Still not managing to report the news, the whole news, and nothing but the news

– BBC News Online reports on the final appearance of Dan Rather as anchor of CBS Evening News, US news anchor Rather signs off, noting that: …his retirement has been marred by criticism he received over a recent report questioning President George W Bush’s military service record. And that’s all they say about the circumstances of Blather’s retirement – conveniently omitting to mention a) Rather’s use of plainly forged documents; … Continue reading

Via one of Tim Worstall’s stimulating weekly UK blog round-ups

I came across an interesting blog by an anonymous magistrate, The Law West of Ealing Broadway. His comments on the BBC’s criminal tellytax prosecutions, A Job We Should Not Be Doing At All, are especially interesting. One of his commenters also links to this rather amusing Charter Renewal error page. While we’re slightly off-topic, those interested in the practical aspects of conscientious objection to the BBC, by means of civil … Continue reading

Shot to pieces – pictures blow large holes in Sgrena claims.

Further to Scott’s comprehensive post below about the Giuliana Sgrena checkpoint shooting (that resulted in the unfortunate death of Italian agent Nicola Calipari), Little Green Footballs has pictures of the car allegedly involved. LGF also links to better copies of the photos here and here too. As you can see, the car doesn’t look like it has been hit with the 300-400 rounds alleged by Sgrena’s editor on BBC News … Continue reading

The BBC, like many other MSM outfits

The BBC, like many other MSM outfits, has reported very uncritically Giuliana Sgrena’s version of the shooting by American soldiers of the car she was travelling in, in which an Italian secret service agent lost his life, and her claims that the Americans did (or may have done) this deliberately. (BBC stories: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13; claims that the shooting was … Continue reading

All right my darling? Looking for business? What, at 9.15 in the morning? Are you kidding?

Sally Magnusson has been pimping her wares on BBC1 to the UK’s pre-schoolers and the many other children who were off school last week. Britain’s Streets of Vice ran at 9.15am, immediately after the BBC’s lamentable Breakfast programme, on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday last week, with programmes entitled: Sex in the City, Smack Alley, Behind Closed Doors and Sex Lives & Videotape. While the programmes were interesting, Magnusson’s annoying … Continue reading

Friday’s BBC One O’Clock News featured a nice fluffy report about those nice fluffy Greens.

Here’s a full transcript, annotated with my thoughts as it went along: Darren Jordan, 21’14” into the programme: The Green Party says it has a real chance of winning its first parliamentary seat at the forthcoming General Election. The Greens have members in the European and Scottish Parliaments, as well as more than sixty local councillors, but they’ve never come close to winning a Westminster constituency. Well, our Political Correspondent, … Continue reading

Crime never pays – except when the BBC is newly flush with telly-taxpayers cash.

Just a day after the BBC’s telly tax was renewed for another ten years, allegedly in exchange for improvements to their public service programming, we learn that the BBC’s idea of public service includes paying career criminal Brendon Fearon £4,000 (£4,500 according to some reports) for a documentary appearance. Fearon, who has been in and out of jail many, many times, is the burglar who was shot, along with two … Continue reading

“A family in mourning.”

In a comment to a previous post Rob directed our attention to this link from Melanie Phillips. It may shock you. Yes, even you, longtime Biased BBC reader, who think you have seen it all. Now scroll on to the BBC’s TV coverage on sunday of the Tel Aviv bombing, in which five people died and 49 were injured. Using a clip entitled ‘A family in mourning’, the family it … Continue reading

Oh dear

James Naughtie of Radio Four’s Today programme, interviewing Labour Chancellor Gordon Brown’s special adviser Ed Balls yesterday. James Naughtie – “If we win the election, does Gordon Brown want to remain Chancellor ?” Ed Balls – “Erm … I …” James Naughtie – “You win the election” Spotted by the Observer blog, who also have an mp3 clip of the quote. Full interview here (RealAudio). Not his first ‘slip of … Continue reading

Last night’s BBC Ten O’Clock News led with a momentous story

of huge national, nay, international significance – yes, “The BBC keeps the licence fee for another ten years, but the Board of Governors will be scrapped. The Government’s plans for the BBC also include a sharper focus on public service programming and less emphasis on audience ratings”. Strangely enough, Sky News led, rightly, with the story of Shabina Begum, a story of much greater significance than the government’s disappointingly modest … Continue reading