tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30416254377069801622024-02-21T04:00:54.592+00:00I hate the Jeremy Vine ShowWelcome to my blog! I listen to Radio 2 all day but I absolutely hate The Jeremy Vine Show. On most days I send Jeremy an email explaining why his show is irrelevant to me and why I will not be listening. This blog is a record of those emails, which I hope you will enjoy.
IMPORTANT NOTE : I do not hate Jeremy Vine, only his radio show. My communications with him have always been respectful of each other's viewpoint, and I thank him for that.Radio2LunchtimeLoatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01539702295718354404noreply@blogger.comBlogger370125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3041625437706980162.post-9737159832563705362012-10-31T13:26:00.000+00:002012-10-31T13:35:24.547+00:00I'm still here...!<br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I have to admit that the temptation to resurrect
this blog has been overwhelming of late.<br /><br />It was back on the 13th February
this year that the Savile/Newsnight story came to light, and I suggested it as a
story that Vine might (not) like to cover (<a href="http://lunchtimeloather.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/todays-show-130212.html">http://lunchtimeloather.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/todays-show-130212.html</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial;">). The comment from "Anonymous" (there's a surprise) makes
interesting reading now: "<em>The Jimmy Saville story is just a newspaper attack
on the BBC, there's no actual basis to it. ... Are you accusing Peter Rippon,
Newsnight Editor of lying? Can you substantiate that?</em>". Amazing what comes
out in the wash, isn't it? And I wonder if Anonymous stands by his/her
comments!<br /><br />And all the while he was banging on about phone hacking and
Murdoch I kept reminding him that Mirror Group Newspapers were also worthy of
his attention (<a href="http://lunchtimeloather.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/todays-show-170112.html">http://lunchtimeloather.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/todays-show-170112.html</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial;">). Of course, Vine kept his "Murdoch only" selective
journalism filter very firmly in action and it is only now that the Mirror's
activities have just started to appear on the BBC news radar.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Interesting too that Vine now says "<i>You can follow me on Twitter</i>" rather than "<i>You can contact the show via Twitter</i>". Sort of suggests that this line of communication is one-way only now, doesn't it? From him to "us", that is. I wonder, did I have an influence here?</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I'm still waiting for somebody - anybody - to come
on here and tell us all why the Jeremy Vine Show is a wonderful thing. I suspect
that we'll all be waiting a long time for that to happen.</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I send my very best wishes to you all. Maybe one
day I might bring the blog back, even if only occasionally, but I have to say
that it was not until I stopped the daily updates that I fully realised how much
time and effort I was devoting to it. My views on Vine's programme have not
changed one iota but I cannot help but feel that the time I spent writing the
blog every day is better spent running my business.</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Never say never!</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Cheers!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Oh, and I love the show Jeremy!</span></div>
Radio2LunchtimeLoatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01539702295718354404noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3041625437706980162.post-53039670171780462002012-05-15T11:52:00.001+01:002012-05-15T11:52:13.744+01:00Your comments...<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Please feel free to leave your comments - good and bad - about Mr Vine's Fantastic Wireless Programme here. I'll do the same when I hear something particularly cringeworthy...!</span>Radio2LunchtimeLoatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01539702295718354404noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3041625437706980162.post-3959040670565858752012-05-10T16:40:00.000+01:002012-05-10T16:40:35.488+01:00The result of my second appeal...<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just received by email, and with no indication of where it has come from or who sent it.<br /></span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Application of the expedited handling procedure at Stage 1<br /></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The complainant appealed to the Editorial Standards Committee following the decision of the Head of Editorial Standards that the complainant’s appeal did not qualify to proceed for consideration by the Committee.<br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The complaint</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Stage 1<br /></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The complainant wrote to the BBC regarding BBC Audience Services’ decision to apply the expedited complaints procedure to his complaints concerning the Jeremy Vine radio show, its website and Mr Vine’s Twitter feed.<br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The complainant wrote on numerous occasions between January 2011 and January 2012 complaining about various aspects of the Jeremy Vine show, the website and the Twitter Feed. BBC Audience Services replied to each of these complaints.<br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BBC Audience Services then wrote saying that the complainant had submitted dozens of complaints over the past 17 months about the Jeremy Vine show, its output, the website and Mr Vine’s own Twitter account, and that these complaints revolved around three recurring themes: his disagreement with the selection of items on the show and alleged bias by Jeremy Vine; the website updates; and Jeremy Vine’s right to use his Twitter feeds in the way he chose. On each of these issues the BBC had provided the complainant with a clear explanation of their policy and they could not continue to devote such a disproportionate amount of scarce time and resources to responding to these same complaints.<br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BBC Audience Services said that, in this context, they had applied the expedited complaints procedure. This meant that for the next two years they would not reply to complaints from the complainant submitted directly to production teams or via the central BBC Complaints Unit which related to the Jeremy Vine show unless new and substantive issues raising questions of serious editorial breaches were raised.<br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The complainant replied seeking clarification about the alleged “dozens” of complaints he had submitted over the past 17 months. He said his records only covered 12 months so he asked the BBC to explain the “dozens” reference. He also asked what constituted a complaint – did this include emails to the show directly, to Jeremy Vine at his BBC email address and/or his Twitter account?<br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Appeal to the BBC Trust<br /></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The complainant escalated his complaint to the BBC Trust saying that he wished to appeal against the decision to subject his complaints to the expedited complaints procedure.<br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The complainant said that he had sent 19 complaints during the past 13 months, and therefore had sought clarification as to how the BBC concluded that he had submitted “dozens” but had not received an answer to this point. He also questioned what constituted a complaint and explained why the failure to update the programme’s website in a consistent and timely manner was highly problematic for him as a listener. In a series of letters he outlined his argument that Jeremy Vine’s Twitter feeds ran contrary to BBC guidelines, particularly his decision to block him from accessing his account. Finally, in response to the BBC’s claim that they had provided countless explanations of their policy on </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">these key issues, he said that the responses from the BBC frequently missed the point of his complaints.<br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Trust’s Senior Editorial Strategy Adviser replied on behalf of the Head of Editorial Standards.<br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She explained that the Trust did not adjudicate on every appeal that was brought to it, and part of her role was to check that appeals qualified for consideration by the Trust (or one of its complaints committees) under the Complaints Framework. The Head of Editorial Standards had read the relevant correspondence and considered that the appeal did not have a reasonable prospect of success and should not proceed to the Trust’s Editorial Standards Committee.<br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Senior Editorial Strategy Adviser said that the Head of Editorial Standards did not feel the BBC had a case to answer concerning its decision to apply the expedited complaints procedure in relation to complaints about the Jeremy Vine show.<br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She said that the Complaints Framework Annex B, Expedited Complaints Handling procedure, states:<br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“The BBC needs to be able to ensure that its complaints procedures are not abused by vexatious complainants or otherwise by persons making repeated complaints which are without substance.”<br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There were a number of criteria which may be relevant but the Head of Editorial Standards’ view was that the following two were the most significant:<br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“The complaint recipients should consider whether to make use of the expedited procedure where a complainant has a history of persistently and/or repeatedly making complaints which:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(a) Are repetitions of substantively identical complaints that have already been resolved; and/or</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(b) Although within their remit, are shown on investigation to have no reasonable prospect of success.”<br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Head of Editorial Standards noted that the majority of the complaints submitted by the complainant concerned the editorial choice of subjects and the treatment of them on the Jeremy Vine show, and it was clear from the BBC’s guidelines that this was a matter for the BBC and its creative teams. In this context, BBC Audience Services were necessarily eventually supplying the complainant with near-identical responses irrespective of the specific complaint about choice of item as these issues were a matter for the BBC staff concerned. In this context the Head of Editorial Standards believed it was reasonable to view the complaints as falling within the terms of the procedure as set out above.<br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The second major recurring complaint about the inconsistent updating of the website was also a case where the Head of Editorial Standards could not see how the BBC could have responded differently or was likely to do so in future to a similar complaint. The BBC had said that it could not guarantee that every website would always be updated at a specific time, priorities and resources necessarily dictating these matters. Again this was clearly a matter for the BBC to exercise its judgment over its priorities. The Head of Editorial</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Standards therefore did not believe an appeal against the application of the expedited procedure on this matter had a reasonable prospect of success.<br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Head of Editorial Standards had noted that the BBC had repeatedly said that Jeremy Vine’s Twitter account was a personal one, and that they were happy with its relationship to the show, and that he was not in breach of the appropriate BBC guidelines. Here too the Head of Editorial Standards could not see their response changing, or that there were grounds to consider that there had been a breach of the guidelines. In this context in seemed to the Head of Editorial Standards reasonable to conclude that the complainant’s main complaints had become “repetitions of substantially identical complaints” with “no reasonable prospect of success” as the guidelines covering this procedure required. In this context the Head of Editorial Standards could see no reasonable chance of success if this complaint was pursued to appeal.<br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Head of Editorial Standards noted that one of the complainant’s complaints had led to a change to the web page and she assured the complainant that under the expedited procedure his complaints would still be read and if there was a matter of substance then the complaint would be handled as normal, including acceptance of a need for a clarification or correction if necessary. It would not be ignored.<br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finally the Head of Editorial Standards noted that the BBC had suggested that there had been dozens of complaints over 17 months and the complainant had said that he had made 19 complaints during the past 13 months. She appreciated that this difference concerned the complainant but it did not seem to her to make a material difference to the essential issue which was that the BBC were expending resources on replying to similar complaints on which the complainant had already had an answer and knew the BBC’s position, and on which he had no reasonable prospect of success.<br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The complainant requested that the Committee review the decision of the Head of Editorial Standards not to proceed with the appeal. He said that some of his complaints fell into a fourth category which the Head of Editorial Standards had ignored (factually inaccurate, speculative and biased reporting) and made further comments on those categories of complaints which she had identified. He concluded by requesting that his complaints should no longer be subject to the expedited complaints procedure.<br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The Committee’s decision<br /></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Committee was provided with the complainant’s appeal to the Trust, the response from the Senior Editorial Strategy Adviser on behalf of the Head of Editorial Standards and the complainant’s letter asking the Committee to review the Head of Editorial Standards’ decision. The Committee was also provided with the Stage 2 response from the Editorial Complaints Unit.<br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Committee noted the complainant’s contention that some of his complaints fell into a fourth category, that of allegations of factually incorrect, speculative or biased reporting. The Committee agreed that, however the various complaints were categorised, the fact was that they were largely repetitive with no reasonable prospect of success.<br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Committee also noted the complainant’s statement that he would not make any further complaints relating to “late web page updates” if the appeal against the application of the expedited procedure were allowed.<br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Taking into account the nature and frequency of the complaints made by the complainant, the Committee was satisfied that the decision not to accept his appeal against the application of the expedited procedure was correct.<br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The Committee therefore decided this appeal did not qualify to proceed for consideration.</b></span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">So, I’m still on the naughty step then.<br />My appeal has
been beautifully cherry-picked, in particular when they wrote:<br /><i>The Committee
also noted the complainant’s statement that he would not make any further
complaints relating to “late web page updates” if the appeal against the
application of the expedited procedure were allowed.</i><br />I also stated that I
would not complain about the programme’s editorial decisions if my appeal was
allowed, but they missed that. Should have gone to SpecSavers, perhaps.<br />I’ll
stew on this for a while and decide what to do.</span></span></span>Radio2LunchtimeLoatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01539702295718354404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3041625437706980162.post-13733130147949553972012-05-08T09:48:00.001+01:002012-05-08T09:48:49.424+01:00There is no more... again<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've tried the new format for a couple of weeks now, and I have to say that I am having some issues with it.<br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The main one is just finding the motivation to write stuff about news from several days ago. I had been hoping to catch up on last Thursday's and last Friday's JV programmes over the weekend but a busy schedule has prevented me from doing so. It is now Tuesday morning and I feel that the relevance and impact of writing stuff about a programme broadcast five days ago is lost. I had hoped that the "catch up" format would work, but - and to be honest - I can make better use of my time!<br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I guess my heart just is not in this thing any more and so for that reason I have to regrettably say again that there will be no more daily updates.<br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The blog will remain in place as a testament to what has gone before, and I will update it from time-to-time if I hear JV being particularly banal and also when the BBC choose to communicate with me directly.<br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm very sorry about this, and I thank you sincerely for all of the support and encouragement that you have given. It really is appreciated very much.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Vine was recently interviewed by the Radio Academy (you can hear it here: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.radioacademy.org/news/blog/2012/05/radiotalk-south-west-branch-special/">http://www.radioacademy.org/news/blog/2012/05/radiotalk-south-west-branch-special/</a>) and a few weeks ago the chap doing the interview was actively seeking questions to be asked of the man. I sent a few, but they were not used. Instead, Vine preaches to the converted about how good he is, how good his programme is, how he can do no wrong and while still happily wallowing in the fame of the Gordon Brown "bigot" thing from two years ago. Listening to him talk with such attitude really annoys me.</span>Radio2LunchtimeLoatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01539702295718354404noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3041625437706980162.post-34447949163373489322012-05-06T08:47:00.000+01:002012-05-06T08:47:04.758+01:00Ritual humiliation of Jeremy Vine<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Tee hee...<br /><br />BBC’s election night ritual
humiliation of Jeremy Vine over for another year</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://crashbangwallace.com/2012/05/05/bbcs-election-night-ritual-humiliation-of-jeremy-vine-over-for-another-year/">http://crashbangwallace.com/2012/05/05/bbcs-election-night-ritual-humiliation-of-jeremy-vine-over-for-another-year/</a></span></span>Radio2LunchtimeLoatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01539702295718354404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3041625437706980162.post-49668504533212079172012-05-02T19:45:00.000+01:002012-05-02T19:45:50.397+01:00More Twittering...<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 8px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have had an interesting exchange of emails today with Paul Smith of BBC Audio and Music concerning my old mate Jeremy Vine’s use of Twitter. Mr Smith has chosen to engage with me and is ignoring my placing on the “expedited complaints handling procedure” list, which is very good of him. For that reason alone I have been careful with my words as I do not wish to destroy this particular link in to the inner workings of our beloved BBC as it may prove of use in the future should he continue to respond in a like manner. Mr Smith’s BBC biography can be read here:</span></div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 8px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/aboutthebbc/insidethebbc/managementstructure/biographies/smith_paul/" rel="nofollow" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">http://www.bbc.co.uk/aboutthebbc/insidethebbc/managementstructure/biographies/smith_paul/</a><br />Our email exchange went like this:</span></div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 8px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><i style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Dear Mr Smith,</i></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 8px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
There follows a transcript of a recent Twitter exchange between Jeremy Vine and Tom Watson MP. This brief exchange tells me more about Mr Vine and his personal views than any other source I have ever found. It could be argued that having such an apparently cosy relationship shows bias on his part, and following this exchange it came as no surprise at all to hear that Mr Watson was to be a guest on Vine’s programme today.<br /><b style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">tom_watson @tom_watson : If you worked at NoTW and don’t believe @rupertmurdoch’s account, please contact me: “Rupert Murdoch betrayed us”:<a href="http://gu.com/p/377yx/tf" rel="nofollow" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">http://gu.com/p/377yx/tf</a><br />Jeremy Vine @theJeremyVine : @tom_watson Your book title is best so far this year, T. We’re ready for you in the studio whenever you want to come on @BBCRadio2<br />tom_watson @tom_watson : @theJeremyVine thank you. I’d be delighted.<br />Jeremy Vine @theJeremyVine : @tom_watson Have emailed producer to remind him to fix date. Know you’re busy. Have good weekend.<br />Chuck Finlay @ChuckFinlay : @theJeremyVine @tom_watson Jeremy, get a room…this snivelling in public is embarrassing!</b><br />However, I am unable to respond or comment because Vine has blocked me from following his feed. At least I would not have suggested that they “get a room”.</div>
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The following tweet came from former MP Lembit Opik in which he almost begs to be a guest on the programme to discuss his new book. Mr Opik appeared to do exactly that a few days later (5th March).<br /><b style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">@theJeremyVine Jeremy, hope you’re well. My book on future of Lib Dems and its leadership is out tomorrow. Your listeners may be interested?</b></div>
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I find the details of Mr Vine’s relationships with his programme guests fascinating!</div>
</i><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 8px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<i style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Your comments on this and my other recent email would be appreciated.<br />Many thanks!</i></div>
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<i style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></i><i><br /></i>I received the following reply 3 hours later:<br /><i style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></i></div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 8px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<i style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Hi there,</i></div>
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Thank you for your note. Although I don’t think this exchange is ideal, it is worth pointing out that no guest can be booked by the presenter without the express permission of the editor. I have spoken to the editor, and although Jeremy, as a journalist can, and does make suggestions, the editor turns down the idea as often as he accepts it. Tom Watson may have wanted to appear to talk about his book, but the programme also wanted him to appear following the select committee report of yesterday. Tom Watson had been sought by several BBC and non-BBC outlets, and I am satisfied that it was the correct item to carry, and there was no undue prominence of the book.</div>
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I didn’t hear the Lembit Opik item, but the editor tells me he received offers of Lembit from several sources…not principally Jeremy, and decided that he would be an interesting guest for one of the programmes.</div>
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The exchanges you have sent are public, and I think if anyone had anything to hide here, they would not use twitter.</div>
</i><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 8px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<i style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Paul Smith</i></div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 8px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<i style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></i><i><br /></i>I responded straight away:<br /><i style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></i></div>
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<i style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Hi,</i></div>
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Many and sincere thanks for your prompt reply. It is very much appreciated.</div>
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Both today’s and my email of 26th April are nothing more than illustrations of the reasons why I would like to fully follow and engage with Mr Vine’s so-called “personal” Twitter account, which I am still blocked from doing so.</div>
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Your explanation of the procedures in place to book guests is gratefully received, and I take it from this that when Mr Vine wrote “<b style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">We’re ready for you in the studio whenever you want to come on</b>” on 28th April (last Saturday, four days before the report was published) that this was NOT necessarily a “done deal” and the offer of air time was not guaranteed. If that is indeed the case then I hope you understand why I, and presumably others, have misinterpreted an apparently open invitation to attend at Mr Watson’s convenience.</div>
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For balance, I would hope that similar invitations were sent to other members of the select committee, Louise Mensch for example, but these have not appeared on Mr Vine’s Twitter feed.</div>
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Again, I would ask for your comments on my email sent on 24th April, with particular reference to the BBC’s definition of word “personal” and the use of a personal Twitter account by somebody (the producer) other than the account owner.</div>
</i><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 8px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<i style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I remain extremely grateful for your responses to my emails.</i></div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 8px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<i style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></i><i><br /></i>Only 20 minutes later came this:<br /><i style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></i></div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 8px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<i style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Louise Mensch has appeared on several other BBC outlets and another member of the committee was on Today this morning. But Tom Watson has been driving forward the phone hacking aspect of the story, so I would expect him to be prioritised, although today would be the appropriate day for him to appear rather than any of his choosing.</i></div>
<i style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
‘Personal’ is what JVs account is…it’s not controlled or set up by the BBC. But sometimes material from it is interesting, and Jeremy is happy for us to use the comments sent to him directly. Twitter is about personal engagement, and Jeremy likes to indulge in public debate with some people which he is in control of.</div>
</i><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 8px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<i style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">As I said, we are moving to a position where we will use BBC accounts for comments, but that is taking time to achieve as the audience find presenters own personal accounts more attractive. </i></div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 8px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<i style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></i><i><br /></i>I had the last word though:<br /><i style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></i></div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 8px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<i style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Hi,</i></div>
<i style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 8px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
Quote: <b style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">As I said, we are moving to a position where we will use BBC accounts for comments, but that is taking time to achieve as the audience find presenters own personal accounts more attractive.</b></div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
Please be aware that this particular member of your audience absolutely disagrees with the latter part of that statement for the reasons that I have outlined previously.</div>
</i><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 8px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<i style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Again, many thanks for your responses. I shall now await the outcome of my appeal to the BBC Trust.</i><br /></div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 8px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
And that was that. The definition of the word “personal” I learnt many years ago is obviously completely wrong, and I also seem to have completely misunderstood everything to do with the BBC and its use of Twitter.</div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 8px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br />Silly me.</div>
</span>Radio2LunchtimeLoatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01539702295718354404noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3041625437706980162.post-78388780864174284932012-05-02T13:18:00.000+01:002012-05-02T13:20:25.753+01:0030/04/12, 01/05/12 and 02/05/12<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">I've got some catching up to do, and a convenient break
in work-related matters allows me some time to do so, so best get on with
it...</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br />Monday produced this load of old rubbish...<br /><br />1) <em><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-17890740"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">KHALIL DALE</span></a> - A British aid worker Khalil Dale is beheaded in Pakistan. He has been
described as a gentle man who lived to help others in war zones</em> :
Absolutely tragic, but what did your discussion change? Anything? At all? Let me
guess... Next...<br /><br />2) <em><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17886788"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">RECESSION</span></a> - We’re joined by BBC Business editor
Robert Peston. We ask “is it possible to talk ourselves into a recession?”</em>
: The answer to your question is "Yes" and the BBC will be leading the campaign
to do so. You said on Ken's show about Peston: <em>Does he have to have that
gleam in his eye as he talks about the recession?</em> The answer to that
question is also "Yes", simply because he is paid by and works for the BBC. Like
you, it is his job to do so. When the figures were released and the floodgates
opened at the BBC as you searched frantically for someone to talk down the
economy. I can only guess the jubilation when the BBC found a fellow doom monger
by the name of Raymond Moan (yes, really), a building supplies businessman from
Northern Ireland. Mr Moan was used on every news broadcast from then on with the
BBC ignoring anybody with a different view, as usual. Next...<br /><br />3) <em><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-17866195"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">RED KITE</span></a> - Have you been attacked by a red kite?</em> : I was hit by one in a park
when I was a child. I cannot remember the colour for sure, but I think it was
blue and yellow. Oh... that kind of kite. No, I've never been attacked by one of
those. You said on Ken's show when talking about Pomeranians: <em>I don't know
what size of dog that is</em>. Is that not the kind of basic information that
you would need to discuss this topic? Were you winging it (pun intended) again
Jeremy? And from my knowledge of birds of prey, of which we have many around
here, the behaviour and description sound more like a buzzard to me.
Next...<br /><br />4) <em><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17884897"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">MISSILES</span></a> - Residents who live in flats in the East End
have been told that they could well have an air-to-air missile on their roof to
protect the Olympics</em> : East End of where? Oh, you'll be talking about that
there London. There was a classic Jeremy Vine open-mouth-and-insert-foot moment
on Ken's show when you said: <em>Surface to air is a bit of a misnomer as they
will be on top of a block of flats</em>. How is that a misnomer? It is an
entirely accurate description. Was this the second time in one programme when
you did not have a clue what you were talking about? Sounds like it to me! And
can I have a missile on my roof, please? Target coordinates: W1W 2NY.<br /><br />On
to Tuesday then...<br /><br />1) <em><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17902170"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">FORDS</span></a> - A man is swept away to his death while
attempting to drive through a ford during yesterday’s heavy rain on the
Berkshire - Hampshire border. Have you got into trouble while attempting to
cross a ford?</em> : No, and I loved the video clip on the BBC news page you
linked to which clearly showed a water depth gauge. Radio about stupid people,
by stupid people, for stupid people. There is no charge if you want to make that
your programme's new slogan. Next...<br /><br />2) <em><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2137652/Patrick-Moore-says-hates-Germans-70-years-Nazi-bomb-killed-fianc-e.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">HATE</span></a> - Astronomer Sir Patrick
Moore whose fiancée was killed by a Nazi bomb in World War 2 says it’s still OK
to hate the Germans. Find out more in this article from the Daily Mai</em>l :
The Daily Mail... what better mouthpiece of the sewer press is there to stir up
a bit of racial hatred? And what better mouthpiece of sewer radio is there to
further promote it than your programme? You said on Ken's show: <em>Amazing how
recently the Germans were still bombing London</em>. The last German air raid on
London using conventional bombers (not V1 or V2 rockets) was on the 29 January
1944. That'll be 68 years ago. Is that what you count as "recent"? How are they
getting on in Mafeking? Next...<br /><br />3) <em><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/marx_karl.shtml"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">COMMUNIST MANIFESTO</span></a> - It’s May
Day, International Workers Day. As the Communist Manifesto, the second biggest
selling book of all time, is re-published, we ask whether Communism has any
relevance in 2012</em> : It has as much relevance to me as it has always had:
None at all. Needless to say, I did not listen but it was obvious from your
Twitter feed that somebody called Daniel Frazer was mightily upset with what you
were saying. For the benefit of my blog readers I'll repeat what he said here
(<a href="http://www.twitlonger.com/show/h7usvt">http://www.twitlonger.com/show/h7usvt</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial;">, my emphasis):<br /><br /><em>@theJeremyVine <strong>Of all the
trash I have heard from the BBC your show today has to be the worst</strong>.
Railroading Catholicism with Nazism and Capitalism, leaving Communism as the one
true haven. No mention of grinding poverty in Socialist states, no mention of
forced famines or gulags. No! just standing behind that Nazism had concentration
camps so they were the only evil. What is a gulag or Siberian banishment if not
a death camp? <strong>You are an abhorrent figure, willingly rallying and
distorting the trut</strong>h about the Communist manifesto and Capitalism. By
playing Internationale today will you play Die Farne Hoch on the anniversary of
the Munich Putsch? The anthem of a lot less brutal regime in Europe at the time?
<strong>You do indeed fit the billing to partake in the worst waste of public
money in all history</strong>, with your red brethren at the BBC. It is just
that you and your show will end up in the cesspool of history</em>.<br /><br />He
makes some good points! Next...<br /><br />4) <em><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17865663"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">CANNABIS</span></a> - And finally, Holland
starts to close some of its “coffee shops” to tourists. Did you only go to
Amsterdam for the cannabis?</em> : I've been to Amsterdam only once and I was
only there long enough to change trains, and I've never had anything to do with
cannabis.<br /><br />And finally, on to today...<br /><br />1) <em><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-17920161"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">PRESCRIPTIONS</span></a> - A new
report finds 1 in 6 patients are being given inaccurate prescriptions. We talk
to someone about the day they spotted a serious error in their prescription</em>
: I rarely have prescriptions, and that has never happened to me. However, I do
always check to see I have been given the correct stuff before using it.
Obviously I am not a member of your Target Audience. Next...<br /><br />2)
<em><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-17919878"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">RUPERT MURDOCH</span></a> - Is Rupert Murdoch unfit to run a major international
company? We talk to Tom Watson, hot from the MPs' Select Committee report, who
says he clearly is</em> : More Murdoch ... YOU LOVE IT! I have no view on
Murdoch's competency to run his own business, but I find it interesting that you
have Watson on your programme today. A couple of days ago this interesting
little tête-à-tête appeared on your Twitter feed:<br /><br /><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyEJ-81flECXRf2FQU4jelhySRwOEXtE0Pc0N424Gl_F7OUAPGZQ0HhbHDaEgtm6KdyzdebJcFzbpXE-OtIqoFxiLd8nO4qGkiwiS1J6FZtk8CFqRjCQdv_hz_5MnUBR6rxhWEDbTYpEJW/s1600/Twitter2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyEJ-81flECXRf2FQU4jelhySRwOEXtE0Pc0N424Gl_F7OUAPGZQ0HhbHDaEgtm6KdyzdebJcFzbpXE-OtIqoFxiLd8nO4qGkiwiS1J6FZtk8CFqRjCQdv_hz_5MnUBR6rxhWEDbTYpEJW/s1600/Twitter2.JPG" /></a></span></i><br />That all sounds a bit cosy to me. Anyway, it
seems Watson might be in trouble (<a href="http://order-order.com/2012/05/01/dial-s-for-special-access-watson-revealed-committee-findings-in-book/">http://order-order.com/2012/05/01/dial-s-for-special-access-watson-revealed-committee-findings-in-book/</a>)</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> as in his book (the one whose "<em>title is best so far this
year</em>") he revealed the committee's findings before they were published. I'd
bet that you don't ask him about that. Next...<br /><br />3) <em><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17914093"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">MAYORS</span></a> - 10 towns
and cities vote tomorrow on whether they should have mayors. Do you want a mayor
for your city?</em> : My nearest city already has one, thanks. Oh, you've missed
out the important words "in England". Deliberate misinformation again Jeremy?
Next...<br /><br />4) <em><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17904713"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">ROY HODGSON</span></a> - The new England manager is already being
ridiculed for his speech impediment. What makes people think it's ok to ridicule
someone with a speech defect?</em> : Who? Oh, this is to do with sport. How
boring. It is better to have a speech defect and talk sense than to talk rubbish
perfectly, don't you think? You would know.<br /><br />The Jeremy Vine Show - always
ready to talk to (and pay) Labour MPs but please do not call us biased!</span>Radio2LunchtimeLoatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01539702295718354404noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3041625437706980162.post-56064085987593093802012-04-29T19:00:00.000+01:002012-04-29T19:00:07.540+01:0026/04/12 and 27/04/12<br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">It is a wet and very windy Sunday afternoon here in
North Wales, and with any outside activities cancelled for the day an
opportunity arises to send you my comments on the last two programmes from last
week.<br /><br />But first, here is some other stuff...<br /><br />Jeremy, have you ever
heard of a political party called UKIP? If you have then you are probably unique
at the BBC as our favourite state broadcaster seems to be doing their best to
not just ignore UKIP but almost to deny its existence. There was an interesting
article about this phenomenon by Michael Heaver in The Commentator a few days
ago (<a href="http://www.thecommentator.com/article/1125/bbc_green_with_envy_over_ukip_s_rise">http://www.thecommentator.com/article/1125/bbc_green_with_envy_over_ukip_s_rise</a>)</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> which rightly said: <em>Perhaps I'm just a troubled, paranoid
young man. But if the Green Party were outpolling the Liberal Democrats
nationally, I think that the BBC would be absolutely all over the story</em>. Mr
Heaver is, in my view, absolutely correct. So how about you include UKIP when a
relevant topic for discussion occurs? Or did you get the "no UKIP" memo from the
BBC's Director of Bias too?<br /><br />Some BBC news:<br /><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/9233705/BBC-launches-inquiry-into-payments-to-MPs.html">http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/9233705/BBC-launches-inquiry-into-payments-to-MPs.html</a></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">BBC launches inquiry into
payments to MPs</span></strong></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></strong><em>The BBC has launched an inquiry which
could lead to a ban on MPs being paid to appear as guests on programmes. The
move would affect dozens of politicians who are regularly rewarded for their
broadcasts, earning up to £200 plus expenses for a turn on Radio 4's Any
Questions or more than £500 for BBC One's This Week</em>.<br /><br />I have tried my
best to find out how much Galloway et al are paid to patronise your listeners...
ooops, sorry, I mean... to make a valuable contribution to your programme, but
have failed on every attempt due to the unique way in which the BBC is funded
and so won't tell the very people who fund a darned thing about how OUR money is
spent. A ban on MPs being paid could be interesting. The appearance of a Tory MP
on your programme is a rare thing already so that situation will probably not
change, but if a ban means that Balls or Prescott are not called upon to give us
the benefit of their wisdom on the price of brussel sprouts then so be it. My
hope is that only those MPs who are passionate on their subject will appear -
for free - and that will nicely separate the motormouths and rent-a-gobs from
those who are actually trying to improve the land in which we live. Perhaps you
need to update your MP "speed dial" list?<br /><br />I know you don't do it, but I
would like to go back to a couple of recent discussions on your
programme...<br /><br />The first was on 18th April when you were bemoaning the
decline of local newspapers. Well, Mr Murdoch Snr has identified the culprit for
their demise: The BBC. He gave his views as part of the Leveson Inquiry last
week (<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/17857574">http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/17857574</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial;">):<br /><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Leveson Inquiry: Murdoch rounds on
BBC News website</span></strong></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></strong><em>Rupert Murdoch has used his appearance
at the Leveson Inquiry into press ethics to reflect on the threat posed to
newspapers by the internet. The head of News Corps singled out the BBC News
website as a significant threat to local news websites throughout the
UK</em>.<br /><br />So there we go, it is the BBC's fault. I knew it all along.
Although only three minutes long, it is a an interesting interview. No wonder
the BBC have him down as Public Enemy Number One.<br /><br />The second was last
Wednesday, 25th April, and the discussion on bus lanes and cyclists. Just out of
curiosity I listened to the discussion on iPlayer in the hope that somebody
might have given you some grief. I knew that you would have John Griffin from
Addison Lee as a studio guest, but your other guest was something of a surprise
choice. Now I know that you make a pretence of not ramming your own views down
your listeners’ and studio guest’s throats and that you usually gets somebody in
to do that for you, and it appears that last Wednesday was no exception. So what
happened then? Did you do a quick scan down your speed-dial favourites list to
find a fellow cyclist? And really, was there nobody else available other than
Rent-A-Gob Peter Tatchell? Now Tatchell may or may not have interesting views on
all sorts of matters (he was last on your programme talking about the Bahrain F1
race) but I never had him down as an expert on all things cycling. And I was
correct! The item turned in to the usual JV Show two-against-one discussion (and
I use that word in its loosest possible sense) with you putting words in to
Griffin’s mouth, which he had to deny. Tatchell added little other than some
hare-brained ideas and presumably collected a completely unjustified payment
cheque when he left. This was nothing other than an ambush wrapped up in some
very obvious London-only bias.<br /><br />Moving on to last Thursday
then...<br /><br />1) <em><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-17836624"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">ZIGZAG ECONOMY</span></a> - As we fall back into recession we’re told
the economy is zigzagging. If you think about your business or employment
prospects are they up one day and down the next?</em> : With the BBC celebrating
the return to recession, I am going to tell that my employment prospects remain
unchanged at non-existent, but that my business still seems to be going nicely.
Next...<br /><br />2) <em><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2135145/Im-childless-42-haunted-baby-I-aborted-18.html?ito=feeds-newsxml"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">ABORTION</span></a> - Are you somebody who had an abortion when you
were young and now can’t get pregnant or left it too late? Find out more in this
article from the Daily Mail</em> : I've never had an abortion, but I can't get
pregnant. Other than read the Daily Mail, what should I do? Next...<br /><br />3)
<em><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17843752"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">GORDON BROWN</span></a> - Rupert Murdoch said that Gordon Brown declared war on his
company when The Sun declared war on the Labour government. Whatever was said or
wasn’t said, does part of you think - good on Brown for taking on the power of
Murdoch</em> : More Murdoch? What a surprise! Not even the smallest part of me
thinks that. Perhaps Brown only did it to annoy Tony Blair (<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-14785501">http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-14785501</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial;">), but I notice that Murdoch is still around and Brown has
vanished in to justifed obscurity. Next...<br /><br />4)<em> I LOVE WHERE I LIVE -
“I Love Where I Live” continues with love letters to the place you call home.
Today we reach Scotland, the highlands and islands, the glens and the great
cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh</em> : Nice place, although I've not been there
since 2009.<br /><br />And then there was Friday's offering...<br /><br />1) <em><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-16187500"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">WAKING THE WORKSHY</span></a> - The head of the government’s Troubled Families programme Louise
Casey says council officials may need to turn up at people’s homes at 7am to get
parents and children out of bed. Do bureaucrats need to wake up the
workshy?</em> : There is no mention of waking people up on the news page you
link to but it does say: <em>David Cameron says he is determined to "get to
grips" with <strong>tackling England's</strong> most troubled families by
pledging a network of troubleshooters</em>. Ah, England ... bless. Not Wales
then. Next...<br /><br />2) <em><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-17864387"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">SIERRA LEONE</span></a> - The former Liberian leader Charles
Taylor is found guilty of aiding and abetting war crimes in Sierra Leone</em> :
Good. Next...</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span> </div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">3) <em>I LOVE WHERE I LIVE - We head to the South
of England for the last day of "I Love Where I Live," your love letters to the
place you call home</em> : I used to live there, and I'm glad I don't anymore. I
loved the way you informed us that the South of England streches from "Southend
to Penzance". I'm not sure the proud people of Cornwall will have liked that, I
think they prefer the term "West of England". Next...</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span> </div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">4) <em><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/9220346/Save-the-flannel.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">FLANNELS</span></a> - The decline of the flannel. Is it
no longer an essential accessory in the bathroom? Find our more in this article
from the Telegraph</em> : I still have many and use one every day, but....
errrr... oh, hang on... nearly nodded off there... what was the question
again?</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span> </div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">What have I learnt from the BBC in the past few
days? Well, Penzance is in the South of England (you, last week). "April
showers" will last until May (BBC weather forecast this morning). Simon Cowell
has an "unauthorised autobiography" out (news report on the Danii Minogue
upset). And Billy Bragg was born in 1957 but was a "teenager throughout the
1970s" (Johnny Walker this afternoon). Perhaps accuracy is
over-rated.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span> </div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The Jeremy Vine Show - Oh God, it's back on again
tomorrow...</span></div>Radio2LunchtimeLoatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01539702295718354404noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3041625437706980162.post-56816462393802641392012-04-26T19:16:00.000+01:002012-04-26T19:16:35.320+01:00The Twitter plot thickens...<br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I received an interesting follow-up email from BBC
Audio & Music today in response to my query concerning Jeremy Vine's use of
Twitter sent a couple of weeks ago. This is what it said (my
emphasis):</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span> </div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><em>Sorry for my slow response, I wanted to check a
few things with the JV programme.</em></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><em>Like a number of freelance presenters and
journalists, Jeremy Vine does run a personal, non BBC, twitter account. People
do tweet directly back to him, text the studio, phone the studio, email the
studio and tweet to BBC owned accounts.</em></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><em>The comments you hear on air are selected by a
producer and passed to Jeremy, based on their content. It’s not true that the
responses back to Jeremy’s account play a major part in the show…by far the
biggest response is by email and text.</em></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><em><strong>Sometimes the producer (not JV) will
judge a comment via twitter is useful in the debate and pass it through to the
studio</strong>.<br />Jeremy is aware of our guidance on personal use of social
media, and his comments on twitter are within that guidance, and I, and others,
will advise him from time to time about twitter. <br />Twitter is a new
phenomenon, and adapting guidelines etc. does take time and often leaves a few
grey areas. You’ll have noticed BBC news people like Robert Peston have tweet
accounts too…and many of those are ‘BBC’ owned. But, the way the accounts are
labelled and who owns them does, I admit, vary across the corporation. We are
tidying this up bit by bit, but it is taking a little time. <br />I hope this
explains the situation.</em></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span> </div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The writer has obviously gone to some trouble to get his facts straight, but I feel that he has been given misinformation by the JV program staff. Old habits die hard!</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I am pleased to have it confirmed that Vine is freelance and not a BBC employee. I always suspected that this was the case, but had no proof.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">This was my response to the email:</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">
</span><div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /><em>Very many thanks for your reply, and for taking the time and
trouble to investigate further - it is very much appreciated. Unfortunately, it
does not explain the situation!<br /><br />The only Twitter account that I know
Jeremy Vine has is @theJeremyVine. I can only assume that the BBC-owned Twitter
account that you refer to is @BBCRadio2, which <strong>I have never heard
mentioned</strong> in connection with Mr Vine's programme.<br /><br />Mr Vine uses
his "personal" account to tweet about his favourite football team, cycling in
London and a whole host of non-BBC related topics, but this is also the same
Twitter account that he promotes heavily in connection with his Radio 2
programme. For example, this is what he said yesterday (25th April):<br /><br /> -
During his daily promotion on the Ken Bruce show at 11:30 : "Phone number 0500
288291, you can email vine@bbc.co.uk, <strong>we're both on Twitter @R2KenBruce
and @theJeremyVine</strong>"<br /> - At the start of his programme at 11:59 : "The
phone number is 0500 288291, you can also email vine@bbc.co.uk and <strong>if
you have an account on Twitter I'm there as @theJeremyVine</strong>"<br /><br />You
will note that in both of these promotions there was no mention of texting, and
based on previous experience I have absolutely no doubt that other similar
promotions of @theJeremyVine were made during the programme. You will also note
his promotion of Ken Bruce's Twitter account, which has as its description:</em>
The official twitter account of the real Ken Bruce. You'll find my words here
typed by my own fingers . On air weekdays 0930-1200 BBC Radio 2<em>. Despite his
claims to the contrary, am I to take it that Mr Bruce's account is "personal"
too?<br /><br />You kindly wrote:</em> Sometimes the producer (not JV) will judge a
comment via twitter is useful in the debate and pass it through to the
studio<em>.<br /><br />So, just to be clear, Mr Vine's "personal" account is
monitored by a BBC producer and cherry-picked for good comments - is that
correct? If that is the case, perhaps you would be good enough to explain the
BBC's definition of the word "personal", as I am now completely
baffled..<br /><br />Mr Vine reads and attributes comments from Twitter on air, and
a quick check of tweets to his account (by searching for @theJeremyVine in
Twitter) reveals Twitter to indeed be the source, almost word for
word.<br /><br />As you have mentioned, I could choose to communicate with his
programme by email or text, but both of these mediums are relatively cumbersome
and lack the immediacy and convenience that Twitter provides to me.<br /><br />I
have no issue, or interest, with the comments that Mr Vine makes on Twitter. We
live in a land of free speech and he is entitled to his opinions. However, that
same free speech is denied to me simply because he has chosen to block me from
being able to respond to his invitations to contact his programme (not Mr Vine
himself). <strong>This amounts to nothing less than censorship on Mr Vine's
part</strong>.<br /><br />All I want is to be able to communicate with a BBC radio
programme that I fund by buying a TV Licence every year.<br /><br />Again, I thank
you sincerely for your email, but I cannot help thinking that whoever you spoke
to at the JV programme has not been entirely accurate with their
responses.<br /><br />As well as defining "personal", would you care to comment
further?</em></span></div>Radio2LunchtimeLoatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01539702295718354404noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3041625437706980162.post-30346966817536840672012-04-25T12:29:00.000+01:002012-04-25T12:29:31.537+01:0023/04/12, 24/04/12 and 25/04/12<br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I've been busy over the last couple of days so I
have missed my daily updates. However, I'm off to the dentist (only a check-up)
soon so find myself with an opportunity to do my thing. Let's start with
Monday...<br /><br />1) <em><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17809952"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">MARINE LE PEN</span></a> - The biggest surprise of the French
elections is that one in five voted for the national front candidate Marine Le
Pen. What accounts for the rise of the far right in France?</em> : It is
well-known that the BBC finds any political view other than left of centre to be
totally abhorent. Like London, I view France as a place to get through as
quickly as possible on my way to somewhere much nicer. And my interest ends
there. Next...<br /><br />2) <em><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-17803108"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">BLINDNESS IN ONE EYE</span></a> - A diplomat loses an eye in a
vicious attack. Are you someone who has had to cope with just one eye?</em> :
How awful, but I have not been that unfortunate. Next...<br /><br />3) <em><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17810136"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">CARE WORKER</span></a> - A family secretly film their mother being slapped by a care home
worker. How can this happen in a care home that’s been rated ‘excellent’?</em> :
I've no idea, but I note that "<em>All five main care workers filmed by Jane
Worroll were sacked</em>" so hopefully it will not happen again. But then this
was all just a promotion for Monday's edition of Panorama, wasn't it?
Next...<br /><br />4) <em>I LOVE WHERE I LIVE - All this week Radio 2 wants to hear
why you love where you live. We will be hearing your 1 minute love letters about
your town, village or city</em> : Yeah, whatever.<br /><br />So that was Monday.
Sounds dire. Was Tuesday any better?<br /><br />1) <em><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17815769"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">POSHNESS</span></a> - Conservative MP
Nadine Dorries says that Cameron and Osborne are “arrogant posh boys” who “don’t
know the price of milk”. Does poshness matter anyway?</em> : Ah yes, a good
old-fashioned Jeremy Vine Show Character Assassination. It's been a while since
you did one of those. I take it that this was as one-sided as all of the others?
Aside from that, is a bit of name-calling really "news", especially when bearing
in mind the current legal matters entangling Peter Hain (<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-17822347">http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-17822347</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial;">) and Jack Straw (<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17746561">http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17746561</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> and <a href="http://order-order.com/2012/04/24/secretary-of-state-spook-connection/">http://order-order.com/2012/04/24/secretary-of-state-spook-connection/</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial;">). Next...<br /><br />2) <em><a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/ba8010fa-8ca4-11e1-9758-00144feab49a,Authorised=false.html?_i_location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ft.com%2Fcms%2Fs%2F0%2Fba8010fa-8ca4-11e1-9758-00144feab49a.html&_i_referer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.co.uk%2Fprogrammes%2Fb01gc63t#axzz1swte5cNd"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">MEAT THEFT</span></a> - There’s been a rise in
the theft of meat both from supermarkets and from the ‘back of lorries’. Is this
something you’ve witnessed? </em></span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Find out more from the Financial Times</span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">: No. And the link you provided is hidden behind a "pay wall". You may wish to waste my TV licence tax money on a subscription, but I do not. Next...</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br />3) <em><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-17810769"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">CLAIRE SQUIRES</span></a> -
Claire Squires ran the marathon to raise money for the Samaritans in memory of
her brother. She collapsed and died near the end. Since then, thousands of
people have donated money in her memory</em> : Tragic. Did you discuss banning
marathons? If not, why not? Next...<br /><br />4) <em>LOVE WHERE YOU LIVE - Radio
2’s homage to every nook and cranny and of the UK continues. Today, ‘I Love
Where I Live’ moves to Wales and Northern Ireland. There’s still time to write
your one minute love letter, to where you live</em> : Is there really.
Great.<br /><br />And while I'm at it, I may as well dismiss today's show as
well...<br /><br />1) <em><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17823272"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">RUSSELL BRAND</span></a> - Did you see Russell Brand give evidence on
drug abuse to MPs yesterday? He called for people to have more compassion for
drug addicts, but were you somebody who said what right did he have to be there
in the first place?</em> : Who? Oh, him. My answers are no, and no. This is a former Radio 2 colleague you
are talking about here, have you no respect? Me neither.
Next...</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">
<div>
<br />2) <em><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-17792851"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">BUS LANES & CYCLISTS</span></a> - The man that runs one of Britain’s
biggest cab firms says that minicabs should be allowed in bus lanes and cyclists
should be made to pay road tax</em> : I have no idea where my nearest bus lane
is, in England probably, but your Twitter feed is full of references to your
endeavours with a bicycle around London, so I fail to see how you could possibly
conduct an unbiased discussion on this topic today. Your BBC colleague Stuart
Hughes launched a Twitter attack on the minicab company concerned and this has
been fully documented elsewhere (<a href="http://biased-bbc.com/2012/04/20/taxi-2/">http://biased-bbc.com/2012/04/20/taxi-2/</a> and
<a href="http://biased-bbc.com/2012/04/24/taxi-update/">http://biased-bbc.com/2012/04/24/taxi-update/</a>)
and this, if nothing else, illustrates perfectly the kind of bias that permeates
through the BBC when somebody there uses their position to further their own
views. As for me, one day many years ago I was stopped at traffic lights on the
Euston Road in London and a cyclist rammed in to the back of my car. I got out
and the cyclist picked himself up off the road and said "<em>Sorry mate, I
didn't see you</em>". What he meant was he wasn't actually looking where he was
going. The rear bumper and boot lid on my car were both dented, but the
cyclist's bike appeared to be undamaged. I know that because he then rode off at
high speed and left me with the repair bill. I'll leave you to guess what my
view of cyclists is ... can you manage that? I'll listen to this on the iPlayer later as I hope that the chap from the minicab company gives you some grief. Next...</div>
<div>
<br />3) <em><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17836722"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">MURDOCH</span></a> - Rupert Murdoch gives evidence at the Leveson Inquiry
today as his son leaves cabinet minister Jeremy Hunt’s career hanging by a
thread</em> : Murdoch appears at Leveson, and you are all over it like. Yet back
in January (25th) you chose to ignore the evidence given by the Daily Mail, the
Daily Mirror and our beloved BBC. Bias, bias, bias! Any news reporter worthy of
his trade would give equal coverage to ALL of the news organisations involved,
but you only choose to report on Murdoch. Your choice, or a directive from On
High? Next...</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
4) <em>LOVE WHERE YOU LIVE - ‘I Love Where I Live’ heads to the middle of
England today. We hear your one minute love letters to the place you love</em> :
WTF?</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
And at 12:08 the Off switch does its job.</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
It was interesting to hear Chris Evans's comments this morning on the
forthcoming repeat of 2DAY. "<i>We loved it, you loved it</i>", he said. That is not my
recollection of last year's disasterous day when hordes of R2 listeners found
that other radio stations are available. And your beloved newspapers slated it
too. But the BBC always know best, don't they?<br /><br />The Jeremy Vine show -
telling you the news that WE want you to hear</div>
</span>Radio2LunchtimeLoatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01539702295718354404noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3041625437706980162.post-10617853062740854242012-04-20T14:04:00.000+01:002012-04-20T14:04:29.179+01:0020/04/12<br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Good afternoon. Here is the news from the
BBC:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-17755357">http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-17755357</a></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Clock change could leave
teenagers more sleepy</span></strong></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></strong><em>Teenagers can suffer severe sleep
deprivation when the clocks change, say researchers at the University of Surrey.
<strong>As this study was small, nine students in total,</strong> Mrs Bower says
further research is needed.</em></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><em>
</em><div>
<em><br /></em>A survey of just nine students? Thank goodness the BBC brought
this to our attention.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.licensemag.com/licensemag/Entertainment/BBC-Signs-Dancing-Deal-with-Avon/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/769804">http://www.licensemag.com/licensemag/Entertainment/BBC-Signs-Dancing-Deal-with-Avon/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/769804</a></div>
<div>
<strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">BBC Signs Dancing Deal with
Avon</span></strong><em>BBC Worldwide Consumer Products has signed a deal
with Avon to produce the first range of fragrances based on Dancing with the
Stars, the global brand of BBC One’s “Strictly Come Dancing”
series</em>.<br /><br />Mmmm... Eau D'Sweat sounds delightful. Put me down for a few
bottles.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/9214163/PLS-PIC-AND-PUB-BBC-staff-could-strike-over-Jubilee-weekend.html">http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/9214163/PLS-PIC-AND-PUB-BBC-staff-could-strike-over-Jubilee-weekend.html</a></div>
<div>
<strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">BBC staff 'could strike over Jubilee
weekend'</span></strong></div>
<div>
<strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></strong><em>BBC staff are to be balloted for strike action
that unions warn could disrupt coverage of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee
celebrations in June</em>.<br /><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2132034/Will-miss-Queens-Jubilee-BBC-staff-balloted-strikes-threaten-coverage-celebration.html">http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2132034/Will-miss-Queens-Jubilee-BBC-staff-balloted-strikes-threaten-coverage-celebration.html</a></div>
<div>
<strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Will we miss the Queen's Jubilee? BBC staff balloted
for strikes which could threaten coverage of
celebration</span></strong></div>
<div>
<strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></strong><em>They are demanding an increase of 2 per cent
above the Retail Price Index rate of inflation, which is currently 3.6 per
cent</em>.</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
As you BBC people say: Other broadcasters are available, and free ones at
that. Any chance that they could go on strike permanently? They could all be
sacked then.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.scotsman.com/edinburgh-evening-news/education/pupil-12-takes-bbc-to-task-over-dumbed-down-current-affairs-1-2246042">http://www.scotsman.com/edinburgh-evening-news/education/pupil-12-takes-bbc-to-task-over-dumbed-down-current-affairs-1-2246042</a></div>
<div>
<strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Pupil, 12, takes BBC to task over ‘dumbed down’
current affairs</span></strong></div>
<div>
<strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></strong><em>Lachlann, who is in year seven at the
private Loretto School in Musselburgh, aired his concerns that Newsround, the
40-year-old news programme, is celebrity news-heavy and “does not give you the
in-depth news”. He explained his desire for a greater focus on current affairs,
suggesting that the Newsround editors were underestimating the audience and said
there was a need for a children’s news programme aimed at the 12-16 age
group</em>.<br /><br />Good for him! I wonder what he thinks of your
programme.<br /><br />And finally, more "news" aimed at children:<br /><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/17744487">http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/17744487</a></div>
</span><div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">'Fracking' for gas to carry on, leaving people
angry</span></strong></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></strong><em>A controversial way of getting gas from underground
will start again, even though some people argue it's not safe. The government
reckons it could be also be used in power stations in future, which would mean
the UK wouldn't depend on getting expensive fuel from other countries. But some
people think fracking could pollute water and others say tidal energy and wind
energy are much better options</em>.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span> </div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Go on BBC, keep ramming one side of the argument
down their throats. Impartial? No. Unbiased? No. Sensationalist?
Yes!</span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
</div>
</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I've just had a quick listen to yesterday's show
and you going on about Twitter. Some quotes from you:<br /></span></div>
<br />"<em>Email
sounds old fashioned</em>" - Yet it is the ONLY form of immediate written
communication that I can have with your programme (i.e. NOT YOU personally!)
because that is what YOU personally have decided. I have absolutely no desire to
interact with YOU, but I would like to interact with YOUR
PROGRAMME.<br /><br />"<em>You can tweet me at @theJeremyVine</em>" - No, I can't,
because you have blocked me from doing so.<br /><br />"<em>Here is the Radio 2 guide
to Twitter</em>" - Yet no mention of blocking. How odd.<br /><br />"<em>Tweet from
somebody called Kristian, with a K, Webb, and there's a swear word in here so I
won't read it: Kindly f*** off you imbecile. You've got all the intelligence of
a cancerous polyp. That's a message from him to me</em>" - Have you blocked him?
One thing I have never done is resort to such language. All I have done is
challenge and question what you do with a genuine desire to discuss, but you
block me for daring to do so. Checking through other tweets to you yesterday I
see that I am not alone in being blocked by you. Am I one of the "lunatics" that
you mentioned?<br /><br />Anyway, enough of your hypocrisy and blatant double
standards, let's look at what I am missing today...<br /><br />1) <em><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-17781138"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX</span></a> - Given the violence and unrest in Bahrain is it right that the Grand Prix
goes ahead?</em> : Sport (allegedly), in a country I have never visited, and
with Tatchell in the studio to share his wisdom with your listeners.
Let me know if and when this discussion, or Tatchell's actions, change anything,
will you? I'll be asleep in a corner, somewhere. Next...<br /><br />2)
<em><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17769717"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">PICKPOCKETING</span></a> - A crime survey suggests that there has been a serious
increase in pickpocketing. We give you Radio 2’s guide to how to protect
yourself from being pickpocketed</em> : I was pickpocketed on a packed Paris RER
train a few years ago, simply because of my own stupidity. Rest assured, it will
not happen again. Next...<br /><br />3) <em><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-17773017"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">HOSEPIPE BAN</span></a> - Water, water everywhere
but not a drop to drink, or rather, don’t use your hosepipe! Martin Lewis tells
us how to save water and save money</em> : There is no hosepipe ban here. Having
a water meter (by choice) and knowing that I am paying for every drop
concentrates the mind wonderfully and we just do not waste water. Two rainwater
butts helps too. I don't think I need to listen, do I? Next...<br /><br />4)
<em><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/9215304/David-Cameron-praises-children-who-rise-when-adults-enter-the-room.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">STANDING</span></a> - David Cameron says children should stand up when their parents
enter the room. Is this a Tory leader out of touch or a return to good
old-fashioned manners? Fing out more in this article from the Telegraph</em> :
Fing? Do you actually read the pages you link to? The Telegraph article clearly
states: <em>The Prime Minister made the remarks in a speech praising the return
of “real discipline” to British schools. He said reforms to the education system
would lead to “fantastic outcomes” like children who observe the old-fashioned
practice of rising in the presence of an adult.</em> Having listened to you just
after 12:00 today you seem to be under the illusion that Cameron would like to
see this in family homes which, according to your source, is incorrect. Again,
you are just making this stuff up, aren't you?<br /><br />The Jeremy Vine Show -
News Entertainment at its best</span></div>Radio2LunchtimeLoatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01539702295718354404noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3041625437706980162.post-75060183117675473032012-04-20T10:31:00.002+01:002012-04-20T10:51:14.002+01:00Left hand, meet right hand...<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I've just received the following email from the
powers-that-be at our beloved BBC which relates to another email I received from the Editorial Complaints Unit on 6th February (</span><a href="http://lunchtimeloather.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/friendly-message-from-bbcs-editorial.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://lunchtimeloather.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/friendly-message-from-bbcs-editorial.html</span></a>)<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">. It has only taken them two and a half months to notice...</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /><i>On reviewing the correspondence
between you and the Editorial Complaints Unit from earlier this year, it has
been pointed out to me that your complaint about Jeremy Vine’s use of Twitter
should have reached me. However, I have now read all the correspondence, and
your concerns, and I have nothing more to add to what has already been said.</i></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><i><br />I note that the expedited complaints process has been applied, and the
programme/audience services will only respond to you in future if there is a
serious or substantial matter which should be taken further.</i></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><i><br />I wanted to make
you aware that if you wish to take your complaint about Jeremy Vine blocking you
on twitter further, or if you wish to appeal against the application of the
expedited complaints procedure you can ask the BBC Trust (who act as Stage 3 in
the complaints process) to consider an appeal within 20 working days of receipt
of my letter. <br /><br />You can write to the BBC Trust at 180 Great Portland
Street, London W1W 5QZ. Full details of the complaints and appeals processes are
on the BBC Trust website. (http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust/)<br /><br />Paul
Smith<br />Head Editorial Standards, BBC Audio & Music</i><br /><br /><br />My
response:<br /><br /><i>Dear Mr Smith,<br /><br />Many thanks for your email. I have
already been in contact with the BBC Trust and I am currently awaiting their
second response.<br /><br />Just to be clear in my own mind, and in case I have
completely misunderstood something, would you be good enough to explain to me
how a Twitter account that is described as "personal" by the BBC itself (and so completely uncontrolled by the BBC) can be
so described when that same account forms such a major part of a radio programme
that relies on audience participation for a large proportion of its content? It
is this issue and the double-standards involved, or my complete
misunderstanding, that is at the crux of my complaint.</i></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<br />
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I won't hold my breath...</span></div>Radio2LunchtimeLoatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01539702295718354404noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3041625437706980162.post-64163332385665350872012-04-19T12:13:00.001+01:002012-04-19T12:22:26.181+01:0019/04/12<br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Ooohhh... with a convenient gap in today's workload
this really is like old times...<br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">Did you hear the R2 news at 08:00 this morning?
There were two stories that included either the words "<em>Labour says</em>..."
(Qatada deportation) or "<em>Labour wants</em>..." (British Pregnancy Advisory
Service hacking). Does "Labour" not have a name any more?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">1) <em><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17765535"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">ABU QATADA</span></a> - It’s been said that the
deportation of the rebel cleric Abu Qatada is descending in to chaos. Did home
secretary Theresa May get the day wrong?</em> : I've not seen the paperwork, so
I could not possibly comment, but there is nothing quite like a good old fashioned "it's your fault" finger pointing exercise, is there? You love it! And what will you change? Absolutely nothing, as usual. I suggest you ask "Labour" about this as they seem to know more than Theresa May, apparently. Next... </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">2) <em>TWITTER - Have you ever been on Twitter? We
debate whether Twitter is good or bad for the human soul</em> : No real news today then? I'm sure I just heard something about more journalist scum being arrested, which you conveniently have ignored again. I only signed-up
for Twitter so that I could interact with your programme. You know the one...
the programme broadcast by the UK's state broadcaster that I have to pay for by
law and that relies on audience interaction for its content. But then,
presumably because I disagree with and challenge your views, you have blocked me
from following you. Fortunately Twitter's "blocking" mechanism is not quite as
good as you obviously think it is and there are ways and means around it. We
will, of course, be finding out what the BBC Trust think about this next month
and whether they consider that free speech is a right for all, or just a favour
granted to those who comply with BBC corporate policy. All views are personal,
of course. Next...</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">3) <em><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17753347"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">HOODIES</span></a> - Would you employ a young, unemployed Brit rather than
a “hard working eastern European”? Employment minister Chris Grayling says it’s
time to employ a hoodie</em> : I look forward to hearing that you have employed
at least one "hoodie" on your show. You know, just to show willing and to
reinforce your point. As for me, well I have just enough work to keep me busy,
thank you, and I do not need to employ anybody. Next...</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">4) <em><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-17743980"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">SEASIDE WALKS</span></a> - Why a walk by the sea is better than a walk in a
park, or even the countryside. Why do so many of us yearn to live by the
coast?</em> : I live only a short distance from the sea so, by definition, I
cannot yearn to live there as I already do. Disenfranchised again!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">And I'd bet money that Barbara Windsor - like Madonna - does not listen to
your show, despite the claims of your sycophantic jingles.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">The Jeremy Vine Show - challenge our brainwashing and we will block
you!</span></div>Radio2LunchtimeLoatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01539702295718354404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3041625437706980162.post-73987485510557128052012-04-18T13:20:00.000+01:002012-04-18T13:20:46.319+01:0018/04/12<br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Time for another prompt-ish update, this is getting
just like old times!<br /><br />And to re-live those old times I need to suggest
some BBC-related stories for you to discuss, and ignore, so here they
are:<br /><br />This is so BRILLIANT that I am going to reproduce it in full, and it
is from your favourite daily rag too!<br /><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2128963/Coming-latest-Salford-news-Corporation-Street.html">http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2128963/Coming-latest-Salford-news-Corporation-Street.html</a></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><strong>Coming up after the latest
Salford news Corporation Street</strong></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong><span style="font-size: small;"></span></strong><em>The BBC’s much-heralded
move to a new Media City in Salford was finally completed this week. Critics say
the £1.5 billion cost would have been better spent on programming. To celebrate
its commitment to regional diversity, the corporation has drawn up an exciting
new schedule . . .<br /><br /><strong>6.00 Breakfast</strong> Presented by Bill
Turnbull and the woman who cleans the offices at Media City. Events in the
Middle East are analysed by the imam from Salford Central Mosque and the
diplomatic correspondent of the Salford Advertiser.<br /><br /><strong>9.00 Homes
Under The Hammer</strong> Tearful BBC staff reluctantly put their fashionable
West London homes on the market and embark on a new life in
Salford.<br /><br /><strong>10.00 Bargain Hunt</strong> BBC executives discover that
they can buy an entire street for the price of a one-bedroom flat in Shepherds
Bush. Unfortunately, the street in question is in Salford.<br /><br /><strong>10.45
Location, Location</strong> BBC Director North Peter Salmon is looking a home
close to his new place of work. Today, Kirsty and Phil show him properties in
Notting Hill and a crash pad in Kensington.<br /><br /><strong>11.30 Escape To The
Country</strong> The Friday night exodus from Media City, Salford, as BBC
executives head for their second homes in the Cotswolds. Presented by Bill
Turnbull.<br /><br /><strong>12.00 Home And Away</strong> The trials and
tribulations of media executives forced to work in Salford while their families
are hundreds of miles away in London. In today’s feature-length episode, Bill
discovers his wife is having an affair with her personal trainer and Susanna is
mugged on her way to the railway station.<br /><br /><strong>1.00 News;
Weather</strong>. Bill Turnbull brings you the latest headlines from around the
world. Features a special report on a proposed pedestrianisation scheme in
Salford. The long-range weather forecast predicts heavy rain in the Salford
area.<br /><br /><strong>1.45 Footballers’ Wives</strong> Waynetta Rooney meets the
WAGs of Manchester United and Manchester City players at the nail bar and
Brazilian wax salon in the Lowry Hotel, Manchester. Mario sets fire to his
bathroom.<br /><br /><strong>2.30 Helicopter Heroes</strong> In this special
edition, members of the BBC senior management team fly from Battersea helipad to
Media City, Salford, for a meeting before returning to London in time for dinner
at The Ivy.<br /><br /><strong>3.15 Pointless </strong>Popular quiz show in which
contestants have to answer questions such as: why has the BBC wasted
£1.5 billion of licence-payers’ money moving to Salford?<br /><br /><strong>4.30
Great British Menu</strong> From the Salford Quays branch of Greggs. Top chefs
compete for the honour of preparing a banquet for the Mayor of Salford. Tonight
they try to create the perfect pasty while avoiding VAT at 20 per
cent.<br /><br /><strong>5.00 Deal Or No Deal</strong> BBC journalists, producers
and secretaries are told that unless they agree to move to Salford they will be
sacked.<br /><br /><strong>6.00 News; Weather</strong> Bill Turnbull reports on the
struggle for control of Salford Council’s Parks and Recreation Committee. Plus,
how the North West is escaping the hosepipe ban.<br /><br /><strong>6.30 Great
British Railway Journeys</strong> Michael Portillo encounters engineering works
at Crewe as he joins BBC Breakfast presenter Susanna Reid on a replacement bus
service during her daily commute between London and Salford.<br /><br /><strong>7.00
The One Show</strong> In an exclusive interview to mark the opening of Media
City, Bill Turnbull talks to Manchester music scene legend Noel Gallagher, live
by satellite from his home in Little Venice, West London.<br /><br /><strong>7.30
Corporation Street</strong> The BBC’s brand new soap, designed to rival ITV’s
Coronation Street. Television executives struggle to adapt to their new
surroundings in Salford. Tonight Susanna tells Bill she returning to her husband
in London.<br /><br /><strong>8.00 Strictly Come Dancing From the Locarno Ballroom,
Salford</strong>. The show gets a youthful revamp as 82-year-old Stuart Hall,
from Ashton-under-Lyne, takes over as host from 84-year-old, Surrey-based Bruce
Forsyth. Tonight’s celebrity dancers include Waynetta Rooney and Bill
Turnbull.<br /><br /><strong>9.00 Crimewatch</strong> North West Police appeal for
witnesses after a BBC worker was shot with an air rifle while cycling home from
work at Media City. Presented by Bill Turnbull and Salford PCSO Debbie
Arkwright.<br /><br /><strong>10.00 Match Of The Day From the City of Manchester
Stadium</strong>. Features the top-of-the-table clash between Manchester City
and Manchester United, followed by highlights of Manchester City Reserves v
Manchester United Reserves and Manchester City Under-18s v Manchester United
Under-18s. Presented by Bill Turnbull.<br /><br /><strong>11.00 Newsnight</strong>
New host Bill Turnbull presents a special investigation into how the BBC managed
to spend £1.84 million on rail fares and another £77,000 on airline tickets
after deciding to move operations from London to Salford.<br /><br /><strong>11.45
The Graham Norton Show</strong> Bill Turnbull takes over as stand-in presenter
after Graham Norton’s agent tells the BBC that the star refuses to travel to
Salford because all his guests live in London. Tonight, Bill performs a musical
duet with Salford superstar Morrissey of his seminal smash hit, Heaven Knows I’m
Miserable Now.</em></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><em><br /></em>A well-deserved Gold Star to Richard Littlejohn, I
think.<br /><br />More BBC news:<br /><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/9208714/BBC-spends-8m-on-20-redundancies.html">http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/9208714/BBC-spends-8m-on-20-redundancies.html</a></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">BBC spends £8m on 20
redundancies</span></strong></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></strong><em>The payments, made as compensation for loss
of their jobs, include one single payment of nearly £1m to a top executive.
Another was paid £600,000 and a third received £435,000 after taking either
compulsory or voluntary redundancy. The figures, disclosed under the Freedom of
Information Act, show a further three individuals received between £400,000 and
£500,000 payments. Relating to the years 2005 to 2012, they show a dozen
ex-employees were also awarded between £300,000 and £400,000.</em></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><em><br /></em>Nice
work if you can get it, eh?<br /><br />Yesterday's furore over fracking continued
for the rest of the day, with the BBC in full-flight <strong>Ram It Down Their
Throats</strong> mode on every possible news bulletin. Richard Black must have
had a busy day as he attempted to whip us in to an uncontrollable frenzy, and he
even found time to write this: <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-17741416">http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-17741416</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> - <em>Is shale gas the GM of energy?</em> Unfortunately, in
one household in North Wales his words washed over me in waves of suspicion. As
I get older I am coming to the conclusion that if the BBC tell me something -
anything - is really, really bad then it is probably nowhere near as bad as they
say. My worry is that the BBC is SO concerned about a topic that it is prepared
to dominate its broadcasts with that topic, and with little opportunity for ANY
alternative viewpoint. An obvious question would be: <em>Who at the BBC decides
that this message must be rammed down our throats?</em> A more sinister question
is: <em>Why is the message being rammed down our throats, and what does the BBC
stand to gain from doing so?</em> You get the "you must say this" memos, so go
on, tell me. It can be our little secret.<br /><br />You're doing your programme at
the moment, and so far I have missed about 40 minutes of this...<br /><br />1)
<em><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/schoolreport/17360856"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">QUANTITATIVE EASING</span></a> - The policy of quantitative easing (or printing money)
has either destroyed your savings and pensions or saved the economy from
meltdown. Are old people suffering or young people benefitting from QE?</em> :
You said on Ken's show that "<em>people over the age of 55 have wrecked the
country</em>" as they have benefitted from free university places, amongst other
things, but you attempted to distance yourself from this assertion. So whose
words are these? They are not mentioned in the BBC news page you link to. I'm
not yet 55 and I did not go to university. Does that make me an innocent young
person? Next...<br /><br />2) <em><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/9210720/Neil-Heywood-death-China-commits-to-full-investigation-into-Bo-Xilai-scandal.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">NEIL HEYWOOD</span></a> - The Government has been accused of
caring more about pandas than the businessman who was murdered in China. How was
Neil Heywood killed and what was the role of the Chinese Communist Party. Find
out more in this article from the Telegraph</em> : What, are you expecting
somebody to call in and answer that question? Dream on Jeremy! And should I be
surprised that there is no mention of pandas in the Telegraph's article that you
link to? I thought not. And, as far as I am aware, a "government" (or,
indeed, your radio programme) does not have emotions so therefore cannot care
about anything, and that is constantly demonstrated. Next...</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">
<div>
<br />3) <em><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/apr/16/johnston-press-dailies-go-weekly?newsfeed=true"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">LOCAL NEWSPAPERS</span></a> - Lots of local newspapers are being closed
down, turned into weeklies or forced online. It’s not just democracy which
suffers but paper boys and paper girls are losing their jobs. Find out more in
this article from the Telegraph</em> : Democracy? That'll be the democracy
permitted by a newspaper editor or a radio programme host, will it? You last
discussed this almost exactly a year ago on 20th April 2011 (<em>LOCAL
NEWSPAPERS - Local newspaper staff go on strike as three reporters are left to
fill nine papers. Are local newspapers dying...or thriving on the web?). </em>We
do not have a daily local newspaper here (although we do have weeklies) and
our nearest (but not exactly local) newsagent uses some bloke in a van to
deliver newspapers, while at least one neighbour who feels the need for his
daily fix of lies and scandal drives 7 miles every day just to go and get one.
Poor soul. Anyway, you already know my views on this one:
<div align="center">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><strong><em>DEATH TO THE DEAD TREE
PRESS!</em></strong></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Less local newspapers means less journalists, which
means less journalists feeding the UK population the biased, ill-informed,
sensationalised, partisan, poorly researched, dictatorial lies that you and your
ilk attempt to spoon-feed us every day. Perhaps one day you will all go and get
proper jobs, but who in their right mind would employ an ex-journalist?
Next...</span><br /><br />4) <em><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-17373904"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">SELF-DIAGNOSIS</span></a> - Finally, the perils of going
online for self-diagnosis. When you’re ill do you trust Dr. Google?</em> :
No.</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Right, got to go now as Radcliffe & Maconie have just started their
show ... real radio for those of us who do not need to be told what to
think.</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
The Jeremy Vine Show - just checked, and Dr Google recommends euthanasia</div>
</div>
</span>Radio2LunchtimeLoatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01539702295718354404noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3041625437706980162.post-67733811111887269752012-04-17T12:27:00.000+01:002012-04-18T09:33:55.847+01:0016/04/12 and 17/04/12<br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Tuesday, and I've just listened to your diatribe
with Ken. As usual, there was nothing to give me any confidence that you have
even the slightest clue what you are talking about, but let's have a quick look
at yesterday's programme first...<br /><br />1) <em><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-14280210"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">ANDERS BREIVIK</span></a> - It’s the trial
in Norway of Anders Breivik, accused of murdering 77 people. Is Norway treating
him more liberally then we would in Britain?</em> : And the point of this
question is what, exactly? Norway has its legal system, and we have ours. Now
get over it. Next...<br /><br />2) <em><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2128749/Just-Stiles-set-banned-Dartmoor-National-Park-bid-improve-access-fat-people.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">STILES</span></a> - There’s a report that in Dartmoor,
people want the stiles to be removed from country walks, because disabled and
overweight people are having trouble getting over them. Find out more in this
article from the Daily Mail</em> : Another one from the Mail, so it must be
true. And your discussion with Ken today confirms that to be true. So what? Slow
news day, was it? Next...<br /><br />3) <em><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/shows/jeremy-vine/love-where-i-live/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">I LOVE WHERE I LIVE</span></a> - We launch a Radio
2 special which celebrates every single part of the United Kingdom, “I love
where I live”. It’s a one-minute love letter to your town, place or village</em>
: I love where I live, that's why I live here. Easy! Next...<br /><br />4)
<em><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-17251690"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">BIONICS</span></a> - We meet the fifteen-year old with a bionic arm. He lost the arm
when he was very young, now science has replaced it</em> : Wonderful!<br /><br />On
to today then...<br /><br />1) <em><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-17726538"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">FRACKING</span></a> - Today we debate fracking: Will it
create almost limitless supplies of cheap natural gas, or will it cause
earthquakes and ruin the environment?</em> : I must have missed the news the day
the Blackpool Tower collapsed and fell in to the sea following the "earthquake"
last year... The word "debate" usually means a frank discussion by parties of
differing views. You mentioned on Ken's show that your (only?) guest on this
item would be somebody from the "<em>Ribble Estuary Against Fracking</em>"
(REAF, presumably) campaign. And your other guest, who will argue the benefits
of fracking will be ... non-existent, presumably. I'd had enough of this
listening to Chris Evans this morning who gave the kind of one-sided argument of
which you would have been proud. My opinion on fracking is of no matter, but I
do object to you and your colleagues continuing with your biased messages. It
was on 24th May that you last discussed this, and a subsequent email exchange
between myself and so-called BBC Science Correspondent Roger Harrabin failed to
give me any kind of impression that he had a clue what he was talking
about:<br /><br />Me: <em>You said: "It is the fracking process - creating tiny
explosions to shatter hard shale rocks and release gas 10,000 feet underground -
that has caused so much controversy in the US. Some householders claim that
shale gas leaking into their drinking supply causes tap water to ignite.". The
suggestion is that shale gas percolates nearly two miles up through the earth's
crust and then seeps through metal or plastic pipes containing water under
pressure and then bursts in flames out of water taps with no source of ignition.
Would you care to suggest how this can happen? Do you have any documentary
evidence of such an occurrence?</em></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><em></em>Harrabin: <em>Many share your
incredulity</em>.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Me: <em>So you made it up then? No facts, no
news!</em></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><em></em>Harrabin: <em>No that's silly</em></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><i><br /></i><span style="font-family: Arial;">If he can't explain his own writings, why would you be any different? And I've
just listened to Richard Black spout his usual biased rubbish, and he'll get a
gold star from somebody for crow-barring "global warming" in to the discussion.
Well done Richard, I don't believe a word you say! And I've also listened to the
woman from REAF who, shall we say, failed to convince me that she even knows
what day of the week it is. Presumably the people you speak to (a) use electricity,
(b) hate nuclear energy, (c) hate the burning of fossil fuels, and (d) fail to
acknowledge the inefficiency and impracticality of wind farms. Unfortunately
they also fail to come up with any other alternative, other than a UK with no
electricity.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">So let me re-word that question for you: <em>Will
it create almost limitless supplies of cheap natural gas, or will the UK media
cause so much hysteria amongst an ill-informed population that any possible
benefits will be missed?</em> Next...<br /><br />2) <em><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-17730154"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">EMERGENCY LANDING</span></a> - A Virgin
Atlantic plane makes an emergency landing at Gatwick Airport. Some passengers
said the cabin crew panicked. We investigate</em> : You? Investigate? Don't make
me laugh. You don't investigate anything. You'll read it in the Daily Mail. You
said on Ken's show, "<i>We're still checking the facts</i>". Checking the facts? Blimey
... it has never bothered you before, why is this story so different? After all,
you didn't bother to check the facts when talking about Chris Davies MEP's
earnings, did you? Next...<br /><br />3) <em><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/council-spending/9207766/Council-signs-125000-deal-to-sponsor-Tranmere-Rovers-while-cutting-services-and-senior-staff-get-free-tickets.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">WIRRAL COUNCIL</span></a> - Should Wirral council
be sponsoring its local football club Tranmere Rovers, when it’s closing down
care homes for the elderly? Find out more in this article from The
Telegraph</em> : Oooh, a vote. I don't live on the Wirral and I hate football
so, and on the basis that you like everybody to have an opinion, here is mine: I
could not care less. Next...<br /><br />4) <em><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-guernsey-17702640"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">SAILING MISHAPS</span></a> - A father and son
who bought a yacht from an online auction site crashed it into the rocks off
Guernsey. We hear tales of inexperienced idiots and sailing mishaps</em> : And
your special guest will be the captain of the Costa Concordia, presumably? Radio
about idiots made by idiots presumably for idiots. Target audience! Get Richard
Black back on.<br /><br />The Jeremy Vine Show - not today, thank you</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">UPDATE: After a visit to <a href="http://biased-bbc.com/">http://biased-bbc.com</a> I was reminded of this:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/jamesdelingpole/100111487/how-many-died-in-the-great-blackpool-earthquake-of-11/">http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/jamesdelingpole/100111487/how-many-died-in-the-great-blackpool-earthquake-of-11/</a></span></div>Radio2LunchtimeLoatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01539702295718354404noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3041625437706980162.post-83546215505909967562012-04-13T14:55:00.001+01:002012-04-13T14:55:30.158+01:0012/04/12 and 13/04/12<br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I just had to go out in the car and had the radio
on and listened to your show for a short while before re-tuning. Bloomin' heck,
that "Dangerous Age" song by Smiling Paul Weller is dreadful. But then he hasn't
written a decent song since "Down In A Tube Station At Midnight" in 1978. Can
you tell that, unlike yourself, I'm not a fan?<br /><br />Anyway, let's deal with
yesterday's show first...<br /><br />1) <em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">TINNITUS</span> - A man stabs himself to death
while waiting to get treatment for tinnitus. Find out more in this article from
the Daily Mail</em> : I'm not sure what to say about this, other than how awful.
I've been to many, many gigs in my time and occasionally come away with a bit of
a "whistle", but it usually has gone by the next morning. My wife has been known
to wear earplugs at such events, and finds that it can actually add to her
enjoyment. Next...<br /><br />2) <em><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17678116"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">ARSON</span></a> - A rioter is jailed for eleven and a
half years for starting a fire which destroyed an iconic furniture store that
had been run by the same family for five generations. Did arsonists destroy your
family firm?</em> : I don't have a family firm, it is just me! Next...<br /><br />3)
<em><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/9197585/Police-save-words-of-blind-author-who-wrote-26-pages-after-pen-ran-out.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">BLIND AUTHOR</span></a> - A police force uses forensic techniques to recover a novel
which was being written by a blind woman whose pen had run out. Find out more in
this article from the Telegraph</em> : This is one of those stories that can
make you feel good about the world in which we live, but other than giving due
praise to the police I am left puzzled as to what there was to discuss
yesterday. I learnt all I needed to know about this from R2's news bulletins.
Next...<br /><br />4) <em><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17664893"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">CHARITIES</span></a> - Are rich philanthropists dodging tax by giving
money to charity?</em> : Not being a millionaire myself, and not having access
to the government's taxation records, I have no idea what the answer to this
question might be. What do you do?<br /><br />Blimey, what a selection. I'm glad I
missed that one. Is it any better today?<br /><br />1) <em><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17698526"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">BURMA</span></a> - David Cameron
becomes the first British prime minister in more than sixty years to visit
Burma. If you have connections with the country, do you welcome his trip?</em> :
I have no connections to Burma. Next...</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span>
<div style="font-family: Arial;">
<br />2) <em><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12170548"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">FLAT HEAD SYNDROME</span></a> - If your baby has so-called flat head
syndrome, do you allow them to grow out of it or put a crash helmet on them to
reshape the skull?</em> : I've just checked and we still don't have any
children. Somebody I know has a Harley-Davidson Flat Head motorbike (<a href="http://www.flathead-bobbers.com/flathead_1942/images-hd0219/1942_Harley_Flathead_WLA_Bobber_468x322.jpg">http://www.flathead-bobbers.com/flathead_1942/images-hd0219/1942_Harley_Flathead_WLA_Bobber_468x322.jpg</a>)
and he wears a crash helmet. Does that count? Next...</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial;">
<br />3) <em><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-17701804"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">EYE-GOUGING</span></a> - A man who blinded his girlfriend by gouging her
eyes has admitted causing grievous bodily harm with intent</em> : Again, how
awful. Next...</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial;">
</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial;">
4) <em><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17511820"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">TITANIC</span></a> - Why did the Titanic sink so fast? We speak to an expert on
the science and engineering of the ill-fated vessel</em> : Oh good, an expert.
And science and engineering too ... how will you cope? It is 13:13 as I am
writing this and you haven't done this item yet, so here are some questions for
your expert:</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial;">
</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial;">
- Comparing the platework and port hole layouts for RMS Olympic and RMS
Titanic shows they were quite different when being built but, strangely, one
seemed to become the other before Titanic left Belfast. How does your expert
explain this?</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial;">
</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial;">
- RMS Olympic was involved in a major collision with HMS Hawke in the
Solent that caused so much damage that it destroyed the hull ribs and the keel,
causing it to be only operable on one (out of three) engines as it limped back
to Belfast for repairs. Harland & Wolff patched it up, but it was never
going to be good as new again, and it was made worse by White Star's insurance
failing to pay out. With Olympic out of service, Titanic still under
construction and no insurance money White Star was losing a LOT of money. What
is your expert's view of the possibility that the two ships were swapped and an
accident was staged that would cause one ship to be lost, and so guaranteeing an
insurance payout?</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial;">
</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial;">
- Can your expert explain why the sea trials of the ship called Titanic
(formerly the damaged and repaired Olympic after the swap) were nowhere near as
comprehensive as they should have been, and would that reduction in trials be
caused by it having a weakened hull?</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial;">
</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial;">
- What is your expert's view that the staging of the "accident" went
horribly wrong and resulted in the huge loss of life?</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial;">
</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial;">
- How does your expert explain how The Californian (nearest ship to
Titanic when it sank and also owned by White Star) had been laid up for weeks
waiting for coal (caused by a miners strike), but suddenly it was coaled, left
port in a hurry with a cargo of blankets and warm clothing, sped across the
Atlantic - and stopped, as though it was waiting for something.</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial;">
</div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"> - </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What is your expert's view on why the sinking of the Titanic is
well-known, yet 1415 people died on HMS Hood and with only THREE survivors but
few people know about that. Similarly, during the sinking of the Wilhelm
Gustloff (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Wilhelm_Gustloff">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Wilhelm_Gustloff</a>) over
NINE THOUSAND THREE HUNDRED men, women and children lost their lives, and that event too is not commonly known.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; color: black; font: 16px sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"></span></span> </span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; font: normal normal normal 16px/normal sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">I think I'll
listen to this, just to see how wrong you get it!</span></span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; font: normal normal normal 16px/normal sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"></span></span> </span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; font: normal normal normal 16px/normal sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">No surprise that you didn't use any of my questions, but Mike
from Essex was good. He'd seen a TV programme about the sinking, but seemed to
have forgotten all about it. Quality radio!</span></span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; font: normal normal normal 16px/normal sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"></span></span> </span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; font: normal normal normal 16px/normal sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The Jeremy
Vine Show - starting your weekend with a story about death </span></span></span></div>Radio2LunchtimeLoatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01539702295718354404noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3041625437706980162.post-14086252427819136602012-04-12T10:51:00.000+01:002012-04-12T10:53:04.231+01:0011/04/12<span style="font-family: Arial;">Well, this is nice. It has just gone 09:00 and Richard
Madeley is droning on about nothing in particular, as usual, on the radio in the
next room. Hang on... click, off, gone... there, that's better.<br /><br />There
have been some interesting retweets on your feed in the last 24 hours. The first
one was this from @RadioToday:<br /><em>Radio 2's @theJeremyVine to do Bristol
Q&A:http://radiotoday.co.uk/2012/04/radio-2s-jeremy-vine-to-do-bristol-qa/
#radionews</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><em></em>The link takes us to page that says: <em>Jeremy’s session for
the Radio Academy will cover his life, work and his love of radio. He’ll also
talk about journalism and offer advice for all those wishing to enter the
profession. The event is free for Radio Academy members and £10 for
non-members.</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><em></em>I'm almost tempted to go, but in all honesty I can't be
bothered. I'd love to hear your advice to journalists though. Will it include
speculation, lieing, conjecture, illegal activities, arrogance, disrespect for
the UK public and not getting caught? If not, what ARE you going to
say?<br /><br />Most of your retweets seem to be of the "<em>Sometimes
@theJeremyVine show is the only thing that gets me through the day</em>" kind
but you have posted a couple of "anti" messages, such as this one:<br /><em>RT
@Atko86: Because me and @Iainrobbo468 work with old dears we gotta listen to
your pony radio show!!!! <~~~ COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><em></em>Having moved away
from London nearly 30 years ago, it is a long time since I have heard the word
"pony" used as rhyming slang, but well done you for retweeting an "anti"
message. I'm not sure what blessings the messager was meant to be counting
though.<br /><br />And this one:<br /><em>“@CanLaw: @theJeremyVine @radioleary
@whichpennysmith Get a life, you pathetic ignorant loser” <~~~~ WHICH OF US?
YOU HAVE TO NARROW IT DOWN</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><em></em>A poorly directed message there, and the
"<em>Get a life</em>..." phrase seems to be a standard response by @CanLaw, but
that was a good retort on your part. I get similar comments left on my blog from
time to time by fans of your programme.<br /><br />Anyway, enough of the joys of
Twitter. What did I miss yesterday? Not much by the look of it...<br /><br />1)
<em><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17668578"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">TAX RETURNS</span></a> - Should all MPs publish their tax returns?</em> : If that meant
I can see how Galloway makes his money then yes, they should. The BBC news page
you link to says "<em>Four of the Mayoral candidates - Mr Livingstone,
Conservative Boris Johnson, Lib Dem Brian Paddick and the Green Party's Jenny
Jones - published their tax records after the Conservative and Labour candidates
clashed last week</em>.". I was unaware that Livingstone had actually provided
full details but instead had only provided a sanitised version (<a href="http://order-order.com/2012/04/05/ken-is-the-14-5-former-climate-change-adviser-knocked-up-partial-figures/">http://order-order.com/2012/04/05/ken-is-the-14-5-former-climate-change-adviser-knocked-up-partial-figures/</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial;">). Now, I know that research is not your strong point, but how
could you get your programme guest's financial details so wrong? You spoke to
Chris Davies MEP and said "<em>In my hand, Chris Davies, I have got your tax
return</em>" and went on to say "<em>it says employment 57657</em>" at which
point Mr Davies corrects you with a higher figure and one that coincides (within
a few pounds) of what he has on his current tax return available on his web site
(<a href="http://chrisdaviesmep.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Tax-Return-2011.pdf">http://chrisdaviesmep.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Tax-Return-2011.pdf</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial;">). So tell me Jeremy, why did your Researchers (and I use that
term merely as a job title and not as a description of what they actually do)
fail you so badly again? And why should anyone believe a single word that you
say? Next...<br /><br />2) <em><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-northamptonshire-17666153"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">HOMELESS IMMIGRANTS</span></a> - Homeless migrants who are
living near a Northampton roundabout have been urged to speak to authorities or
face eviction</em> : From what I heard when you spoke to Zoe yesterday, it was
the roundabout aspect of this story that was of more interest to you than the
homeless migrants. So, I had a good think to try and remember where my nearest
roundabout is and, having remembered, I checked Google Street View to see that
it is only about 5 feet in diameter, built entirely of brick and contains four
arrow traffic indicators. There was no sign of any homeless people. The BBC news
page you link to is a classic, as it says "<em>The migrants, known locally as
the roundabout people, have set up home (using woodland) on the Barnes Meadow
roundabout</em>." and then says under the picture "<em>It is not known whether
the woodland at Barnes Meadow is still occupied</em>". If this is such an
important story that nobody could be bothered to check, why were you talking
about it? Next...<br /><br />3) <em><a href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/robert-mugabe-not-ill-and-on-holiday-786632"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">MUGABE</span></a> - We look at what has happened to the
Zimbabwean opposition as the country denies reports that its president Robert
Mugabe is dying in a hospital in Singapore. Find out more in this article from
the Mirror</em> : I'm going to have to think about this for a second. Who should
I believe? The Zimbabwe authorities? The Daily Mirror? You? They are all as
trustworthy as each other. Hmmm.... Next...<br /><br />4) <em><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2127793/Claridges-The-Lanesborough-Hotels-charging-85-champagne-scones.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">AFTERNOON TEA</span></a> - And
have you been astonished at the high cost of afternoon tea? Find out more in
this article from the Daily Mail</em> : Never having partaken, my answer is
"No". Like the BBC, these establishments can charge what they like. Unlike the
BBC, we consumers have a choice whether to pay.<br /><br />The Jeremy Vine Show -
Pony and trap ... you can work it out yourself!</span>Radio2LunchtimeLoatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01539702295718354404noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3041625437706980162.post-69176669601916402792012-04-10T20:09:00.000+01:002012-04-10T20:09:07.494+01:0009/04/10 and 10/04/10<br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Hi Jeremy,<br /><br />Remember me? I'm back! I bet
you're pleased about that. I've had a couple of weeks off while I do some stuff
and reassess what I want to do with regard to your programme and my blog. But
you need not worry: This festering sore is not going to go away just yet.
Instead, I am going to email you (and update my blog) as and when I can rather
than trying to do it as your programme starts. Frankly, I have got better things
to do than tell you what I think of your programme, and this is not helped by
the incompetence and tardiness of whoever it is (who is it?) who is responsible
for updating your show web page every day. In my recent second appeal letter to
the BBC Trust I have promised to stop filing complaints about how late these
updates can be some days, so my best course of action is to stop waiting for
them and write this rubbish later in the day and after somebody has done the job
that I pay them to do.<br /><br />All this means, of course, is that I will no
longer be telling you "<em>I won't be listening today because.</em>.." and
future messages will tell you simply what I think of the topics you decided to
discuss on previous shows. The advantages to me are:<br /> - no time
constraint<br /> - the web page will have been updated<br /> - I can have a good
laugh at any relevant bits by using iPlayer<br /><br />A win-win-win situation, I
think!<br /><br />I wonder what I missed while I was having a break? Well, actually
I couldn't care less what I missed to be honest, but I do know that I missed
Feltz talking (talking? or fawning?) to Galloway. So that was a result then. I
cannot think of two people I would rather never hear ever again.<br /><br />I bet I
didn't miss you discussing this:<br /><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2126040/BBC-bias-Is-Corporation-representing-British-nation.html">http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2126040/BBC-bias-Is-Corporation-representing-British-nation.html</a></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><strong>The BBC has a duty to
represent the British nation...but is it doing
so?</strong></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong><span style="font-size: small;"></span></strong><em>There's an interesting dialogue taking place on the
internet. It can be seen in blogs, chatrooms and on social network sites and it
runs something like this: why is the BBC TV news output so selective in what -
and who - it chooses to cover? It's fair to say, though, that there exists an
angry crowd of people pounding on their keyboards and some of what they have to
say about our Great British institution is less than endearing. Just as
importantly, I feel, is the fact that dissenting voices have increased in volume
and intensity over the past couple of years and show no sign of
abating</em>.<br /><br />Perhaps I should get a job at the Daily Mail? Or perhaps
not ... <shudder><br /><br />And then there was this one:<br /><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/9189380/BBC-accused-of-TV-licence-rip-off.html">http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/9189380/BBC-accused-of-TV-licence-rip-off.html</a></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><strong>BBC accused of TV licence
rip-off</strong></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong><span style="font-size: small;"></span></strong><em>The BBC is over-charging millions of people for
their licence fees by selling "annual" permits that only last 11 months, it can
be disclosed. The corporation has been making up to £25m a year through the
little-known loophole, which has been condemned as "unfair" and a "rip off". Any
viewer buying a TV licence for the first time is charged £145.50 for a year-long
permit. But under current arrangements, the new licence expires 12 months from
the first day of the month in which it is purchased. This means that an ‘annual’
licence bought on April 30 2012 will actually run out at midnight on March 31
2013</em>.<br /><br />The BBC? Ripping off the people who fund it? Who'd have
thought such a thing could ever happen. Oh, hang on, silly me.<br /><br />And
then, of course, there is possibly the biggest organised cover-up of criminal
behaviour ever seen in the UK:<br /><a href="http://order-order.com/2012/04/10/britains-biggest-establishment-cover-up-conspiracy-thousands-of-crimes-committed-by-over-300-journalists-protected-from-exposure-by-a-judge-and-newspaper-editors/">http://order-order.com/2012/04/10/britains-biggest-establishment-cover-up-conspiracy-thousands-of-crimes-committed-by-over-300-journalists-protected-from-exposure-by-a-judge-and-newspaper-editors/</a></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><em>In the course of the Inquiry Leveson has
received prima facie evidence of some thousands of crimes committed by hundreds
of journalists. The Operation Motorman files gathered by the Information
Commissioner expose a culture of criminality in the day-to-day functioning of
the media. The corrupting of police and other offices of the crown was a matter
of course not only at the News of the World and other Murdoch titles, it was
also the case at the Mail and the Mirror newspaper groups as well. The silence
on this issue from these newspapers is because they fear a circular firing
squad. Leveson has the evidence required to initiate criminal actions and civil
actions by thousands of victims of crimes committed by newspaper journalists.
Guido challenged Leveson to his face to publish the evidence, thus allowing the
victims of industrial scale illegal invasions of privacy to get justice. Leveson
claimed it was difficult nine years on. Guido understands that there have been
two applications to Leveson to release the Operation Motorman files. The
applications, heard in private, were refused. <b>So in Britain we have a situation
where the judge charged with investigating the crimes carried out by the media
is covering up their crimes</b>. There is an overwhelming public interest in the
victims getting justice</em>.<br /><br />Go on then, discuss that one day. I dare
you. Journalism in this country is facing its biggest crisis with huge swathes
of the population simply not believing a word that ANY journalist says, including
you. So try and explain why your journalist bretheren should not be shot
in front of their families. I'd listen. To put it in simple terms: <strong><span style="font-size: small;"><em>JOURNALISTS ARE SCUM!</em></span></strong></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong><span style="font-size: small;"><em><br /></em></span></strong>One thing I didn't
miss was you saying last Friday, "<em>You can tweet me at @TheJeremyVine and we
can discuss these topics out of hours</em>". Really? Can I really discuss this
stuff with you? If so, let's give it a go. Oh, and you'll need to unblock my
Twitter account first ... won't you.<br /><br />Let's start the day-by-day analysis
by looking at yesterday's programme (Monday 9th April). Working on a Bank
Holiday ... I can't remember you doing that before!<br /><br />1) <em><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-17651637"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">BOAT RACE DISRUPTION</span></a> - The protestor who disrupted this year's Boat Race has now been
charged. How do we avoid similar incidents at the Olympics or the Jubilee
celebrations?</em> : My interest in anything sporty is legend and as close to
non-existent as it is possible to be. BUT, had I have been in one of those boats
on Saturday I would have made sure that this idiot had got an accidental clout
from my oar before the race was stopped. I'm just listening to this on iPlayer
and waiting patiently for you to come up with a concrete proposal ... ah, here
we go: "<em>If this person had been running in to a Presidential motorcade he
would have been shot</em>" and "<em>If he thought we would have been shot for
swimming in the water he wouldn't have done it</em>". An interesting suggestion
Jeremy, that'll boost the TV ratings. And the security expert you interviewed
said "<em>There is no way you are going to prevent it</em>". This was then
followed by some inane comments from your inane listeners (shooting with an
underwater harpoon, for example). And guess what? Other than shooting the person
involved, you failed to come up with any useful suggestion. I bet Teresa May was
devastated. OK, enough of iPlayer now. Remind me, what was the point of this
discussion again? Next...<br /><br />2) <em><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/17466594"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">RAUNCHY MUSIC VIDEOS</span></a> - Should raunchy
music videos get an 18 rating?</em> : What, and deny legions of teenage boys 30
seconds of pleasure? You are such a spoilsport. Next...<br /><br />3) <em>DOMESTIC
SERVICE - Was one of your parents or grandparents in domestic service?</em> :
No, they were not. I love questions like that. Next...<br /><br />4) <em><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2126985/Ferrari-dodges-hedgehog-crashes-30k-smash-Germany.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">ANIMAL IN HEADLIGHTS</span></a> - A driver writes off his Ferrari trying to avoid a hedgehog in the
road. Do you swerve when you see an animal in your headlights? Find out more in
this article from the Daily Mail</em> : Stop, yes. Swerve, no. We get all sorts
of wildlife on the roads around here: hedgehogs, sheep, rabbits, cows, deer,
badgers, foxes, owls. I've managed to avoid them all. And good to see the Mail
is still providing garbage for your programme, especially when it involves a story from Germany. Was there no UK news then?<br /><br />OK, that's one day down so
perhaps I should do today's show too. I did notice at about 1:30 that the web
site hadn't been updated. Some things never change, but that particular failing
of the BBC is no longer an issue ... so here we go...<br /><br />1) <em><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17657814"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">EXTRADITION</span></a>
- The European Court of Human Rights rules that five terrorism suspects -
including the radical Islamic cleric, Abu Hamza - can be extradited to the
US</em> : I hear that Guantanamo Bay is nice at this time of year. An
interesting tweet from Stewart Jackson MP appeared on your feed earlier:
<em>Went head to head with human rights lawyer @TheJeremyVine show. Out of touch
& publicly funded (mostly). Public have human right to be safe</em>. Out of
touch and publicly funded? Who WAS he talking about? Next...<br /><br />2)
<em><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/9194173/Local-fundraisers-boycott-cancer-charity-over-chuggers.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">CHARITY FUNDRAISERS</span></a> - Volunteer fundraisers in Aldeburgh withdraw their
support from the Macmillan cancer charity because they say the organisation
hired door-to-door collectors who used high-pressure techniques. Find out more
in this article from the Telegraph</em> : Living in a rural area as I do, the
number of "cold" door-to-door callers that we suffer per month can probably be
counted on one foot of a three-toed sloth. A well-known double-glazing
company who tell me I should "fit the best" are regular if infrequent visitors,
but even they are starting to understand the meaning of "<em>Go away, and get
off my property</em>". I find that works quite nicely. It does not make economic
sense for charitable organisations to target this area, and any charity I choose
to support would not do such a thing (and I would soon cease to support them if
they did). I find it amazing that some people allow themselves to be ambushed in
the street and are then conned in to signing a direct debit for a montly payment
to a charity not necessarily of their choice. Oh, hang on... I remember you
saying to Zoe earlier today that this happened to you. Says it all really.
Next...<br /><br />3) <em><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-17598878"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">TITANIC</span></a> - One hundred years ago today the Titanic set sail
from Southampton. Do you have a personal connection with someone who was on that
fateful voyage?</em> : No. Instead of reading all that "Night To Remember"
stuff, get yourself a copy of "Titanic : The Ship That Never Sank" and a copy of
the Board Of Trade enquiry in to the sinking. You might learn something.
Next...<br /><br />4) <em><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2127464/High-heels-cut-size-new-EU-proposals-forcing-hairdressers-wear-non-slip-flat-shoes.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">HAIRDRESSERS</span></a> - Hairdressers are angered by EU proposals to
encourage hairdressers to have regular ‘social dialogue’ to encourage ‘mental
wellbeing’ in the workplace. Find out more in this article from the Daily
Mail</em> : And the Mail again ... bless! Sporting as I do a fine head of skin,
my barber (he is not a hairdresser and would be offended by the term if used to
describe him) does not take long to do a trim around the edges every couple of
months. Our conversation is usually driven by me, and I have often caused a
chuckle among other waiting customers when I have asked him "<em>Have you been
anywhere nice on holiday then?</em>". Our bi-monthly meetings usually end with a
genuinely warm and friendly handshake as I give him £7 and remind him that he
has only done half a job while he tells me to get the hell out of his shop, and
don't come back until the next time. He is a top bloke, and he does a fine
job.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span> </div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">So there we go. That was fun! Let's do it again
soon.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span> </div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The Jeremy Vine Show - shooting is the only
possible solution</span></div>Radio2LunchtimeLoatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01539702295718354404noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3041625437706980162.post-10249970459284351552012-04-05T13:13:00.000+01:002012-04-05T13:20:40.604+01:00An idea...<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">I have been genuinely touched by your kind comments, and
I was flattered to read the following written by Guest Who in the latest Open
Thread on Biased BBC:<br /><br /><i>I also value shared experiences of others, such as
Jeff or Lunchtime Loather (who, sadly, has been ground down and now out by the
attrition system deployed by the BBC)</i>.<br /><br />My main reason for stopping the
daily blog was just the sheer inconvenience of having to do it to a timescale -
as near to midday as possible - and this was often frustrated by the inability
of somebody at the BBC to type some text and press "Publish". For example, I
noted that yesterday's update to JV's web page did not occur until well after
the programme ended.<br /><br />Rest assured, my views about the programme and the
BBC have not changed and remain as strong as ever. It is just that there seem to
have been more occasions recently when I have had to drop what I am doing to
write my blog, and I found that very frustrating but, and if I am honest, I have missed writing it over the past two weeks!<br /><br />This posting is
entitled "An idea...", so here it is:<br /><br />How about I continue the daily
updates but I write them later in the day? This would be after the programme has
finished and certainly after JV's minions have treated us to a web page update.
Thinking about my current daily schedule, I reckon I could find time most
evenings to do this, but maybe earlier or the following day on
occasions. My scrawlings would still be sent to JV once completed.<br /><br />What do you think of this? Would it still be a worthwhile
exercise? Or would the loss of immediacy also cause a loss of
impact?<br /><br />Your comments, as ever, would be appreciated.</span></span>Radio2LunchtimeLoatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01539702295718354404noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3041625437706980162.post-3804403609196323092012-04-02T10:02:00.000+01:002012-04-02T10:02:07.265+01:00There is no more...<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I enjoyed my week off from writing my blog. Sorry, no, I mean I REALLY enjoyed it.<br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And so I have made the decision not to do any more daily updates.<br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For some time now I have felt that my daily diatribe has actually been doing me more harm than good, and last week proved that. I got more paid work done, spent considerably less time trawling the www, did not get as wound-up and did not have to spend any time waiting for BBC minions to do their jobs.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />One man against the corporate and incompetent monolith that is the BBC was never going to be enough.<br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am not going to delete the blog and it will remain here as a testament to the last 15 months. I *will* come back here from time to time and I may post too, and I promise again to read all of your comments - good and bad.<br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Unfortunately this means that Vine will continue to broadcast his biased and trivial misinformation, but he is only following BBC corporate policy so that is unlikely to change. Should any of you be interested in this and other BBC shenanigans then I can only recommend the wonderful Biased BBC web site: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://biased-bbc.com/">http://biased-bbc.com/</a><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I send a sincere and heartfelt Thank You to my blog readers, and in particular to regular contributors Gill, Stonyground and Will whose erudite comments have educated me and have made me laugh on so many occasions. I hope our paths will cross again someday.<br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I will publish my appeal response when I receive from the BBC Trust, but that may not be for a few weeks.<br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cheers!</span>Radio2LunchtimeLoatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01539702295718354404noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3041625437706980162.post-57484859749925557232012-03-29T12:06:00.000+01:002012-03-29T12:06:21.116+01:00My second appeal letter to the BBC Trust<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">According to their acknowledgement email, my second appeal letter is due to be discussed today. I can see no reason to not share it with you today, but I do not expect to receive a reply - or a decision - until sometime in May, which is nice...</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Ladies and Gentlemen of the BBC Trust,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">For a second time I have been invited to write to you to
appeal against the BBC’s ruling that I will be subject to the “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">BBC’s expedited complaints handling
procedure</i>” for a period of two years following “</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">dozens of complaints</span></i><span style="font-family: Arial;">” that I have allegedly submitted
over the past 17 months concerning Radio 2’s Jeremy Vine Show.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">On 6<sup>th</sup>
March I was in receipt of an unaddressed emailed letter from Natalie Rose
saying that my initial appeal had been rejected and that a further appeal was
needed from me, hence my letter to you today.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Ms Rose has
gone through the 19 complaints I submitted in some detail, and I understand
that you will have copies of our correspondence to hand.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The
complaints I made are what they are. I stand by every word that I wrote and I
see no need to go through them again. However, in the section of Ms Rose’s
letter headed “Your appeal” my complaints have been categorised in to three
distinct types:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- Editorial choices of the programme<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- Updates to the programme’s web page<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- Mr Vine’s use of Twitter<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">There
should, of course, be a fourth category concerning those complaints that refer
to factually incorrect, speculative or biased reporting, but Ms Rose has chosen
to ignore those from her categorisation. I consider that complaints 5, 6, 7, 9
and 13 as shown on Ms Rose’s letter would fall in to this fourth category.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I would
like to take advantage of Ms Rose’s categorisation and write about the three
issues she has highlighted in more general terms.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Editorial choices of
the programme<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The Jeremy
Vine Show web page describes the programme thus:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Jeremy
Vine and guests discuss the news headlines and talk to the people making them</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Please note
the use of the words “news headlines”. One of my issues with the content of
this programme is that it fails to do exactly that. I can cite many examples of
where important news headlines are completely ignored and instead completely
trivial non-news topics are chosen for discussion instead. During 2011 these
mind-numbing subjects included:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- 14th January: FREEZER - What's the oldest
thing in yours?<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- 23rd February: TV ADVERTS - Do you
prefer them to the programmes?<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- 24th February: BREAST MILK ICE CREAM -
Would you eat it?<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- 29th March: HAS SUPERGLUE LOST ITS
MAGICAL POWERS?<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- 3rd June: TV TALENT SHOWS - Did the
bitter reality of TV talent shows break your child's heart?<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- 10th June: EXPLODING GLASS TABLES -
Has this ever happened to you?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- 16th June: WART REMOVED BY SHOTGUN – Man
used a shotgun to remove a wart on his finger.<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- 24th June: TOOTHBRUSH - Do you share a
toothbrush with your partner?<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- 6th October: MEMORIAL BENCHES - When
you die do you want a memorial bench?<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- 21st November: FISHY HANDBAG - We
discuss the M&S handbag that smells of fish.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">June was a
bad month!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Following a
number of complaints about these choices I was told by Andrew Martin (</span><span style="font-family: Arial;">CAS-658231-6ZZPV6
29/03/11 12:00)</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">that “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">our audience feedback shows that their
editorial team’s story selection is not of huge concern to the vast majority of
Jeremy Vine listeners</i></b>”. Please believe
me when I write that as an avid Radio 2 listener it is of concern to me! My
complaints were an apparently vain attempt to have this policy changed, or at
least re-examined, and have the programme “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">discuss
the news headlines</i>” as described. It appears that I have no choice other
than to accept that this programme can and will discuss whatever it likes, whether
relevant or not, whether current or not, and safe in the knowledge that the
vast majority of its listeners could not care less.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">In
the same way as professional wrestling is described as Sports Entertainment
(and not a proper sport as such) I used the phrase <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">News Entertainment</b> to describe Mr Vine’s programme. I still
consider that to be fair, accurate and appropriate.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">If
you grant my appeal I promise that I will not complain about editorial choices
in future. I will also accept that Radio 2’s flagship news programme will
discuss non-news trivia on an almost daily basis as it sees fit while
continuing to ignore the major and significant news stories of the day.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Updates to the
programme’s web page<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The BBC has
invested millions of pounds in a web presence that is surely the envy of other
broadcasters and news organisations. Despite this, it appears that the ability
of somebody to type four titles, type four sentences, provide four links to
relevant news pages and press “Publish” before 12 o’clock is often beyond the
technological capabilities of the people responsible for this task.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">My complaints about this poor
service, for that is all it is, have been many. In his email (</span><span style="font-family: Arial;">CAS-1260999-S6V2FV
</span><span style="font-family: Arial;">25/01/12 12:08) Lee
Rogers told me that “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the programme holds the right to publish
website content at a time convenient to it</i></b>”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">If you grant my appeal I promise
that I will not complain about late web page updates in future. I will also accept
that it is often beyond the capabilities of the BBC to provide such simple
updates in a timely and efficient manner, and I will remember that such updates
are made for the convenience of the BBC and not for those who fund it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Mr Vine’s use of
Twitter<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Mr Vine
continues to block my main Twitter account from following his tweets for
reasons unknown and unexplained to me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I have read
several sets of BBC guidelines on the use of Twitter, and they make no mention
of blocking followers and when and why this may occur. It is obvious that the
BBC is keen to embrace Twitter as a method for news dissemination and,
presumably, audience interaction. For example, the Updated Social Media
Guidance For BBC Journalists (</span><span style="font-family: Arial;">www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/theeditors/2011/07/bbc_social_media_guidance.html</span><span style="font-family: Arial;">)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">gives all
kinds of information on how Twitter accounts should be used, with links to
other relevant documents but I can find no mention of blocking anywhere. It
also states “<span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We
label the Twitter accounts of some presenters and correspondents as
"official"</i></span><span class="apple-converted-space">” so the
distinction between “official” and “personal” is obviously already acknowledged
and in place. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">I have made several complaints about
this with particular regard to these BBC guidelines. I received an email from
Leanne Bennett (</span><span style="font-family: Arial;">CAS-1235418-P7G2F1 20/01/12 05:55) </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">that said “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">However, if you believe a serious and specific breach of the BBC's
Editorial Guidelines has occurred and you wish to pursue this complaint
further, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">you can contact the BBC's
Editorial Complaints Unit</b> … and they will carry out an independent
investigation</i>.”. I took up this invitation, only to be told by Fraser Steel
of the ECU:<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> “I
should also take the opportunity of rectifying an error; as your complaint
doesn't relate to a matter of editorial standards in an item broadcast or
published by the BBC, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">it doesn't fall
within the remit of this Unit</b>. The issue it raises is a matter for the
management of BBC Audio & Music, and accordingly I have forwarded your
message to them</i>.”. This means, of course, that BBC Complaints wasted my
time by giving me erroneous information. And needless to say, I have not had a
response from BBC Audio & Music.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">A typical
response from BBC Complaints to other complaints on this issue would be (Terry
Hughes </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">CAS-1226295-676LCP 09/01/12 08:25) <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“I understand you are unhappy at being
blocked from Jeremy Vine's Twitter feed. However, the Twitter account in
question is a personal account and it is neither officially linked to, nor does
it represent the views of, the BBC</i></b>.”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Let us look
at that second sentence in more detail…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">“</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">the Twitter account in question is a personal account</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">It is true
that Mr Vine’s Twitter page used to say “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">All
views personal of course</i>” in the heading, but he has changed this recently
to read “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">All views are my mum’s</i>”:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqSuQiWynp0rgUAMFy6x9Z1iCcPKPo2hP5OTuoMjXyA5wQj4nXXWb0h_tda7fEbH24kITZ0ouKkMZzRz4ntszkW2YO2rJxYTViR2uEYChMLxpa37K6EtqFw7zedCo2kyv-eq0XXaZZop-d/s1600/JVTwitter.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqSuQiWynp0rgUAMFy6x9Z1iCcPKPo2hP5OTuoMjXyA5wQj4nXXWb0h_tda7fEbH24kITZ0ouKkMZzRz4ntszkW2YO2rJxYTViR2uEYChMLxpa37K6EtqFw7zedCo2kyv-eq0XXaZZop-d/s640/JVTwitter.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">Note that the
heading also gives a link to his personal BBC presenter web page.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">In earlier
correspondence I cited the example of Vanessa Feltz who has two Twitter
accounts: one for her personal life and another for her BBC broadcasts. I
consider this to be an admirable way of dealing with Twitter and wished that
other BBC presenters did the same.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Mr Vine
already has two BBC email addresses (personal <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">jeremy.vine@bbc.co.uk</i>, and for his programme <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">vine@bbc.co.uk</i>) so the concept of separation will not be unknown to
him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Mr Vine
uses his Twitter account to regale his followers with the latest football
scores, his experiences of being a cyclist in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">London</st1:city></st1:place>, what music he is listening to, etc., in
which, and quite frankly, I have absolutely no interest. However, I would like
the ability to interact with his Radio 2 programme in the same way that other
listeners can and with the ease that Twitter provides. At present, this is
being denied to me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">“it is neither
officially linked to the BBC”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I do not
understand how these words can possibly be true.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Mr Vine
frequently promotes the use of Twitter before and during his programme, and on
his web page. His stock phrase is “… <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">and
you can follow me on Twitter at @theJeremyVine</i> …”. These invitations are
many and I recently counted three in the first 40 minutes of the programme.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Mr Vine has
also on occasions posted a photo of his radio programme script on Twitter for
all to see, such as this one which related to one of my other complaints
(number 13 in Ms Rose’s letter):<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo3Iuyac3krALrMRfZfGxL72jt3B_HHK0nkf4ix-FQs7qlsNEnbcksfg8qX35_xvf67B239RBN6VNLvjhKuP0PXkln3i035IvaHaeJdcOCcVwk2IgCwHBGtRgjz5LCSBJcteRGWXAwOP0y/s1600/JVscript.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo3Iuyac3krALrMRfZfGxL72jt3B_HHK0nkf4ix-FQs7qlsNEnbcksfg8qX35_xvf67B239RBN6VNLvjhKuP0PXkln3i035IvaHaeJdcOCcVwk2IgCwHBGtRgjz5LCSBJcteRGWXAwOP0y/s400/JVscript.JPG" width="341" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">I am at a
complete loss to understand how such a major part of the audience interaction
on which Mr Vine’s programme depends cannot be “officially linked” to the BBC.
In my view it is absolutely linked to the BBC and the production of this
programme<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">That a
multi-billion pound monopoly broadcaster such as the BBC does not understand
the difference between the personal and broadcast views of its staff is, in my
opinion, absolutely incredulous.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">If you
grant my appeal and my Twitter account remains blocked I do not promise that I
will cease to complain about Mr Vine’s unfair use of Twitter in the future. Forgetting
the specifics concerning Mr Vine for a moment, I feel that this is a major
issue for the BBC and one that needs to be addressed. I will continue to press
for a change in the way that the BBC learns to cope with this particular social
media facility and continues to shirk its obvious responsibilities.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I
respectfully request that my complaints are no longer subject to the expedited
complaints handling procedure and that normal handling of any complaints I may
wish to make (and subject to the undertakings given above) about Mr Vine’s
programme is reinstated immediately.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Thank you for taking the time to read and consider this
letter, and please feel free to contact me should you require any further
information.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I look forward to receiving your response at your earliest
convenience.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>Radio2LunchtimeLoatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01539702295718354404noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3041625437706980162.post-64710699521201681112012-03-26T11:14:00.000+01:002012-03-28T23:44:01.789+01:00This week's shows 26/03/12 to 30/03/12<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dear blog readers,<br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I can't stand Feltz. Vine is irritating, but I really cannot stand Feltz. At all. Remember, she is the person who works in an industry that surrounds her with technology and yet she proudly proclaimed that "<i>I have never sent an email in my life</i>".<br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For the past few weeks I have felt that the time I spend writing this stuff every day is having a detrimental impact on other aspects of my life simply down to the time I spend on it. True, it is only 30 to 45 minutes per day but it can be at a time that is inconvenient during my working day. This is made worse when somebody at "our" BBC cannot be bothered to type four titles, four sentences and provide four web links to update the JV Show web page before the programme starts.<br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once again, I am considering ending my daily rants. I have been doing this now for about four years (although the blog only started in January 2011) and, quite frankly, I am becoming aware that I am saying the same thing over and over again, and I'm getting bored with it.<br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Despite my best efforts, nothing really has changed. The JV Show continues to bombard us with irrelevant misinformation every day, while telling us what to think in its own special way. He will continue to have so-called experts in to brainwash us with their own points of view, and he will continue to think that I have the remotest interest in what Beryl from Bognor thinks about X, Y and Z without actually understanding any of them. The BBC continues to police itself, and I am expecting my second BBC Trust appeal to be just another "<i>we think we're doing a great job, now go away and buy a TV Licence</i>" response. And Radio 2 management continue to think that the award-winning Jeremy Vine Show is great radio.<br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However, my blog has proved that fans of the programme have to resort to personal insults when commenting, and the lack of any kind of "<i>No, you're wrong, the JV Show is great because</i>..." response is noteworthy. Pro-JV Show commenters (presumably that is what they are) will take the time to tell me I should get a life, etc., but cannot be bothered to tell me why. My life is my own, and I shall do with it as I please, thank you, but I would LOVE for somebody to construct a well-reasoned argument that opposes my own views. That would certainly create some interest for me, and hopefully for you too.<br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, dear blog readers, while Feltz is standing in I am going to take this week off and there will be no daily 12:00 updates.<br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Please feel free to leave your comments. I really do read them all!<br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thank you.</span>Radio2LunchtimeLoatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01539702295718354404noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3041625437706980162.post-31007798352203407532012-03-23T12:07:00.000+00:002012-03-23T12:53:01.042+00:00Today's show 23/03/12<span style="font-family: Arial;">Your last day then ... and the poor listeners of Radio 2
will have to suffer the abominable Ms Feltz next week. What have they done to
deserve that? Was Jeremy Clarkson not available? Shame.<br /><br />Anyway, it looks
like we have more of the same today...<br /><br />1) <em><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17482035"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">CHEAP BOOZE</span></a> - Is the best
way to cut down on problem drinkers to make everyone pay a bit more for cheap
booze?</em> : Other than the very occasional "<em>try this, you might like
it</em>" sip, I have not drunk an alcoholic drink since 1978. I don't have any
issues with alchohol, I just don't like it, and I don't know any "problem
drinkers" as you so delicately put it. On that basis, I hope you will understand
why this discussion is of no interest to me. Next...<br /><br />2) <em><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-17472829"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">PENSIONERS</span></a> -
We’re joined by the Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls. He’s very concerned that
pensioners are going to have to pay more tax – but wasn’t it Labour who once
gave pensioners just 75p?</em> : Ah, bless. Ed Balls, darling of the BBC. He'd
turn up to the opening of an envelope. I would bet that Cameron counts his
blessings every day Balls remains in the Shadow Cabinet as Balls is surely the
Tory's best Secret Weapon. It is not very often that I agree with anything Tony
Blair says, but I agree with this: <em>Mr Blair refers to him in his memoirs as
being “immensely capable intellectually”, but says his analysis of the party was
“truly muddled and ultimately very damaging</em>”. (<a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/labour/8567022/Labour-coup-Ed-Balls-and-his-five-fellow-plotters.html">http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/labour/8567022/Labour-coup-Ed-Balls-and-his-five-fellow-plotters.html</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial;">). Can you tell I'm not a fan? And I'm not a pensioner. Next...<br /><br />3) <em>TAX
AVOIDANCE - We present Radio 2’s guide to how the rich avoid paying tax</em> :
And your special studio guests will be, of course, Moira Stewart (<a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/9090976/How-Moira-Stuart-makes-sure-tax-doesnt-have-to-be-taxing.html">http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/9090976/How-Moira-Stuart-makes-sure-tax-doesnt-have-to-be-taxing.html</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial;">) and John Birt (<a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/bbc-helps-its-chief-to-avoid-tax-exclusive-birts-salary-paid-to-his-private-company-1475816.html">http://www.independent.co.uk/news/bbc-helps-its-chief-to-avoid-tax-exclusive-birts-salary-paid-to-his-private-company-1475816.html</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial;">). I am sure that you can find others within the BBC to tell
us how they do it. Next...<br /><br />4) <em><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-17474386"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">LITTER</span></a> - The landowner from
Northumberland who wants to stop people littering is told off for putting up a
sign saying ‘Don’t be a tosser’</em> : And well done for finding a News
Entertainment story to end the week. Jeremy will be proud of you.<br /><br />The
Jeremy Vine Show - what? no allotment?</span>Radio2LunchtimeLoatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01539702295718354404noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3041625437706980162.post-80533697304186980302012-03-22T11:59:00.000+00:002012-03-23T12:53:01.048+00:00Today's show 22/03/12<br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">A really quick one today because, and to be honest,
it is all just so bleugghhhh...<br /><br />1) <em><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-17450789"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">NICK CLEGG</span></a> - We’re joined by the
deputy Prime Minister and leader of the Lib Dems Nick Clegg. He will tell us why
he’s so proud his party has fought for your tax cut</em> : I've never voted
for his party in a general election, but he will be saving me a few quid. Next...<br /><br />2) <em><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-17460239"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">CHILDBIRTH</span></a> - A mother
who gave birth to triplets, dies eight days later. Did your mum die during
childbirth and how did it affect the rest of your life?</em> : How awful, but my
mum is alive and well. Next...</span></div>
<div>
<br /><span style="font-family: Arial;">3) <em><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-17442946"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">BUDGET CALCULATOR</span></a> - Have you done the
Budget calculator? Are you a winner or a loser? And if you’re a winner, are you
prepared to give your gain to your granny who’s lost out?</em> : Having listened
to Osbourne's speech yesterday, and without the help of experts to tell me what
to think, I can confirm that I am both a winner and a loser.
Next...</span></div>
<div>
<br /><span style="font-family: Arial;">4) <em>HELIUM - Scientists are complaining that
we’re running out of helium - a precious resource - and it’s time to ban helium
balloons</em> : Banning! Jeremy will be proud of you. I have never inhaled
helium and I cannot recall ever having bought a helium balloon.</span></div>Radio2LunchtimeLoatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01539702295718354404noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3041625437706980162.post-30279741634762158802012-03-21T12:10:00.002+00:002012-03-23T12:53:01.040+00:00Today's show 21/03/12<br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Budget day, so no surprises here...<br /><br />1)
<em><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17455656"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">ROBIN HOOD BUDGET?</span></a> - It’s Budget Day and we ask: will it be a Robin Hood
Budget? Will the Chancellor take from the rich and give to the poor or will it
be the other way round?</em> : I am going to assume that you are dealing with
today's four topics in the order shown on your web page, even though this has
not occurred in the last few days. If that is the case, can I take it that you
will be trying to guess what Osbourne will say at 12:30? How utterley pointless.
I have no doubt that you will have two experts and loads of callers saying
"<em>He should do this</em>" and "<em>He should do that</em>", but I just have a
suspicion that Osbourne has already decided what will happen. Next...<br /><br />2)
<em><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/9157033/Dennis-Watermans-ex-wife-The-truth-is-out-over-beating-claims.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">DOMESTIC VIOLENCE</span></a> - Dennis Waterman has been criticised for justifying
hitting his ex-wife but should we spend a bit more time listening to what he
says? Find out more in this article from the Telegraph</em> : I cannot imagine
for one moment ANY circumstance when I would consider thumping anybody (except
perhaps in desperate self-defence). As for listening to what Waterman says,
presumably you mean this from the last paragraph of Telegraph article: <em>The
full interview can be seen on Piers Morgan’s Life Stories which airs next month
on ITV</em>. Domestic violence and Piers Morgan ... I think I'll give it a miss,
thanks. Oh, and I'll be listening to the budget on Radio 4 from 12:30.
Next...<br /><br />3) <em><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-17443454"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">ASPIRIN</span></a> - We discuss the wonder drug that is aspirin. It’s
a pain killer, it’s good for the heart and now can it really stop cancer?</em> :
You must have missed the fourth paragraph from the BBC news page you link to,
which says: <em>But experts warn that there is still not enough proof to
recommend it to prevent cancer cases and deaths and warn that the drug can cause
dangerous side effects like stomach bleeds</em>. I think that makes the answer
to your question to be either "No" or "Maybe not". Next...<br /><br />4) <em>BUDGET
REVIEW - And at 1.30, we return to the Budget - has it helped the millions or
has it helped the millionaires?</em> : Having listened to the budget broadcast I
will be more than happy to form my own opinion, thanks.</span></div>Radio2LunchtimeLoatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01539702295718354404noreply@blogger.com3