COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS

It’s interesting to consider how the BBC frames a debate and how in doing so it carefully ensures the required conclusion. Iain Duncan Smith suggests (rightly, in my opinion!) that those thugs involved in looting, rioting and rampaging through our streets could lose their benefits if convicted of their crimes. Cue BBC outrage. So, David Blunkett and Peter Lilley are wheeled on to discuss this. Superficially you might  think this … Continue reading

Your License Fee Hard At Work: BBC Arabic and Persian Edition

Here’s one for you: Proud to be American With a sister who wears the hijab and a cowboymad Muslim father who dresses like John Wayne, Seema Jilani enjoys a diverse family life. The Texas-based paediatrician, who has worked in Afghanistan and Pakistan and written extensively on health and social issues, is an engaging contributor to a new BBC documentary, American Muslim: Freedom, Faith and Fear. Sure, why not? The whole … Continue reading

HALF THE STORY, ALL THE TIME

Oh no, I turn my back and what happens? “Israel pounds Gaza after attacks”. Those pesky Jews once again up to their old tricks. Happily the BBC is there to record that…. The Israeli military has carried out air strikes over the Gaza Strip, targeting those it blamed for a series of deadly attacks in southern Israel. At least six people, including a senior militant, were killed in the air strikes, … Continue reading

SHINY HAPPY PEOPLE

Today is “A” level results day and the BBC was able to provide their usual unique coverage of this annual debasement of standards,tribute to the excellent unionised teaching profession. So many happy kids, of course,here is the BBC shot chosen to illustrate the scene at a typical English school. Click through to read and contribute comments on this post.

HARRY’S PLACE

It’s interesting to compare how the BBC and Sky cover the same story. Take the visit by Prince Harry to Salford today, for example. As I was driving home from work this evening, I had the great misfortune to hear how BBC Radio 4’s PM programme covered it. The angle chosen was whether local people were happy to see him there-  or not. Two people interviewed, one for the visit, … Continue reading

AD HOMINEM

The BBC College of Journalism – the fulcrum of BBC indoctrination of its reporters – has recently undergone a re-vamp of its website. At the heart of this vastly expensive concatination is a section which instructs staff how to report science. Here – this defies belief – it becomes clear that the corporation has now fully sub-contracted its responsibilities to the Science Media Centre, an organisation, which as I have … Continue reading

RIOTING AND STUDENT FEES

A B-BBC reader notes… “Can’t give you the precise date I am afraid, but listening to Radio 3 (a saving grace generally of the BBC) one morning shortly after the rioting, a new bulletin at 8.00am or 8.30am (but not repeated) said that a report calculated that average student debt would be £59,000 (note the specious accuracy). Quite how one gets from £8,000 a year to that figure rather baffled … Continue reading

LOSS OF PROPORTION

This, of course, was inevitable. The BBC were never be happy about thugs being actually sentenced for their crimes looting and rampaging through our streets, but they are so subtle and so the new agenda item is “proportionately”. Enter Lord McDonald. Interviewed by Today presenter Sarah Montague, he warned there was a risk of a “collective loss of proportion” and said it was important that courts maintain their objectivity and do … Continue reading

BBC TWITTERATI…..

Here are some of the profound thoughts of those highly professional BBC employees, naturally these are their private thoughts and of course are NEVER reflected in their professional output. Oh no. bobballardsport Bob Ballard  @  @adamlambert well said that man – and she could be your next President? And we thought WE had troubles in the UK – it’s bloody utopia. bobballardsport Bob Ballard  ladies and gentlemen..possibly the next President of the USA..man … Continue reading

THATCHER’S CHILDREN?

A Biased BBC contributor observes that  you may listen to a BBC radio or TV programme knowing that you are being preached at. However it is only later that you realise exactly what that subtle message might be that has been inserted quietly into a report about a completely different subject. “Panorama has put together a programme about the ‘August Riots’ which was strangely lacking in insight about the causes … Continue reading