Jeremy Bowen retweeted this comment on the 26th of December:

#Hezbollah is pressing hard to be granted similar powers in security & foreign policy matters that Syria exercised in Lebanon for 15 yrs.

— Mohamad B Chatah (@mohamad_chatah) December 27, 2013

Mohammad Chatah was then assassinated the next day.

Bowen’s only comment was this:

Mohamad Chatah was always informative and frank when I spoke to him. Stood up for his beliefs but was the kind of man divided Lebanon needs

— Jeremy Bowen (@BowenBBC) December 27, 2013

Bowen doesn’t even mention his death…..nor then speculate about a link between Chatah essentially denouncing Hezbollah and his being assassinated?  Chatah is a Sunni, Hezbollah Shia…Iranian mercenaries in essence.

Not as if others in the BBC don’t report the possibility:

Saad Hariri indirectly accused Syria and Hezbollah of being behind the killing.

“Those who assassinated Mohamad Chatah are the ones who assassinated Rafik Hariri; they are the ones who want to assassinate Lebanon,” he said.

Guess the BBC’s Middle East Editor is too busy being cynical about Christmas:

Christmas is over. Time for the next commercial festival. Happy New Year. pic.twitter.com/ncIRNUy07f

— Jeremy Bowen (@BowenBBC) January 2, 2014

And gets told off by Fox News:

@BowenBBC Christmas still has three days to run. Its only commercial if you chose to ignore central purpose.

— Mark Fox (@MarkFoxNews) January 2, 2014

Ha ha…or is that Ho Ho Ho?….must have gone down well with the rather priggish Bowen!

I think it was obvious that the BBC giving Miliband a prime time slot on Desert Island Discs was intended to improve his desultory image with the Public….they now seem to have admitted this was the case…..

Desert Island

This was also the year that Ed Miliband appeared on Desert Island Discs and Deborah Mattinson believes that, in general, the Labour leader’s image among the public is improving, albeit from a relatively low base.

Funny old world…there’s hardly a day when Maggie Thatcher isn’t blamed for everything that is wrong in the world…and indeed the BBC are pushing this tale hard on R4 and the web:

Miners’ strike: ‘Police fitted me up’

Curious that the BBC completely ignore this:

Margaret Thatcher judged to be best post-war prime minister by politicians of all parties

• Iron Lady valued for decisiveness, over traits such as honesty
• Tony Blair came third in poll of 158 MPs by University of London
  
• Of 13 post-war PMs, excluding David  Cameron, Gordon Brown came last

Gordon Brown last….fancy that.

BBC rejects subscription fee calls

The BBC has rejected calls to introduce a voluntary subscription fee for its services.

Responding to a government inquiry into the future of the BBC, it argued the £145.50 licence fee was the “most effective way” to fund the corporation.

It warned a subscription model – where users only pay for the services they want – would exclude many who could not afford it.

It added the licence fee was funding a public service everyone could use.

in its written submission to the committee, the BBC said introducing alternative funding methods would have “significant drawbacks”.

“Subscription would turn the BBC into a commercial operator with an incentive to provide services that maximise revenues and/or profits,” it said.

“The evidence suggests a subscription model would be likely to reduce the payment base, increasing costs for consumers who remain and excluding many in society who could not afford to pay.”

The corporation also dismissed the suggestion of funding by advertising, saying the quality of its programming would suffer.

“If the objective of the BBC were to maximise advertising revenues, the BBC would shape its programming to maximise the benefits to advertisers rather than to audiences,” it said.

It added the current absence of advertising was a “key characteristic [audiences] value about the BBC”.

All very well…except the BBC is a commercial operator…one with a massive advantage over every other…it has a guaranteed income come what may.

The BBC competes hard against other broadcasters and other media operators such as in the magazine market….and providing programme content for sale….it has only just announced it will provide content online for a charge…so no qualms about charging people for what they have already paid for then.

BBC reportedly set to compete with Netflix and iTunes in charging viewers to watch favourite programmes online

It also has more than enough advertising….its own programmes….sometimes masquerading as ‘news’…..the BBC reports something on its news bulletin…and then announces ‘by the way you can see the BBC investigation of this on Panorama or Newsnight’.

David Preiser must be choking on his hash browns as he reads this from the BBC:

A big #YearOnTwitter for @BBCBreaking

Across our television, radio and digital services we’ve delivered to huge audiences at regional, national and international level. Social media is an increasingly important part of our news output. In terms of breaking news that means @BBCBreaking and its eight million followers.

So what’s the best way to capture these moments if you’re broadcasting to an audience of millions of followers on Twitter?

@BBCBreaking was neither the first to announce the news of Nelson Mandela’s death, nor had anything different to say than our competitors. So why did our tweet generate 78,000 retweets, several thousand more than any other news organisation?

No one can claim to know for sure, but we think the simple brevity of the tweet together with the photograph, could well have made it more shareable.

It’s safe to say that @BBCBreaking has had a very good year. Follower numbers have increased from 4.5 million to more than 8 million in the space of 12 months. It has consistently led Newswhip’s “top publisher” chart on Twitter (ranked by tweets and retweets), and has recently been showcased by Twitter as one of the news accounts of 2013.

There are many theories on what makes news travel farthest on social media. Accuracy and timeliness is clearly important but arguably, in a world where many notable figures have been killed off prematurely on social media, and where breaking news situations can be beset by spurious or false claims, nothing is more important than trust.

Judging by many of the BBC Tweets logged by David and others on this site ‘trust’ is possibly the last thing you might associate with many BBC journo’s Tweets.

Via the Telegraph:

BBC Radio 4 Today criticised for ‘left-wing tosh’ chosen by guest editor PJ Harvey

Listeners flood Twitter with complaints over musician’s selection of contributors for special edition of flagship radio programme, including Julian Assange and John Pilger

And here Paul Mason, who has fled the sinking ship, seems to be saying something unusual about the BBC……

Brilliant @PJHarveyUK edition of @BBCr4today demonstrating difference between "truth" and "editorial policy" – amazing how weird it feels

— Paul Mason (@paulmasonnews) January 2, 2014

@paulmasonnews @PJHarveyUK @BBCr4today Really? Did ed policy prevent you from telling the truth?

— Ravi Mattu (@ravmattu) January 2, 2014

@ravmattu @PJHarveyUK @BBCr4today two words: Gaza Flotilla – on balance yes; the whole truth

— Paul Mason (@paulmasonnews) January 2, 2014

Wonder just what he means?

The truth about the intentions and actions of those who attacked the Israelis?

PJ Harvey’s guest editorship did contain a lot of ‘student’ politics…but the thread running through it, about censorship, could and does apply to just about every aspect of the BBC’s output which is shaped and honed in every way to broadcast a ‘message’.  The BBC doesn’t just do entertainment or news or sport , it is deeply committed to shaping society in the way it thinks it should be.

Maybe the BBC wasn’t Harvey’s intended target, and no doubt the BBC grandee who extended the invitation to her had no idea that there might be an unintended twist in the tale….but the cap fits.

David has already mentioned Today’s guest editor, P.J Harvey….an undoubtedly highly political one at that, but the final flourish from her, her choice of her (non religious) ‘Thought for the day‘ was shot through with irony when you consider the BBC’s own control of information, its attempts to close down debate…want to make a critical comment about climate change…you’re a ‘denier’, want to critique Islam…you’re an Islamophobe or even a far right extremist no better than the Islamist terrorists themselves, want to talk about immigration you’re labelled a racist little Englander, want to talk about Labour’s economic glory days and the phones go dead.

But here at 2 hours 54 mins we have Julian Assange’s words telling us of the importance of information and knowledge (just why did the BBC spend £300,000 hiding the Balen Report?)…

Harvey starts it off:

For many Julian Assange is a person of great courage who has opened a door to a freedom that ought to be the essence of democracy…

The Assange begins…here abridged…..

‘To act and think about the world is wrapped up in our ability to know it…the wise are mightier than the strong…knowledge is power…to keep a person ignorant is to place them in a cage…knowledge does not flow down to the serfs and slaves…the powerful hide their actions behind official secrecy…you must drag the machinations of the powerful into the daylight…proclaim it from the rooftops!’

A curiously ironic cherry on top of the left wing cupcake served up by Harvey the rest of the programme…a poem for Shaker Aamer included….the BBC’s lack of transparency and accountability are famous…..as is its manipulation of the news….wonder if they got the message?

PJ Harvey seems to be quite a favourite of the BBC political class…here on Andrew Marr’s show…though she claims here that her songs aren’t political

PJ Harvey performed her new song ‘Let England Shake’ in front of the UK’s Prime Minister Gordon Brown yesterday (April 18).

Harvey played the track on BBC1‘s Andrew Marr Show (2010), which featured Brown as a guest.

Harvey also gave her views on politics, although she admitted she’s not into using the subject in her songwriting.

“I don’t feel qualified to sing from a political standpoint because I feel like unless I knew every single aspect of what’s going on I can’t speak about it,” she said, before adding: “I’m very interested in politics and follow it avidly, but I don’t feel that it’s my place as a songwriter to bring politics into my songs.”

That’s curious because she described the same album, ‘Let England Shake’,  in a completely different way in another interview:

She couldn’t stay out of politics, though, when she was singing about a current conflict or a historical conflict with modern resonance. Singing about them and talking about them is in itself taking a political stance. “I would agree with you entirely. I think you could call it a political album.

Just why does the BBC love her and her ilk so much?

She herself today says:

“I hope that the programme you hear, is the programme I wanted you to hear – I have come to realize that a great deal of its content is about censorship in one way or another… As ideas for titles and topics to be discussed took shape, many poems and songs came into my mind. For me, music and poetry can be as persuasive and as powerful as a fine speaker and a fine speech. You will hear songs and poems supporting and highlighting the content of this programme.”

Back to being ‘political’ again then?

Wonder when someone as ‘political’ from the ‘Right’ will get a show….Tommy Robinson for instance?

The full running order for PJ Harvey’s Today programme, airing tomorrow January 2nd from 6am

The full running order for PJ Harvey’s Today programme, airing tomorrow January 2nd from 6am to 9am GMT on BBC Radio 4 is as follows:

PJ Harvey spoken piece explaining her choice of contributors to the programme.

Mark Curtis: ‘Arming Repression’, followed by ‘Ladies of the World’ song recording by Flight of the Conchords.

Denis Halliday: ‘The U.N. Security Council – Dump The Wolves’.

Clive Stafford Smith: ‘Is the N.H.S. the best thing about Britain?’

Bruce Springsteen ’57 Channels And Nothin’ On’.

John Pilger: ‘Is the media now just another word for control?’

Dr. Rowan Williams: ‘Thought for the Day’ in the form of one of his poems.

Charles Simic poem, ‘Austerities’ read by Ralph Fiennes.

Giles Duley: ‘Behind The Faces Of War: the realities for injured servicemen’, followed by Joan Baez, ‘Johnny I Hardly Knew Ya’.

Phil Shiner and Ian Cobain: ‘How Britain taught the world to torture’, followed by ‘They Fight For Peace’, a poem by Shaker Aamer, read by Ralph Fiennes.

Julian Assange’s ‘Thought for the Day’ followed by Woody Guthrie song lyric ‘Ticky Tock’ read by Ralph Fiennes.

Weather/Business/Sport Sections

Weather Section – Tom Waits ‘Strange Weather’ acoustic demo version.

Business Section – John Rees: ‘How the city of London rules the world’, followed by the poem ‘London’ by William Blake, read by Ralph Fiennes.

Sport Section – Dave Zirin: ‘The effects of money and vested interests on sport’.

As David notes there is great amusement at the climate scientists and Guardian/BBC journos etc getting stuck in the Antarctic ice.

There has been no mention of climate change at all for some reason in any of the BBC news bulletins I have heard…until today when the intrepid World at One broached the subject inviting in a renowned climate scientist (13:08)…because as you know they don’t invite just anybody in to comment on climate…..well, actually they do….if they are pro-climate change that is (English graduate Roger Harrabin for one of course).

So on came writer Sarah Wheeler who has travelled and written about the polar regions for some time…but does that make her qualified to chat the chat about climate change though?

She was fairly unamused that the ‘Twittersphere’ was not taking things seriously and everyone was saying how cold it must be in the Antarctic.

Sarah assures us that ‘this is absolutely not the case.’  No, that’ll be right,  the Antarctic isn’t cold at all….it’s a right wing conspiracy pet.

But why is the ship MV Akademik Shokalskiy stuck in the ice?

Sarah tells us it is because the nearby Mertz Glacier has calved…and you know what…no one knew…no one could have known…it was such a surprise!

As far as I can see no one else has blamed the Mertz Glacier for this ice….it is solely referred to as sea ice or pack ice…I’m sure that excuse will start to pick up momentum now though.

Curious though that no one read this from 2011/12’s similar expedition at the same time of year:

David Ellyard AAE Report 2012 Voyage 

THE COMMONWEALTH BAY ADVENTURE
DAY 1 (6 JANUARY 2012)

Every now and then a sighing sound passes down the sides of the ship, now moving at a reduced speed. The noise is that of floes of pack ice, split by the impact of the ship’s bow, scraping gently along its length. The strength of the ship easily deals with any of the floes we have encountered so far, but the collision still generates a thump and a slight shudder.

Throughout the day the pack ice has become more dense, and the individual floes larger. Some are 20 or 30 metres across, all are one or two metres thick, and often crowned with drifts of snow.

[So…there is thick ice all around scraping the side of the ship….but nothing to do with a glacier calving….that comes later….]

All of the Antarctic ice cap, all 30 million cubic kilometres of it, arranged in a huge dome up to 5 km deep, is in motion outwards towards the coast. Some parts are moving noticeably faster than the rest and these are recognised as glaciers. If conditions are right, the glacier can push offshore and float out sea for some kilometres, forming a glacier tongue.  So it was till recently with the Mertz Glacier.
The arrival of our friend B9B changed all that. This vast iceberg, 100 km long and 30 km wide (though now broken into three) originated in the Ross Sea, south of New Zealand and hundreds of kilometres to our east. As it drifted west, carried by the current, it hugged the shoreline, colliding with the end of glacier tongue and breaking it off. Where there was a large slab of floating ice, there is now open water.

So the Glacier calves…and there is thick pack ice?…er no…’open water’

Here is an image of the Mertz Glacier breaking off in 2010….note the size of the ice bergs…behind which is looser material….would a ship get caught in that? Pretty careless if the answer is yes.

The Mertz Glacier tongue breaks off 20 February 2010. (Credit: Photo by Neal Young, Australian Antarctic Division)

Everyone’s a joker…..Sarah will not be amused…. from WUWT

The BBC’s coverage of the Antarctic rescue seems to less than forthright as you will see if you hop over to Watts Up.  Here’s a visual starter for ten…

Biased BBC contributor Daniel Pycock tackles one of the BBC’s most egregious instances of serial bias.

‘If there is one line of BBC journalism that readers should be familiar with; it is “about 500,000 jews live in more than 100 settlements built since Israel’s 1967 occupation of the West Bank and (of) East Jerusalem. The settlements are considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this”.

The line (in bold) finds its way into every article*, including a recent one regarding the release of prisoners by Israel that, whilst encouraging diplomatic talks, will never be enough for a politically astute Palestinian Leadership. *http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-25548773

The BBC’s general bias against Israel is well documented, but I would like to enquire: what is illegal according to whom? There are some individuals (including Ban Ki-Moon) and a few scholars (such as Roberts) who have proposed that settlements are illegal; and there are the advisory opinions of the International Court of Justice (more regarding the wall than the settlements – from 2004) – but these constitute neither enforceable laws nor established precedents.

By international law, the BBC means majority opinion in the UN, and – as the Israeli proverb goes:

“If Algeria introduced a resolution declaring that the earth was flat and that Israel had flattened it, it would pass by a vote of 164 to 13 with 26 abstentions”

There are interpretations of the Geneva Convention upon which the accusation of illegality is based (Article 49, for those interested), but there is no judgement or ruling outstanding from international courts regarding Israeli Settlements in disputed territories. A majority opinion in the UN constitutes nothing legally, and the BBC’s insinuation that Israel is legally a dissenting opinion against a closed case should be scrapped as inaccurate.

The disputed territories are just that – disputed; and Israel is – until such time as negotiations conclude – the legal authority there**.” **http://www.algemeiner.com/2013/03/04/the-myth-of-jewish-settlements-in-international-law/ and http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/mar/9/rozenman-ban-ki-moon-wrong-about-israeli-settlemen/