Today's show 16/03/11

Right, let's look at the "issues that affect me" today, ref. your recent Radio 2 jingle...

1) PICKING DAFFODILS - A family are enjoying a trip to a park in Poole. The children are picking daffodils. The police are called, and arrive in a squad car to watch them and then intervene! : Oooohhhh... an exclamation mark. That one character tells us poor listeners exactly what you think of this. Your colleague Jonathan Dunlop in the BBC complaints department wrote to me (Reference CAS-634712) recently and said: "BBC journalists are well aware of our commitment to impartial reporting. They are expected to put their own views to one side when carrying out their work for the BBC.". So what happened to that policy then? Ah yes, I know... He gets out on a technicality BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT A JOURNALIST any more! This country would be a much better place without our airwaves being polluted with insignificant stories such as this. Next...

2) BRITISH RESCUE TEAM DENIED ACCESS TO JAPAN - A row has broken out after a British rescue team were turned back from Japan because the British Embassy won't give them the credentials they need to work in the disaster zone : What are you going to about it then? Shout, scream, stamp your foot, or just nothing?

3) JAPAN IMAGES - Is there something horrible about the way images of the destruction of Japan play out across our screens almost as if they’re entertainment? Is your bloke excited in a way that makes you uncomfortable? : Errr... I don't have a bloke. Is watching this stuff like your show? You know, News Entertainment? And there is nothing like a bit of lunchtime sexism is there Jeremy? My congratulations for maintaining your pathetically low standard. Next...

4) HEALTH SPECIAL: ANDREW LANSLEY MP - We put the government’s changes to the NHS under the microscope — how will it affect you, putting so much power back into the hands of doctors? Is the change worth the upheaval? Are you annoyed this huge policy wasn’t mentioned before the election? The Health Secretary Andrew Lansley will join us : My answers in order: It probably won't, don't know, no. I'm pretty sure that this only affects England too.

Now, which of today's issues affects me? Oh yes, none of them, as usual.


UPDATES:


Against my better judgement I listened to part of JV's show today. As part of the British Rescue Team story he interviewed Foreign Office minister Jeremy Browne MP. Mr Browne earnt my life-long respect my starting with the sentence "Let's bring some perspective on to this programme". Good man! He then went on to explain in clear and easily understood language the situation regarding this particular rescue team. Vine was having none of it though and accused the minister of not answering the question several times (which, in my view, he had) and went on to exert his self-appointed authority over the minister. Mr Browne was having none of it, and gave as good as he got.


I sent the following emails:

To: The JV Show

Are you deaf?

Jeremy Brown MP has explained the situation perfectly and is a complete star. Why cannot you just accept what he says?

But no, you have to show him who is boss and ask your stupid questions after he has explained EXACTLY what has happened and after he has already answered them.

I loved his line "Let's get some perspective on to this programme". That will never happen.

Why do you hate it so much when somebody criticises you? You should get professional help!

To : Jeremy Browne MP, cc : The JV Show

Dear Mr Browne,

I've just been listening to you on Radio 2's Jeremy Vine show where you gave a concise and perfectly understandable explanation as to why the International Rescue people had been denied access to Japan.

I can only come to the conclusion that Mr Vine chose deliberately to ignore your explanation and instead attempted to impose his biased viewpoint on you and us unfortunate listeners.

My sincere congratulations, and thanks, go to you for being the first person for a long while to put him back in the gutter where he belongs.

To : The JV Show

You just said that you had a call from the rescue team and " ... they did have permission from the Japanese, and they have that in writing ...".

This just goes to prove that you are not a journalist.

A journalist would have asked the rescue team people about this BEFORE tackling the Minister. Even I would have to agree that it would have made your exchange with him more relevant.

But instead you couldn't be bothered to ask the question or do the research and instead attempted to "wing it", failing miserably in the process.

You are a disgrace to Radio 2.

Complaint lodged on BBC web site:

Mr Vine interviewed Foreign Office minister Mr Browne As part of a discussion concerning a British rescue team and their efforts to work in Japan.

Mr Vine asked the minister a direct and plain question, which the minister then answered in clear and understandable language. His reply, in my opinion, answered Mr Vine's question perfectly and exactly. Mr Vine did not accept the minister's response and then attempted to stifle his further contributions by simply repeating the same question over and over again, despite the fact that I and presumably many other listeners already had heard the answer.

After the interview had ended Mr Vine said that he had just had a call from the rescue team and " ... they did have permission from the Japanese, and they have that in writing ...". I take the view that this information would have been more relevant had it been obtained BEFORE Mr Vine spoke to the minister, and would certainly have made the interview more meaningful.

My complaint is that Mr Vine (a) chose not to listen to or accept the minister's explanation of events, (b) failed to research the topic before conducting the interview, and (c) so failed to put this extremely relevant piece of information to the minister during the interview.