Today's show 29/07/11

If I may, I'd like to go back to yesterday's item about mismatched bed times. Valued blog contributor Stonyground  posted this comment yesterday evening, and with which I can only agree:
"The synchronised bedtime study came up as a factoid on the Steve Wright show a couple of weeks ago. He passed it around his little posse and it was universally agreed to be bollocks. After 17years of successful marriage involving assynchronous bedtimes, I have to agree. Wrighty's discussion took up about thirty seconds rather than thirty minutes, maybe there is a lesson to be drawn from that?".

1) PHONE HACKING AMNESTY - As we learn that the mother of murder victim Sarah Payne may have had her phone hacked, we ask if it's time for a hacking amnesty: no prosecutions in return for the truth : A vote - we've not had one of those for ages. Trust you to come up with this. A real case of one rule for one (journalists), and another rule for everybody else. Here's an alternative suggestion: Tell them that there is an amnesty, get their evidence, and then cancel the amnesty. This would give the journalists the same amount of respect that they give to their victims and readers. What could possibly go wrong? My answer to your question is, of course, a resounding "No". Punish them, punish them all, punish them hard. Lethal injection should do nicely, or hanging. Will I miss them? Not one bit. Scum, the lot of them. And I bet you don't mention Trinity Mirror or Piers Morgan. Who needs the full story, eh? Next...

2) FORCED OUT OF THE THEATRE - The father of an autistic child says they had to leave a musical after staff complained about the boy making noises : "Find out more at BBC News online" it says, so I did. The first piece of relevant information is "who they claim was asked to leave a theatre because he was making too much noise". Hmmm... you use the word "forced", but the parents concerned used "asked to leave". Not exactly the same thing, is it? The second piece of relevance is this "A spokesman for the Ambassador Theatre Group said: "We take our customers' welfare very seriously and are currently looking into what happened. Until that process has been completed it would be inappropriate to make any further comment.". Sounds fair enough to me, but it doesn't make good sensationalist radio, does it? And I don't need to hear it, thank you. Next...

3) BED & BREAKFASTS - And after 1 in Your Money and Your Life, how to set up a bed and breakfast - what every prospective owner should know : Hang on, I need to make a quick phone call..... <makes phone call to wife at work> OK, back now. I've just checked and, apparently, we have no plans to set up a bed and breakfast establishment. Just out of curiousity, what percentage of your audience do you think will be interested in this item? Four decimal places should suffice. Next...

12:10 and no sign of a fourth story on your web page ... I'll come back in a bit.

<Goes away for 10 minutes>

Still nothing. I've got better things to do than sit here waiting for somebody to do their job, so Twitter to the rescue! From your feed:

4) NORWAY - Norwegian singer Anita Skorgan (album: 'Adventus') sings live from Oslo after Norway's awful week : Thanks, but I'll be listening to Stuart Maconie by then.

Have a great weekend. I'll be back on Monday for the weekly scraping of the news barrel.


UPDATE:

Rather than just continuing with your blatantly biased bashing of Murdoch, why don't you switch your viewpoint to cover the atrocities occuring in your own particular Ivory Tower? Try these two for starters:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/jul/26/ally-mccoist-rangers-bbc-apology

http://newsnetscotland.com/index.php/scottish-opinion/2844-mccoist-apology-what-does-this-tell-us-about-the-bbc.html

 

Go on, I dare you, and I'd listen to that.

The BBC is the biggest and blackest Pot when compared to Murdoch's kettle.

Bias - alive and well at the Biased Broadcasting Corporation.

Today's show 28/07/11

Busy today, so let's get today's temptations to listen to your programme dismissed quickly. It shouldn't take long....

 

1) LANGUAGE ROW - A woman has launched a human rights challenge because her husband is not allowed to move here from India because he can't speak English : On Ken's show, you compared this with a UK citizen moving to Spain without any intention of learning Spanish, which is all well and good but there is a crucial difference: Immigrants to the UK are required to learn English, but immigrants to Spain are not required to learn Spanish. Rather than the UK being in the wrong, which is what I think you were inferring, perhaps the Spanish are the ones who have got this wrong. Just a thought. Fortunately, the Welsh Assembly Government have adopted the same attitude as Spain and I did not have to prove my knowledge of Welsh when I moved here, although I do know a bit. Next...

2) SYNCHRONISED BED TIMES - Is it crucial to a relationship that partners go to bed at the same time? Find out more in this Daily Mail article : Where would we be without the Daily Mail - and your goodself - telling us what is good for us, eh? I''ll bear this in mind should I ever think that my marriage is in crisis. I'll let you know when and if that ever happens. Oh, and I can't remember the last time I watched Newsnight. Next...

 

3) LIBYAN REBELS - The UK declares that it will recognise the Libyan rebels as the government of that country. Are we right to do this…and who are they anyway? : I was waiting for you to say "... and our studio guest will be Foreign Secretary William Hague" as he probably knows more about this than anybody else, but the words never came. I would be willing to bet that you have already been in touch with George Galloway about this, and he is ready and waiting to bank his cheque. Next...

 

4) VOICE - And have you ever been ridiculed for your voice? Find out more in this Guardian article : Now, let me think.... Pretty sure the answer to this one is: No.

 

Have you given up doing stories from The Sun?

 

Am I tempted to listen today? Hmmm... what do you think?

Today's show 27/07/11

Hmmm... no discussion on bacon butties then.

 

You know there are people out there who think that your show is "entertainment", but I would beg to differ. Let's look quickly at today's evidence and see if we can find anything of interest and that might be classed as entertaining...

1) INCAPACITY BENEFIT - The government says the vast majority of incapacity benefit claimants are assessed as fit to work in its new test, but are you one of those who think you're too sick to do a job? : In answer to your question: No, I am not, fortunately, so why do you think I would want to listen to this? Next...

2) SURVIVING THE NORWEGIAN MASSACRE - We discuss the extraordinary text message exchange between a mother and her daughter who was hiding from the Norwegian gunman. How do the survivors cope? : It is items like this that make me wonder about radio broadcasts in other countries. You will remember the tragic shootings in Hungerford and Dunblane, but do you know if Norwegian radio devoted 30 minutes of prime time on their most popular national radio network to discuss what the victims and survivors went through? I would guess that both events would have been mentioned on news bulletins, but I would also guess that they were not examined in the forensic and intimate way that you think could possibly be of interest to me. Yes, the events in Norway were tragic. Yes, I hope they are never repeated. Yes, they are certainly newsworthy. Yes, the daughter's behaviour was touching. But no, I do not need to be told every detail as I can read all I need to know on the BBC news web pages, should I choose to do so. Perhaps what you should be looking at is the BBC's coverage of the events in Norway, and the bias and spin that they have blatantly attached to their reporting of same. Ah, I forgot, the BBC is sacrosanct and can do no wrong. Yeah, right. Next...

3) U.S DEBT - As America tries to tackle its monstrous debt, we look at where it all went wrong for the US : What would you like me to do about it? What are you going to do about it? Let's both do the same: Nothing! Next...

4) LEVI BELLFIELD - And we discuss the bus stop killer, Levi Bellfield : Hmmm... a news story from 3 days ago. Obviously the burning of junk mail is more important. Justice has run its course, so other than to give further sympathy to the victims' families, what is there to discuss? Oh look, on Twitter you wrote: We know Levi Bellfield killed three. But what about him before he started killing? Journo Geoffrey Wansell has written book on LB. So this is an advert for Mr Wansell's book then ... I understand now. From his own web site (http://www.geoffreywansell.com/biography.html) I learnt that "Geoffrey Wansell is a London based author and free-lance journalist, who now works principally for the Daily Mail and the Daily Telegraph.". Ahhh, the Daily Mail. It is all starting to make sense now. Could you give him a message for me, please? Just tell him that I won't be buying his book. Thanks.

 

Right, I'm off to find some anti-depressants, or a bacon sandwich.

Today's show 26/07/11

Mmmmm.... bacon sandwich.

Odd, isn't it, that two such simple ingredients - bread and bacon - can combine to make something so delicious and definitely more flavoursome than its component parts. I used smoked back bacon and crusty brown bread, although I know that white bread seems to be the UK's favourite for such a delicacy. Perhaps here we have a subject worthy of discussion on your show. Going in to detail you could discuss: -
 - Which bacon is best? Smoked, or unsmoked? Back, middle, streaky or vegetarian?
 - How should it be cooked? Soft and pink? Or brown and crispy?
 - Which bread is best? White or brown? Crusty or soft? Slices or baps?
 - Butter? Spread? Or Nothing?
 - Which sauce, if any? Red? Or Brown?

It is one of those mystical issues that affect the huge proportion of the UK population, including myself. I'd listen to that.

Interesting to see British Freedom giving you grief on Twitter this morning. I love it when people give you grief, whether I agree with them or not. As all of their tweets have now vanished from your feed I can only assume that you have blocked them. Isn't it dreadful when somebody disagrees with you? Tsk.

Talking of Twitter, one of my valued blog contributors drew my attention to the similarity of your Twitter picture:

to this:

Coincidence, or deliberate? Tee hee!

So, I wonder which issues that affect me you are going to be talking about today...

1) UK ECONOMY - As official figures show that the economy grew by only 0.2 per cent between April and June, is it time for the Chancellor to come up with a Plan B - and what should it be? Jeremy talks to Venetia Thompson; Journalist, former city broker and author, Lindsey German from the Coalition of Resistance, economist Dr Tim Leunig and Tom Clougherty; Executive Director of the Adam Smith Institute : Dull, dull, dull. You have been listening to Ed Balls again, haven't you. Next...

2) POWER KITE DEATH - A man dies in Bedfordshire after being dragged into the air by his power kite. Jeremy talks to Gareth Lloyd; BBC reporter Three Counties Radio and Alex Evans from Norfolk Power Kite Club. Find out more in this Telegraph article : You asked on Twitter: Have you see these v powerful kites in your area and been worried by them? Well, yes, I have, many times. They can be found at many of the lovely beaches in this area. Up until today I have not been worried about them, but on your suggestion I will start to be worried from 12:00 today and will correspondingly not sleep tonight. Or will I? To be honest Jeremy, I am more worried about crossing the road. When are you going to discuss that? Oooh, and I see that ZerofonOriginal has commented on Twitter: I am part of team that teaches power-kiting to Scouts of all ages-we have an excellent safety record. Leave us alone prat! Nicely put, and I would echo their sentiments. Next...

3) THE FAR RIGHT IN THE UK - Should we worry about the far right in the UK? The police and security services are re-examining the threat following the Norway massacre. Jeremy talks to Andrew Gilligan; Columnist for the Daily Telegraph, and Anthony Glees; Director of the Centre for Security and Intelligence at the University of Buckingham : Knowing as well as I do the BBC's corporate stance on religion and politics I have no doubt that this will turn into the usual propaganda that emanates from a supposedly unbiased state broadcaster, so I will not be listening. Next...

4) JUNK MAIL - And do you heat your home by burning junk mail? Find out more in this Telegraph article : I think you are confusing me with somebody who is not registered with the Mailing Preference Service. We don't receive any junk mail so the answer to your question has to be "No", and we have no plans to do so.

Today's show in four words:

Boring. Accusatory. Biased. Twaddle.

No. Need. To. Listen.

Today's show 25/07/11

No surprises at all about what you are discussing today. Let me explain why I won't be listening...

1) NORWAY MASSACRE - We speak to the Norwegian singer-songwriter Anita Skorgan on how a peaceful, civilised country is coming to terms with a massacre that has claimed the lives of nearly one hundred people : I'd rather not comment on this story, other than to say it was an absolutely tragic event. Next...

2) ENERGY COMPANIES - Customers should be compensated for energy companies using "Del Boy" sales tactics to sign them up on the doorstep. Find out more in this Independent article : I find that "Go away" followed by shutting the door in their face works quite well. Next...

3) AMY WINEHOUSE - How should you help a friend who seems bent on self-destruction? We reflect on the death of Amy Winehouse : Another tragic death, especially at such a young age, and Amy unfortunately joins the ranks of other skilled musicians who died at the age of 27 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/27_Club). However, I was not a fan of her music or her lifestyle so feel no need to listen. Perhaps you might like to discuss why her record sales have soared since Saturday, as surely her real fans will already have her music in their collections. And in answer to your question: I don't have a friend with that condition. Next...

4) SLEEP APNOEA - And we talk to a man who was acquitted of killing someone due to dangerous driving because he argued he was suffering from sleep apnoea : And yet another tragic death. You recently tweeted "Lorry driver with sleep apnoeia (sic) crashed into and killed 25-yr-old. His father will come on with the trucker". It all sounds a bit fraught to me, I'm afraid.

All very depressing.

Today's show 22/07/11

I'm very busy today, so just a quick one...

It was another busy day on my blog yesterday, with 117 page views - see attached graph. It was also a unique today as, for the very first time and after 7 months and 5248 page views, one of my readers took me to task for what I write every day (other than for a factual error which I made a few months ago). Obviously, I have no idea who that person was but if they are reading here again today then I will repeat my thanks for what they said. Unlike yourself, I am open to free speech and critcism and I have taken on-board what they said. I knew it would happen one day, but I feel rewarded that it has taken so long for this to happen. Whether I act on it remains to be seen. 

So what can you tempt me with today? No fabricated outrage over Murdoch again I see...

1) SECOND BAILOUT FOR GREECE - Stock markets and politicians have welcomed the eurozone's second bailout for Greece, but is it time to go in the opposite direction and allow the euro to fail? : Sorry, question too difficult. Ask me one on pop music. Next... (The link given on the JV web page was a duplicate for the next item and did not link to a BBC news page about the Greek bailout)

2) TRAGIC LEARNER DRIVER DEATH - A woman has died after her seventeen year old daughter, who was a learner driver, accidentally reversed a car into her : A tragic accident, but I'm not sure what there is to discuss. I predict that this will turn in to one of your famous "Tell us something that happened when you reversed a car" items and, as usual, not actually achieve very much. Next...

3) WRITING A WILL - After 1, we discuss how to avoid getting ripped off by a will writer : I've already done that, and I didn't get ripped off, thanks. You said on Ken's show "Among the people offering to write wills are cowboys". Cowboys? What, cowboys like this? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7JX8D1Kb88 Next...

 

4) TERRY WALTON - And we catch up with Terry Walton on the Jeremy Vine Show allotment : Could you ask him what the best use is for tons and tons of BBC anti-Murdoch bullshit? There seems to be a lot of it about.

 

No reason to listen today then, so it will be 6 Music from 12.

 

Have a great weekend everybody, and please feel free to leave your comments (including you Jeremy). I promise to publish them all provided they do not contain bad language.

Today's show 21/07/11

I'm still unable to follow @theJeremyVine on Twitter, so I can only assume that you have blocked me from doing so. I suspose this is only fair as it is the equivalent of my radio's Off switch and which I have used oh, so often to end your broadcasts in to my home. I also suppose that "Tell us what you think" really does only apply to those people who like your programme, and the rest of us have to "put up or shut up". Public service broadcasting at its best, eh?

I see you have a Murdoch-free programme today. Your faux concern yesterday that other stories (euro, famine and Libya) were being lost in the flood of Murdoch/hacking/Met Police/Cameron stories raised my curiousity and a quick search of the BBC News web pages for July 20th revealed 30 stories for "hacking", 12 for "euro", 10 for "famine" and 5 for "Libya". So, just remind me again, who is at fault for the alleged over-coverage of Murdoch et al. Remember too that we, the listeners, do not get a say (not even on Twitter apparently) of what YOU decide to brainwash us with each day. As they say on one of my favourite web sites (http://biased-bbc.blogspot.com/):

Bias - it is as easy as B - B - C.

So, let's look at today's white elephants in the room, and so eloquently tweeted this morning before 9am as Coppers. Grief. Larry. Undeserving...

1) GRIEF - Lucy Harris was jailed for stealing £39,000. Her mother (who she also stole from) says she should be shown clemency because she was grieving for the death of her father. Is grief an excuse? Find out more in this Telegraph article : According to the Telegraph, Ms Harris seems to be going through the correct legal procedure and I have no doubt that Judge Mettyear will come to his own conclusions in due course. What puzzles me is: Why do you think that this is of interest to me? And you have ex-MP Lembit Opik (star of BBC's Pointless Celebrities) on to tell us why he accidentally claimed more expenses than he should have done due to grief. Well, that's one explanation I suppose. I think he is going to get his own blog label today as he is becoming a new Talking Head for your show. Can I remind you that he is an ex-MP? I wonder why that might be....? Next...

2) LARRY GOULD - A successful entrepreneur who's made millions tells us anyone can be a businessman: even the long-term unemployed and public sector workers : I'm puzzled why you have chosen to single out public sector workers. There is almost a suggestion that you consider them to be inferior to private sector workers. Hardly fair, in my opinion. I already run my own one-man business, so this is of no interest to me today as I am busy working. Next...

3) THE DESERVING AND UNDESERVING POOR - Is it possible to say there is a distinction between the deserving poor, and the undeserving poor? If you're poor and feckless, should you have your satellite dish taken away? : Patronising the poor ... are you proud of what you do? Did you consider linking this with the previous item? Perhaps Larry Gould could tell some of the poor (both deserving and undeserving) how to start their own business. Or perhaps not. Next...

4) POLICE - Have you been horrified that some of the police who bungled the phone hacking inquiry were also responsible for anti-terrorism? Are there too many stupid policemen? Should you need a degree to be a copper? : Am I horrified? No. Are there too many stupid policemen? I have no idea, but YouTube features many films of dubious police behaviour. Should they need a degree? What would happen to all of those that don't have a degree, and how many would be left? Is this going to change anything? No.

Today's show in four words then:
Illegal. Deluded. Patronising. Irrelevant.

Today's show 20/07/11

(Late today due to JV web page not being updated until 12:20)

I guess that there is a price to pay for your new-found enthusiasm for Twitter, in that today's topics were posted there at about 09:30 this morning, yet here we are at 11:40 and your web page has not been updated with the same information. As updating both seems to be a bit too much for you, here is a serious offer of help: Send me the details of what you are planning to discuss and I will write your web page text for you. I promise to be objective, realistic and write without any sensationalism or hyperbole. Give me access to your web page and I'll even upload and publish it for you. I would make no charge for this service. You know where I am. What could possibly go wrong?

Anyway, at 09:35 the topics according to Twitter were: "Today's programme in four words: Murdoch. Libya. Euro. Famine.", but your web page readers are being kept in suspense. I'll come back in a bit...

<Goes away for 15 minutes>

11:55 and still no update. Is this what we pay our TV Licence Tax for?

<Goes away for 10 minutes>

12:05, still nothing.

<Goes away again>

Finally, at 12:20, we have four good reasons not to listen today....

1) SYMPATHY FOR MURDOCH? - Were you convinced by Rupert Murdoch's performance? He is, after all eighty. Did you feel sorry for him, or was it just one big act? We speak to Age UK : Age UK are one of the UK's leading charities and do all sorts of fantastic work, yet on Ken's show you said "Help The Aged, or whatever they are called these days". Do you consider it acceptable that a leading broadcast journalist cannot remember the name of a major UK charity? Do you still go in to your local sweet shop and ask for a Marathon bar? As for Murdoch, well it is plainly obvious that the BBC will not be happy until both Murdochs have stakes thrust through their hearts, are shot with a dozen silver bullets and then crucified before being hung, drawn and quartered. And I bet your heart sank when Mr Marbles attempted to thrust the flan in his face, as in an instant Murdoch Senior changed from being a Billionaire Media Tycoon in to a fragile old man who was the victim of an unprovoked assault. He will have gained a lot of sympathy for that. Next...

2) MEDIA COVERAGE: MURDOCH OR FAMINE? - As the famine in Somalia becomes official, are you angry that the foam in Murdoch's face is getting more coverage than thousands of people starving to death? : A good question, with a simple answer: Because stories about famines do not sell newspapers or boost listener and viewer figures, and the demise of Murdoch is THE MOST IMPORTANT THING that has ever happened in the history of the world, apparently. Once again, you are distancing yourself from your beloved Media, even though you are part of it. How can you do that? Hypocrisy is alive and well on the JV Show! So, what are you going to do about the famine then? Can we look forward to seeing the launch of The Jeremy Vine Appeal for Famine Relief? I'll send you £20 if you do. Next...

3) EUROPEAN ECONOMICS - As the Euro teeters on the brink, we take you on a journey round Europe's capitals. If the Euro economies collapse, does Britain fall with it? Find out more in this Economist article : You described this on Ken's show as "The Euro, again another story that is not being reported because of a custard pie". Excuse me, but it was YOUR PROGRAMME that has also jumped on the Murdoch Media Band Wagon and chose not to report this story until now. Please just get off your "holier than thou" high horse. In answer to your question, I have no idea, no time to find out and insufficient influence to do anything about it. Do you? Next... (The link given on the JV web page was a duplicate of the BBC famine story and did not link to The Economist)

4) TRIBUTE FM - We speak to the man that runs the rebel radio station in Libya. How do you broadcast when you're under attack? Find out more in this Guardian article : Again, you described this on Ken's show as "... the equivalent of my show in Libya ...". Those poor people. Not only do they have to endure bombs, bullets, civil unrest and an over-bearing dictator but they also have to endure somebody on their radio talking about wheelie bins, poor parking, handbags, polytunnels and nicking stories from the Libyan equivalent of the Daily Mail. No wonder Libya is in such a mess.

I've just noticed that I am no longer following @theJeremyVine and seem to be prevented from doing so. I wonder if this is a technical fault (although I seem to be able to follow anybody else that I wish to) or whether it is just a case of you not liking what I say. I hope it is not the latter as that would surely be suppression of my free speech as a member of the public (i.e. me) to a public figure (i.e. you) who is forever encouraging me to "tell me what you think" and who then tries to tell me what I should be thinking. Criticism is a stock-in-trade of your show, and it is such a shame that you want to be immune from it. My blog soared through 5000 page views yesterday, so my criticism will continue. See you on Twitter, even if the conversation is now one-sided.

And finally, today's programme in four words:

Murdoch. Bias. Continues. Unabated.

Nothing. Of. Interest. Today.

I. Won't. Be. Listening.

Get. Off. My. Radio.

6. Music. Much. Better.

Today's show 19/07/11

It looks to be an interesting day for The Media, with The Media being a major part of the news coverage by The Media. What could possibly go wrong?

 

Meanwhile, the accuracy of this made me chuckle: http://cityunslicker.blogspot.com/2011/07/voice-of-people.html

 

So let's look at today's paltry offerings...

1) MURDOCH'S AND BROOKS FACE CULTURAL SELECT COMMITTEE - Rupert Murdoch and his son James will today face the cultural select committee, along with the former News of the World editor Rebekah Brooks. What questions would you like the MP's on the select committee to ask them? : Aha! Good to see that the fabled Greengrocers' Apostrophe (http://www.wordspy.com/words/greengrocersapostrophe.asp) remains alive and well. For your information, the plural of Murdoch is "Murdochs", and the plural of MP is "MPs". I'm following your Twitter feed to see the questions that your listeners would like to be asked, and there are some very good and reasonable questions being suggested. What puzzles me though is how you will pass these questions to the members of the Select Committee, or perhaps they just read your Twitter page. My favourite so far has to be from SteelCat: How many cream crackers can you fit in your mouth at one time? Next...

2) ELECTRONIC SHOCK COLLAR - A dog owner in Ogmore in South Wales has been fined £2,000 for illegally using an electronic shock collar on his dog. Are such collars cruel, or are they a sensible way to control a dog? : Shock collars are illegal in Wales where I live, and I don't own a dog. On that basis I am sorry to say that any discussion on this topic is completely irrelevant to me. Next...

3) WHEELIE BIN FINE - Bedford council could fine householders £1,000 for leaving their bins out, because of a potential hazard to blind people. Find out more in this Daily Mail article : Aaahhhh.... the Daily Mail - hip, hip, hooray! Our collective thanks must surely go to the Daily Mail today for that fine picture of some overflowing wheelie bins. Education is a wonderful thing. I feel sure that the residents of Bedford will express their dissatisfaction with this arrangement when they next get an opportunity to elect their councillors. As for me, I don't live in Bedford and it seems that my local council have a much more enlightened outlook on this issue. Next...

4) WESTMINSTER UPDATE - Finally, we go to Westminster and set the scene, as the minutes tick before the Murdoch's face parliament : Hmmmm.... this sounds like a recipe for speculation, conjecture and waffle. So, no change there then.

Today's show 18/07/11

Another Monday, but it appears that your media colleagues threw you a lifeline yesterday...

1) SIR PAUL STEPHENSON RESIGNS - The Met chief, Sir Paul Stephenson resigns. Then he suggests what he did wasn't as bad as what Prime Minister David Cameron did : You know, the thing that puzzles me about the whole "phone hacking" thing (and I use that term loosely now as it seems to be encompassing all sorts of other dubious activities) is the continued media reporting that this story is confined to News International, and News International alone. There was mention last week of similar behaviour by the Daily Mirror and Piers Morgan, but that seems to have come to nothing again. At the forefront of the NI attacks is, of course, our dear old Auntie BBC. It is as though the BBC have an agenda to follow that includes seeing Murdoch destroyed and Cameron weakened, maybe even deposed. Here then is the patronising BBC trying to make out that NI was guilty of abuse of power when - in my opinion - it does exactly the same by forcing us (we have no choice, or do we?) to pay for its output and pumping out its own toxic brand of bias and deliberate misinformation every day. So, where is the mention of Lord Ashcroft's claims (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/phone-hacking/8634565/Lord-Ashcroft-again-accuses-Tom-Baldwin-of-blagging-bank-details.html) that Ed Miliband's ex-NI man Tom Baldwin obtained information to which he was not entitled? Conveniently forgotten about and/or ignored, I would suggest. I hope, pray and have everything crossed that the BBC end up embroiled in this mess, and if/when they do I will be laughing all the way to 6 Music. Next...

2) AQUAHOLICS - Are you an aquaholic who can't stop drinking water? Apparently Nigella Lawson has been. Find out more in this Daily Mail article : Monday, and a Daily Mail story in second place. No surprises there then. And I love your use of the word "apparently", which serves no purpose other than to cause that short moment of doubt about whether the story is true, or not. But hey, it was in the Daily Mail so it must be true. Anyway, and in answer to your question: No, I am not. Next...

3) THE TERRITORIAL ARMY - The government wants to increase the numbers in the Territorial Army. But to pay for it, we're going to have to cut the regular army. Who would you rather be defended by, Andy McNabb, or Gareth from 'The Office'? : Hmmm... Which I would rather be defended by, a retired soldier and best-selling author, or a fictional character? I'll get back to you on that one ... maybe. In the meantime, no surprise to see that your blatant stereotyping is alive and well, and I hope that some TA members put you right. Next you'll be telling us that Drop The Dead Donkey was a documentary and that all journalists are truthful and trustworthy pillars of society. Next...

4) COMING OUT - Coming out as gay when you’re old. Is this you, a friend, or even a parent?: In case you hadn't noticed, this is not news - but it is a typical JV Show Monday story. In answer to your questions: No, No and No.

Today's show 15/07/11

Not on strike today then? No solidarity with The Bruvvers? Will I notice any difference? The uutterly appalling Nicky Campbell did his 5 Live listeners a favour this morning but not showing up for work, so why are you there? (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-14152795)

One advantage of signing-up to Twitter yesterday (as JVineBlogMan, although I am still trying to get the hang of it) was that I was able to spectate on the second "Ask Ed Miliband" session yesterday evening. Honestly, whoever persuaded him that this was a good idea is either a fool or somebody who doesn't like him very much. There were a lot of pointless questions asked, and for the benefit of my blog readers here are some of my favourites... ooops, I mean... here are some of the most irrelevant:

 - On a scale of 1 to 10 where 1 is not at all and 10 is absolutely disastrous, how helpful was Gordon Brown's intervention yesterday?
 - Can you confirm you're a 14 quadrillionth size Ed Zettaband?
 - When you were little, did you nick your big brother's toys, realise you didn't know how they worked, then break them?
 - Why do birds suddenly appear, every time you are near ?
 - Why is a person who plays the piano called a pianist but a person that drives a race car is not called a racist?
 - Would you rather fight off one horse-sized duck, or twenty duck-sized horses?
 - If people from Poland are called Poles, why aren't people from Holland called Holes?
 - When your political career is finished is there any chance you and your brother could be in the 118 adverts?
 - Did you run as a paper candidate in the leadership contest and now feel a bit scared and don't know what you're doing?
 - Will you be giving a single answer, over and over again to each question?
 - After last time you did this, what on earth made you think it was a good idea to do it again?
 - Has the government acted in a reckless and provocative manner? Should both sides put away the rhetoric and get around the table?
 - Have you been involved in an accident that wasn't your fault? If so, you could claim compensation.
 - Why did you leave the Muppet Show?
 - Are you paying too much for your car insurance?
 - I bought powdered water. What do I add?
 - Is there a sweet you can eat between meals without ruining your appetite?
 - If one synchronised swimmer drowns, do the rest have to drown, too?
 - Do both sides need to set aside the rhetoric and get around the negotiating table to stop this happening again?
 - If a tree falls in a forest and no one is there to hear it is it Nick Clegg's fault?
 - Which is more likely to be true - time travel as in the Terminator (linear), or Back to the Future (alternative branches)?
 - Will you go to the Commons and apologise to Vince Cable for saying he should be sacked for his 'war on Murdoch'?
 - Is it true you would do anything for love but you won't do that?
 - Are these strikes wrong? Have the public been let down by both sides? Should we put aside the rhetoric??
 - I've just taken all the tiles off my bathroom and need to retile. Should I get the wall plastered or put up plasterboard?
 - If somebody with multiple personalities threatens suicide, does that become a hostage situation?
 - Daddy or chips?

Shocking behaviour by some questioners, I am sure you will agree. And it looks like that naughty blogger Guido Fawkes (http://order-order.com/) may have had something to do with it. There were some serious questions asked, but they mainly concerned Ed's presence at a party hosted by Murdoch recently, and they all went unanswered too. Poor Ed.

So, how about discussing the influence of Twitter on modern-day politics? Is it relevant, or just an irrelevance?

And how about discussing how promptly news-based (allegedly) radio programmes should update their web pages? 11:35, you've been on Ken's show and I'm waiting...

11:55 ... still waiting for the web site, so will make do with your Twitter stuff...

1) REBEKAH BROOKS RESIGNS : Blimey, who'd have thought, eh? Never saw this coming, did you? And hopefully yet another nail in the coffin of the Dead Tree Press (http://www.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/7098398/a-blow-to-an-already-struggling-industry.thtml). I suspect that - yet again - you will concentrate on Murdoch and News International, and conveniently forget the allegations against the Daily Mirror, Gordon Brown's extraordinary speech in the House of Commons, and the Guardian's apology to The Sun for getting it wrong (http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/series/correctionsandclarifications). And, once again, the clarification is not given anything like the prominence of the original article. You describe this as "a shame", yet for me and many others it comes as no surprise at all. Journalists, pah! Thick as thieves, but lacking their integrity. Next...

2) MILITARY MEDALS - A soldier dies in Iraq. His widow receives a medal. His mother says, why not me, too? Find out more in this Birmingham Mail article : A fair question. I look forward to hearing about the change that your programme makes to this situation today. I won't hold my breath though. Next...

3) CYCLING SAFELY - You want to start cycling. Good for the planet and good for your cardiovasculars. Just one issue: how do you cycle without dying? : I took my Cycling Proficiency Test at school in 1972. I sold my bike in 1975 and put the money towards my first car. I can remember riding a bike once since then (on holiday in Majorca in 1987), and I've not ridden once since. And there are too many hills around here. Next...

4) LOTTERY WINNERS - The couple who won the Euromillions — more than £160m — are revealed to be in Falkirk. Will it destroy their life? : Probably not, but I'm sure that you will give it your best shot.

The Jeremy Vine Show - ignoring elephants a speciality

Today's show 14/07/11

Mmmmm.... bacon and mushroom sandwich....

You know, writing my blog is a real treat, and it continues to amaze me that so many people take time out from their busy days to read my rants and ramblings. As we head towards 4800 page views I again thank them for their continued support.

I also have to thank you Jeremy, for providing me with my daily ammunition. This week has been exceptional in that your web site lacky has managed to get your page updated before 11am, which means that I can start my diatribe earlier and have more time to think about what I am going to say to you. It allows me to have a quick read about the stories you are covering, rather than just believing what you want me to believe, and to sort the wheat from the chaff. So let's look at the chaff on offer today, and I bet you talk about Murdoch - again...

1) INDUSTRIAL PLANT EXPLOSION - An explosion at an industrial plant in Boston, Lincolnshire kills five people. One theory is they were illegally distilling vodka : Theory? And from the BBC news web page: "Claims the men may have been distilling illegal alcohol are being investigated", and "Nerys McGarry, from Lincolnshire Police, said it was not yet clear what had caused the blast", and "Mr Moore said it was still unclear what had caused the fire, but the intense heat and rapid spread suggested some form of accelerant", and "At this stage we cannot say what caused such intense heat or fire spread". So... just one thing missing then: Facts. And what do we do when we don't have the facts? C'mon Jeremy, you know the answer to this one.... Yes, that's right, well done: We make them up. And then we go on and on and on and on about what we have made up until somebody somewhere starts to believe what we are saying. I believe that this is what is taught in the first term at Journalist School. I am led to believe that the second term covers filling in an expenses claim, and the third covers all of the naughty things that only other journalists do. Needless to say, and with the strong possibility of a visit from your old friends Conjecture, Sensationalism and Speculation, it comes as absolutely no surprise to me that you are covering this story today. After all, what would be the point in waiting 24 hours when events might just be a little clearer and you may be able to tell us what REALLY happened? Oh yes, of course, it doesn't make good radio. Next...

2) RUPERT MURDOCH - Murdoch has withdrawn the bid for BSkyB. One commentator says it's not just bad for him, but this will spell the end of his empire : In your dreams maybe. A Murdoch story: I knew I wouldn't be disappointed. So which commentator is this then? The only one mentioned on the BBC news page you link to is Robert Peston, and his personal links with News International seem to be questioned by some, and as I mentioned yesterday (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2013684/Is-BBCs-Robert-Peston-close-Rupert-Murdochs-man-Will-Lewis.html). Meanwhile, the phone hacking scandal appears to be spreading to other news organisations, with Piers Morgan in the firing line in relation to his time at the Daily Mirror. We can only hope that that particular title disappears too. Are you going to mention Gordon Brown's appearance in the House of Commons yesterday? It was good to see him back and in his usual fine form, ignoring questions, avoiding answers and talking about his favourite subject: Himself. And I loved the way that some Tory-led Coalition MPs (to use common BBC parlance) called out "Bye bye, see you next year, have a great Christmas" as he left the chamber. Poor Gordon. Next...

3) FEAR OF DEATH - Do your perfectly healthy children lie awake at night, afraid of dying? We look at children who are obsessed with death : What children are those then? And like Ken, I cannot remember this happening to me. What's the betting that you run out of things to talk about and open this up to all sorts of irrational fears? This would allow you to poke fun at most of your listeners in one way or another. Spiders, heights, air travel, enclosed spaces, open spaces, dentists and needles must surely be fair game. Mine is cotton wool. I can't stand the stuff. I am sure it will be absolutely fascinating. Zzzzzzz... Next...

It is 11:35 and it this point I'll retract my thanks and congratulations for getting your web page updated promptly as the fourth item (something to do with parking in Edinburgh) is yet to appear....

<Goes away for 10 minutes...>

4) HOSPITAL CAR PARK - Doctors and nurses in Edinburgh who can't get into a hospital car park are having their cars vandalised by residents, who resent them parking there. Find out more in this Scotsman article : That wording is dreadful, but I think I know what you mean. However, this story could not be more irrelevant to me so I don't need to listen. Next...

How about doing some stories from the Daily Mail? You know, just for a change? I miss them...

And in your honour I have created a Twitter account ... I wonder what mischief I can get up to there.

UPDATE: And Galloway makes an appearance in the Murdoch item.

Today's show 13/07/11

An interesting piece appeared in your favourite rag The Daily Mail yesterday concerning your BBC colleague Robert Peston and his alleged affiliations with News International (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2013684/Is-BBCs-Robert-Peston-close-Rupert-Murdochs-man-Will-Lewis.html). Allow me to quote:

Media commentators have highlighted the close personal and formerly professional relationship between Mr Peston and Will Lewis, the very senior News International troubleshooter, amid suggestions that the BBC man is being used by the Murdoch machine.

Mr Peston is also close to Simon Greenberg, News International's director of corporate affairs.

A gossip column last week reported that Mr Peston was among the guests at a lavish garden party thrown by PR man Matthew Freud and his wife Elisabeth Murdoch, Rupert Murdoch's daughter, at their Oxfordshire mansion at the beginning of July. According to the report Mr Peston, resplendent in a peach cotton scarf, was huddled together with Rebekah Brooks, his friend Mr Lewis, and their boss James Murdoch for a good part of the evening.

Last night, Labour MP Tom Watson said it was 'not right' that Mr Peston appeared to be being 'spoonfed' internal News International documents that were being handed over to police.
Interesting stuff, I'm sure you would agree. And it must be true if it is in the Daily Mail, surely?

Meanwhile, The Guardian have published a chart showing how the TV Licence Fee Tax is used (http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2011/jul/12/bbc-spending?CMP=twt_gu). Interesting to read that Licence Fee Collection cost £126million last year, but that it only cost £53million to fund the whole of Radio 2 in the same period. Room for some efficiencies there I feel, and a good place to start would be cessation of the intimidating letters to people who do not own a TV.

And following the relevations by News International that Gordon Brown might just have got his facts wrong (http://order-order.com/2011/07/12/source-for-cystic-fibrosis-story-was-mundane/) and suggestions that Brown is just seeking revenge (http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/andrew-grice/andrew-grice-is-news-internationals-misery-gordon-browns-revenge-2312096.html) I see you are having a day almost devoid of Murdoch-bashing today...

1) GREEN ENERGY - By some estimates, the average household could see their fuel bills rise by a further one hundred and sixty pounds, in order to pay for green energy. Can we afford that? And how many solar panels do you need to boil a kettle of water? Find out more in this Guardian article : A quick search for "solar panel boil kettle" brought a BBC page up as the top item: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/davidgregory/2010/09/boiling_a_kettle_with_solar_po.html. The telling sentence is: Of course all this depends on your kettle! It will be interesting to see in years to come if and how attitudes about man-made global warming change once the inevitable pain is felt in peoples' wallets. Next...

2) METROPOLITAN POLICE - After listening to the police evidence to parliament yesterday, did you conclude that these Metropolitan police officers were lazy, scared (of Murdoch), corrupt, or sensible? : I think you are, unfortunately, confusing me with somebody who listened to their evidence. On that basis I'll guess that they are all four of those things, not that you will be changing anything, of course. Next...

3) NICK CLEGG - The deputy Prime Minister's wife says that Nick Clegg is killing himself to do the school run. Some people are saying that running the country is more important that collecting the children from school. Find out more in this Telegraph article : Running out of proper news stories, are we? Some people (well, quite a lot actually) are saying that your programme is rubbish, yet you choose to ignore them. I sincerely hope that Mr Clegg does exactly the same. Next...

4) GANNET - Finally, the man from Cardiff who had his eye pecked out by a gannet : Hmmm.... So this guy (a welder, but the BBC news web page makes no mention of his wildlife handling qualifications) sees what he considers to be an injured bird belonging to a protected species and decides to pick it up. The gannet, injured or not, would have been stressed by this. The barking dog would have only added to its discomfort so it did what came naturally and lashed-out in an effort to protect itself. Do I have any sympathy? Not really. Is this news? Not really. Perhaps he could sue the owner of the dog. Needless to say, the BBC news page fails to supply us with the most important piece of information: the fate of the gannet. Half a story, as usual. I was involved in a similar situation earlier this year, when I saw that a sheep in the field across the road was tangled in the brambles. I watched it on and off for a couple of hours as it tried to pull itself free. I had the phone number for the farmer so I gave him a call, spoke to his wife, and explained the situation. She thanked me for my concern and contacted the farmer who turned up an hour or so later. The sheep was still stuck in the brambles and so the farmer walked over to it with stout gloves and cutters at the ready. When he was within six feet of it the sheep stood up and calmly walked off. I learnt something about nature finding a way that day. But there is also a difference between my story and yours: I called somebody who knew what they were doing. Meanwhile, I like chips so I consider this story to be more important: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-humber-14125924

Today's show 12/07/11

Can we guess what the lead story will be today? Will it be more accusations against News International, I wonder, or will it be the BBC's backtracking about a commitment they made? Let's see...

1) GORDON BROWN - In new revelations, Gordon Brown claims there was a conspiracy between News International and the criminal underworld to discredit him, in order to obtain the medical records of his young boy Fraser and his personal bank details. Jeremy talks to Wilf Stevenson; Labour Peer in the House of Lords, Alistair Campbell; Former Labour press secretary, Sally-Anne Poole; Investigations manager at the Information Commissioner's Office and Mike Richards; Former private investigator : Gordon who? Oh yes, I remember him...

The important word in your description is, of course, "claims". The important word on the BBC news web page is "alleged". Until such words as "accuses" and "prosecution" appear then, in my mind, there is no story here and you will waste your listeners time with yet another journey to the Land of Speculation and Conjecture.

Interesting that you have got Campbell as a contributor on this item: What a short memory you and your BBC colleagues have! This was the man who back in 2003 famously berated the BBC in an appearance before a House of Commons committee, and later during a Channel Four interview, yet here he is now behaving as the new darling of the BBC. I'm not sure who is being more hypocritical here, you or Campbell. Anyway, the last time I listened to anything he said (something to do with WMD, if I remember correctly) it turned out to be a lie, so I could not possibly trust him to tell me anything that is either truthful or interesting.

 

So why haven't you got Gordon on your programme? Oh yes, he doesn't like you, does he? Perhaps he should raise the subject in parliament, but that would mean actually turning up and doing his job though so it is not going to happen.

 

For your information, the BBC's backtracking is described in the Daily Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/8629443/Anger-as-BBC-backtracks-on-promise-over-stars-salaries.html):

Anger as BBC backtracks on promise over stars' salaries

The BBC has infuriated ministers by reneging on a promise to publish detailed information about the salaries of its top stars.

A good day to bury bad news, don't you think?

 

Ken just asked a good question: "Will the public lose interest?". As one who does not pay one single penny specifically to obtain "news" I can assure you that this particular member of the public lost interest in the sordid activities of all news organisations a long, long time ago. Next...

2) BELFAST RIOTS - As loyalists celebrate the Battle of the Boyne at the height of the marching season, last night trouble erupted between young loyalists and nationalist gangs : It happens. Every year. What are you going to do about it? Next...

3) TODDLER DEATH - A twenty-two month old toddler has drowned in a leisure club pool in Salford : Tragic. Next...

4) SPOON-BILLED SANDPIPER - And finally, a wildfowl charity travels to the north-east corner of Russia, in order to save a rare species of sandpiper. How much effort is it worth to protect a bird that is virtually extinct? : What a stupid question! How much effort? As much as they want to, that's how much! Their money, their people, their freedom of choice. Fortunately for me it is not much effort at all to switch to 6 Music at 12.

Freedom of Information request for Iceland programme - response

Freedom of Information request – RFI201107xx

Thank you for your request to the BBC of 24th June, seeking the following information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000:

1) Excluding Mr Vine, how many other BBC staff travelled to Iceland in support of this broadcast?
2) What were the travel costs incurred as a result of the visit to Iceland by Mr Vine and his associates?
3) What was the additional cost (studio hire, satellite link, etc.) incurred by the BBC in broadcasting a live programme from Iceland as compared to broadcasting from the London studio?
4) What was the total subsistence and accomodation cost for Mr Vine and his associates?
5) On what date and at what approximate time did the group leave the UK?
6) On what date and at what approximate time did they return to the UK?

The information you have requested is excluded from the Act because it is held for the purposes of ‘journalism, art or literature.’ The BBC is therefore not obliged to provide this information to you and will not be doing so on this occasion. Part VI of Schedule 1 to FOIA provides that information held by the BBC and the other public service broadcasters is only covered by the Act if it is held for ‘purposes other than those of journalism, art or literature”. The BBC is not required to supply information held for the purposes of creating the BBC’s output or information that supports and is closely associated with these creative activities.

You may not be aware that one of the main policy drivers behind the limited application of the Act to public service broadcasters was to protect freedom of expression and the rights of the media under Article 10 European Convention on Human Rights (“ECHR”). The BBC, as a media organisation, is under a duty to impart information and ideas on all matters of public interest and the importance of this function has been recognised by the European Court of Human Rights. Maintaining our editorial independence is a crucial factor in enabling the media to fulfil this function.

That said, the BBC makes a huge range of information available about our programmes and content on bbc.co.uk. We also proactively publish information covered by the Act on our publication scheme and regularly handle requests for information under the Act.

Today's show 11/07/11

And finally, at 12:15, your web page is updated to show the topics up for discussion today, and only after a prompting email from me.

Did you know that you got a special mention on Graham Norton's Saturday morning show. Please allow blog reader Stonyground to take up the story....

I caught a bit of the Graham Norton show today on the car radio. A guy comes on to do a run down on the various sporting activities that are occuring over the weekend. Along with the motor racing, womens' football and ODI cricket we have to have the trivial item which this week is pea shooter championships. On being informed that dried peas are no longer used but some other kind of seed that is more aerodynamic, GN opines "Ooh you could have someone's eye out and then Jeremy Vine will be doing a phone in about it on Monday.".

It would appear that JV's co-workers at Radio 2 are very much aware of the intellectual level of his usual subject matter.

Discussion topic suggestion: Have you ever been injured in a pea shooter accident and what effect did this have on your relationship with your pea shooting colleagues?
Perhaps that explains why "... and Jeremy is at 12 ..." is all we hear in what's-coming-up trailers.

So let's see what I will be missing today:

1) RUPERT MURDOCH - We debate whether Rupert Murdoch's bid to own the whole of BSkyB is dead in the water : You are obsessed. That is the only word for it. Here is a private company going about its lawful business yet its activities have to be micro-analysed by the BBC. If I don't like what they are doing I can choose to not spend any money with them. If only that option were available for the BBC! Jeremy, this story is only of importance to you and those in your industry. Personally I could not care less. However, my friends over at the TV Licensing blog (http://tv-licensing.blogspot.com/2011/04/bbc-confirm-detector-vans-never-used-in.html) have finally obtained an admission from the BBC that evidence from TV detector vans has never been used to prosecute somebody for failing to buy a licence. Now that sounds like deception to me, and surely a topic worthy of debate on your programme. Pigs preparing for take-off....! Next...

2) RAOUL MOAT - Raoul Moat's family and friends paid tribute on the anniversary of his death. Find out more in this Mirror article : So what? That this is a story from the Mirror says it all. Next...

3) SOUTHERN CROSS - Does the collapse of Southern Cross suggest the state is better at running things than the private sector, or the 'Big Society'? : I have no idea, or interest, thank you, but the interesting sentence on the linked BBC news page is this one: "About 250 of the homes will immediately begin to be transferred to other operators.", suggesting that the private sector does still have a part to play. Nice use of "Big Society" there, revealing that the temptation for a bit of government bashing was just to good to resist. Next...

4) PARKINSON'S DISEASE - And finally, we talk to a man with Parkinson's disease, who refuses to be defined by his disability : Good for him, and good to see that there are still people around who do not need to be told what to think, despite your best efforts.

 

The Jeremy Vine Show - struggling to fill two hours on a Monday

Today's show 08/07/11

Let us celebrate the news! This is a GREAT DAY for those of us that regard the UK news media with suspicion, scorn and derision.

1) NEWS OF THE WORLD - Will you miss The News Of The World or do you say good riddance to it? : A member of the Dead Tree Press Preservation Society is about to die and disappear forever. Good riddance to the newspaper, its reputation (ha!) and all of its staff.

 

I have no sympathy at all for anybody who works in the seedy and shady world of Professional Journalism (surely an oxymoron?) and I am sure that the soon-to-be-unemployed NOTW staff will soon learn how to deal with the public in their new careers by using such phrases as:
 - Do you want fries with that?
 - Which pump was it mate?
 - Baked beans? Aisle three, right-hand side.
 - Big Issue!

Honestly, it could not have happened to a nicer bunch of people. Let us hope that more journalists lose their jobs and prosecutions follow. I won't miss them. My only suspicion is that a large number of NOTW staff will be re-hired or transferred to a Sunday Sun, or whatever they decide to call it. But then I guess that there really are people out there who need to know what Cheryl Cole did this week....!

 

The investigation in to payments made to the Metropolitan Police will be interesting, especially if it is found that other peddlars of news have also paid for information. I'm not a religious man but I will be praying that the three letters B B C are found somewhere in the Met's paperwork. Now, wouldn't that make a great news story?

 

I heard Ed Miliband mumble something unintelligible about all this on the Radio 2 news this morning. Really, you should find a better sound man and microphone system so that we can all make sense of his wisdom and insight. And interesting to see that his Step Dad has decided to make a reappearance with yet another story of how he could have continued to save the world had things been different (http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/wintour-and-watt/2011/jul/08/gordon-brown-davidcameron). Still, he is being paid an MP's salary but not doing an MP's job, so he has plenty of time to look out from his home over the Firth of Forth and wonder "What would have happened if....?".

It comes as no surprise at all that the BBC continues with its hysterical coverage of events. How horrific it is to see a media bully in the shape of the BBC use the News International debacle to further its own objectives. It simply views NI and Sky as major competitors and is doing nothing more than reinforcing its monopoly on the UK public, who have little or no choice but to support it through the TV Licence Fee Tax. Is the BBC impartial? I don't think so. Honestly, do you?

 

You just said on Ken's show "Closing a newspaper - it never happens". Hmmm.... Never happens? Not that I take any interest but I can remember the closures of the Daily Sketch (1971), the London Evening News (1980) and Today (1995) and there have been a myriad of local newspaper closures (http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/greenslade/2009/feb/19/local-newspapers-newspapers). That doesn't sound like "never happens" to me. It should happen more. Death to The Dead Tree Press! If nothing else because it is THE MOST environmentally unfriendly way of disseminating the words described as "news". I sincerely hope that newspapers are no more in my lifetime.

 

Next...

2) SMOKING BAN - Should the smoking ban be tightened or relaxed? We talk to a councillor in Milton Keynes who wants to ban people smoking in the street and an MP who says it should be allowed in pubs : I don't smoke, I don't live in Milton Keynes and I rarely go in pubs, so I'm struggling - as usual - to determine how this discussion can have any relevance to me. Next...

 

3) SECOND-HAND CARS - In Your Money and Your Life - how to buy a second hand car : Will you be using your BBC Sound Effects record for this one? I have no plans to buy a second hand car at the moment, and I'm confident I know what to do anyway, so this is of no interest to me. This could be the first of a series, to be followed by "How to buy a newspaper without being ripped-off" and "How to re-tune your radio away from Radio 2". Next...

 

4) PLANT THEFT - Have you been the victim of a plant theft? Find out more in this Midweek Herald article : At first I thought that this was going to be a serious discussion about the theft of plant (i.e. excavators, dump trucks, concrete mixers, etc.) from construction sites and which costs the construction industry millions of pounds every year. However, my interest was soon killed when I realised that you have successfully managed to find some non-news trivia with which to end this week's programmes and you want to discuss theft of bedding plants and shrubs. In that case the answer to your question has to be "No".

 

This weekend I would like you to think about what you have done this week.

Today's show 07/07/11

And as the BBC descends in to hysteria and apoplexy, let's take a look at today's dose of News Entertainment...

1) PHONE HACKING SCANDAL - Are the News of the World phone hacking allegations the equivalent for journalists to the MPs expenses scandal? Which should the public feel more let down by? : Again, I need more than one paragraph today...

Some years ago, there used to be a TV advert for McCain oven chips where a little girl was asked by here sister which she preferred: Daddy or Chips? (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHA4-5N5AzA) You seem to be asking much the same question today, but the answer is easier: MPs are elected and accountable to their constituents. The only accountability that journalist scum are interested in concerns how much they can fiddle out of their own expenses.

Perhaps you are starting to realise why I and many others do not trust ANYTHING that The Media attempts to tell us these days. Jeremy, irrespective of phone hacking THIS IS A REAL PROBLEM for you and your ilk. What can be done to restore (or create in my case) the public's faith in what you say? And it is no surprise to see that BBC heavyweights Nick Robinson and Robert Peston cannot agree on the reporting of this story (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/8621020/Nick-Robinson-highlights-Robert-Pestons-Vanity.html). If nothing else, this shows that they consider the reporting (and who did it first) more important than the story itself. Scum.

The BBC is not immune to dubious and illegal activities, with the phone vote rigging scandal being perhaps the most memorable of recent times. Pot, kettle and black?

As you are a journalist I cannot trust you to tell me anything, so I won't be listening. Tell me, what is it like being a journalist at the moment? Can you feel the hate? Next...

2) BARBECUE ACCIDENTS - Have you suffered a barbecue accident? : Yes, I once burnt some beefburgers, but we ate them anyway. Does that count? You just said on Ken's show, "Whether she went to sleep or not I don't know". That sounds like poor research to me. Perhaps you should do some investigation and find out. Or, you could just make it up. Next...

3) OVERNIGHT CARE - A disabled former ballerina is denied an overnight carer to help her use a commode. It's said it would cost £22,000 a year. Is that a price worth paying for her dignity - or too much to spend on one person in straightened times? : I have no idea, or interest. Next...

4) ANTI-DEPRESSANTS - A new study suggests a third of British women have taken anti-depressants. Are they prescribed too readily? In some cases, would it have been better to put away the Prozac and just feel sad? Find out more in this Daily Mail article : I am not a woman and I have never taken Prozac. We can only be grateful that that bastion of true virtue, exceptional reporting and fantastic journalism The Daily Mail is managing to keep a firm grip on reality while the other members of the Dead Tree Press Preservation Society disappear up their own backsides in an attempt to rubbish one of their own. Where would your programme be without it?


UPDATE:

Lembit Opik? I know what he was, but can you just remind what he is now and why what he says should be of any concern to me?

He appeared as a TV game show contestant on Pointless Celebrities last night. Never has a TV progamme had a more accurate title.

Today's show 06/07/11

Listening to the BBC radio news yesterday proved to me yet again that journalists fail to do the easiest and simplest of research. The job losses at Bombardier in Derby were a lead item all day, yet the differences in pronunciation of the company name differed wildly. It is pronounced Bom-BAR-dier, and not BOM-bar-DIER (as in a military rank). But then, when did journalists ever do their job properly?

Can we guess what the top story will be on your programme today? I bet it won't be this one: http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2011/07/05/leaked-email-reveals-bbc-wales-journalists-being-paid-to-tidy-desks-91466-28993615/

Leaked email reveals BBC Wales journalists being paid to tidy desks

Dozens of BBC Wales journalists have been told to tidy their desks, archive old tapes and fill in expenses forms over the summer – instead of working on programmes.

But hang on, why would you want to talk about that? The story does, after all, talk about the continued failings of your beloved BBC, and that particular aspect of the BBC is not to be discussed, is it? Things are different when an upcoming BBC programme is to be promoted, of course.

So let's see what we have on today's edition of Junk Mail On The Radio...

1) NEWS OF THE WORLD - The News of the World is at the centre of a firestorm as the phone hacking scandal escalates. Former deputy Prime Minister John Prescott tells us that readers should boycott the paper. Is he right? : I think I need more than one paragraph for this...

Prescott is hardly the upholder of virtue that he claims to be, surely? His affair with a secretary was so well reported by the BBC that a special web page was created (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/5151706.stm) entitled Timeline: Prescott's problems which detailed not only his affair but all of the other dubious shenanigans that he was involved in around that time. Perhaps you would care to remind him of this episode, just to check what his view of the BBC's coverage of his own life might be.

Guessing that you would talk about this today, I decided to do a little research. Looking away from the obvious story, I was more curious as to why the BBC was hysterical about it and wondered if there was the usual hidden agenda dragged up from the depths whenever a chance to knock the Murdoch news empire arose. I was not disappointed: http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/davidhughes/100095338/what-is-the-bbc-really-trying-to-do-with-its-milly-dowler-coverage/. Allow me to quote at length:
"... there is a commercial interest at stake – and the one element of the story the BBC seems coy about is that it is itself a player in a particularly frenzied media battle. The Corporation is bitterly opposed to News Corporation’s bid to to buy the 61% of BSkyB it doesn’t already own (as is much of Fleet Street). Indeed, it is so opposed that the BBC’s director general Mark Thompson took the extraordinary step last autumn of putting his name to a letter of protest objecting to the deal – for which he was forced to apologise by the BBC Trust. The BBC’s treatment of the hacking story suggests the Corporation still sees the value of blackening the reputation of Rupert Murdoch’s media empire as thoroughly as possible whenever the opportunity arises. As the Beeb’s own Robert Peston notes, it leaves hanging in the air the idea that News Coporation may not be a fit and proper company to acquire complete control of a major broadcaster."

I could not have put it better myself. Reporting of Mark Thompson's apology can be found here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/nov/07/mark-thompson-apology-bskyb-letter

So what is your agenda today? Are you looking at phone hacking, or are you just attacking Murdoch? I can probably guess the answer to that question.

Let me ask you these questions Jeremy:

 - Has there been a senior management meeting to discuss the coverage of phone hacking and was a decision made to use it as a vehicle to undermine the BSkyB takeover?

 - Has the BBC ever used information gained illegally in its news reporting?

 - Has the BBC employed anybody who has attempted to hack the phones of victims, suspects or their relatives?

And what is the difference between Murdoch and the BBC? Well, not much from where I am sitting ... except for one thing. I can choose to boycott the Murdoch empire by not purchasing their products. The only way to boycott the BBC would be to not buy a TV licence. Now that sounds like a good idea!

I believe that the journalist (i.e. scum) involved in the phone hacking was somebody called Glenn Mulcaire. Despite his ability to completely upset the lives of others, it appears that he doesn't like a taste of his own medicine (http://order-order.com/2011/07/05/phone-hacker-glenn-mulcaire-asks-press-to-respect-his-privacy/). This is typical of the hypocrisy rife in this sordid industry.

I will, of course, be boycotting the News of the World. I but then I also boycott all of the other national newspapers, as do 80% of the UK population. The Press Gazette web site (http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=1&storycode=47273&c=1) continues to document the slow and agonising death of the Dead Tree Press and tells me that just under 10 million national newspapers are sold every day, so 50 million people choose not to buy them. I continue to be puzzled why you make them out to be so important.

Interesting too that you have nobody from News International on your show to put their side of the story. There is nothing like balanced reporting, and this is nothing like balanced reporting.

Journalism and your precious "Media" are in a sorry state, but that is nothing new. The only new thing is that more people know about it and will, hopefully, question what they read and hear in the name of "news" more often.

JOURNALISTS ARE LIEING, DEVIOUS, LAZY, CHEATING SCUM - WITHOUT EXCEPTION.

2) SREBRENICA - A court rules that Holland was responsible for the deaths of three Bosnian Muslims during the Srebrenica massacre because its forces failed to protect a UN safe area. We discuss Dutch shame over Srebrenica : "Are you ashamed to be Dutch?", you just asked. Errrr... no. Are you ashamed to be involved in journalism? You should be! It is items like this that make me wonder if Radio Rotterdam has an equivalent programme to yours, where they discuss the current state of the UK NHS. Somehow I don't think they do. Next...

3) AFRICAN DROUGHT - Has too little been done to help animals caught up in the African drought? : I can only hope that today you are going to launch the Jeremy Vine Campaign for African Animal Welfare. No? Oh. So, what are you going to do then? You're going to talk about it. Hmmm... that won't make much of a difference, will it? You treat news stories like buses ... there will be another one along in a minute. Next...

4) SEXSOMNIA - And a man is cleared of rape after arguing that he suffers from a condition which means he has sex in his sleep. Find out more in this Telegraph article : The saddest thing about this is that you have chosen to give this man some publicity. Well done.

The Jeremy Vine Show - telling it like it is some of the time.