You seriously have to wonder what the hell is going on at the BBC just recently. In the past few weeks we have seen tax avoidance on an industrial scale by some of its highest paid stars, the revelations that one of nations largest paedophile rings was possibly operating on its premises, the reported cover up of the Sir Jimmy Savile child abuse allegations topped off with a sick joke about 9/11 victims on Have I Got News For You.
I know HIGNFY is a pretty near the knuckle satire show but this went beyond the taste of decency. I do not necessarily blame Claire Balding as it was clear she was reading from an auto cue, but what was the shows editors thinking about to think that a joke about 9/11 victims was acceptable.
What's more, the BBC try to ram their political correctness down our throats at every given opportunity. Still think you get value for your £145? I have yet to mention the long running accusations of bias in their news reporting!
Towards the end of his grilling by the select committee, I was actually starting to feel sorry for Director General George Entwistle as he was hopelessly out of his depth bearing in mind that he has only been in the job barely a month.
As the Jimmy Savile allegations continue to unravel, I am struggling to see how he can remain in post. To use a cricketing metaphor, it is like walking into bat only to be bowled out in the first over.
Most Western nations long did away with their state broadcaster, the concept of a state broadcaster belongs to despot regimes like Syria and North Korea?
As we are now in a multi-channel digital age with this week seeing the end of terrestrial television in the UK, the license fee is now effectively a telly tax in all but name. With many politicians calling for a reduction in taxation, maybe abolishing the TV License Fee is a good place to start.
1 comment:
There are so many things in this post that are just plain wrong.
Firstly, what you see as political correctness I see as politeness. Go ahead and be un-PC if you like, but I will raise my objections. There is a hint of double-standards though when you moan about the BBC being PC and then complain about a 9/11 joke.
The BBC is not a state broadcaster, it is public service television. If you do not understand the difference then I suggest you stay away from the debate.
Bias? I will agree only if you think the organisation is too right-wing, because I do not detect any left-wing bias. Perhaps you confuse being left-wing with having common sense.
I think the Licence Fee is excellent value for money, with high-quality commercial-free broadcasting. I find Radio 4 and FiveLive compulsive, and enjoy much on BBC4.
If you are going to have a go at anyone associated with Jimmy Saville then I presume you will also condemn Margaret Thatcher who seemed to enjoy his company throughout her premiership. You will not, and I think it right that you do not, because he clearly duped many over his career. If naivety is a crime then I am guilty too. I think most people do not imagine their colleagues capable of the heinous acts that Saville is accused of doing, and so do not go looking for it. Some do appear to ignore it, however, and these individuals are complicit.
It is not the end of the BBC. Your party’s desire to carve up the BBC to satisfy people like Rupert Murdoch is regrettable.
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