Britannia Radio

Biased BBC

Friday, November 14, 2008 David Vance # BBC SAYS BBC IS BIASED. I note it is reported that the BBC broke impartiality rules in a Huw Edwards-fronted documentary about Welsh politics that attacked Margaret Thatcher. The broadcaster’s own governing body today found it guilty of being unfair and inaccurate in the programme. The ruling came about after an incensed viewer complained about the unbalanced and misleading programme on Welsh self-government. Edwards, who fronts the Ten O’Clock News, was accused of ‘openly canvassing support’ for the Welsh Assembly and was also found to have broken rules. So, no surprise there then. Has he been sacked yet? Has the producer of the programme been sacked? Is this more pathetic lip-service to the concept of impartiality? The BBC has been running a decades long campaign against Lady Thatcher and this is but one of the more recent examples of its bias. Comments: 8 (unread) - Biased BBC Home Hugh # The BBC has learnt... A whistleblower alerted the government to failings around child protection in Haringey six months before Baby P died, according to this BBC report, which swiftly moves on after the opening paragraph to a government press release responding to the claims. Readers are left to guess the details. It is understood a lawyer acting for a former social worker sent the letter to the then health secretary, Patricia Hewitt, says the BBC. It might be understood, but it's all a bit vague, principallly because the BBC seems to be entirely reliant on the government's press office. Readers anywhere else, be it, the left-leaning Independent or right-wingTelegraph, not only understand; they know exactly what actually happened: It [the letter] read: "Our client whistle-blew the fact that the sexual abuse had been ongoing for months and the new management brought in post-Climbie had not acted... We write to ask for a public inquiry into these matters.", records the Independent. And later in the BBC report we have this: It is understood the social worker no longer works for Haringey council. Again, it's writing that really sounds like it's coming from the ministerial department rather than a journalist. At the Telegraph, on the other hand, they not only understand the social worker doesn't work there, they know that Miss Kemal was later suspended and left her £34,000-a-year job with the council. An employment tribunal found that she had been singled out because she was a whistle-blower. In fact, overall the BBC report does once again make me wonder: if it doesn't actually tell you anything about what happened, does it still qualify as journalism? Comments: 2 (unread) - Biased BBC Home David Vance # THE WAR ON JERSEY. I see that BBC gives great prominence to the Howard League for Penal report whingeing on about the fact that children in Jersey have allegedly"less protection" than children elsewhere in the UK because the evil Jersey government has NOT signed up to the utterly risible to the UN convention on the rights of the child. This means, for example, they lack a Children's Commissioner.Well now, I guess the next of kin of Baby P will take solace in the fact that at least the mighty UN Convention applies in England, right? I also note the way in which Howard League spokesman compares Somalia and the USA in the interview. As ever, the BBC is supplicant to this biased left-wing pacifist bleeding-heart organisation and does not provide for an alternate view to its insinuations about Jersey. The BBC must also have been broken--hearted to discover yesterday that the alleged killing fields of Haut de la Garenne are not quite it has coat-trailed for months. Don't get me wrong; I am not saying Jersey is perfect but I do not quite see why it invokes so much sustained ire from the BBC although I am sure you may suggest a few.... Comments: 3 (unread) - Biased BBC Home ed thomas # BBC's currency fading An interesting couple of links for you: Iain Dale doesn't mention the BBC but says "The value of the Pound is about to become the big story in town. And if not, why not?" John Redwood meanwhile, names and shames the BBC as the culprit behind the non-story. He says the BBC are misrepresenting the credit-crunch to present the situation in Britain as having nothing to do with domestic factors (aka the lengthy incumbency in Downing Street of one Gordon Brown). Comments: 1 (unread) - Biased BBC Home Thursday, November 13, 2008 David Vance # QUESTION TIME WATCH. Well, for those brave enought to tune in, Question Time is upon us. Tonight we have Margaret a Beckett, Jeremy Hunt, Baroness Williams (again) Brian Moore and Simon Heffer. Let's take it apart, live. Comments: 42 (unread) - Biased BBC Home David Vance # PROSECUTING THE WAR. You have to hand it to the BBC, they are relentless in their opposition of our armed forces participating anywhere in the world where they might make a difference. And so this morning, the State Broadcaster is flogging a poll that IT has commissioned which suggest that the majority of people here agree with the BBC contention that we should withdraw our soldiersfrom Afghanistan. This is a trailer for a BBC debate this evening hosted by Eddie Mair "Should troops leave Afghanistan?". First it was troops out of Iraq, Now it is troops out of Afghanistan. I recall the BBC cheer-leading for the troops out of Northern Ireland movement some years ago. Whatever the military question, the BBC answer is always the same; troops out. I also am interested in the idea of the BBC determining news by commissioning loaded polls. Here are a few suggestions for some more BBC polls. 1. Should Jonathan Ross be sacked forthwith? 2. Should people have the choice whether they pay the license fee? 3. Should the Burqa be banned? 4. Should all illegal immigrants be deported? 5. Would it not be best if the UK left the EU? Got any more to add? It would be nice to have a list of questions we can be sure the BBC will never commission a poll on! Comments: 63 (unread) - Biased BBC Home