Time to call it a day

It's amazing to think that I've been blogging since May 14th 2007. When I wrote my first blog post I didn’t expect to be still at it all this time later. However, now my work and personal life must take precedence once again, and I have come to the reluctant decision to finally stop. I would like to thank the many people who have visited this site over the past day.

Contrary to earlier rumours, the original Biased BBC is still going strong and I recommend them for all your biased BBC needs.

Snippets

The licence fee in action...

First it was claimed that it took five staff to change a light bulb at the BBC. Then staff complained it cost £10. Now the BBC seems to be having trouble with natural light.
Staff in the new Broadcast Centre and Media Centre have been told not to adjust the blinds on their windows without specialist assistance because of safety concerns. [Link]

FANS of comic Graham Norton's latest TV show have been conned by the BBC.
Producers FAKED part of last week's programme by hiring actors instead of using viewers for an outside broadcast. [Link]

A LEADING car manufacturer, a top health spa and a chain of pet stores have enjoyed tens of thousands of pounds worth of free air-time on The Apprentice, the hit BBC1 show fronted by Sir Alan Sugar.
They are among a string of firms that have benefited from being name-checked personally by Sugar or having their products displayed prominently on screen. [Link]

The BBC is to spend an estimated £100,000 of licence-payers' money on a documentary about Cherie Blair's time in Downing Street. [Link]

Central China Television (CCTV) and the BBC are jointly producing a 12 episode television series called "Beautiful China" to offer as a tribute to the 2008 Beijing Olympics Games. [Link]

Conflict of Interest?

Media Guardian columnist Steve Hewlett highlights some potential conflicts of interest in BBC Worldwide's 25% stake in new British production company Left Bank Pictures:

This deal is unprecedented in the UK. BBC Worldwide has invested in plenty of independent production, destined for the BBC and elsewhere, but it has never taken an equity ownership stake. Helen Jackson, BBC Worldwide's director of independents, is responsible for all its dealings with UK indie producers yet as a director of Left Bank Pictures she will be on the board of one of them. And no matter how straight a bat she plays, it will be hard to shake off the perception amongst the rest of the indie sector that she and Worldwide are favouring that company.

As a director, Jackson will also be party to the company's dealings with all the BBC's (and Worldwide's) competitors. And when it comes to securing the best interests of Left Bank, she will on occasion have to connive in either forcing the BBC to pay more for programmes of potential interest to other broadcasters, or in actually delivering them to the competition….

Then there is the potential impact on the nascent independent distribution marketplace. Independent distributors have long complained of being beaten to deals by BBC Worldwide's largesse. What's more, Worldwide already distributes most BBC production around the world as of right. That leaves other distributors almost wholly dependent on independent production. The prospect of BBC Worldwide buying into companies in order to tie up distribution rights to their programmes - were it to do that systematically - would probably sign the death warrant for many independent distributors. Worldwide says there are no similar deals pending. That may be true, but out in the marketplace it is known to have been in similar discussions with a number of other indies.

And then there are the licence payers. Because we don't know how much Worldwide paid for its 25%, or on what terms it can sell out and realise the value of the stake, we really don't know whether it's good value for us.

Champagne Socialists

During the day-long borefest that was Blair's resignation announcement last Thursday, BBC Radio Five Live's Jane Garvey and Peter Allen reminisced about the Labour Party election victory in 1997. Listen. [Clip and transcript stolen shamelessly from the comments at Biased BBC.]

Jane Garvey: I do remember I walked back in - we were broadcasting then from Broadcasting House in the centre of London, all very upmarket in those days - and the corridors of Broadcasting House were strewn with empty champagne bottles. [Hearty laugh from Peter Allen] I'll always remember that. Er... not that the BBC were celebrating in any way, shape or form…

Peter Allen: No not all...

Jane Garvey: ...and actually I think it's fair to say that in the intervening years... er... the BBC, if it ever was in love with Labour has probably fallen out of love with Labour, or learnt to fall back in, or basically just learnt to be in the middle somewhere which is how it should be. Um, but there was always the suggestion that the BBC was full of pinkos who couldn't wait for Labour to get back into power. That may have been the case - who knows - but as I say there have been a few problems along the way over the last ten years. Wish I hadn't started this now.

Yes, when you're in a hole stop digging.

The Sweeney

Let's kick things off with this.



Here's some background from The Daily Telegraph:

An experienced BBC reporter has been severely reprimanded by his bosses after his 30 second outburst at a member of the Church of Scientology was caught on camera and shown around the world.

John Sweeney, who was investigating the controversial religion for Panorama, lost his temper in a rant that was then posted on the video-sharing website YouTube.

In his defence, Mr Sweeney said that after seven days with the Scientologists he felt he was being brainwashed, while his crew were allegedly followed continuously during filming.

The Telegraph asks: "Is Scientology winning its propaganda war with the BBC?" Some responses:

I wish that *someone* could win a propaganda war with the BBC.

The British people, for instance.
Posted by Jim Good on May 14, 2007 11:05 AM

It's a bit rich of the BBC to accuse others of propaganda and brainwashing. All my life this organisation run by pseuds and liberal intellectuals has claimed the right to set the agenda in this country and shape public opinion. I can't stand Scientology, but I don't have to finance it. I'm stuck with the BBC.
Posted by John Ledbury on May 14, 2007 10:14 AM

Scientology and the BBC are similar in many ways. They are both victims of the fanatical one tracked minds of their staff/adherents. They can't accept views other than their own narrow minded ones. They deserve each other.
Posted by Ben in New Zealand on May 14, 2007 7:43 AM

The BBC has its own agenda just like the scientologists.Both are out to feather their own nests.The BBC has long given up producing news worthy reporting prefering instead to push its own politically correct waffle.As for the scientologists, to me they are akin to the moonies and every other whacko pseudo religious money making machine.
Posted by zorro on May 14, 2007 7:26 AM

I never thought I'd find myself sympathising with Scientologists either, but BBC journalism has just become so prejudiced and unethical in the last 10 years that I'd now be more inclined to believe the Scientologists' version of events than the BBC's. Question: do you think they'd carry out a similar investigation into British Muslims?
Posted by Leo Enticknap on May 14, 2007 7:18 AM

Why another blog about BBC bias?

Because there can never be too many.

It's time to pick up some of the slack from the original, inspirational Biased BBC. The team over there has done amazing work over the years but, understandably, appears to have grown a little weary of it all. The blog continues to attract many instances of the BBC's tax-funded left of centre bias but they tend to remain hidden in the comments. With Biased BBC 2 I hope to provide another outlet for these and other examples.

Feel free to leave messages here or, if you prefer, continue posting at the mother ship as I'll be watching there too.

And just to get things rolling, this can be the first open thread. Fire away.