Today's show 08/03/12

Congratulations on a new record! Yesterday's web page update was the latest EVER in all of the years that I have been sending these messages to you. I can normally expect to find the page updated by late afternoon, but at 19:15 last night it had still not been done. It was, however, updated by 10:15 this morning, so perhaps the Jeremy Vine Show nightshift did it. However, we must all remember that "the programme holds the right to publish website content at a time convenient to it" and that we - the TV Licence Tax payers - have no right to complain about this, and anybody who does will end up on the BBC's Naughty Step with me.

So while we wait oh, so patiently for somebody get their finger out of their backside and do the job for which I pay them, let's look at some other BBC news that you won't be discussing today. Let's start with this, but note that the Telegraph's headline may be misconstrued so let me clarify: This is toast as in drinks, not toast as in with butter and marmalade:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/9126618/BBC-expenses-Radio-2-boss-billed-for-toast-to-cost-cutters.html

BBC expenses: Radio 2 boss billed for toast to cost-cutters

A senior BBC executive, Bob Shennan, billed the corporation £220 for drinks as a thank you to staff charged with cutting costs, according to newly published expense bills. The Radio 2 controller made the claim in June last year for drinks for eight colleagues who helped implement ways to cut spending at the public broadcaster by £700million. The reason for the drinks bill submitted by the former controller of BBC Radio 5 Live, whose total remuneration package is £218,800, was given as “DGF thank you drinks for journalism”.

I am sure that somebody at the BBC thinks that this was money well spent, but I don't.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/mar/06/bbc-cbeebies-cbbc-epg

BBC boss says Sky does not give CBBC and CBeebies prominence on EPG

A senior BBC executive has accused BSkyB of reneging on its obligation to give public service channels such as CBeebies and CBBC "due prominence" on its electronic programme guide. BBC director of policy and strategy, John Tate, said CBeebies, the BBC's pre-school service, is now 13th on the EPG list of children's channels on Sky, with CBBC in 14th. Above it are channels such as Nicktoons, Boomerang and six Disney services.

BSkyB ... that'll be part of the Murdoch Empire - the same Murdoch Empire that the BBC has attacked on every possible occasion over the past year or so. No connection, surely? Isn't all fair in love, war and journalism?

Note that both articles start with "A senior BBC executive...". Is there any other kind?

11:55, here we go:

1) REMPLOY - 36 out of 54 of special Remploy factories, where disabled people have traditionally been given secure jobs, are to close. The government says they’re losing huge amounts of money and that money would be better spent helping far more disabled people find jobs in the open jobs market : I note the sentence "Labour called the decision "the wrong plan at the wrong time" from the BBC news page, but this is not the first time that Remploy's factories have been under threat unfortunately. Take a look at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6965756.stm which dates from August 2007 and says "Workers are to hold a month of marches and meetings aimed at keeping open 43 factories which employ disabled staff. The campaign will start in Aberdeen and end outside the Labour Party annual conference in Bournemouth next month.". This was followed by http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7118979.stm from November 2007 which says "Twenty-eight of Remploy's 83 factories employing disabled workers are to close, Work and Pensions Secretary Peter Hain has said.". From the BBC's coverage I can only come to the conclusion that Labour thought they had the right plan at the right time back in 2007. Will you be asking Peter Hain about this today? Just for some balance, you understand. I thought not. Next...

2) OVERWEIGHT - Should a mother ever tell her daughter (or son for that matter) that they are overweight? Find out more in this article from the Daily Mail : The Daily Mail returns! Hooray! I am over 50, my mother is in her 80s and she still tells me I'm overweight. Unfortunately she thinks you are rude so she doesn't listen to your programme. Next...

3) RESPECT - Finally, how should people show respect for soldiers who die in Afghanistan if they don’t agree with the war? : I manage, and I can only hope that none of your listeners will be waiting for instructions on how to do this. Next...

4) LOST - Do you remember the old SOS messages before the news on Radio 4? A Manchester man who’s dangerously ill is desperately trying to trace his long lost son. Find out more in this article from the Manchester Evening News : No, I don't remember them. And I am not the chap you are looking for. Sorry.

The Jeremy Vine Show - escaping the BBC cuts, unfortunately