16/04/12 and 17/04/12

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...

1) ANDERS BREIVIK - 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? : And the point of this question is what, exactly? Norway has its legal system, and we have ours. Now get over it. Next...

2) STILES - 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 : 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...

3) I LOVE WHERE I LIVE - 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 : I love where I live, that's why I live here. Easy! Next...

4) BIONICS - We meet the fifteen-year old with a bionic arm. He lost the arm when he was very young, now science has replaced it : Wonderful!

On to today then...

1) FRACKING - Today we debate fracking: Will it create almost limitless supplies of cheap natural gas, or will it cause earthquakes and ruin the environment? : 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 "Ribble Estuary Against Fracking" (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:

Me: 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?

Harrabin: Many share your incredulity.

Me: So you made it up then? No facts, no news!

Harrabin: No that's silly

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.

So let me re-word that question for you: 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? Next...

2) EMERGENCY LANDING - A Virgin Atlantic plane makes an emergency landing at Gatwick Airport. Some passengers said the cabin crew panicked. We investigate : 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, "We're still checking the facts". 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...

3) WIRRAL COUNCIL - 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 : 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...

4) SAILING MISHAPS - 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 : 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.

The Jeremy Vine Show - not today, thank you


UPDATE: After a visit to http://biased-bbc.com I was reminded of this:
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/jamesdelingpole/100111487/how-many-died-in-the-great-blackpool-earthquake-of-11/

09/04/10 and 10/04/10

Hi Jeremy,

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.

All this means, of course, is that I will no longer be telling you "I won't be listening today because..." 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:
 - no time constraint
 - the web page will have been updated
 - I can have a good laugh at any relevant bits by using iPlayer

A win-win-win situation, I think!

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.

I bet I didn't miss you discussing this:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2126040/BBC-bias-Is-Corporation-representing-British-nation.html

The BBC has a duty to represent the British nation...but is it doing so?

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.

Perhaps I should get a job at the Daily Mail? Or perhaps not ... <shudder>

And then there was this one:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/9189380/BBC-accused-of-TV-licence-rip-off.html

BBC accused of TV licence rip-off

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.

The BBC? Ripping off the people who fund it? Who'd have thought such a thing could ever happen. Oh, hang on, silly me.

And then, of course, there is possibly the biggest organised cover-up of criminal behaviour ever seen in the UK:
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/

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. 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. There is an overwhelming public interest in the victims getting justice.

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: JOURNALISTS ARE SCUM!

One thing I didn't miss was you saying last Friday, "You can tweet me at @TheJeremyVine and we can discuss these topics out of hours". 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.

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!

1) BOAT RACE DISRUPTION - 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? : 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: "If this person had been running in to a Presidential motorcade he would have been shot" and "If he thought we would have been shot for swimming in the water he wouldn't have done it". An interesting suggestion Jeremy, that'll boost the TV ratings. And the security expert you interviewed said "There is no way you are going to prevent it". 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...

2) RAUNCHY MUSIC VIDEOS - Should raunchy music videos get an 18 rating? : What, and deny legions of teenage boys 30 seconds of pleasure? You are such a spoilsport. Next...

3) DOMESTIC SERVICE - Was one of your parents or grandparents in domestic service? : No, they were not. I love questions like that. Next...

4) ANIMAL IN HEADLIGHTS - 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 : 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?

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...

1) EXTRADITION - The European Court of Human Rights rules that five terrorism suspects - including the radical Islamic cleric, Abu Hamza - can be extradited to the US : I hear that Guantanamo Bay is nice at this time of year. An interesting tweet from Stewart Jackson MP appeared on your feed earlier: Went head to head with human rights lawyer @TheJeremyVine show. Out of touch & publicly funded (mostly). Public have human right to be safe. Out of touch and publicly funded? Who WAS he talking about? Next...

2) CHARITY FUNDRAISERS - 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 : 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 "Go away, and get off my property". 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...

3) TITANIC - 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? : 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...

4) HAIRDRESSERS - 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 : 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 "Have you been anywhere nice on holiday then?". 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.

 

So there we go. That was fun! Let's do it again soon.

 

The Jeremy Vine Show - shooting is the only possible solution

Today's show 29/02/12

29th February ... perhaps this will be the day that you FINALLY talk about something that interests or affects me. Let's see...

1) ELDERLY CARE - A landmark report on elderly care says that calling older patients "dear" without permission could be as bad as racism : The second paragraph of the BBC news page you link to tells me all I need to know: The recommendation was one of a series made by the Commission on Improving Dignity in Care for Older People to improve standards in hospitals and care homes in England. England, not Wales. Next...

2) MURDER - We speak to someone who tells us what it was like having to bring up two small daughters on his own after his wife was murdered : This must have been extremely difficult but we know, from listening to you on Ken's show, that this particular "someone" is/was a BBC employee, and I have found that he has a book describing his experiences published tomorrow. What a shame you could not get "someone" in from The Real World in which the rest of us live. Next...

3) SLEEPOVERS - A listener gets in touch to say her grandchildren have been traumatised by a sleepover where they watched a horror film : Oh bless. Wrap them up in some cotton wool and give them a bucket of chicken nuggets and some sugary drinks, they'll be fine. If I promise to listen to your programme, could I get in touch to tell you how traumatised I have been by your programme? By the way, in case you hadn't noticed, this isn't news. Next...

 

4) WAITER DISASTER - And have you ever suffered a waiter disaster? Five glasses of beer are accidentally spilt down the back of the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel : No, I have not. You said on Ken's show, "You must look at this video, it is so funny". I've seen it and did not find it funny at all. I do find it somewhat pathetic that you consider this to be a suitable topic for your programme though. Want to see some absolutely hilarious videos? Try these:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7JX8D1Kb88 - what were you thinking?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bi4vbYlDIo - a JV Show classic, what was she on?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cE5csrMU96w - proving yet again that you will not tolerate any dissenting point of view

 

Looks like I will be disappointed again and I will have to satisfy my craving for quality radio programming over at 6 Music - again.

 

The Jeremy Vine Show - the radio equivalent of watching paint dry

Today's show 13/02/12

Monday morning, and let's deal the important business first. While having lunch with my parents yesterday my Mum said about my blog, "You are very naughty, leave the poor man alone". I have given her suggestion due consideration and will act accordingly. Business as normal then...

It was a busy day on my blog on Friday with over 250 visitors. My usage statistics tell me that a lot of these arrived at my site following some comments I made on a BBC news page containing guidance for journalists when using Twitter. My comments were posted without modification and included a link to my blog. How nice of the BBC to promote it ... thank you!

Let's continue with a quick look at the news stories you won't be covering today. You have a choice of source for the first one...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/9073142/BBC-buried-Savile-sex-abuse-claims-to-save-its-reputation.html

BBC 'buried Savile sex abuse claims to save its reputation’

The BBC shelved a Newsnight investigation into allegations that Sir Jimmy Savile sexually abused a teenage girl in his dressing room at Television Centre, it has emerged.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2099141/BBC-shelved-Savile-sex-abuse-investigation-protect-reputation.html

BBC shelved Jimmy Savile sex abuse investigation 'to protect its own reputation'

The BBC shelved a Newsnight investigation into allegations that Sir Jimmy Savile sexually abused teenage girls at its studios, it has been revealed.

There is not a lot that can be done now about any alleged misdemeanours that Mr Savile may have committed, but the BBC's behaviour is incredible. This is nothing more than a cover-up of a story in which the BBC has already invested TV Licence Poll Tax payers' money, and all for nothing. As for their reputation, this cover-up does not damage the BBC's reputation - it enhances it! It reinforces the view held by many that the BBC only tells its viewers and listeners what it wants to broadcast: a filtered, manipulated, sanitised and biased version of what is actually "news". And, of course, your programme is no different.

Talking of filtered, manipulated, sanitised and biased news, here is a story from the Daily Mail...
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2099922/BBCs-Weather-Test-washout-bid-check-accuracy-forecasts-vanishes-storm-wrangling-predicted.html

BBC's Weather Test washout: Bid to check accuracy of forecasts vanishes in storm of wrangling that no one predicted

A row between weathermen threatens to wreck a BBC-funded project to test the accuracy of Britain’s weather forecasts. The study, estimated to have cost tens of thousands of pounds of licence fee payers’ money, has been devised by the BBC’s senior environment analyst, Roger Harrabin. But seven of the eight forecasters and bodies asked to take part have not agreed, with two blaming Mr Harrabin for undermining the study’s credibility, claiming that his reputation is tarnished by his close links to green groups who believe in man-made climate change.

While I take anything that Harrabin tells me with a lorry load of scepticism, these checks are actually a good idea. However, they must be run by a trustworthy and impartial body, and the BBC is neither of those.

And finally...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/9074284/BBC-spends-19000-treating-stressed-out-staff-at-The-Priory.html

BBC spends £19,000 treating stressed out staff at The Priory

The BBC would not reveal whether executives were referred to the centre for mental health issues or for drug addiction, but confirmed it had spent £18,949 on treatments in 2010 and 2011 because there was a “compelling” business reason to do so. However, it is understood that the corporation agreed to spend licence fee payers’ money on the care centre because its staff were “severely stressed” because of a series of initiatives which had not gone according to plan, and the pressures of cost cutting. Matthew Elliott, chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: ... “Most BBC viewers can't afford to convalesce at this kind of retreat. The NHS is good enough for licence-fee payers, so it should be good enough for BBC staff too."

Bless. I used to have a stressful job, but I was never offered treatment of this kind. Perhaps that was because my employers at that time did not have the advantage of the "unique way in which the BBC is funded".

Your Twitter feed has just told me that you will not be covering the arrests of various hacks from The Sun today (tomorrow maybe?) and instead we will have to endure this load of tosh instead...

1) GREECE - Violence flares in Greece as its parliament passes an unpopular austerity bill as part of the bailout deal. What is life like for ordinary Greeks as economic hardship bites?: I cannot imagine. I was fully aware that it was kicking off in Athens last night, but what a shame that BBC TV News could not be bothered to tell me anything about it. The early evening broadcast spent over 6 minutes (out of 15) telling me that some drug raddled former celebrity had achieved her ultimate ambition, and yet devoted less than 90 seconds to a major uprising in a European capital that could well have an affect on every country in the EU. It was clear which story was most important to the programme editor, but this only continues to show the deep corruption of "public service" broadcasting of real news which is just another facet of the BBC's devaluing of its audience as so-called celebrities steal the headlines. Later coverage again seemed to spend more time covering the BAFTAs than anything happening in Greece. The BBC is in receipt of millions of pounds from the EU, so perhaps the images of Athens ablaze are seen as unhelpful while the possible death of democracy is taking place. From what I saw, the BBC were unable to find anyone who could point out that unelected technocrats imposing Germanic austerity against the will of the Greek people is not really "democracy" in the first place. Your chat with Ken earlier failed to convince me that your programme will be any different to what I saw, or didn't see, last night. Next...

2) FROZEN RIVER - A man who stripped down to his underwear and crawled across a frozen river to rescue his trapped dog has been condemned by firefighters : There is no ice here, we don't have a dog, and I have more sense in my little finger. Next...

3) WHITNEY HOUSTON - We reflect on the death of one of the most celebrated female singers of all time, Whitney Houston : I always knew that astronaut Jim Lovell's famous line would always have another meaning one day. Whitney's records used to shoot-up the charts with such speed. When I heard the news I couldn’t help but crack up with emotion and it was nothing like ecstacy. She was a real heroin. It’s such a blow. She really made a hash of things though and her life just went to pot. Someone should have kept tabs on her. Can you tell I care as much about her now as I did on Friday? Next...

4) SPITTING - Enfield in north London wants to be the first area in the country to ban spitting in public : I don't spit, and I am not aware of Gwynedd council taking the same measures. However, if I do start spitting, and if I ever go to Enfield, I shall consider myself educated by your programme. Cheers!

The Jeremy Vine Show - enough to make anybody spit

Today's show 24/01/12

14,000 and counting...

We live in interesting times, and while you were away I had an email from the BBC Complaints Department. It was in response to my complaint that you had spent too much time covering the Costa Concordia capsize, and in it they referred to me as a "viewer" and to your programme as "television output", so the message has to be taken with a certain amount of sceptisim. However, they did tell me: Factors such as how much national interest there is in the subject matter, whether it is news that has just come in and needs immediate coverage, and how unusual the story is will all play a part in deciding the level of coverage in programmes like Jeremy Vine.

So, how about discussing a story today that IS in the National Interest, needs immediate coverage and is unusual? I am, of course, referring to BBC Director General Mark Thompson's appearance at the Leveson Inquiry yesterday. I have found two reports that I can link to (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16677720 and http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/leveson-inquiry/9033324/Leveson-Inquiry-BBC-spent-300000-on-private-detectives-says-Mark-Thompson.html). The BBC page includes a short video in which Mr Thompson shows his inability to string a coherent sentence together...
The thinking was, errr, we, we, I, I took the decision to, ummm, with colleagues, erm, erm, and, errr, erm, after discussions with the, with the Chairman of the BBC Trust to, to do a review, ummm, because the BBC is, is the biggest journalastic organisation in this country, ummm, ummm, evidence had come to light, errr, of, ummm, this practice being used by other, ummm, errr, organisations, at least one other organisation, or individuals in that other organisation, and it, it seemed to me that, erm, that as part of the BBC's overall desire to assure the highest possible standards of its journalism it's appropriate to ask the question, errr, errr, errr, errr, is there any evidence, errr, errr, errr, that that, what, what, what we are told, errr, was happening at the News of The World has ever been done at the BBC.

Give that man a pay rise! Don't you love the way he went from "other organisations" to "at least one other organisation" and then to "individuals in that other organisation"? Make your mind up and get your facts right man!

Perhaps the BBC should get a new motto. How about "Nation, errr, shall speak, ummm, errr, peace, errr, unto, ummm, nation"?

While the BBC is under attack from all sides for all sorts of reasons, would you agree that this response hardly instills confidence in us - the TV Licence Poll Tax payers - that Thompson is worth every penny of his £675,000 salary (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/8438477/BBC-boss-Mark-Thompson-could-see-pay-cut-Lord-Patten-suggests.html) and the Best Man For The Job is in charge? No. of course you don't.

From the BBC news page:
The inquiry heard that between January 2005 and July 2011, the BBC spent £310,000 on 232 instances when private investigators were used - of which news accounted for 43 occasions, at a cost of £174,500, with the rest for TV programmes.

£310,000 of your listeners' money!?!?! Outrageous! Would you agree that this was, perhaps, a waste of money? No, of course you don't.

He (Thompson) added: "The BBC is not a business and it might well be that someone running a media business might take a different view from the view that I took as director general of the BBC.".

Not a business? Yeah, right.

Thompson said: "The BBC is a public service broadcaster. It is committed to be the most trusted, trustworthy source of news in the world and we want to maintain the highest possible standards in all matters, including matters relating to privacy."

Is this the same BBC that I listen to and watch every day? Or am I living in a parallel universe? The BBC promotes its own agenda and so is not a public service broadcaster. There is a big difference between committing to be the most trusted and actually meeting that commitment. The BBC is now squeezing the last bits of life out of a crumbling reputation earned many years ago. Would you agree with that? No, of course you don't.

Who cares what "the world" thinks? They don't pay for the BBC - we do! Millions of families throughout this land are compelled by law to pay a licence fee so that this buffoon and his cronies can receive millions of pounds a year to brainwash the population into believing their biased propaganda broadcast in the name of "news". Would you agree with that? No, of course you don't.

And what was that about privacy? That will be the same privacy that prevents me - a funder of the BBC - finding out how much your trips to India and Iceland cost, how many complaints were made about your programme, and how many other users you have blocked on Twitter. Pah!

National Interest: Check. Just come in: Check. Needs immediate coverage: Check. Unusual: Check.

And while this is going on, it has been revealed (http://tv-licensing.blogspot.com/2012/01/bbc-confirms-responsibility-for-heinous.html) by the BBC's own FOI Department that the BBC itself authorised the wording used in 3 million letters sent out last year to innocent citizens who happened to live at an address where no TV licence was registered. The wording used was "We want to ensure you have the information you may need before a hearing is set at your local court". Threaten them ... yeah, that'll work. Guilty until proved innocent!

National Interest: Check. Just come in: Check. Needs immediate coverage: Check. Unusual: Check.

So come on Jeremy, they tick all the boxes! It is time to ignore your "BBC Can Do No Wrong" rule and discuss these stories today. I'll listen!

Today's issue that affects me: Why should I renew my TV Licence? No, really, why should I? I wouldn't bother with writing to you every day if I was not paying for this rubbish!

And, as usual, you never fail to disappoint me...

1) DRUG MULES - Drugs smugglers will get lighter sentences if they've been exploited by others. We talk to someone who was jailed for being a drugs mule : Now, let me think ... no, I've never done this. You mentioned that you have "a woman" coming on the show to talk of her exploits. Perhaps she should just have said "No". Next...

2) BENEFITS ROW - A row has blown up over whether families on benefit are declared homeless if two older children have to share a bedroom. We look at the pros and cons of children sharing a room : Now, let me think ... no, I've never done this. And who voted for those Bishops in the House of Lords? And why do they have so much to say about benfits, yet remain strangely silent when something sordid and/or corrupt concerning the Church comes to light? Next...

3) MISSED DIAGNOSIS - A woman says she has been given eighteen months to live after doctors failed to diagnose her cancer on thirteen occasions. Find out more from Mail Online: All hail the Daily Mail! I have been the subject of a misdiagnosis but it was quickly identified and the correct treatment given. I went on to make a full recovery. I think you should use your celebrity status to promote this poor lady's campaign and I look forward to seeing this on her web site (www.helpruthie.co.uk) later. Go on Jeremy, just for once, MAKE A DIFFERENCE! Next...

4) COSTA CONCORDIA SURVIVOR - We speak (TO) Rose Metcalf, one of the British survivors of the Costa Concordia cruise ship disaster in Italy. Watch Rose talking to BBC Breakfast : Yay! The Costa Concordia appears for a FIFTH day. My valued blog reader Will will be pleased after a prediction that you would do five days on this story. With this amount of coverage, do you consider your Target Audience to be likely to partake of a cruise? If so, no wonder I find nothing of interest on your programme.

The Jeremy Vine Show - news, errr, ummm, views, erm, errr, and, and, errrr, live, ummm, guests

Today's show 18/01/12

11:31 and I am listening to you on Ken's show and ... what's this? ... your web page has been updated. Well done! This means that I get this rubbish written before PMQs starts at 12, which I will watch with interest and in preference to your programme.

 

Talking of this rubbish, you will be interested to know that readership of my blog is growing nicely, with 125 unique visitors yesterday. Total visitors for the month 20th December to 18th January (including the ten days or so when you did not broadcast and I did not write) is 1531. Compare this with, say, the 1061 visitors for the whole of October and it is pretty clear that my readership is growing nicely. Again, I thank my readers for sparing their valuable time each day.

 

Going back to yesterday's programme... Interesting to see that The Daily Telegraph has removed the cyclist/copper video from their news page, and there has been some suggestions that the tape is not quite as current as they made out and may be up to a year old. But you wouldn't have checked this because you read it in the paper, and they are never wrong....!

 

So, no Leveson? No Miliband? No new London airport? No news? Apparently not...

 

1) COSTA CONCORDIA - Have you heard the tape of the Italian captain being told to return to his sinking ship? Do you feel any sympathy for him? We talk to someone who says he’s been made a scapegoat. Find out more in this article from the Telegraph : For the third day running..... Zzzzzzzzz. Have I heard the tape? No. Do I feel sympathy? No. But some poor misguided fool there thinks this will make good radio. And look: you have another mysterious "someone" on the show. Where do you get them from? How can I apply to be a "someone"? I'd love to be one so that I can come on your show and spout irrelevancies in the vain hope that somebody might believe what I am saying. You keep labouring the point that the cruise company appointed the captain and so they should take responsibility for his actions, but that could also relate to your beloved BBC. If (when!) you make a mistake who takes responsibility for your actions? You? Or the BBC? It was, of course, the BBC that appointed you. Next...

 

2) BIG ISSUE SELLER - A Romanian woman has been told she can receive housing benefit because she sells the Big Issue. Is selling the Big Issue a proper job? Find out more in this article from the Daily Mail : I have no idea, or interest as this story is from the Mail. I've just checked their web site and my nearest outlet for the Big Issue is in Birmingham, which is 120 miles away. Ask me one on capital cities of the world. Next...

 

3) MASSAGE - We discuss the primary school in Sheffield where children are encouraged to massage each other. The headmaster says it’s great for health and relaxation, but the parents don’t like it : No children, not a parent, don't live in Sheffield, don't need to listen. Next...

 

4) WIKIPEDIA - The owners of Wikipedia have shut it down for the day to protest against proposed anti-piracy laws in America that they claim will restrict its use. Are you someone whose life has been changed by Wikipedia? : No, my life has not been changed, but I do find it a useful tool. You asked on Ken's show "Are we too reliant on Wikipedia?". Perhaps you should use it more, because then you might have known that a Spitfire has only one seat and that the Germans did not have jets until the closing months of WW2. Just a thought. However, I can't help but think that today would be a good day to go to a pub quiz.

 

The Jeremy Vine Show - we don't do real news

Today's show 12/01/12

08:45 : Today's programme @BBCRadio2 in four words: Welfare. Whiplash. Murder? Cough.

11:30 : Still nothing on your show web page. After a flurry of prompt updates to start 2012, is this now going to be the norm?

Today's issue that affects me: Despite the best efforts of our cats and a humane trap, there is no sign of the mouse yet... :-(

Are you discussing anything political today?
How about Ed Miliband's cock-up in PMQs yesterday when he accused Cameron of removing a cap on rail fares, when it was actually a decision made while he was in government? http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-16512206
Or the Sun/YouGov poll issued yesterday evening which showed that 6% of Labour voters and 26% of LibDem voters think that DAVID CAMERON makes a better Prime Minister than Ed Miliband or Nick Clegg? http://cdn.yougov.com/cumulus_uploads/document/1gta5x2v78/YG-Archives-Pol-Sun-results-110112.pdf

Or how about Tesco's announcement of its drop in sales over the Christmas period? Surely Antony Worral Thompson must take some of the blame? http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-16524387

11:45 and somebody has put the first item up, so is there any chance of you discussing something that may interest or affect me today? Let's see...

1) WHIPLASH - If you have a minor car crash, how easy is it to make an insurance claim for whiplash? : You described this on Ken's show as "whooshing". You were not very clear on its definition, and a search in Google does not tell me anything, so I shall remain puzzled, and even more so as you said "I don't know if you can be whooshed if you stop the whooshing". Listening to your chat with Ken, he seems to know far more about this than you do, and I loved his comment "How's your neck? Still brass?". Do you actually hear what he says, or do you just choose to ignore it? I was last involved in a car accident in 2006 and suffered a minor back injury as a result of somebody else's incompetent driving. I did not suffer from whiplash, whiplash was never discussed, and I am not aware that I was "whooshed". Next...

OK... I'll wait now for the remaining items to appear.

11:50, here we go...

2) WELFARE REFORM - The House of Lords has defeated the government’s attempt to reform welfare payments to the disabled : Fortunately, I am not disabled. Unfortunately, I do not qualify for any welfare payments. Next...

3) EDDIE GILFOYLE - Eddie Gilfoyle spent 18 years in prison for murdering his wife. He claims new evidence has come to light that proves he is innocent : I feel sure that you will start a campaign to help this man. Or perhaps not. Crank up the SVG ... number 4 today, I think. In the meantime, have you seen the price of brussel sprouts? Next...

4) COUGHING - Do you have a persistent irritating cough that you just can’t get rid of? : No.

Four out of four again Jeremy, well done!

I shall be in self-inflicted exile over on 6 Music from 12, as usual.

The Jeremy Vine Show - a persistant irritating radio show that you just can't get rid of.

Today's show 09/01/12

Monday morning, and a loud grating noise emanates from the BBC offices in Western House, Great Portland Street, London as the weekend news barrel is scraped yet again for something - anything - that you can blow out of all proportion on today's programme.

Today's issue that affects me: At just before midnight last night, one of our cats found a live mouse in our kitchen pantry. One of our other cats joined in the chase and they managed to catch the mouse in their mouths several times, but not well enough to, errr...., despatch it in the way that we, or they, would have liked. The mouse escaped and vanished through a tiny hole under the kitchen cupboards. Pulling out the washing machine allowed both cats to search the area, but to no avail. It has to be said that the mouse was probably only in the kitchen because it had been transported in by one of them as part of their self-catering feeding arrangements. So, should I be worried about this? Should I let the cats find and deal with the mouse in their own way and own time? Should I put down a trap (not keen)? Or should I just accept that having mice in the house is just part of living in one of the most beautiful country areas of the UK?

As ever, you won't be discussing any issues that affect me, so let us look at the four issues that you think might possibly be of interest to me today, and I'll explain why you are so, so wrong:

1) SCOTTISH INDEPENDENCE - The Scottish nationalists want a referendum on independence in 2014. David Cameron is trying to out-manoeuvre them by saying we should get on with it and have a referendum in 2012 : While it is good to see you talking about a story that is not centred around London and the South East, I think you are confusing me with somebody who lives in Scotland. I last went there about 20 years ago, and have no plans to return, so this holds absolutely no interest for me. Next...

2) EXECUTIVE PAY - The government wants a crack down on top executive pay. Are you a small shareholder who thinks it’s time for us to all get stuck in and hold these bosses to account? : I am a TV Licence Tax payer and I would like to hold the BBC to account over what it pays its senior managers and presenters, including yourself. For example, is a BBC presenter such as yourself worth a salary package worth hundreds of time more than the man or woman who makes the tea in the BBC canteen? I think not. The BBC shareholders, i.e. all licence fee payers, should be allowed a binding vote on the level of executive pay at the BBC. The bureaucratic BBC would then find out that most of the thousands of staff with 'manager' in their job title would be voted a salary of absolutely nothing and booted off the payroll. But, as is usual, the BBC can do no wrong in your eyes, so you won't be discussing this today. What a shame, because I would have listened. Next...

3) CHANDLERS - We talk to Rachel and Paul Chandler, who were kidnapped in Somalia and were only released after a ransom was paid : The BBC news page you link to says they were released on 14th November 2010, and I'm pretty sure you covered it back then. So why are you discussing something that happened well over a year ago? First with last year's news again Jeremy? Tsk tsk. And next on today's Jeremy Vine Show we talk about the sinking of the Titanic... . Next...

4) SPITFIRE - 91 year old Eric Carter was told he couldn’t sit in a spitfire because of health and safety, even though he flew the fighter planes during World War 2. Find out more in this article from the Telegraph : Now then, you used those magic words "health and safety" which sparked my interest in this one. The H&S words were also used in your trail on Ken's show. I read the Telegraph article with interest, and it all made perfect sense to me but, as you know, I don't believe what you tell me or what I read in the papers. So I called the Potteries Museum in Stoke-on-Trent and I spoke to both the lady you are going to speak to today and a lovely chap from their Press Office. He was very helpful and confirmed (a) their decision was nothing to do with the Health & Safety At Work Act (which is what you are intimating), (b) the Spitfire is currently undergoing an extensive restoration and is in a dismantled state, (c) they are currently trying to raise £50000 to complete the restoration to exhibition standards (see http://spitfirerw388.org.uk/), (d) on completion of the restoration the cockpit will be fully restored and available for inspection, and (e) that Mr Carter has been invited to return to the museum and inspect the Spitfire at close quarters when the restoration is complete. Now, I know a little bit about aircraft restoration and that all makes perfect sense to me. And, unlike you, I know *EXACTLY* why the Telegraph mentioned radium, but because they are only lazy journalist scum, know nothing and couldn't be bothered to find out, they got their mention completely wrong. Old aircraft used radium in the dials of the cockpit instruments to make them luminous, so the pilots could see them at night. Read here http://www.hps.org/publicinformation/ate/q133.html if you don't believe me. I did not ask the question, but I would guess that the cockpit may still contain some of these instruments and until they are dealt with appropriately there is a risk to ANYBODY. PREDICTION: You will talk complete bollocks throughout this discussion as you have no knowledge of or interest in your subject matter, and you will just use this as an opportunity to ridicule the museum's decision concerning Mr Carter on the basis that it is "Health & Safety gone mad", which it most certainly is not. Having forewarned them, I hope that they are ready for you!

The Jeremy Vine Show - a health and safety risk all of its own


UPDATE 1: The Chandlers have got a book out and are plugging it today. Thanks Gill! And Sympathetic Voice Generator number 3 is in overload...

UPDATE 2: Against my better judgement, I listened to the Spitfire piece today. What a load of tosh! In particular:
 - Spitfire described as "refurbished", yet the web site clearly shows it to be under restoration.
 - My point about radium on instruments was correct, and modern luminous watches use a different substance.
 - JV referred to "German jets", yet these did not appear until the last few months of the war and they (ME262s) were not used around Murmansk.
 - JV did not know that a Spitfire has (normally) only a single seat.
 - His eulogies over Spitfires ignored that more Hurricanes were built and had more "kills".
 - Ended by admitting "it was a misunderstanding", so the story was flawed from the start.

If he talks this much rubbish about something I know about, how much does he talk about stuff I don't know about?

Today's show 05/01/12

Congratulations! Only the second programme of the year and you are featured on the Biased BBC web site again (http://biased-bbc.blogspot.com/2012/01/open-thread_04.html#comments) where "Merlin" has written:

Morning folks, Just had to endure the Jeremy Vine show and was shocked beyond belief on one of their (unchalleneged!) guest's  take on the causes of the Stephen Lawrence murder. The guest's theme was that 'indigenous' population of this country are all racist nasty thugs who hanker for the Empire days, that racism is rife in our culture and that the whole white population of Britain should be held responsible for this vile crime. This went completely unchallenged by Vine UNTIL a speaker called from Dorset and blew out of the water the show's obvious liberal bias. Interestingly, the articulate (and obviously livid!) lady began by stating that she was 'disgusted' by the other guest's suggestion that we are all somehow responsible for the awful crime and went on (successfully) to highlight the complete liberal bias and racial stirring that the BBC was promoting. Strangely, the show ended very quickly after this voice of reason rightfully shamed the mischieveous BBC on air.
All decent folk will be rightfully horrified at the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence and my sympathies are with his family BUT for the BBC to air nationally the notion that we are all to blame for this because our culture openly fosters this type of behaviour is offensive and disgusting in the extreme. Their political correctness and anti-British attitude has gone too far this time.. My complaint email has been posted!

Not believing all that I read or hear, I decided to take a listen (http://www.bbc.co.uk/i/b018nnnf/ from 35 minutes in) and Merlin's description is pretty accurate. However, I would disagree with the Dorset Lady that your programme is "well balanced". Well, I would, wouldn't I?

Today's issue that affects me: Why have you blocked me from following you on Twitter? Time to do something about this, I feel....!

The windy conditions that the rest of the UK has suffered over the past couple of days - and so covered on your programme - have hit us here today, although I have seen worse. Earlier I had to go outside to rescue my wheelie bin from the road. The combination of windy weather and a wheelie bin surely makes me a prime candidate for an appearance on your programme today, so give me a call if you would like my contribution. You've got my number. I've always wanted to be a "someone".

And with all this talk about racism, perhaps you will be mentioning Labour MP Diane Abbott's tweet in which she said "White people love playing "divide & rule". We should not play their game". Substitute any white MP for Diane Abbott, and substitute "Black" for "White" in the tweet, and there would be an uproar, with the BBC joining the campaign for a high-profile sacking. Frankly I could not care less what she says or writes, but with the resulting furore I am curious as to why it took the BBC about 12 hours to finally cobble something together for the news web pages (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-16423278). I am left wondering if our Corporation's efforts would have been so slow for anybody else. Ho hum...

 

So, is the 5th January 2012 going to be the day I listen to the Jeremy Vine Show because it contains something of interest to me? It doesn't look like it...

1) GETTING OVER A MURDER - Doreen and Neville Lawrence have expressed some satisfaction that the killers of their son are now behind bars. But we talk to someone who says it’s never really possible to get over such a serious crime : Ah, another "someone". This must be really difficult but it is not a situation I have ever been in, and hopefully that will not change. SVG9 today, I think. Next... 

2) GULL TRAPPED IN TREE - 15 fire fighters from Norwich are called out to rescue a seagull trapped in a tree : And this is news, is it? BBC Radio Norwich might have been a more suitable outlet for this particular story, but no, the whole country has to endure it. Thanks. Have you ever thought of sacking the person who makes you talk about this stuff? Was the seagull affected by your programme on 26th October when you discussed: SEAGULLS - Do you have a problem with antisocial seagulls in your local town? I hope not. Next...

3) METAL THEFT - With metal thefts soaring, is it time to replace all our metal monuments with glass fibre? : Last discussed on 15th November AND 26th August. We are both sounding like stuck records, so for the third time then: This is a real problem, and one of which I am only too aware. The main part of the problem does not lie with the people who take the metal but with the scrap merchants who will exchange it for cash with no questions asked. Thefts would be reduced if it were made more difficult to get the material in to the scrap metal process, and the easiest way to do that is to make each delivery traceable. Something needs to change, but - as usual - you will only talk about it and I feel that I already know enough on this topic. I had dealings with many scrap metal merchants 25 years ago, and I never met one with a conscience. Next...

4) CAPITALISM - Finally, has capitalism failed most of us, or can it ever recover? : With two huge assumptions in that statement your bias shines through like a blinding light. Somehow I don't think you are including yourself in "us", and I would appreciate if you didn't include me in "us" either - ever! I note your comment on Ken's show when you said "We have Paul Mason coming in who has a book out...". Yay! More blatant advertising on the Jeremy Vine Show. Please tell Paul that I won't be buying it. Thanks.

 

So, why have you blocked me from following you on Twitter? Please feel free to respond to any of my recent tweets or emails on this subject. Rest assured that ignoring me will not make me go away - precisely the opposite, in fact.

 

The Jeremy Vine Show - blocking Twitter followers because we don't like free speech

Today's show 19/12/11

Today's issue that affects me: I've just discovered that our washing machine is not spinning at the end of the wash cycle. Time to call a man, I think.

The Monday before Christmas, and you are lucky to be handed two "news" stories on a plate...

1) MARRIAGE TAX BREAKS - There’s a row over tax breaks for marriage. Nick Clegg has accused the Tories of wanting to take us back to the 1950s : Being married, you can probably guess my views on this. However, Nick Clegg is wrong with his 1950s analogy as the Married Man's Tax Allowance was only withdrawn in 2000, and I made use of it during the late 1980s. The odd thing is that neither Nick Clegg or the Tories are forcing anybody to get married and it remains the free choice of each couple, but I guess that you consider that the driving of another wedge in to the coalition is far more important. Next...

2) CHILDLESS AT CHRISTMAS - Amanda Patel says that being childless at Christmas hurts the most. Find out more in this article from the Daily Mail : God bless the Daily Mail! We have no children, so many thanks for giving us prior knowledge of our forthcoming painful Christmas. I'll Tweet you on Christmas Day to let you know just how bad it is. Or not. Next...

3) BUYING PRESENTS ONLINE - Did you think you’d save time by buying your Christmas presents online, only to end up spending hours queuing at the sorting office? : I work from home, and so it is very rare for me to miss a home delivery. And on the rare occasions that I have been to our local sorting office I have never seen a queue. Next...

4) KIM JONG-IL - Following the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, we give him the ‘This Is Your Life’ treatment : Another murdering dictator dies, the North Korean people are inconsolable, and apparently I am supposed to be interested. Sorry Jeremy, I'm not.

Well, that was quick. Good here, isn't it?

I'm still waiting for your suggestions for my Jeremy Vine Show 2011 Top 10 Highlights. I'd be grateful if you could let me have those in the next day or two as I would really like to compare it with my list!

The Jeremy Vine Show - no news is bad news

Today's show 12/12/11

Today's issue that affects me: Over the past few days the BBC has proved itself to be - yet again - a dictatorial and biased supplier of one-sided poorly researched and often incorrect information. Our TV Licence is due for renewal next month. My mouse pointer has hovered over the "Cancel" button for the Direct Debit several times. Should I just do it and face the (non-existent) consequences?

An interesting weekend, I am sure you will agree, and with the BBC hitting the news again for all of the wrong reasons. Where to start...? How about this one from the BBC's incestuous newspaper partner:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/dec/09/jeremy-clarkson-qi-shelved-one-show

Jeremy Clarkson QI guest spot shelved in wake of One Show row

The BBC has shelved Friday night's scheduled edition of BBC2 panel show QI featuring Jeremy Clarkson because of fears it would prompt another backlash from viewers.

Well, thank goodness for the BBC for telling me what should, and should not, offend me. Instead we were treated to a repeated episode of QI from a few weeks ago. So we, as viewers, had no freedom of choice to view a programme that was recorded during the summer. Does the BBC now think that just the appearance of Clarkson's face will see a resumption of street riots? Dream on. This is the BBC again telling us what to think.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2011/12/12/frozen-planet-fakery-row-polar-bear-filmed-in-zoo-115875-23628713/
Frozen Planet fakery row: Polar bear filmed in zoo

Frozen Planet’s eight million devoted fans will not take kindly to being left out in the cold. It emerged yesterday a key scene from the hit BBC series showing a polar bear tending her newborn cubs was filmed in a zoo using fake snow.

The old BBC proverb appears again: If you can't do it for real, make it up!

http://blogs.pressgazette.co.uk/wire/8437

Mark Thompson: BBC does use private eyes, but no evidence of hacking

BBC director general Mark Thompson has admitted that the corporation does use private detectives for journalistic purposes. But he has also said that the draft report of a review of editorial practices at the BBC, commissioned in the wake of the Milly Dowler phone-hacking revelations of July, was “very encouraging”.

Oh, how I hope the BBC become embroiled in the Leveson Enquiry.

From your favourite Daily Rag:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2072645/MPs-say-BBC-reveal-details-journalists-commercial-deals.html

MPs say BBC must reveal details of journalists' commercial deals

MPs have demanded that the BBC reveals details of all commercial deals its journalists have with other organisations, amid fears of an increasing number of conflicts of interest affecting their work. The Corporation is under pressure following The Mail on Sunday’s disclosure two weeks ago that senior BBC journalist Roger Harrabin accepted £15,000 in grants from the University of East Anglia, which was at the heart of the ‘Climategate’ scandal, and then reported on the story without declaring this interest to viewers.

I just hope the MPs make this stick and the BBC does have to reveal this information. First on my agenda will be your trips to Iceland and India!

There are lots of others, and thankfully today's first item will allow me to bring some of those to the attention of your goodself and my blog readers...

1) BRITISH VETO - Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg is bitterly disappointed that David Cameron did use the British veto. Do you agree with Nick or do you agree with Dave? : This is going to take more than one paragraph...

It really does not matter who I agree with, but this is just another attempt to drive a wedge between the two coalition parties by the BBC. James Kirkup wrote in the Daily Telegraph that all is perhaps not as you are reporting:
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/jameskirkup/100123295/clegg-had-his-chance-to-stop-cameron-he-didnt-take-it/

Clegg had his chance to stop Cameron. He didn't take it

The awkward fact for Mr Clegg is that the European policy he castigates is his policy too. Mr Cameron acted as the head of the Coalition Government, of which Mr Clegg and his party are a part, on a negotiating strategy he had agreed. Not only that, but Mr Clegg was consulted immediately before the PM's last-minute decision in Brussels. Admittedly, that consultation was a 4 am phone call, but it was consultation nonetheless. Remember that Mr Clegg gave his consent in that call. And early on Friday, he expressed support for the decision he now lambasts; partial and nuanced support, but support nonetheless.

Hmmm.... So, should I believe respected journalist James Kirkup, or should I believe sort-of-journalist Jeremy Vine who is promoting the BBC's agenda?

The BBC's coverage of these events has been absolutely atrocious, but please do not take my word for it....

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/jamesdelingpole/100123173/sir-antony-jay-slash-the-bbc-by-two-thirds/

Sir Antony Jay: slash the BBC by two thirds!

The BBC's reporting of David Cameron's recent adventures in Europe has been a disgrace. Last night – following the example set by that very exemplar of quisling Europhile values the Today programme – the BBC's Ten O'Clock News managed to reiterate about half a dozen times its view that Britain had been left more "isolated" than ever by Cameron's eminently sensible decision not to sell his country's interests for a mess of pottage. To listen to Nick Robinson and co, you might actually have imagined that it was somehow a bad thing for Britain not to wish to shackle itself to the rotting corpse of the EU; you might even have thought that it was a good and desirable thing for Cameron to accede to an arrangement which hamstrung Britain's financial sector (on which so much tax revenue and around ten per cent of our economy depends).

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2072307/EU-treaty-change-How-Europhile-BBC-turned-Camerons-veto-triumph-disaster.html

How Europhile BBC turned triumph over Britain's veto into disaster

The BBC was accused of reporting Britain’s veto of the eurozone rescue plan as a national catastrophe rather than a tough decision David Cameron was forced to make. Conservative MPs said the broadcaster’s ‘biased’ coverage began on Radio 4’s flagship Today programme and continued throughout the day on radio and television. Presenters used solemn tones to inform listeners about Britain becoming isolated following David Cameron’s refusal to sign a new treaty.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financialcrisis/8946845/EU-Treaty-after-a-feat-close-to-genius-David-Camerons-status-is-now-as-high-as-it-has-ever-been.html

EU Treaty: after a feat close to genius, David Cameron’s status is now as high as it has ever been

Crucially, it was clear last night to all but our most one-eyed and dedicated enemies — and to the BBC, whose biased reporting has once again been a disgrace — that the British prime minister had behaved with propriety. And that is because he set out to Brussels 48 hours ago bent on conciliation not confrontation.You will, of course, conveniently ignore these attacks on the BBC's integrity (ha! don't make me laugh!) as you always do. This, Jeremy, is the news that I and many others are interested in, so why won't you discuss it?

Perhaps the Prime Minister needs to remind the BBC it doesn't have a 'mission to explain' - that is just an excuse for biased journalism - it has a mission to report both sides of an argument. And "the other side" has been almost totally absent from the BBC's reporting

A notable absentee from the BBC broadcasts I saw over the weekend was Miliband. He seems to have vanished in to his own muddlement as he tries to decide what to do and say. So, no change there then. And it is unusual for him to have nothing to say, and even more unusual for the BBC not to give him an uninterrupted and unquestioned platform from which to  preach.

I am just so sorry that you and your colleagues find this all so unpalatable.

Next...

2) MARKET STALLS - Can market stalls save our high street? Mary Portas says yes. Find out more in this article from the Guardian : The market in our nearest town seems to be thriving, but it has been there for as long as anybody can remember, so I'm not actually sure it is making any difference at all. You said on Ken's show that markets stalls "... sometimes sell tat". Well, you would know about tat. Next...

3) SOLAR PANELS - From today, the government’s withdrawn the subsidy to help households fit solar panels. Did you lose out or get there in time? : On the basis that I have never even considered buying solar panels my answer to your question has to be: Neither. Next...

4) NEW TECHNOLOGY - Finally, has new technology made your life easier so that you no longer go to the travel agents, use a phone box or develop your photos? What old technology do you stubbornly stick to? Find out more in this article from the Telegraph : I still use a camera that needs film. I have a mobile phone, but it only makes calls and sends texts. However, new technology allows me to lambast you for producing a crap radio show every day, so let us be thankful for that. Using the Telegraph's list: I have never: 2, 8, 10, 12, 15, 20, 28, 30, 36, 37, 41. I still: 7, 16, 17, 19, 21, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 29, 32, 33, 35, 38, 39, 40, 44, 48, 49.

You said on Ken's show, "You don't have to be furious to call the show, but it helps". Well, doesn't that say it all.

The Jeremy Vine Show - live from the Brussels Broadcasting Corporation

Today's show 09/12/11

You never did get your web site updated for yesterday's show. The "EU Summit" item was repeated three times, and then even that disappeared to leave, well, nothing. This is not the kind of service I expect to receive from my tax-funded broadcaster and I hope that somebody has been disciplined, or preferably sacked.

Today's issue that affects me: What should I do when the tax-funded state broadcaster provides a rubbish service, and yet complaints to them are just "entered in to the audience log" and then ignored?

Anyway, today somebody has managed to get out of bed and do their job...

1) BRITISH VETO - As the Prime Minister angers the French and Germans by using the British veto, we talk to someone who says: what’s so bad about Europe regulating the City? : Oooh... where to start. Let's start with the very obvious corporate BBC bias because, let's face it, there was no way ever that the BBC would have allowed you to write "What's so bad about Britain bailing out of Europe?". And good to see a reappearance by another mysterious "someone" who will be a person who is fully supportive of the BBC's own view of events. Again, I consider it odd that you are not speaking to "someone" who has the alternative point of view, but this is the BBC that we are talking about so a one-sided and biased half-the-story are the order of the day, and whether we like it or not. I am enjoying the spectacle of the various pro-EU talking heads going apoplectic about what Cameron has done, and if nothing else he should be praised for that. There have been some superb analogies to describe the situation, such as: "The French are very angry – one French diplomat says that Britain is acting "like a man who wants to go to a wife-swapping party without taking his own wife" (Ben Brogan, Daily Telegraph), "UK as isolated as somebody who refused to join the Titanic just before it sailed", (Terry Smith) and "Britain & Hungary have jumped into a lifeboat, whilst the other 25 gaze at the String Quartet, transfixed." (@ArnieEtc). And it was Winston Churchill who said "We are with Europe, but not of it. We are linked but not comprised. We are interested and associated but not absorbed" - it looks like he was right. There is, of course, a very real possibility now that we will end up as isolated as Norway and Switzerland (the two richest countries in Europe), but there is little chance of you making that point. It comes as no surprise to me at all that the BBC are making this look like The End Of The World where it is probably just Britain standing up for itself for once. I am so sorry that you and your colleagues find that so unbearable. I suggest you resign in protest. Next...

2) PUTTING A PET TO SLEEP - A man is found guilty of killing his own dog to avoid paying vet fees for having it put down. Are you someone who’s been forced to put your own pet to sleep? : We have pets and an excellent 24-hour vet, so this would simply never happen to me. Next...

3) EXTREME WEATHER - As storms lash Scotland and other parts of the UK, local newspapers are full of lorries blown over. Why aren’t high-sided vehicles banned from going out in strong winds? : Banning... yes, that's always the answer, isn't it? I bet you blame man-made global warming too. Perhaps we could have a publicly-funded government enquiry that decides which trucks can be used on which days, and taking in to account whether they are rigid, articulated, loaded, empty, body construction, route and all sorts of other variables to make some kind of unworkable regulations to be used whenever it gets more than "a bit breezy", and with the prospect of hefty fines for those who dare to venture out on to the roads. Or perhaps not. Unlike your web site maintainer, truckers do a good job. Your programme is just ridiculous. Next...

4) BIRTHMARKS - A mother is furious that a photographer airbrushed her child’s birthmark out of a school photo. Why are some people embarrassed by birthmarks? Find out more in this article from the Daily Mail : And let's finish the week with a story from the Daily Mail - hooray! Why Jeremy? Just why?

I loved your chat with Ken earlier...
JV: "... they are all interesting stories today"

Ken: "That's unusual"

Ken Bruce is a star! I really hope he reads my blog...

The Jeremy Vine Show - well, we think it is interesting

Today's show 06/12/11

Tuesday, and I'm still on a slow internet connection (although I've identified the problem to be a faulty cable, but nobody around here sells a replacement). However, that does not stop me writing my daily drivel...!

Let's go back to yesterday's programme first, and defibrillators. Valued contributor to my blog Stonyground wrote this yesterday afternoon:
On the subject of defibrillators I was astonished that he actually did some research on the subject. Having attended numerous first aid courses I happen to know that these devices are very cleverly designed to be idiot proof and easy to use. Wouldn't it be a great idea for basic first aid to be taught in all public schools? If JV campaigned for this he could really change our country for the better. There would be people alive today saying that they literally owe their very lives to JV.

Research? Blimey! He makes a good point about First Aid, of course, but the chances of you mounting a campaign about anything (except, perhaps, to get Ken Bruce on Twitter) are non-existent. All talk, no action, as usual. Go on, prove me wrong.

From saving lives to death: Do you remember the story you did on 18th August about a pensioner from Chelmsford who was unfortunately killed by a swarm of wasps? You devoted 30 minutes of your programme to this topic, even though the wasps had been agitated by person or persons unknown by having their nest disturbed. That was one death ... and 30 minutes of prime time Radio 2. So why are you not discussing 36,371 deaths in the UK then?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15975720

A total of 36,371 people were killed on Britain's roads between 1999 and 2010.

Britain has one of the best records in the world for road casualties. However, hundreds still die on the roads every year. In 2010, the police recorded 1,850 deaths, 22,660 people seriously injured and 184,138 who received light injuries.

Ah yes, I know ... because it happens every day, and so it is not "news". Somebody getting killed by wasps can be turned in to a sensational news entertainment radio item. But road deaths? No, they are boring ... apparently.

So, let's look at what you are discussing today in the vain hope that there might actually be some real news, or even just something of interest...

1) OLYMPIC OPENING CEREMONY - The cost of the Olympic opening ceremony is about to double. What’s the point of the opening ceremony? Or on the other hand, is it the only bit you like? : One could ask, of course: What's the point of the Jeremy Vine Show? The answer in my case would be much the same. The opening ceremony was always going to be contentious, but I suppose that the current plans are an improvement on the "Boris riding around in a red bus" plans that were mooted after the Beijing Olympics closed. Personally, I'm not interested in sport enough to have an opinion either way, but I'll probably watch when it happens. Interesting, don't you think, that the news page you link to does not mention the opening ceremony cost specifically, but only "ceremonies". Half the story again? Next...

2) HOMELESS HOSTEL - An animal charity is calling for pet dogs to be allowed into homeless hostels. Others say if you’re homeless you forego the right to have a pet : Ah, the mysterious "others" appear again. Who are these people? Do they just appear every day, or do you have to go looking for them? Please feel free to ask me to be an "other" whenever you like. This sounds like a recipe for high blood pressure, so I think I'll give it a miss. Next...

3) CONCRETE BOCK - A mother and daughter talk of the horror of a concrete block hitting their car after being thrown off a bridge on the A12 : A concrete what? Oh, BLOCK! Does nobody proof-read your web page? It sounds horrific, but thanks for promoting this as a weekend and evening pastime, and for giving the perpetrators the oxygen of publicity. They'll be bragging to all their mates now, "Did you hear me being talked about on Jeremy Vine?" and their lives will be complete. Next...

4) GORDON BROWN - We talk to someone who says it’s time to praise Gordon Brown for keeping us out of the Euro and in difficult times, we need him now : Gordon who? Oh... hang on... its all coming back to me.... Aaaaggghhh!!!! As well as they mysterious "others", we also have a secretive "someone". So, this someone, where did you find them? Is it anybody we know? Are they deluded? Brown can barely be bothered to act as a constituency MP these days, let alone do anything else other than feather his own nest. The Scotsman (http://www.scotsman.com/news/fears_rise_over_radioactive_particles_at_dalgety_bay_1_1915787) reported on October 18th about radioactive particles in Dalgety Bay, yet it took Gordon over a month before he even acknowledged the problem (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15832411). He has only appeared in the Commons a few times (four, I think, and one of those was to give a personal rant about the press) since May 2010. He's too busy these days attending a conference here, giving a (paid for) talk there, while still being paid £65,738 plus expenses and pension to basically do very little for the good of his constituents. Does he care? Yes, of course he does ... about himself.

As you said on Ken's show, "There is no point in us going on the air at all".

 

The Jeremy Vine Show - <looks to side camera and shrugs in a Harry Hill's TV Burp style>