More Twittering...

I have had an interesting exchange of emails today with Paul Smith of BBC Audio and Music concerning my old mate Jeremy Vine’s use of Twitter. Mr Smith has chosen to engage with me and is ignoring my placing on the “expedited complaints handling procedure” list, which is very good of him. For that reason alone I have been careful with my words as I do not wish to destroy this particular link in to the inner workings of our beloved BBC as it may prove of use in the future should he continue to respond in a like manner. Mr Smith’s BBC biography can be read here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/aboutthebbc/insidethebbc/managementstructure/biographies/smith_paul/
Our email exchange went like this:

Dear Mr Smith,

There follows a transcript of a recent Twitter exchange between Jeremy Vine and Tom Watson MP. This brief exchange tells me more about Mr Vine and his personal views than any other source I have ever found. It could be argued that having such an apparently cosy relationship shows bias on his part, and following this exchange it came as no surprise at all to hear that Mr Watson was to be a guest on Vine’s programme today.
tom_watson ‏ @tom_watson : If you worked at NoTW and don’t believe @rupertmurdoch’s account, please contact me: “Rupert Murdoch betrayed us”:http://gu.com/p/377yx/tf
Jeremy Vine ‏ @theJeremyVine : @tom_watson Your book title is best so far this year, T. We’re ready for you in the studio whenever you want to come on @BBCRadio2
tom_watson ‏ @tom_watson : @theJeremyVine thank you. I’d be delighted.
Jeremy Vine ‏ @theJeremyVine : @tom_watson Have emailed producer to remind him to fix date. Know you’re busy. Have good weekend.
Chuck Finlay ‏ @ChuckFinlay : @theJeremyVine @tom_watson Jeremy, get a room…this snivelling in public is embarrassing!
However, I am unable to respond or comment because Vine has blocked me from following his feed. At least I would not have suggested that they “get a room”.

The following tweet came from former MP Lembit Opik in which he almost begs to be a guest on the programme to discuss his new book. Mr Opik appeared to do exactly that a few days later (5th March).
@theJeremyVine Jeremy, hope you’re well. My book on future of Lib Dems and its leadership is out tomorrow. Your listeners may be interested?

I find the details of Mr Vine’s relationships with his programme guests fascinating!

Your comments on this and my other recent email would be appreciated.
Many thanks!

I received the following reply 3 hours later:

Hi there,

Thank you for your note. Although I don’t think this exchange is ideal, it is worth pointing out that no guest can be booked by the presenter without the express permission of the editor. I have spoken to the editor, and although Jeremy, as a journalist can, and does make suggestions, the editor turns down the idea as often as he accepts it. Tom Watson may have wanted to appear to talk about his book, but the programme also wanted him to appear following the select committee report of yesterday. Tom Watson had been sought by several BBC and non-BBC outlets, and I am satisfied that it was the correct item to carry, and there was no undue prominence of the book.

I didn’t hear the Lembit Opik item, but the editor tells me he received offers of Lembit from several sources…not principally Jeremy, and decided that he would be an interesting guest for one of the programmes.

The exchanges you have sent are public, and I think if anyone had anything to hide here, they would not use twitter.

Paul Smith

I responded straight away:

Hi,

Many and sincere thanks for your prompt reply. It is very much appreciated.

Both today’s and my email of 26th April are nothing more than illustrations of the reasons why I would like to fully follow and engage with Mr Vine’s so-called “personal” Twitter account, which I am still blocked from doing so.

Your explanation of the procedures in place to book guests is gratefully received, and I take it from this that when Mr Vine wrote “We’re ready for you in the studio whenever you want to come on” on 28th April (last Saturday, four days before the report was published) that this was NOT necessarily a “done deal” and the offer of air time was not guaranteed. If that is indeed the case then I hope you understand why I, and presumably others, have misinterpreted an apparently open invitation to attend at Mr Watson’s convenience.

For balance, I would hope that similar invitations were sent to other members of the select committee, Louise Mensch for example, but these have not appeared on Mr Vine’s Twitter feed.

Again, I would ask for your comments on my email sent on 24th April, with particular reference to the BBC’s definition of word “personal” and the use of a personal Twitter account by somebody (the producer) other than the account owner.

I remain extremely grateful for your responses to my emails.

Only 20 minutes later came this:

Louise Mensch has appeared on several other BBC outlets and another member of the committee was on Today this morning. But Tom Watson has been driving forward the phone hacking aspect of the story, so I would expect him to be prioritised, although today would be the appropriate day for him to appear rather than any of his choosing.

‘Personal’ is what JVs account is…it’s not controlled or set up by the BBC. But sometimes material from it is interesting, and Jeremy is happy for us to use the comments sent to him directly. Twitter is about personal engagement, and Jeremy likes to indulge in public debate with some people which he is in control of.

As I said, we are moving to a position where we will use BBC accounts for comments, but that is taking time to achieve as the audience find presenters own personal accounts more attractive. 

I had the last word though:

Hi,

Quote: As I said, we are moving to a position where we will use BBC accounts for comments, but that is taking time to achieve as the audience find presenters own personal accounts more attractive.

Please be aware that this particular member of your audience absolutely disagrees with the latter part of that statement for the reasons that I have outlined previously.

Again, many thanks for your responses. I shall now await the outcome of my appeal to the BBC Trust.

And that was that. The definition of the word “personal” I learnt many years ago is obviously completely wrong, and I also seem to have completely misunderstood everything to do with the BBC and its use of Twitter.

Silly me.

30/04/12, 01/05/12 and 02/05/12

I've got some catching up to do, and a convenient break in work-related matters allows me some time to do so, so best get on with it...

Monday produced this load of old rubbish...

1) KHALIL DALE - A British aid worker Khalil Dale is beheaded in Pakistan. He has been described as a gentle man who lived to help others in war zones : Absolutely tragic, but what did your discussion change? Anything? At all? Let me guess... Next...

2) RECESSION - We’re joined by BBC Business editor Robert Peston. We ask “is it possible to talk ourselves into a recession?” : The answer to your question is "Yes" and the BBC will be leading the campaign to do so. You said on Ken's show about Peston: Does he have to have that gleam in his eye as he talks about the recession? The answer to that question is also "Yes", simply because he is paid by and works for the BBC. Like you, it is his job to do so. When the figures were released and the floodgates opened at the BBC as you searched frantically for someone to talk down the economy. I can only guess the jubilation when the BBC found a fellow doom monger by the name of Raymond Moan (yes, really), a building supplies businessman from Northern Ireland. Mr Moan was used on every news broadcast from then on with the BBC ignoring anybody with a different view, as usual. Next...

3) RED KITE - Have you been attacked by a red kite? : I was hit by one in a park when I was a child. I cannot remember the colour for sure, but I think it was blue and yellow. Oh... that kind of kite. No, I've never been attacked by one of those. You said on Ken's show when talking about Pomeranians: I don't know what size of dog that is. Is that not the kind of basic information that you would need to discuss this topic? Were you winging it (pun intended) again Jeremy? And from my knowledge of birds of prey, of which we have many around here, the behaviour and description sound more like a buzzard to me. Next...

4) MISSILES - Residents who live in flats in the East End have been told that they could well have an air-to-air missile on their roof to protect the Olympics : East End of where? Oh, you'll be talking about that there London. There was a classic Jeremy Vine open-mouth-and-insert-foot moment on Ken's show when you said: Surface to air is a bit of a misnomer as they will be on top of a block of flats. How is that a misnomer? It is an entirely accurate description. Was this the second time in one programme when you did not have a clue what you were talking about? Sounds like it to me! And can I have a missile on my roof, please? Target coordinates: W1W 2NY.

On to Tuesday then...

1) FORDS - A man is swept away to his death while attempting to drive through a ford during yesterday’s heavy rain on the Berkshire - Hampshire border. Have you got into trouble while attempting to cross a ford? : No, and I loved the video clip on the BBC news page you linked to which clearly showed a water depth gauge. Radio about stupid people, by stupid people, for stupid people. There is no charge if you want to make that your programme's new slogan. Next...

2) HATE - Astronomer Sir Patrick Moore whose fiancée was killed by a Nazi bomb in World War 2 says it’s still OK to hate the Germans. Find out more in this article from the Daily Mail : The Daily Mail... what better mouthpiece of the sewer press is there to stir up a bit of racial hatred? And what better mouthpiece of sewer radio is there to further promote it than your programme? You said on Ken's show: Amazing how recently the Germans were still bombing London. The last German air raid on London using conventional bombers (not V1 or V2 rockets) was on the 29 January 1944. That'll be 68 years ago. Is that what you count as "recent"? How are they getting on in Mafeking? Next...

3) COMMUNIST MANIFESTO - It’s May Day, International Workers Day. As the Communist Manifesto, the second biggest selling book of all time, is re-published, we ask whether Communism has any relevance in 2012 : It has as much relevance to me as it has always had: None at all. Needless to say, I did not listen but it was obvious from your Twitter feed that somebody called Daniel Frazer was mightily upset with what you were saying. For the benefit of my blog readers I'll repeat what he said here (http://www.twitlonger.com/show/h7usvt, my emphasis):

@theJeremyVine Of all the trash I have heard from the BBC your show today has to be the worst. Railroading Catholicism with Nazism and Capitalism, leaving Communism as the one true haven. No mention of grinding poverty in Socialist states, no mention of forced famines or gulags. No! just standing behind that Nazism had concentration camps so they were the only evil. What is a gulag or Siberian banishment if not a death camp? You are an abhorrent figure, willingly rallying and distorting the truth about the Communist manifesto and Capitalism. By playing Internationale today will you play Die Farne Hoch on the anniversary of the Munich Putsch? The anthem of a lot less brutal regime in Europe at the time? You do indeed fit the billing to partake in the worst waste of public money in all history, with your red brethren at the BBC. It is just that you and your show will end up in the cesspool of history.

He makes some good points! Next...

4) CANNABIS - And finally, Holland starts to close some of its “coffee shops” to tourists. Did you only go to Amsterdam for the cannabis? : I've been to Amsterdam only once and I was only there long enough to change trains, and I've never had anything to do with cannabis.

And finally, on to today...

1) PRESCRIPTIONS - A new report finds 1 in 6 patients are being given inaccurate prescriptions. We talk to someone about the day they spotted a serious error in their prescription : I rarely have prescriptions, and that has never happened to me. However, I do always check to see I have been given the correct stuff before using it. Obviously I am not a member of your Target Audience. Next...

2) RUPERT MURDOCH - Is Rupert Murdoch unfit to run a major international company? We talk to Tom Watson, hot from the MPs' Select Committee report, who says he clearly is : More Murdoch ... YOU LOVE IT! I have no view on Murdoch's competency to run his own business, but I find it interesting that you have Watson on your programme today. A couple of days ago this interesting little tête-à-tête appeared on your Twitter feed:


That all sounds a bit cosy to me. Anyway, it seems Watson might be in trouble (http://order-order.com/2012/05/01/dial-s-for-special-access-watson-revealed-committee-findings-in-book/) as in his book (the one whose "title is best so far this year") he revealed the committee's findings before they were published. I'd bet that you don't ask him about that. Next...

3) MAYORS - 10 towns and cities vote tomorrow on whether they should have mayors. Do you want a mayor for your city? : My nearest city already has one, thanks. Oh, you've missed out the important words "in England". Deliberate misinformation again Jeremy? Next...

4) ROY HODGSON - The new England manager is already being ridiculed for his speech impediment. What makes people think it's ok to ridicule someone with a speech defect? : Who? Oh, this is to do with sport. How boring. It is better to have a speech defect and talk sense than to talk rubbish perfectly, don't you think? You would know.

The Jeremy Vine Show - always ready to talk to (and pay) Labour MPs but please do not call us biased!

26/04/12 and 27/04/12

It is a wet and very windy Sunday afternoon here in North Wales, and with any outside activities cancelled for the day an opportunity arises to send you my comments on the last two programmes from last week.

But first, here is some other stuff...

Jeremy, have you ever heard of a political party called UKIP? If you have then you are probably unique at the BBC as our favourite state broadcaster seems to be doing their best to not just ignore UKIP but almost to deny its existence. There was an interesting article about this phenomenon by Michael Heaver in The Commentator a few days ago (http://www.thecommentator.com/article/1125/bbc_green_with_envy_over_ukip_s_rise) which rightly said: Perhaps I'm just a troubled, paranoid young man. But if the Green Party were outpolling the Liberal Democrats nationally, I think that the BBC would be absolutely all over the story. Mr Heaver is, in my view, absolutely correct. So how about you include UKIP when a relevant topic for discussion occurs? Or did you get the "no UKIP" memo from the BBC's Director of Bias too?

Some BBC news:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/9233705/BBC-launches-inquiry-into-payments-to-MPs.html

BBC launches inquiry into payments to MPs

The BBC has launched an inquiry which could lead to a ban on MPs being paid to appear as guests on programmes. The move would affect dozens of politicians who are regularly rewarded for their broadcasts, earning up to £200 plus expenses for a turn on Radio 4's Any Questions or more than £500 for BBC One's This Week.

I have tried my best to find out how much Galloway et al are paid to patronise your listeners... ooops, sorry, I mean... to make a valuable contribution to your programme, but have failed on every attempt due to the unique way in which the BBC is funded and so won't tell the very people who fund a darned thing about how OUR money is spent. A ban on MPs being paid could be interesting. The appearance of a Tory MP on your programme is a rare thing already so that situation will probably not change, but if a ban means that Balls or Prescott are not called upon to give us the benefit of their wisdom on the price of brussel sprouts then so be it. My hope is that only those MPs who are passionate on their subject will appear - for free - and that will nicely separate the motormouths and rent-a-gobs from those who are actually trying to improve the land in which we live. Perhaps you need to update your MP "speed dial" list?

I know you don't do it, but I would like to go back to a couple of recent discussions on your programme...

The first was on 18th April when you were bemoaning the decline of local newspapers. Well, Mr Murdoch Snr has identified the culprit for their demise: The BBC. He gave his views as part of the Leveson Inquiry last week (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/17857574):
Leveson Inquiry: Murdoch rounds on BBC News website

Rupert Murdoch has used his appearance at the Leveson Inquiry into press ethics to reflect on the threat posed to newspapers by the internet. The head of News Corps singled out the BBC News website as a significant threat to local news websites throughout the UK.

So there we go, it is the BBC's fault. I knew it all along. Although only three minutes long, it is a an interesting interview. No wonder the BBC have him down as Public Enemy Number One.

The second was last Wednesday, 25th April, and the discussion on bus lanes and cyclists. Just out of curiosity I listened to the discussion on iPlayer in the hope that somebody might have given you some grief. I knew that you would have John Griffin from Addison Lee as a studio guest, but your other guest was something of a surprise choice. Now I know that you make a pretence of not ramming your own views down your listeners’ and studio guest’s throats and that you usually gets somebody in to do that for you, and it appears that last Wednesday was no exception. So what happened then? Did you do a quick scan down your speed-dial favourites list to find a fellow cyclist? And really, was there nobody else available other than Rent-A-Gob Peter Tatchell? Now Tatchell may or may not have interesting views on all sorts of matters (he was last on your programme talking about the Bahrain F1 race) but I never had him down as an expert on all things cycling. And I was correct! The item turned in to the usual JV Show two-against-one discussion (and I use that word in its loosest possible sense) with you putting words in to Griffin’s mouth, which he had to deny. Tatchell added little other than some hare-brained ideas and presumably collected a completely unjustified payment cheque when he left. This was nothing other than an ambush wrapped up in some very obvious London-only bias.

Moving on to last Thursday then...

1) ZIGZAG ECONOMY - As we fall back into recession we’re told the economy is zigzagging. If you think about your business or employment prospects are they up one day and down the next? : With the BBC celebrating the return to recession, I am going to tell that my employment prospects remain unchanged at non-existent, but that my business still seems to be going nicely. Next...

2) ABORTION - Are you somebody who had an abortion when you were young and now can’t get pregnant or left it too late? Find out more in this article from the Daily Mail : I've never had an abortion, but I can't get pregnant. Other than read the Daily Mail, what should I do? Next...

3) GORDON BROWN - Rupert Murdoch said that Gordon Brown declared war on his company when The Sun declared war on the Labour government. Whatever was said or wasn’t said, does part of you think - good on Brown for taking on the power of Murdoch : More Murdoch? What a surprise! Not even the smallest part of me thinks that. Perhaps Brown only did it to annoy Tony Blair (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-14785501), but I notice that Murdoch is still around and Brown has vanished in to justifed obscurity. Next...

4) I LOVE WHERE I LIVE - “I Love Where I Live” continues with love letters to the place you call home. Today we reach Scotland, the highlands and islands, the glens and the great cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh : Nice place, although I've not been there since 2009.

And then there was Friday's offering...

1) WAKING THE WORKSHY - The head of the government’s Troubled Families programme Louise Casey says council officials may need to turn up at people’s homes at 7am to get parents and children out of bed. Do bureaucrats need to wake up the workshy? : There is no mention of waking people up on the news page you link to but it does say: David Cameron says he is determined to "get to grips" with tackling England's most troubled families by pledging a network of troubleshooters. Ah, England ... bless. Not Wales then. Next...

2) SIERRA LEONE - The former Liberian leader Charles Taylor is found guilty of aiding and abetting war crimes in Sierra Leone : Good. Next...

 

3) I LOVE WHERE I LIVE - We head to the South of England for the last day of "I Love Where I Live," your love letters to the place you call home : I used to live there, and I'm glad I don't anymore. I loved the way you informed us that the South of England streches from "Southend to Penzance". I'm not sure the proud people of Cornwall will have liked that, I think they prefer the term "West of England". Next...

 

4) FLANNELS - The decline of the flannel. Is it no longer an essential accessory in the bathroom? Find our more in this article from the Telegraph : I still have many and use one every day, but.... errrr... oh, hang on... nearly nodded off there... what was the question again?

 

What have I learnt from the BBC in the past few days? Well, Penzance is in the South of England (you, last week). "April showers" will last until May (BBC weather forecast this morning). Simon Cowell has an "unauthorised autobiography" out (news report on the Danii Minogue upset). And Billy Bragg was born in 1957 but was a "teenager throughout the 1970s" (Johnny Walker this afternoon). Perhaps accuracy is over-rated.

 

The Jeremy Vine Show - Oh God, it's back on again tomorrow...

The Twitter plot thickens...

I received an interesting follow-up email from BBC Audio & Music today in response to my query concerning Jeremy Vine's use of Twitter sent a couple of weeks ago. This is what it said (my emphasis):

 

Sorry for my slow response, I wanted to check a few things with the JV programme.

Like a number of freelance presenters and journalists, Jeremy Vine does run a personal, non BBC, twitter account.  People do tweet directly back to him, text the studio, phone the studio, email the studio and tweet to BBC owned accounts.

The comments you hear on air are selected by a producer and passed to Jeremy, based on their content. It’s not true that the responses back to Jeremy’s account play a major part in the show…by far the biggest response is by email and text.

Sometimes the producer (not JV) will judge a comment via twitter is useful in the debate and pass it through to the studio.
Jeremy is aware of our guidance on personal use of social media, and his comments on twitter are within that guidance, and I, and others, will advise him from time to time about twitter.
Twitter is a new phenomenon, and adapting guidelines etc. does take time and often leaves a few grey areas. You’ll have noticed BBC news people like Robert Peston have tweet accounts too…and many of those are ‘BBC’ owned. But, the way the accounts are labelled and who owns them does, I admit, vary across the corporation. We are tidying this up  bit by bit, but it is taking a little time.
I hope this explains the situation.

 

The writer has obviously gone to some trouble to get his facts straight, but I feel that he has been given misinformation by the JV program staff. Old habits die hard!

I am pleased to have it confirmed that Vine is freelance and not a BBC employee. I always suspected that this was the case, but had no proof.

This was my response to the email:

Very many thanks for your reply, and for taking the time and trouble to investigate further - it is very much appreciated. Unfortunately, it does not explain the situation!

The only Twitter account that I know Jeremy Vine has is @theJeremyVine. I can only assume that the BBC-owned Twitter account that you refer to is @BBCRadio2, which I have never heard mentioned in connection with Mr Vine's programme.

Mr Vine uses his "personal" account to tweet about his favourite football team, cycling in London and a whole host of non-BBC related topics, but this is also the same Twitter account that he promotes heavily in connection with his Radio 2 programme. For example, this is what he said yesterday (25th April):

 - During his daily promotion on the Ken Bruce show at 11:30 : "Phone number 0500 288291, you can email vine@bbc.co.uk, we're both on Twitter @R2KenBruce and @theJeremyVine"
 - At the start of his programme at 11:59 : "The phone number is 0500 288291, you can also email vine@bbc.co.uk and if you have an account on Twitter I'm there as @theJeremyVine"

You will note that in both of these promotions there was no mention of texting, and based on previous experience I have absolutely no doubt that other similar promotions of @theJeremyVine were made during the programme. You will also note his promotion of Ken Bruce's Twitter account, which has as its description: The official twitter account of the real Ken Bruce. You'll find my words here typed by my own fingers . On air weekdays 0930-1200 BBC Radio 2. Despite his claims to the contrary, am I to take it that Mr Bruce's account is "personal" too?

You kindly wrote: Sometimes the producer (not JV) will judge a comment via twitter is useful in the debate and pass it through to the studio.

So, just to be clear, Mr Vine's "personal" account is monitored by a BBC producer and cherry-picked for good comments - is that correct? If that is the case, perhaps you would be good enough to explain the BBC's definition of the word "personal", as I am now completely baffled..

Mr Vine reads and attributes comments from Twitter on air, and a quick check of tweets to his account (by searching for @theJeremyVine in Twitter) reveals Twitter to indeed be the source, almost word for word.

As you have mentioned, I could choose to communicate with his programme by email or text, but both of these mediums are relatively cumbersome and lack the immediacy and convenience that Twitter provides to me.

I have no issue, or interest, with the comments that Mr Vine makes on Twitter. We live in a land of free speech and he is entitled to his opinions. However, that same free speech is denied to me simply because he has chosen to block me from being able to respond to his invitations to contact his programme (not Mr Vine himself). This amounts to nothing less than censorship on Mr Vine's part.

All I want is to be able to communicate with a BBC radio programme that I fund by buying a TV Licence every year.

Again, I thank you sincerely for your email, but I cannot help thinking that whoever you spoke to at the JV programme has not been entirely accurate with their responses.

As well as defining "personal", would you care to comment further?

23/04/12, 24/04/12 and 25/04/12

I've been busy over the last couple of days so I have missed my daily updates. However, I'm off to the dentist (only a check-up) soon so find myself with an opportunity to do my thing. Let's start with Monday...

1) MARINE LE PEN - The biggest surprise of the French elections is that one in five voted for the national front candidate Marine Le Pen. What accounts for the rise of the far right in France? : It is well-known that the BBC finds any political view other than left of centre to be totally abhorent. Like London, I view France as a place to get through as quickly as possible on my way to somewhere much nicer. And my interest ends there. Next...

2) BLINDNESS IN ONE EYE - A diplomat loses an eye in a vicious attack. Are you someone who has had to cope with just one eye? : How awful, but I have not been that unfortunate. Next...

3) CARE WORKER - A family secretly film their mother being slapped by a care home worker. How can this happen in a care home that’s been rated ‘excellent’? : I've no idea, but I note that "All five main care workers filmed by Jane Worroll were sacked" so hopefully it will not happen again. But then this was all just a promotion for Monday's edition of Panorama, wasn't it? Next...

4) I LOVE WHERE I LIVE - All this week Radio 2 wants to hear why you love where you live. We will be hearing your 1 minute love letters about your town, village or city : Yeah, whatever.

So that was Monday. Sounds dire. Was Tuesday any better?

1) POSHNESS - Conservative MP Nadine Dorries says that Cameron and Osborne are “arrogant posh boys” who “don’t know the price of milk”. Does poshness matter anyway? : Ah yes, a good old-fashioned Jeremy Vine Show Character Assassination. It's been a while since you did one of those. I take it that this was as one-sided as all of the others? Aside from that, is a bit of name-calling really "news", especially when bearing in mind the current legal matters entangling Peter Hain (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-17822347) and Jack Straw (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17746561 and http://order-order.com/2012/04/24/secretary-of-state-spook-connection/). Next...

2) MEAT THEFT - There’s been a rise in the theft of meat both from supermarkets and from the ‘back of lorries’. Is this something you’ve witnessed? Find out more from the Financial Times: No. And the link you provided is hidden behind a "pay wall". You may wish to waste my TV licence tax money on a subscription, but I do not. Next...

3) CLAIRE SQUIRES - Claire Squires ran the marathon to raise money for the Samaritans in memory of her brother. She collapsed and died near the end. Since then, thousands of people have donated money in her memory : Tragic. Did you discuss banning marathons? If not, why not? Next...

4) LOVE WHERE YOU LIVE - Radio 2’s homage to every nook and cranny and of the UK continues. Today, ‘I Love Where I Live’ moves to Wales and Northern Ireland. There’s still time to write your one minute love letter, to where you live : Is there really. Great.

And while I'm at it, I may as well dismiss today's show as well...

1) RUSSELL BRAND - Did you see Russell Brand give evidence on drug abuse to MPs yesterday? He called for people to have more compassion for drug addicts, but were you somebody who said what right did he have to be there in the first place? : Who? Oh, him. My answers are no, and no. This is a former Radio 2 colleague you are talking about here, have you no respect? Me neither. Next...

2) BUS LANES & CYCLISTS - The man that runs one of Britain’s biggest cab firms says that minicabs should be allowed in bus lanes and cyclists should be made to pay road tax : I have no idea where my nearest bus lane is, in England probably, but your Twitter feed is full of references to your endeavours with a bicycle around London, so I fail to see how you could possibly conduct an unbiased discussion on this topic today. Your BBC colleague Stuart Hughes launched a Twitter attack on the minicab company concerned and this has been fully documented elsewhere (http://biased-bbc.com/2012/04/20/taxi-2/ and http://biased-bbc.com/2012/04/24/taxi-update/) and this, if nothing else, illustrates perfectly the kind of bias that permeates through the BBC when somebody there uses their position to further their own views. As for me, one day many years ago I was stopped at traffic lights on the Euston Road in London and a cyclist rammed in to the back of my car. I got out and the cyclist picked himself up off the road and said "Sorry mate, I didn't see you". What he meant was he wasn't actually looking where he was going. The rear bumper and boot lid on my car were both dented, but the cyclist's bike appeared to be undamaged. I know that because he then rode off at high speed and left me with the repair bill. I'll leave you to guess what my view of cyclists is ... can you manage that? I'll listen to this on the iPlayer later as I hope that the chap from the minicab company gives you some grief. Next...

3) MURDOCH - Rupert Murdoch gives evidence at the Leveson Inquiry today as his son leaves cabinet minister Jeremy Hunt’s career hanging by a thread : Murdoch appears at Leveson, and you are all over it like. Yet back in January (25th) you chose to ignore the evidence given by the Daily Mail, the Daily Mirror and our beloved BBC. Bias, bias, bias! Any news reporter worthy of his trade would give equal coverage to ALL of the news organisations involved, but you only choose to report on Murdoch. Your choice, or a directive from On High? Next...

 

4) LOVE WHERE YOU LIVE - ‘I Love Where I Live’ heads to the middle of England today. We hear your one minute love letters to the place you love : WTF?

 

And at 12:08 the Off switch does its job.

 

It was interesting to hear Chris Evans's comments this morning on the forthcoming repeat of 2DAY. "We loved it, you loved it", he said. That is not my recollection of last year's disasterous day when hordes of R2 listeners found that other radio stations are available. And your beloved newspapers slated it too. But the BBC always know best, don't they?

The Jeremy Vine show - telling you the news that WE want you to hear

20/04/12

Good afternoon. Here is the news from the BBC:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-17755357

Clock change could leave teenagers more sleepy

Teenagers can suffer severe sleep deprivation when the clocks change, say researchers at the University of Surrey. As this study was small, nine students in total, Mrs Bower says further research is needed.

A survey of just nine students? Thank goodness the BBC brought this to our attention.

http://www.licensemag.com/licensemag/Entertainment/BBC-Signs-Dancing-Deal-with-Avon/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/769804

BBC Signs Dancing Deal with AvonBBC Worldwide Consumer Products has signed a deal with Avon to produce the first range of fragrances based on Dancing with the Stars, the global brand of BBC One’s “Strictly Come Dancing” series.

Mmmm... Eau D'Sweat sounds delightful. Put me down for a few bottles.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/9214163/PLS-PIC-AND-PUB-BBC-staff-could-strike-over-Jubilee-weekend.html

BBC staff 'could strike over Jubilee weekend'

BBC staff are to be balloted for strike action that unions warn could disrupt coverage of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations in June.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2132034/Will-miss-Queens-Jubilee-BBC-staff-balloted-strikes-threaten-coverage-celebration.html

Will we miss the Queen's Jubilee? BBC staff balloted for strikes which could threaten coverage of celebration

They are demanding an increase of  2 per cent above the Retail Price Index rate of inflation, which is currently 3.6 per cent.

 

As you BBC people say: Other broadcasters are available, and free ones at that. Any chance that they could go on strike permanently? They could all be sacked then.

http://www.scotsman.com/edinburgh-evening-news/education/pupil-12-takes-bbc-to-task-over-dumbed-down-current-affairs-1-2246042

Pupil, 12, takes BBC to task over ‘dumbed down’ current affairs

Lachlann, who is in year seven at the private Loretto School in Musselburgh, aired his concerns that Newsround, the 40-year-old news programme, is celebrity news-heavy and “does not give you the in-depth news”. He explained his desire for a greater focus on current affairs, suggesting that the Newsround editors were underestimating the audience and said there was a need for a children’s news programme aimed at the 12-16 age group.

Good for him! I wonder what he thinks of your programme.

And finally, more "news" aimed at children:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/17744487

'Fracking' for gas to carry on, leaving people angry

A controversial way of getting gas from underground will start again, even though some people argue it's not safe. The government reckons it could be also be used in power stations in future, which would mean the UK wouldn't depend on getting expensive fuel from other countries. But some people think fracking could pollute water and others say tidal energy and wind energy are much better options.

 

Go on BBC, keep ramming one side of the argument down their throats. Impartial? No. Unbiased? No. Sensationalist? Yes!

 

 

 

I've just had a quick listen to yesterday's show and you going on about Twitter. Some quotes from you:

"Email sounds old fashioned" - Yet it is the ONLY form of immediate written communication that I can have with your programme (i.e. NOT YOU personally!) because that is what YOU personally have decided. I have absolutely no desire to interact with YOU, but I would like to interact with YOUR PROGRAMME.

"You can tweet me at @theJeremyVine" - No, I can't, because you have blocked me from doing so.

"Here is the Radio 2 guide to Twitter" - Yet no mention of blocking. How odd.

"Tweet from somebody called Kristian, with a K, Webb, and there's a swear word in here so I won't read it: Kindly f*** off you imbecile. You've got all the intelligence of a cancerous polyp. That's a message from him to me" - Have you blocked him? One thing I have never done is resort to such language. All I have done is challenge and question what you do with a genuine desire to discuss, but you block me for daring to do so. Checking through other tweets to you yesterday I see that I am not alone in being blocked by you. Am I one of the "lunatics" that you mentioned?

Anyway, enough of your hypocrisy and blatant double standards, let's look at what I am missing today...

1) BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX - Given the violence and unrest in Bahrain is it right that the Grand Prix goes ahead? : Sport (allegedly), in a country I have never visited, and with Tatchell in the studio to share his wisdom with your listeners. Let me know if and when this discussion, or Tatchell's actions, change anything, will you? I'll be asleep in a corner, somewhere. Next...

2) PICKPOCKETING - A crime survey suggests that there has been a serious increase in pickpocketing. We give you Radio 2’s guide to how to protect yourself from being pickpocketed : I was pickpocketed on a packed Paris RER train a few years ago, simply because of my own stupidity. Rest assured, it will not happen again. Next...

3) HOSEPIPE BAN - Water, water everywhere but not a drop to drink, or rather, don’t use your hosepipe! Martin Lewis tells us how to save water and save money : There is no hosepipe ban here. Having a water meter (by choice) and knowing that I am paying for every drop concentrates the mind wonderfully and we just do not waste water. Two rainwater butts helps too. I don't think I need to listen, do I? Next...

4) STANDING - David Cameron says children should stand up when their parents enter the room. Is this a Tory leader out of touch or a return to good old-fashioned manners? Fing out more in this article from the Telegraph : Fing? Do you actually read the pages you link to? The Telegraph article clearly states: The Prime Minister made the remarks in a speech praising the return of “real discipline” to British schools. He said reforms to the education system would lead to “fantastic outcomes” like children who observe the old-fashioned practice of rising in the presence of an adult. Having listened to you just after 12:00 today you seem to be under the illusion that Cameron would like to see this in family homes which, according to your source, is incorrect. Again, you are just making this stuff up, aren't you?

The Jeremy Vine Show - News Entertainment at its best

Left hand, meet right hand...

I've just received the following email from the powers-that-be at our beloved BBC which relates to another email I received from the Editorial Complaints Unit on 6th February (http://lunchtimeloather.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/friendly-message-from-bbcs-editorial.html). It has only taken them two and a half months to notice...

On reviewing the correspondence between you and the Editorial Complaints Unit from earlier this year, it has been pointed out to me that  your complaint about Jeremy Vine’s use of Twitter should have reached me. However, I have now read all the correspondence, and your concerns, and I have nothing more to add to what has already been said.

I note that the expedited complaints process has been applied, and the programme/audience services will only respond to you in future if there is a serious or substantial matter which should be taken further.

I wanted to make you aware that if you wish to take your complaint about Jeremy Vine blocking you on twitter further, or if you wish to appeal against the application of the expedited complaints procedure you  can ask the BBC Trust (who act as Stage 3 in the complaints process) to consider an appeal within 20 working days of receipt of my letter.

You can write to the BBC Trust at 180 Great Portland Street, London W1W 5QZ. Full details of the complaints and appeals processes are on the BBC Trust website. (http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust/)

Paul Smith
Head Editorial Standards, BBC Audio & Music


My response:

Dear Mr Smith,

Many thanks for your email. I have already been in contact with the BBC Trust and I am currently awaiting their second response.

Just to be clear in my own mind, and in case I have completely misunderstood something, would you be good enough to explain to me how a Twitter account that is described as "personal" by the BBC itself (and so completely uncontrolled by the BBC) can be so described when that same account forms such a major part of a radio programme that relies on audience participation for a large proportion of its content? It is this issue and the double-standards involved, or my complete misunderstanding, that is at the crux of my complaint.

I won't hold my breath...

19/04/12

Ooohhh... with a convenient gap in today's workload this really is like old times...

Did you hear the R2 news at 08:00 this morning? There were two stories that included either the words "Labour says..." (Qatada deportation) or "Labour wants..." (British Pregnancy Advisory Service hacking). Does "Labour" not have a name any more?

1) ABU QATADA - It’s been said that the deportation of the rebel cleric Abu Qatada is descending in to chaos. Did home secretary Theresa May get the day wrong? : I've not seen the paperwork, so I could not possibly comment, but there is nothing quite like a good old fashioned "it's your fault" finger pointing exercise, is there? You love it! And what will you change? Absolutely nothing, as usual. I suggest you ask "Labour" about this as they seem to know more than Theresa May, apparently. Next... 

2) TWITTER - Have you ever been on Twitter? We debate whether Twitter is good or bad for the human soul : No real news today then? I'm sure I just heard something about more journalist scum being arrested, which you conveniently have ignored again. I only signed-up for Twitter so that I could interact with your programme. You know the one... the programme broadcast by the UK's state broadcaster that I have to pay for by law and that relies on audience interaction for its content. But then, presumably because I disagree with and challenge your views, you have blocked me from following you. Fortunately Twitter's "blocking" mechanism is not quite as good as you obviously think it is and there are ways and means around it. We will, of course, be finding out what the BBC Trust think about this next month and whether they consider that free speech is a right for all, or just a favour granted to those who comply with BBC corporate policy. All views are personal, of course. Next...

3) HOODIES - Would you employ a young, unemployed Brit rather than a “hard working eastern European”? Employment minister Chris Grayling says it’s time to employ a hoodie : I look forward to hearing that you have employed at least one "hoodie" on your show. You know, just to show willing and to reinforce your point. As for me, well I have just enough work to keep me busy, thank you, and I do not need to employ anybody. Next...

4) SEASIDE WALKS - Why a walk by the sea is better than a walk in a park, or even the countryside. Why do so many of us yearn to live by the coast? : I live only a short distance from the sea so, by definition, I cannot yearn to live there as I already do. Disenfranchised again!

And I'd bet money that Barbara Windsor - like Madonna - does not listen to your show, despite the claims of your sycophantic jingles.

The Jeremy Vine Show - challenge our brainwashing and we will block you!

18/04/12

Time for another prompt-ish update, this is getting just like old times!

And to re-live those old times I need to suggest some BBC-related stories for you to discuss, and ignore, so here they are:

This is so BRILLIANT that I am going to reproduce it in full, and it is from your favourite daily rag too!
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2128963/Coming-latest-Salford-news-Corporation-Street.html

Coming up after the latest Salford news Corporation Street

The BBC’s much-heralded move to a new Media City in Salford was finally completed this week. Critics say the £1.5 billion cost would have been better spent on programming. To celebrate its commitment to regional diversity, the corporation has drawn up an exciting new schedule . . .

6.00 Breakfast Presented by Bill Turnbull and the woman who cleans the offices at Media City. Events in the Middle East are analysed by the imam from Salford Central Mosque and the diplomatic correspondent of the Salford Advertiser.

9.00 Homes Under The Hammer Tearful BBC staff reluctantly put their fashionable West London homes on the market and embark on a new life in Salford.

10.00 Bargain Hunt BBC executives discover that they can buy an entire street for the price of a one-bedroom flat in Shepherds Bush. Unfortunately, the street in question is in Salford.

10.45 Location, Location BBC Director North Peter Salmon is looking a home close to his new place of work. Today, Kirsty and Phil show him properties in Notting Hill and a crash pad in Kensington.

11.30 Escape To The Country The Friday night exodus from Media City, Salford, as BBC executives head for their second homes in the Cotswolds. Presented by Bill Turnbull.

12.00 Home And Away The trials and tribulations of media executives forced to work in Salford while their families are hundreds of miles away in London. In today’s feature-length episode, Bill discovers his wife is having an affair with her personal trainer and Susanna is mugged on her way to the railway station.

1.00 News; Weather. Bill Turnbull brings you the latest headlines from around the world. Features a special report on a proposed pedestrianisation scheme in Salford. The long-range weather forecast predicts heavy rain in the Salford area.

1.45 Footballers’ Wives Waynetta Rooney meets the WAGs of Manchester United and Manchester City players at the nail bar and Brazilian wax salon in the Lowry Hotel, Manchester. Mario sets fire to his bathroom.

2.30 Helicopter Heroes In this special edition, members of the BBC senior management team fly from Battersea helipad to Media City, Salford, for a meeting before returning to London in time for dinner at The Ivy.

3.15 Pointless Popular quiz show in which contestants have to answer questions such as: why has the BBC wasted £1.5 billion of licence-payers’ money moving to Salford?

4.30 Great British Menu From the Salford Quays branch of Greggs. Top chefs compete for the honour of preparing a banquet for the Mayor of Salford. Tonight they try to create the perfect pasty while avoiding VAT at 20 per cent.

5.00 Deal Or No Deal BBC journalists, producers and secretaries are told that unless they agree to move to Salford they will be sacked.

6.00 News; Weather Bill Turnbull reports on the struggle for control of Salford Council’s Parks and Recreation Committee. Plus, how the North West is escaping the hosepipe ban.

6.30 Great British Railway Journeys Michael Portillo encounters engineering works at Crewe as he joins BBC Breakfast presenter Susanna Reid on a replacement bus service during her daily commute between London and Salford.

7.00 The One Show In an exclusive interview to mark the opening of Media City, Bill Turnbull talks to Manchester music scene legend Noel Gallagher, live by satellite from his home in Little Venice, West London.

7.30 Corporation Street The BBC’s brand new soap, designed to rival ITV’s Coronation Street. Television executives struggle to adapt to their new surroundings in Salford. Tonight Susanna tells Bill she returning to her husband in London.

8.00 Strictly Come Dancing From the Locarno Ballroom, Salford. The show gets a youthful revamp as 82-year-old Stuart Hall, from Ashton-under-Lyne, takes over as host from 84-year-old, Surrey-based Bruce Forsyth. Tonight’s celebrity dancers include Waynetta Rooney and Bill Turnbull.

9.00 Crimewatch North West Police appeal for witnesses after a BBC worker was shot with an air rifle while cycling home from work at Media City. Presented by Bill Turnbull and Salford PCSO Debbie Arkwright.

10.00 Match Of The Day From the City of Manchester Stadium. Features the top-of-the-table clash between Manchester City and Manchester United, followed by highlights of Manchester City Reserves v Manchester United Reserves and Manchester City Under-18s v Manchester United Under-18s. Presented by Bill Turnbull.

11.00 Newsnight New host Bill Turnbull presents a special investigation into how the BBC managed to spend £1.84 million on rail fares and another £77,000 on airline tickets after deciding to move operations from London to Salford.

11.45 The Graham Norton Show Bill Turnbull takes over as stand-in presenter after Graham Norton’s agent tells the BBC that the star refuses to travel to Salford because all his guests live in London. Tonight, Bill performs a musical duet with Salford superstar Morrissey of his seminal smash hit, Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now.

A well-deserved Gold Star to Richard Littlejohn, I think.

More BBC news:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/9208714/BBC-spends-8m-on-20-redundancies.html

BBC spends £8m on 20 redundancies

The payments, made as compensation for loss of their jobs, include one single payment of nearly £1m to a top executive. Another was paid £600,000 and a third received £435,000 after taking either compulsory or voluntary redundancy. The figures, disclosed under the Freedom of Information Act, show a further three individuals received between £400,000 and £500,000 payments. Relating to the years 2005 to 2012, they show a dozen ex-employees were also awarded between £300,000 and £400,000.

Nice work if you can get it, eh?

Yesterday's furore over fracking continued for the rest of the day, with the BBC in full-flight Ram It Down Their Throats mode on every possible news bulletin. Richard Black must have had a busy day as he attempted to whip us in to an uncontrollable frenzy, and he even found time to write this: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-17741416 - Is shale gas the GM of energy? Unfortunately, in one household in North Wales his words washed over me in waves of suspicion. As I get older I am coming to the conclusion that if the BBC tell me something - anything - is really, really bad then it is probably nowhere near as bad as they say. My worry is that the BBC is SO concerned about a topic that it is prepared to dominate its broadcasts with that topic, and with little opportunity for ANY alternative viewpoint. An obvious question would be: Who at the BBC decides that this message must be rammed down our throats? A more sinister question is: Why is the message being rammed down our throats, and what does the BBC stand to gain from doing so? You get the "you must say this" memos, so go on, tell me. It can be our little secret.

You're doing your programme at the moment, and so far I have missed about 40 minutes of this...

1) QUANTITATIVE EASING - The policy of quantitative easing (or printing money) has either destroyed your savings and pensions or saved the economy from meltdown. Are old people suffering or young people benefitting from QE? : You said on Ken's show that "people over the age of 55 have wrecked the country" as they have benefitted from free university places, amongst other things, but you attempted to distance yourself from this assertion. So whose words are these? They are not mentioned in the BBC news page you link to. I'm not yet 55 and I did not go to university. Does that make me an innocent young person? Next...

2) NEIL HEYWOOD - The Government has been accused of caring more about pandas than the businessman who was murdered in China. How was Neil Heywood killed and what was the role of the Chinese Communist Party. Find out more in this article from the Telegraph : What, are you expecting somebody to call in and answer that question? Dream on Jeremy! And should I be surprised that there is no mention of pandas in the Telegraph's article that you link to? I thought not. And, as far as I am aware, a "government" (or, indeed, your radio programme) does not have emotions so therefore cannot care about anything, and that is constantly demonstrated. Next...

3) LOCAL NEWSPAPERS - Lots of local newspapers are being closed down, turned into weeklies or forced online. It’s not just democracy which suffers but paper boys and paper girls are losing their jobs. Find out more in this article from the Telegraph : Democracy? That'll be the democracy permitted by a newspaper editor or a radio programme host, will it? You last discussed this almost exactly a year ago on 20th April 2011 (LOCAL NEWSPAPERS - Local newspaper staff go on strike as three reporters are left to fill nine papers. Are local newspapers dying...or thriving on the web?). We do not have a daily local newspaper here (although we do have weeklies) and our nearest (but not exactly local) newsagent uses some bloke in a van to deliver newspapers, while at least one neighbour who feels the need for his daily fix of lies and scandal drives 7 miles every day just to go and get one. Poor soul. Anyway, you already know my views on this one:

DEATH TO THE DEAD TREE PRESS!

Less local newspapers means less journalists, which means less journalists feeding the UK population the biased, ill-informed, sensationalised, partisan, poorly researched, dictatorial lies that you and your ilk attempt to spoon-feed us every day. Perhaps one day you will all go and get proper jobs, but who in their right mind would employ an ex-journalist? Next...

4) SELF-DIAGNOSIS - Finally, the perils of going online for self-diagnosis. When you’re ill do you trust Dr. Google? : No.

 

Right, got to go now as Radcliffe & Maconie have just started their show ... real radio for those of us who do not need to be told what to think.

 

The Jeremy Vine Show - just checked, and Dr Google recommends euthanasia