reports that BBC apologises in row over ‘mistake’ in SNP survey: THE BBC has suffered another credibility blow after admitting that it made up a Newsnight survey suggesting that most of Britain and Scotland’s leading businesses were not in favour of independence. Presenter Jeremy Paxman had told SNP leader Alex Salmond that ‘not one’ of 50 firms, made up of 25 in Britain and 25 north of the border, supported … Continue reading →

from end to end, echoing so much of what we have said and discussed here for so long. Particular highlights of his article, BBC in need, sub-headed “Poor old Auntie Beeb is unwell. She’s confused and no longer knows right from wrong, truth from fakery”, include: Management surprise at management ignorance: Much to the apparent surprise of Bennett and Abramsky, two experienced and highly respected corporation bureaucrats, a procession of … Continue reading →

focuses on three interesting environmental topics, including this extract concerning the BBC’s misleading coverage: A feature of the row over the BBC’s rigging of competitions has been the rush to protest that this is trivial compared with the much greater scandal of the BBC’s generally biased world-view on a whole range of topics, giving almost everything it broadcasts a distorting spin. It is not always easy to pin this down … Continue reading →

Despite reports in our local newspaper, Scotland hasn’t yet become independent. One of those who wish that we were independent is Mike Russell MSP. I’ve met Mr Russell once or twice and think that he’s one of the good guys: he doesn’t believe that everything should be done by the state, an opinion that’s far from universal in Scotland. Earlier in the year Mike took part in a BBC programme … Continue reading →

. He has discovered that: Five senior BBC production staff were suspended yesterday as Britain’s most senior policeman raised the prospect of a criminal investigation into the corporation’s rigging of phone-in competitions. The staff, all senior producers or editors, were the first casualties of the row over viewer deceptions involving a series of flagship charity and children’s shows. A fraud inquiry now seems inevitable after Mark Pritchard, the Tory MP … Continue reading →

in today’s Daily Express. Forsyth rails against the BBC’s recently noticed problems, their continued employment of Peter Fincham, “day after day of servile grovelling to Tony Blair, Cherie Ditto and Alastair Campbell” and the question of “whether Radio 4’s Today programme is passionately pro-EU. It is like starting a board of inquiry to ask if the sun rises in the East”, before getting in to his stride on the subject … Continue reading →

around 12.40pm: BBC Suspensions Number of editorial leaders suspended Presenter Matthew Amroliwala also mentioned that Stewart Purvis said earlier that there is “a culture in the BBC that needs to be examined”. Well, you’re not wrong there Stewart, but can we trust the people who’re going to do the examining? This story is also on BBC Views Online, BBC editorial leaders suspended – an article that cries out for a … Continue reading →

(now being rebranded as ‘climate change’ it seems), Gmail’s keyword advertising suggested this website, The Great Global Warming Swindle, promoting a DVD of: …an expanded and improved version of the film [of the same name] broadcast in the UK on Channel 4. More interview material has been added, covering a broader range of subjects than was possible in the broadcast film. The producers note: It would be nice to claim … Continue reading →

The BBC will admit today that it has uncovered irregularities in the operation of its Children in Need charity, The Times has learnt, after an appeal to staff to report instances where viewers were misled in the wake of controversies over Blue Peter and the editing of a programme about the Queen. The revelation — which will be one of several errors that the BBC is expected to own up … Continue reading →