Poll Positions

Poll positions

We know that, as a matter of editorial policy, the BBC doesn’t run opinion polls commissioned elsewhere as news stories in their own right (except for the odd exception). It never occurred to me, though, that its problem with them was that they could be too accurate. This could be the case, if the ComRes polls for the Daily Politics programme are anything to go by, however. Political Betting has the story, but here’s the key passage:

For the Daily Politics polls have one fundamental difference compared with the standard ComRes voting intention surveys – there’s no effort to ensure a politically balanced sample which almost inevitably means that its skewed towards Labour supporters.

Thanks to Eric in the comments.

Insight Into Editors’ Reading Habits

An insight into the editors’ reading habits

As a key plank in the BBC’s efforts to ensure accountability and engage their audience in the digital age, the Editors blog has done sterling work this week, with a single post about Manuelgate by a Radio One editor suggesting we’re over-reacting. As someone in the comments put it, Answering all the questions you never asked.

Interesting, too, is the ‘BBC in the News’ sidebar on that page. As we know, the BBC has been in every newspaper all week, but where do the majority of the links come from? That’s right, folks, the Guardian and the Independent – the national papers with the lowest circulation figures in the land, outside Broadcasting House.

Drawing A Line

*Drawing a line

The BBC draws a line under radio show – or rather it hopes to. Given the front pages today, the fact that there’s an Ofcom investigation continuing, and the fact that Ross remains in a job, that seems unlikely. But should it? Well, what has the BBC actually done?

Russell Brand went, but was Mark Thompson even back from his holiday when that happened? Anyway – nothing to do with the Beeb.

But what about the Controller of Radio 2, Lesley Douglas, who also quit. That’s altogether more significant. But the decision to go was mine and mine alone, she said. Again, nothing to do with the Beeb.

In fact, has the BBC or the Trust done anything? Well, four days after the story broke and they’ve racked up more than 30,000 complaints Ross has been suspended for three months. And they’re going to do a review, I think.

The important thing to remember is none of it happened because of BBC management or the Trust, which laughably claims to represent your interests. It’s all down – as the Beeb hasn’t tired of reminding us in recent days – to the Mail on Sunday.

* The picture I’ve stolen from Anorak, which also has this for those that want a laugh.

Question Time Watch

Question Time watch (because I’m not going to)

Frankly, I can’t be bothered to stay up for it, but the comments of those who do will be appreciated. Things to look out for will obviously include how well they labour the fact that one of the two Republicans they’ve allowed on is the grandson of Nixon (after all, why else was he invited) and how the audience is made up. Since they’re only doing this one episode in the US, I know they’ll want to have made sure there’s a balance of Republican and Democrat supporters…

Breaking News

Breaking News!

It’s not often nowadays that the Beeb breaks really big news so when I saw this, among the top stories on its website’s Politics page, I sat up and took notice: Former Conservative party leader Michael Howard’s cousin is bribed with £400,000 while Howard is Home Secretary, and a convict is released on his orders! It may have been a few years ago, but this is hot stuff. But why is no one else reporting it, five hours later?

Hang on, how about this – a report in the Liverpool Echo that, yes…

Labour MP Peter Kilfoyle told the jury as part of the statement Haase, 59, said he had bribed both Michael Howard and the men’s customs handler Paul Cook.

So it looks like this story has got legs after all. But, wait. What’s this bit that I don’t remember seeing in the BBC report?

He told the jury he felt the Michael Howard bribe claim was unsubstantiated.

Ah, so that will be why no one else picked up on it. Good ol’ Auntie.

Open Thread

General BBC-related comment thread! Please use this thread for comments about the BBC’s current programming and activities. This post will remain at or near the top of the blog – scroll down for new topic-specific posts. N.B. This is not an invitation for general off-topic comments, rants or chit-chat. Thoughtful comments are encouraged. Comments may also be moderated. Any suggestions for stories that you might like covered would be appreciated! It’s your space, use it wisely.

Call Me Biased And I’ll Sue

‘Call me biased and I’ll sue’?

I posted the other day about DB’s attempts to comment on Justin Webb’s blog. If you remember, Webb mentioned his comment in a post last Saturday, but it had been referred to the moderators, which made it a bit tricky for readers to know what he was on about. Anyway, as a further demonstration of their ineptitude, it seems the blog moderators have now reinstated the comment (it’s number 6), but only after emailing DB to inform him it was removed for being “defamatory”. This is, well… interesting from a legal perspective, but more so in the context of the Beeb’s accountability (which they’re dead keen on). Don’t forget the Beeb says one of the benefits of its blogs is that they help boost accountability to the audience. But not, it seems, if you want to take them to task for failing to meet their Charter commitments regarding impartiality – or in fact even if you want to remind them to do so.

Diversity Of Opinion

A Diversity of Opinion

So I’m sitting there with my Horlicks, and a couple of digestive biscuits, watching Newsnight. The lovely Emily Maitis has convened a panel of three witty, cutting edge humorists to discuss the complex issues surrounding BrandRossSachsGate. First up, Jan Raven:

“They were out of order, but they are very funny and the BBC must not give in to the Daily Mail tendency”.

( I’m paraphrasing btw ).

Second, John O’Farrell:

“They were out of order, but they are very funny and the BBC must not give in to the Daily Mail tendency”.

( I’m still paraphrasing btw ).

I start to yawn. Where are those matchsticks that Tom used to use in the Tom and Jerry cartoons?

Third, and finally. We have Stephen K Amos. Great, someone to break the consensus. What do you think, Stephen?

“They were out of order, but they are very funny and the BBC must not give in to the Daily Mail tendency”.

( Yes, I’m still paraphrasing btw, but I was almost catatonic by then, and I don’t sit there with a notepad anyway ).

Gee. Thanks for that. Thankfully Virgin One were just about to start Sexcetera so at least I had something intellectually stimulating to go to sleep on.

Rumbling On Headlines


Rumbling on

The headlines today are, well, challenging for the Beeb:

And that’s just those that lead with it on their front page.

Much of the ire is, understandably, being directed at Ross and Brand, but for my money Iain Dale has it right here, where he points out that since it was pre-recorded much of the responsibility must lie with producer, editor and station controller. Sky also have a good interview with former DJ Roger Gale, arguing against making a scapegoat of out of a junior staff member. As he puts it, It’s the people at the top that set the trend, not those low down the food chain.

This Guardian piece also has some interesting background that helps explain why this could be be good news for those that want to see reform at the Beeb:

Unfortunately for the BBC’s director general, Mark Thompson, the furore has coincided with the endgame in a debate about the future of public service broadcasting post-2012. Ofcom will deliver its conclusions in January.

Critics said the BBC’s slow response and the confusing reviews now in motion showed the weakness of its regulatory system, which was overhauled after the Hutton inquiry, and its compliance regime, supposed to have been tightened after last year’s fakery rows and phone-in scandals.

Who knows, it could even lead to suggestions that the BBC actually monitor compliance with other charter commitments, such as to impartiality.

UPDATE: Brand and Ross have been suspendedand after three days the Beeb has managed to find Mark Thompson. The number of complaints has now topped 18,000. Even the Guardian’s Michael White suggests the Beeb tends to be a little slow to admit its mistakes.

UPDATE 2: Brand has quit.

UPDATE 3: Sorry, but just one final thought on this: the Beeb are making much of the fact that Radio 1 listeners don’t see what the fuss is about – it’s a generational thing, innit – the logic being that if enough people think it’s funny then it’s okay to ring up someone to inform them that you’ve f***ed their granddaughter. And then broadcast the results against their wishes. I think I understand the principle the Beeb is trying to develop, but I’m a little unsure of how it’s meant to be applied: is it only former cast members of Fawlty Towers we can do it with, or any license fee payer? And is it just granddaughters, or are they allowed to ring me to inform me that one of their staff members has f****ed by daughter – provided, of course, that the youth audience chortle?