life expectancy and his ‘shock, horror, finding’ that there appears to be a stagnation in it or even a slight decline.

    Sir Michael suggested “the slowdown in England could possibly be linked to rising death rates from dementia ” The good Sir Michael was also expecting life expectancy to constantly increase and said he had previously believed it would never pause or decline.

    If he was a medical man AND a science economist of any quality he would know that you do not die from dementia and also that life expectancy can go down as well as increase.

    Indeed, among those of us listening to Radio 4 and yelling at the radio from time to time, we remember the statistics provided by WHO, ONS and the World Bank such as this:
    https://www.google.com/publicdata/explore?ds=wb-wdi&met=sp_dyn_le00_in&idim=country:GBR&dl=en&hl=en&q=uk+life+expectancy .
    There have been not just pauses but actual declines in UK average life expectancy in the past fifty years. I am staggered that Sir Michael did not know this.

    What is going on at UCL? That place seems to be in a decline, hopefully not terminal, all of its own. And it is charging its students massive money to be taught there, too!

    I hereby nominate Sir Michael Marmot as one of my nominees for The Michael Gove Expert of the Year Award 2017.

    (PS. How many nominees am I allowed? Next post: inflation, as discussed by Professor David Blanchflower and Andrew Sentance.)

       12 likes

    • Fedup says:

      As a former Queen Mary chap I always thought UCL was a bit over rated….

         7 likes

      • Up2snuff says:

        Fedup, LOL!

        Not sure if it was a senior QM Prof who was on the R4 Any Questions Panel about seven months before the EU Referendum, rather think he may have been from Kings College. He was pushing the line that we needed EU (& world) Freedom of Movement because Kings needed to be able to import lecturers and tutors.

        There was dim old me listening at home (alma mater, part-time at a jumped up Poly that became a Yoooni, albeit a good one) thinking ‘Prof, I thought it was your job to teach your students so that some, in future, can tutor and teach future generations at the same establishment. Are you not really telling us that you have not been any good at your job, are still no good at your job and do not intend to improve at all in future?’

        Pathetic and very sad for our previously world class UK academia.

           1 likes

  38. Fedup says:

    Not on the list

    Nicky Campbell
    Clive Myrie
    Chakrabati
    Today’s montague
    The honourable Dan – I’m always albeeb – Snow
    Peennnaaar
    That o Brien creature who is apparently on nonnews night
    Coburn

    Play spot your own – happy to be corrected if wrong

    This matters because these people stand above all passing critical comments about morality, economics , politics
    And issues of interest to the people who pay for them. Sorry – I’ll take my anorak off.

       18 likes

    • Dave says:

      Campbell is listed under Radio:

      £400,000 – £449,999 Nicky Campbell – Presenter

      Value.

         12 likes

      • Fedup says:

        Thanks Dave,
        I wouldn’t have thought £450k would have been enough to feed the ego of that character – must get addition fees ( pay / wages to ordinary decent people) from other sources like opening supermarkets or similar.
        Personal declaration of interest; l wouldn’t know what a £100000 pay slip looked like yet alone what to spend it on. Must be difficult for all these rich people to keep their feel on the ground – oh I forgot – it’s al Beeb – the land of milk and honey.

        I’m assuming channel four will get the same treatment as I’m sure that champagne Marxist who can afford to go to Glastonbury must be on a good screw – Snow – if anyone’s guessing.

           8 likes

  39. Thoughtful says:

    It might be a few years old and about the old SDP but it seems eerily similar to the simplistic way the BBC appears to view politics today.

       17 likes

  40. Dystopian says:

    I’m beginning to like George Galloway (a little bit).
    He has just concluded his show by calling for the BBC to be “dismantled, sold off and then the so called ‘talent’ can either sink or swim and prove their worth in the commercial market” or words to that effect.

       37 likes

    • Up2snuff says:

      I would prefer reform to “dismantled, sold off”, although if the BBC could find buyers for the redundant BBC 3 and BBC 4 TV channels, then so well and good. I also would have thought it wise for the BBC to consider selling Radio One while the going is good. I can only see a future of declining audience for that station in the digital age.

      The first reform to be pressed for by the public ought to be for all BBC employees to become fully employed by the BBC, doing no work other than for the BBC without express permission, and paying full Income Tax under PAYE.

      You cannot have the BBC Licence Fee paid for – at pain of prosecution – by someone who is contracted to an employer and has to show up for the contracted hours, five days a week, forty-six or forty-eight weeks a year (less Bank & National Holidays) and to have to ask permission to do any other work in their ‘free’ time and who is paying NI and Income Tax under PAYE while BBC employees can play fast & loose with the UK tax system, perhaps engaging in aggressive tax avoidance.

      It is morally wrong.

      It is indefensible.

         19 likes

  41. StewGreen says:

    Justin Webb is in the £150K category ,
    That’s part time cos I pick up the Times and he has a column today

       17 likes

  42. Manxman says:

    That was quite funny the Mail Charlie, about 10 articles all aimed at different shows where the men are paid more for the same, all their flagship shows, still they will leave Trump alone for a awhile with other things to ”think” about.

       10 likes

  43. StewGreen says:

    News : “Rise in foreign born mothers” now 28.2% says ONS

       19 likes

    • Fedup says:

      Yes national identity – what national identity? All those lovely benefits –

         16 likes

    • G says:

      SG, mainly muzzies I’ll wager! But when they’ve milked the UK dry, ther’ll be nowhere else to go.

         9 likes

  44. Dystopian says:

    SG I wonder if that includes health tourists or just the illegal immigrants.

       8 likes

  45. Dave666 says:

    Director general Tony Hall said there was “more to do” on gender and diversity.

    “On gender and diversity, the BBC is more diverse than the broadcasting industry and the Civil Service,” he said.
    “We’ve made progress, but we recognise there is more to do and we are pushing further and faster than any other broadcaster”
    Having worked in the civil service there are some offices I’ve been in where I would take issue with that statement. Although they have probably been shut by now. I also remember Lord Bichard appearing on a video we were forced to watch where we had a too many white faces speech.

       13 likes

  46. Wild Bill says:

    Jeremy Vine show today talking about BBC salaries, Facebook comments closed, but guess what?.. open for next two subjects, didn’t stop him getting loads of stick though, but he probably doesn’t even see them.

    https://www.facebook.com/BBCR2/

       12 likes

    • JimS says:

      The justification given for some of these salaries that per listener the pay was less than a penny is nonsense. How do these ‘megastars’ reach these listeners? What about the people that designed, built, operate and maintain the studios and the transmission networks?

      If Chris Evans’ career had been limited to performing in church halls, just using his un-aided voice, I doubt if he would make minimum wage. Of course similar arguments apply to all those able to use the ‘multiplier’ of the printing press, radio, TV, film or internet. They gain by making use of the tools that others on ‘normal’ wages create, not by their own efforts. Unearned inequality in spades but they lecture us on how to behave!

         13 likes

    • BRISSLES says:

      And don’t forget Jezza is married to another BBC news reader Rachel Schofield, so mega bucks going into the Vine household.

         16 likes

      • Grant says:

        Brissles,

        Jezza who ? But the money will not be wasted. They will give lots to charity and be sheltering refugees just like all good wealthy socialists.

           12 likes

  47. Ian Rushlow says:

    The BBC demolished in 10 minutes.
    Here is the opening to George Galloway’s show this morning. Regardless of what one might think of the man, it is harder to envisage a more eloquent description of everything that is wrong with the BBC. Sir, I salute you!
    [audio src="https://cdn2.talksport.com/tscdn/talkradio/audio/current2017/talkRadio-20170719-102758.mp3" /]

       11 likes

  48. G.W.F. says:

    Doreen Tipton on the BBC salaries
    Guess how much the BBC pay her
    F***K All, she says

    https://www.facebook.com/doreentiptonlazycow/

       7 likes

    • Grant says:

      GWF,

      Never heard of her but I am now a fan. Don’t suppose she will get a slot on the BBC somehow !

         5 likes

      • JimS says:

        She wants to build a wall to keep the Brummies out of ‘yam-yam land’!

        I showed one of the videos to a Black Country lady and it had her bursting with pride and laughter – such lovely comic phrases – “me and my drinks cabinet”, (as PM in No. 10) – “Angela Meercat” etc.

        The BBC doesn’t do comedy, it is comedy.

           10 likes

        • Grant says:

          JimS,

          Always had a soft spot for people from that part of England. Obviously “Black Country ” would have to be re-named for the BBC. I am going to watch more of Doreen .

             3 likes

          • Grant says:

            “A hung parliament. I wouldn’t mind if it was a well-hung parliament ” .

               4 likes

            • Manxman says:

              ”A happy pride day to all Gays Lesbians Bi-lingrals and Transparents, yam all have a lovely day.”

                 4 likes

          • Lobster says:

            Grant – I think Doreen is sensational! She’s become a cult figure here in the Black Country and her appearances are always sold out . There’s quite a bit of stuff on You Tube – just search for Doreen Tipton. (If you find the accent a bit difficult at times, being Black Country born and bred I can always explain it!)

               10 likes

            • Grant says:

              Lobbie,

              Just been watching her Party Political Broadcast for the Yam-Yam party. Brilliant. She has got the politicians totally sussed. UK dialects not a problem for me . I have travelled a lot here. Have you ever tried the Buckie dialect ? That is a tough nut to crack . You would not like the people there. They go catching lobsters.

                 3 likes

              • Lobster says:

                Grant – I’ve never heard (or even heard of) the Buckie dialect I’m ashamed to say.
                Don’t like the bit about catching lobsters, though! I’ll keep my distance!
                This was her take on the Birmingham Pride event.

                   5 likes

                • Wild Bill says:

                  Brilliant!

                     3 likes

                • Grant says:

                  Lobbie,

                  ” I ain’t gay myself, but I have often been tempted. At least , if you are lesbian, there are two of you to wash up “. Brilliant !

                     10 likes

            • Cranmer says:

              It’s interesting that Doreen has become a cult figure in the Black Country. If such an act had national appeal, it would really put the wind up the BBC, because Doreen makes fun of all the sacred cows of the left as well as the right, but not in a nasty way; she just points out the silliness of them.

              In a former age (pre 1997) Doreen would have been given a series on the BBC quick-smart, but it seems they are more interested in diversity box-ticking than actually giving viewers what they want.

                 15 likes

              • Grant says:

                Cranmer,

                Spot on. Doreen would take the narrow-minded Beeboids right out of their pathetic little comfort zone. No way she would get on the BBC now .

                   11 likes

  49. Manxman says:

    The date link valentines funny.
    You just have to laugh, she is a funny sort.

       2 likes

  50. thirdoption says:

    The Government has announced that credit cards charges are to be abolished from next onwards.

    http://news.sky.com/story/rip-off-473m-credit-and-debit-card-surcharges-will-be-banned-10953421

    Stephen Barclay, Economic Secretary to the Treasury, said “Rip-off charges have no place in a modern Britain”

    A question for you Stephen……………….If rip-off charges have no place in modern Britain, why do we have to pay the BBC £146.50 per year in order to watch television?

       34 likes

    • Grant says:

      third,

      Exactly. And it is none of Government’s business to interfere in this market. At the end of the day, the Tories are socialists.

         13 likes

      • thirdoption says:

        Grant,

        As I’m sure you know, credit card companies charge businesses for the right to use their product. Why not simply introduce a law ensuring the businesses cannot charge the customer any more than they are forced to pay themselves?

           6 likes

        • Grant says:

          third,

          Or why not let the customer decide ? I still see it as none of Government business.

             4 likes