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Biased BBC

Thursday, October 30, 2008 Hugh # Joining the dots Following Brand's resignation, a couple of the papers are now tentatively drawing the connection between this affair and the wider problem of the Beeb's bias. Trevor Kavanagh in the Sun hits out again this morning: BBC chiefs still don’t get it, do they? While Director-General Mark Thompson was reluctantly grovelling last night, senior Beeb executives were still trying to blame everyone else but themselves, he begins, and goes onto discuss the corporation's arrogance and its "lofty contempt" for its viewers. Instead of reflecting their opinions it exudes a smug corporate view on the major issues affecting Britain. The Telegraph also sees a connection: The depressing aspect of this grubby affair is that it is all of a piece with its arrogant belief that it cannot possibly be wrong on anything. Accountable to no one, and with a guaranteed income of £3.2?billion a year, its own Andrew Marr has described its mindset thus: "The BBC is not impartial or neutral. It's a publicly funded, urban organisation with an abnormally large number of young people, ethnic minorities and gay people. It has a liberal bias." In short, it has become dangerously divorced from the majority of people in this country. UPDATE: Incidentally, the Beeb story almost manages a clean sweep of the front pages today. Comments: 8 (unread) - Biased BBC Home Wednesday, October 29, 2008 Hugh # Quiz time! USA Special Moving on from Brand and Ross, it's time to get the crystal balls out and predict who will be the mystery guest on tomorrow's Question Time. At the moment it's looking dangerously balanced: Elizabeth Edwards, a senior adviser on health care to the Barack Obama campaign; Simon (America has to choose: Obama or certain doom) Schama; Clarence Page (another Democrat); and Cheri Jacobus, a Republican political consultant and strategist based in Washington D.C. So only three to one against the Republicans at the moment! So who will be the fifth? And you can't have Mchael Moore – I'm taking him. A pat on the back and a 'jolly well done' to anyone who gets it right. UPDATE: It's just occured to me that this might be unfair: the Beeb could, of course, be late announcing the fifth guest because they want to balance it but they don't actually know any Republicans, in which case feel free to help them out with your suggestions.... Comments: 41 (unread) - Biased BBC Home Hugh # 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 Comments: 129 (unread) - Biased BBC Home Hugh # Rumbling on The headlines today are, well, challenging for the Beeb: My grandfather is distraught...now sack these sickos, says the Sun Brown turns up heat on Ross, at the Mail Brown demands action from BBC over lewd stars, says the Telegraph Clamour grows for BBC to act over radio insults, says the Times 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 suspended - and 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? Comments: 136 (unread) - Biased BBC Home