A quick scan of today's sorry menu shows that you
have again chosen to discuss items that are of no interest or relevance to me.
Yesterday afternoon I sent you an email suggesting two discussion topics, but as
they concern the BBC you have, of course, pretended that they don't exist. For
the benefit of my blog readers the two topics were these:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/tv-radio/bbc-cheap-programming-scandal-exposed-6262533.html
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/tv-radio/bbc-cheap-programming-scandal-exposed-6262533.html
BBC 'cheap programming'
scandal exposed
The BBC has owned up to a “nominal fee”
programming scandal in which viewers of 15 editorial programmes were hoodwinked
by “serious” conflicts of interest of programme makers and a failure to declare
that documentaries had outside sponsors.
The programmes were made for “low or nominal cost” but many were heavyweight documentaries on controversial environmental issues and the BBC Trust, the corporation’s governing body, said today it was “deeply concerned” by the findings. Mark Thompson, the director general of the BBC, has ordered the organisation to tighten its systems for commissioning current affairs programmes. The broadcasting regulator Ofcom announced today that it was launching an investigation into the affair.
The programmes were made for “low or nominal cost” but many were heavyweight documentaries on controversial environmental issues and the BBC Trust, the corporation’s governing body, said today it was “deeply concerned” by the findings. Mark Thompson, the director general of the BBC, has ordered the organisation to tighten its systems for commissioning current affairs programmes. The broadcasting regulator Ofcom announced today that it was launching an investigation into the affair.
This comes as no surprise to me at all. The BBC's
agenda on all sorts of issues, and "global warming" in particular, has suggested
to me for some time that there was something hidden behind the message, and here
it is for all to see. As for the BBC Trust, they don't know the meaning of the
word Trust! The BBC has prepared their own carefully worded version of this
story (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-15739468) and I just love this paragraph:
Richard Porter, head of English at BBC Global News, said staff would pay heed to the findings. "We must not damage the audience's trust in what we broadcast," he wrote in a public blog post.
There is absolutely no chance of my trust in the BBC's broadcasts being damaged, because any trust that I had evaporated years ago. Even the much-acclaimed Frozen Planet TV series does not escape controversy as the BBC has decided not to include the "climate change" episode from the standard package sold to other countries (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/8889541/BBC-drops-Frozen-Planets-climate-change-episode-to-sell-show-better-abroad.html). One message for the UK, and a meeker message for everybody else because we don't want to upset them, perhaps?
Bristol, Darwen and Glasgow TV Licensing staff to
strike
Hundreds of TV Licensing workers will strike
for a third time later this week unless their employer engages in fresh pay
talks, union leaders have warned.
Do I care? No. Should I care? Definitely not. The
thugs and henchmen at Capita can go on strike for
as long they like. However, it reminds me that I have asked you before to
discuss "What happens when you don't buy a TV licence?" but you have
still chosen not to do so, preferring umbrella injuries and memorial benches to
anything that may be of interest to this potential listener. The answer to my
question continues to be, apparently: Not much.
So what do you have to tempt me today? Not much by
the look of it....
1) SMOKING IN CARS - The British Medical
Association says it’s time to ban smoking in cars : Mmmmm.... banning.
Where would the Jeremy Vine Show be without banning? And paedophiles,
pornography, sexism, racism, irrelevant trivia, etc. These are the fundamentals
that form the basis for your programme every day. The BMA's suggestion is, of
course, another erosion of what civil liberties we have left in this country,
and I note that they make no mention of how their ban would be enforced. I hope
the BMA is grateful to our beloved State Broadcaster for disseminating their
message and telling us what to think. And I don't smoke. Next...
2) HEROINE - The sister of a heroine addict tells us how devastating it can be for the whole family : There are no drug addicts in our family, so this is of no interest to me. Next...
2) HEROINE - The sister of a heroine addict tells us how devastating it can be for the whole family : There are no drug addicts in our family, so this is of no interest to me. Next...
3) EATING DISORDERS - In the run up to Children In Need, we discuss how eating disorders can affect children as young as 8 or 9 : I've just checked and we still don't have any children. Next...
4) GERMANY - Finally, 20 years ago Nicholas Ridley was sacked for saying Britain should never be bossed about by the Germans. Is Germany right to say it alone has the answers to the European Economic Crisis? Find out more in this article from the Guardian. : Again, I will use the example of Switzerland which is not in the EU and seems to be doing very nicely. Now Mr Cameron, about that referendum...
The Jeremy Vine Show - believing that the BBC is just perfect!
Is that spelling of heroine lifted from the web site? I thought it was heroin, with apologies if it was your good self.
ReplyDeleteNot too sure that the swiss are doing well because they helped the germans 'liberate' stuff in world war 2
The whole "Heroine" section in italics was copied directly from his web page, which I see they have now changed. I'm really annoyed I didn't spot that!
ReplyDeleteThe Swiss did all sorts of things during WW2, including acting as financial and economic mediators between the UK and Germany. There is some stuff here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Switzerland_during_the_World_Wars and more elsewhere on the www. We visited there earlier this year and the country seems affluent and prosperous, although bloomin' expensive for "foreigners" such as us. However, even their system is not perfect with all men subject to compulsory National Service (voluntary for women) and their weapons are kept at home (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_of_Switzerland). We were also surprised to find that most homes are rented from property-owning companies and families, rather than being owned by the occupier. I love it there!