(from Blithering Bunny) From The Times: THE BBC’s £2.8 billion licence fee is safe for the next ten years but will not survive into the digital age, ministers have decided. The long-awaited Green Paper on the future of the BBC, which is due this month, will recommend that a sweeping review of the broadcasting industry is started shortly after 2012, paving the way for major changes in funding to reflect … Continue reading →

I’m sure we did mention, quietly, some time ago, that Nick Gowing is the BBC journalist who pioneered the notion that the US military has been targeting journalists in Iraq. Thankfully we have been reminded by sites like this one (via Captain’s Quarters). Now, of course, at CNN a senior journalist has lost his jobover making similar allegations. Those of us who watch the BBC and note its bias felt … Continue reading →

(from Blithering Bunny) BBC News, in its wisdom, has decided that one of the main headlines of the day is a protest march against America’s decision not to sign Kyoto. Yes, really. This is one of the biggest news stories of the day. Literally “hundreds” of protesters are expected. Wow. Even if that figure is accurate – and the leftist media has a habit of exaggerating the numbers for these … Continue reading →

Neil Craig of A Place To Stand On writes: I have just been watching the Judge John Deed programme. While this is not a news item I do believe that the basis of this show is corrupt – each week our hero judge, who is a radical thorn in the side of the grey suited men, goes into court to quite deliberately finesse his duty by finding for some politically … Continue reading →

The BBC has an article out to commemorate the anniversary of Senator Joe McCarthy’s claim that 205 members of the State Department were Communists: 1950: McCarthy Launches Anti-Red Crusade. There is a link also to Secret McCarthy papers released. My feelings when writing about McCarthyism are similar to those of Jonah Goldberg expressed in this article. There are two messages to get across. Message One: McCarthy was a state-backed bully … Continue reading →

(from Blithering Bunny) Nicholas Vance has another good post up today at Last Night’s BBC News, about the PC blather that is in the BBC’s new manifesto as they attempt to get their Royal Charter renewed (and follow the link to The Telegraph story). On that note, I liked this letter to The Times recently: I have recently paid my BBC licence fee and the debate about the future of … Continue reading →

(from Blithering Bunny) An extraordinary letter from Peter Mandelson to Michael Grade (Chairman of the BBC), obtained by The Times: PETER MANDELSON, the European Trade Commissioner, has mounted an attack on John Humphrys, the Today programme journalist, complaining to the BBC of his “virulently anti-European” views and claiming that the “anti-European bias” of some BBC presenters is a “problem”. In a stinging letter, obtained by The Times, to Michael Grade, … Continue reading →

(from Blithering Bunny) Criticism of the BBC’s activities in Nepal from Indian paper The Statesman: BBC’s coverage of Nepal raises questions Sudeshna Sarkar in Kathmandu Feb. 6. — British Broadcasting Corporation’s coverage of the recent developments in Nepal raises questions about ethics. On 1 February, Nepal’s King Gyanendra dismissed Prime Minister Mr Sher Bahadur Deuba and his Cabinet, announced a new council of ministers under his chairmanship and imposed a … Continue reading →

(from Blithering Bunny) Watching BBC 2’s Kilroy: Behind the Tan. In an act of questionable judgement, Kilroy, it seems, has been letting a camera crew follow him around for a long time. The producer, who was constantly asking him questions, clearly sounded unsympathetic. So why did Kilroy do it? Surely he knew that it was a hatchet job in the making? And hatchet job it was, although everyone involved did … Continue reading →

(from Blithering Bunny) Some praise for the Beeb for a change. The show Dragon’s Den is one of the best TV shows in years. If you haven’t seen it, people who have ideas for businesses get 5-10 minutes to pitch their idea to five very rich business people, to try to convince them to invest in their ideas, which range from new inventions to disposable carboard furniture to couches that … Continue reading →