'BBC' Category
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Oct172008
MPs love the licence fee
A backbench Tory MP has dropped his attempt to scrap the TV licence as it had little chance of becoming law. [BBC News Online]
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Aug252008
There is no news tonight
(1) From Scannell and Cardiff’s Social History of British Broadcasting (vol. I, p. 118):
“An austere conception of news values continued to govern the selection of material for broadcasting. When news of the quality required was lacking no efforts were made to pad out the bulletins to a standard length. On Good Friday 1930, in the [...] -
Jul102008
BBC won’t turn spotlight on self
Of course the BBC won’t reveal details of its lobbying operations following a FOIA request. It’s a very buttoned-up organisation when it comes to dealing with government. More surprising is that they’re contracting out at all when, as Adrian Monck notes, they have their own public affairs department.
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Jun182008
Round-up
BBC told to, um, reflect the country more. The bad news is, the report found that Scots were dissatisfied with the BBC’s news and current affairs. The good news? They were just as dissatisfied in the eighties, but no-one within the BBC was publishing reports on it.
Television licence fee to be index-linked to inflation in [...] -
Jun042008
The BBC hates Poles. Apparently.
Daniel Kawczynski (Cons.) claims that the BBC is covering Polish immigrants more than any other ethnic group, because the BBC is too politically correct to cover immigrants from different (African, Asian, Caribbean) backgrounds.
Where does he go to make the allegation? BBC Radio Four’s Today programme.
The article covering the BBC response seems to have a firmer [...] -
Oct072007
Lèse Majesté
In the UK, my comments earlier this month about the BBC preferring to promise structural reforms and issue ample apologies instead of sacking people were invalidated by the resignation of BBC 1 director Peter Fincham, following a report by former deputy Director-General Will Wyatt.
In Italy, Clemente Mastella threatens to vote no-confidence in Rai’s board after [...] -
Aug162007
BBC summer of fun continues
Kids, geeks, conservatives upset.
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Aug102007
Scottish Sixes and the SBC
Two weeks ago I commented upon the BBC’s coverage of Scottish politics and dissatisfaction amongst Scottish viewers. Two days ago, Alex Salmond announced a commission to look into Scottish broadcasting.
There are both general and partisan reasons for setting up such a commission. On a partisan level, the BBC’s coverage of Scottish politics seems to be [...] -
Aug032007
Appointments, dismissals, funding
The House of Lords Select Committee on Communications today released a report on the appointment of the BBC Chairman, written in the well-tempered amber prose typical of such committees. Some recommendations I share: if the government adds a member to the short-list it is given, it should be publicly justified. Some recommendations I disagree with. [...]
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Jul222007
BBC Summer of Slip-up continues
A BBC complaints panel has upheld a viewer’s complaint about a Newsnight poll which falsely implied business was against Scottish independence. The finding comes after BBC presenters have been curt – to say the least – with the SNP.
This is a very basic error. It will fuel the belief amongst the SNP that the BBC [...]