Open Thread

General BBC-related comment thread! Please use this thread for comments about the BBC’s current programming and activities. This post will remain at or near the top of the blog – scroll down for new topic-specific posts. N.B. This is not an invitation for general off-topic comments, rants or chit-chat. Thoughtful comments are encouraged. Comments may also be moderated. Any suggestions for stories that you might like covered would be appreciated! It’s your space, use it wisely

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146 Responses to Open Thread

  1. Grant says:

    News at 1, just now, got off to a cracking start as Sophie Raworth announced that millions of homeowners may now be in negative equity.

    ” That means your home is worth less than you paid for it “.

    That’s my girl,Sophie, good old BBC !

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  2. George R says:

    Misleading BBC web ‘news’ headline:

    “Brown warns over energy bills”

    No he doesn’t. He would just like household energy bills to be lower now, BUT he will do nothing to make energy firms reduce their prices. It’s an empty soundbite.

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7694777.stm

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  3. Jason says:

    Justin Webb on the FT’s simple-minded bandwagon endorsement of Obama:

    There is more to come in the Appalachia-rocking endorsements, I can reveal:

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/justinwebb/2008/10/reagan_clinton_w_and_obama.html

    In case you haven’t got message by now that the only people who support McCain are toothless rednecks who live in shacks in the mountains.

    Really, is there something we can do about Webb? I mean some kind of petition, some kind of action? He really is a horrible piece of scum and deserves to lose his career, his house and his marriage. Nothing would please me more than to step over a destitute Justin Webb in the gutter.

       0 likes

  4. Arkangel says:

    @Jason …Surely you mean ‘step ON a destitute Justin Webb…………….

       0 likes

  5. Allan@Oslo says:

    On Webb’s webpage, linked by Jason above, one reads:

    3. At 08:58am on 27 Oct 2008, FinMember wrote:
    Obama is a stirring speaker who gets his points across clearly.
    Macain often stumbles and mispeaks. He needs a teleprompter and can’t even read it properly.

    Any chance of somebody who is BBC-registered posting the link to that stunning video of what happens to Obama’s brain when his teleprompt fails – or is the teleprompt his brain?

       0 likes

  6. Pot-Kettle-Black says:

    Has the BBC lost the plot, hmm…

    http://timesnews.typepad.com/news/2008/10/brand-and-ross.html

       0 likes

  7. Pot-Kettle-Black says:

    92%, even for this sort of poll that’s high…

       0 likes

  8. Grant says:

    It’s 92% plus one now.

       0 likes

  9. mailman says:

    Well, Ive been making complaints about blog entries over at Al Beeb but in every case they are instantly dismissed (must be form letters eh).

    If humans are processing the complaints, then Ill just keep sending them until my account is banned! 🙂

    Mailman

       1 likes

  10. Anonymous says:

    ” That means your home is worth less than you paid for it “.

    Not quite true. Negative equity means you owe more than it is worth.

       1 likes

  11. Jason says:

    Arkangel | 28.10.08 – 3:21 pm | #

    No that’s not what I meant either. I should have said “stamp on.”

       1 likes

  12. Peter says:

    92%, even for this sort of poll that’s high…
    Pot-Kettle-Black | 28.10.08 – 3:51 pm | #

    Those darn Daily Ma… Times readers! As well. Must be the way they asked the question.

    Maybe the BBC can treat it the same way they do all votes they don’t think have come out with the ‘correct’ result.

       1 likes

  13. Peter says:

    Meanwhile, in more mudane, but possibly equally interesting areas…

    Could hyperlocal BBC websites kill off the regional newspapers’ golden goose?

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/greenslade/2008/oct/28/theregions-bbc

    From another noted BBCphobic tome…

    Result: the BBC has killed off the golden goose that supplied it with the bulk of its content and, therefore, would spell the end of its own hyperlocal websites.

    Not sure that thinking at all, much less of consequences, is something the BBC and most of those employed there have had to do much of in the past, and it’s kinda starting to show.

    Good luck with attracting those ‘market rates’ for talent, guys.

       1 likes

  14. HSLD says:

    Did anyone see Spooks ? it’s not something I’d usually watch but I checked it out after Guido posted about it on his blog.

    It appears that the writers have been, for one episode at least, replaced by patriotic aliens from the planet Britain. I don’t know what to make of this at all.

       1 likes

  15. archduke says:

    “bbc drama shock: not left wing”
    http://www.order-order.com/2008/10/bbc-drama-shock-not-left-wing.html

       1 likes

  16. archduke says:

    but guido notes:
    The 10 O’Clock News returns things to normality: “Tonight America is accused of terrorism…” Don’t start paying the TV licence fee just yet.

       1 likes

  17. HSLD says:

    Satan will be going to work on ice skates before I pay the beeb tax 🙂

    And I’m not going to be watching the second episode of Spooks, because it’s not really very good – even when the writers have been taking reality pills.

    Unlike Casualty it isn’t written badly enough to be unintentionally funny, which is the only thing that can save a BBC drama for me.

       1 likes

  18. Grant says:

    Anonymous 4:25

    Yes I know, but Sophie Raworth and the BBC didn’t know the meaning of “negative equity”. Even the increasingly bizarre, Robert Peston, who was interviewed by Sophie a few mintues later knew the proper definition of it, hopefully because he is suffering from it himself.

    What was incredible was that Sophie’s definition of “current value is less than cost” made it through the editorial process and on to the teleprompter !

       1 likes

  19. Martin says:

    But at least Sophie is quite cute for a female beeboid.

       1 likes

  20. Anonymous says:

    Grant, sorry, I mis-read your post. I agree, the BBC should know better.

       1 likes

  21. Grant says:

    Anonymous 6:28

    I just re-read it and , sorry, it is a bit ambiguous. It could imply that Sophie was stating the bleeding obvious , instead of making a basic, and stupid, error.

    Martin 5:56

    Don’t worry, the BBC will fly Sophie to the US to sit in the front row in this week’s Question Time.

    By the way, did I put my watch back one week too early ?

       1 likes

  22. glj says:

    Not sure if it’s a problem at the bBBC end or mine, but the latest comment threads are showing a count of “0”, when in fact they contain loads of comments.

       1 likes

  23. James says:

    What is happening with the B-BBC book?

       1 likes

  24. Grant says:

    glj 7:30

    And the clock is still wrong. I wonder if this website has been got at by the BBC, or if it is just because David Vance is off on holiday ?

       1 likes

  25. Grant says:

    Justine Webb was on great form on News at Six, expressing complete puzzlement that Obama is still bothering to campaign at all.
    Good laugh at the end when George Alegiah said ” and you have a busy week ahead, Justin” and Webb gave the most amazing grin/smirk.
    I would like to think Alegiah was taking the piss, but….

       1 likes

  26. Martin says:

    Grant: People forget that in the Primaries Hillary was often a lot closer to Obama than the polls suggested.

    I still think McCain can win this, I think a lot of people are just pissed off with the lies and spin being pumped out by the leftie media.

       1 likes

  27. Allan@Oslo says:

    Hey y’all, this a request.

    On Webb’s webpage, linked by Jason above, one reads:

    3. At 08:58am on 27 Oct 2008, FinMember wrote:
    Obama is a stirring speaker who gets his points across clearly.
    Macain often stumbles and mispeaks. He needs a teleprompter and can’t even read it properly.

    Any chance of somebody who is BBC-registered posting the link to that stunning video of what happens to Obama’s brain when his teleprompt fails – or is the teleprompt his brain?
    Allan@Oslo | 28.10.08 – 3:38 pm | #

    Please, somebody.

       1 likes

  28. George R says:

    I see that Labour’s ALISTAIR CAMPBELL has his feet well under the political table at the BBC- tonight he was on the ‘One Show’, stealing Justin Webb’s political line and criticising Sarah Palin.

    No doubt the BBC’s plans are well advanced to use Labour’s Campbell from now until the run-up to the next General Election.

    Of course Labour blood is thicker than water, and from being somewhat brow-beaten by Campbell in 2003:

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3023922.stm

    -by 2008, the BBC is paying Campbell £250,000 for his memoirs:

    “Alistair Campbell show provokes BBC revolt”

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1557074/Alastair-Campbell-show-provokes-BBC-revolt.html

       1 likes

  29. Martin says:

    I think one or two others have already noted but I like Sky’s coverage from the USA of the election build up.

    And what of our ‘brilliant’ state broadcaster? Well they’ve emitted huge amounts of CO2 sending over plenty of beeboids, but what are they actually doing other than taking it in turns to lick Obama’s arse clean?

       1 likes

  30. Mailman says:

    Allan@Oslo, there really isnt any point as for the most part the lefties that post there are deaf and dumb when it comes to anything that challenges their faith in “The One” ™.

    Mailman

       1 likes

  31. Grant says:

    Allan@oslo 8:33

    If you google “Youtube Obama teleprompter goes out “, you should get it !

       1 likes

  32. George R says:

    Uncritical BBC ‘report’ of the ethnic, political lobby group, the National Black Police Association:

    “Call to fast track ethnic police”

    Co-incidentally (?) this ethnic lobby group thinks that some of Labour’s discrimination would suit its interests:
    “The president of the National Black Police Association has called for positive discrimination to boost the number of black and Asian officers.”

    (positive discrimination for them means negative discrimination for others).
    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7695470.stm

    There is no BBC criticism of this lobby group and its ethnic ambitions; but if you check half-way through the piece, there is this:

    “Mr Dizaei also criticised police vetting procedures as ‘obsolete’.

    “The commander is currently suspended from duty at the Metropolitan Police, accused of misconduct.”

    On a related theme, ‘Cranmer’ has this:

    “The City of London Association of Muslim Police”

    [Extract]:

    “The police should be the police. While, since the distorted media portrayal of Macpherson, one may understand a little racial sensitivity, religion really ought not to enter the equation.

    “And that includes the Christians.

    “If it persists, Cranmer shall campaign not only for Sikh, Hindu and Buddhist police associations, but he shall demand of the Home Secretary a definition of religion, and seek to establish the Jedi Police Association for all those disaffected with the whole politically-correct quota nonsense which is infecting societal cohesion of and proving detrimental to the common good • if such a concept any longer exists.”

    http://archbishop-cranmer.blogspot.com/2008/10/city-of-london-association-of-muslim.html

       1 likes

  33. Biodegradable says:

    If you google “Youtube Obama teleprompter goes out “, you should get it !
    Grant | 28.10.08 – 9:12 pm

    A Special Message from Barack Obama’s Teleprompter

       1 likes

  34. Mailman says:

    So while Webb fixates on palins clothes, this little story goes begging for some attention from the MSM (including al beeb);

    http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=ZDFkMGE2MmM1M2Q5MmY0ZmExMzUxMWRhZGJmMTAyOGY=

    Mailman

       1 likes

  35. Allan@Oslo says:

    Allan@oslo 8:33

    If you google “Youtube Obama teleprompter goes out “, you should get it !
    Grant | 28.10.08 – 9:12 pm | #

    Sorry, Grant but I don’t have a BBC sign-in to post on Webb’s page which is why I wanted to sub-con it, and still do.

       1 likes

  36. bob says:

    Why on earth are you not discussing the comments made by Lyons at a lunch with newspaper owners?.

    His comments about some of the possible proposals from OFCOM shows how incestuous the BBC and the BBC Trust really are.

       1 likes

  37. Bob says:

    Is this a new Bob?

       1 likes

  38. archduke says:

    Gun sales soar in America
    http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/26/AR2008102602505.html

    geee… i wonder why?

       1 likes

  39. archduke says:

    obama teleprompter goes out

       1 likes

  40. pounce says:

    The bBC, its pro Taliban stance in Afghanistan and half the story.
    Nato’s Afghan forces ‘hit limit’
    Coalition forces in Afghanistan have “now reached their limit”, according to General Sir Michael Rose, former commander of UN forces in Bosnia. He said Nato forces should consider forming local tribal militias to help stabilise the country. Gen Rose warns there are not enough combat troops to continue the momentum against the Taliban. He made his comments when writing for the military think-tank, the Royal United Services Institute. Gen Rose, who has recently returned from Afghanistan, says while the international community is clearly committed to a victory there, serious operational problems remain which could still undo NATO’s mission. He also points out that there are only 8,000 servicemen and women in a vast swathe of territory that is home to more than a million Afghans.
    Gen Rose’s words echo other military commanders’ recent warnings. But the government has insisted it will not send more troops to the British base at Helmand, and that shortage of combat troops is seen as a wider problem for the Nato mission, BBC defence correspondent Caroline Wyatt said. Gen Rose also suggests forming Afghan tribal militias to aid western forces and the Afghan army.
    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7694350.stm

    So did anybody else read this story about General Sir Michael Rose speaks out against the current situation in Afghanistan for the bBC. I mean here is a serving British General who has just returned from the above country speaking his mind he must know what he is talking about. The BBC even includes a picture of him in Uniform on its article.
    Only there is a huge elephant in the room
    Mr Rose left the army in 1997. (About 11 years ago) You’d think that bBC article would have mentioned that.
    http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/4930/captureke4.jpg
    The bBC, its pro Taliban stance in Afghanistan and half the story.

       1 likes

  41. Grant says:

    Allan@Oslo 9:59

    Sorry I misunderstood your post. Actually, I am not registered with the BBC, but I am sure someone here can help you ! Unless they have all been banned.

       1 likes

  42. Grant says:

    Various posters. I think Allan@Oslo wants to post the Obama speech direct on to the BBC website. I am not quite sure how to do that.

       1 likes

  43. Grant says:

    pounce 11:20

    Caroline Wyatt “BBC Defence Correspondent”. Is that the same Caroline Wyatt who , until recently, was the BBC ” Paris Correspondent” ?

       1 likes

  44. Allan@Oslo says:

    Y’all, please see my post at Allan@Oslo | 28.10.08 – 3:38 pm |

    I have shown Obama’s teleprompter collapse to several people now and, believe me, it made an impression. The first reaction was of disbelief, and then followed “why was this not on TV?” The conspiracy theory is not a theory when it can be proven as fact, and Obama’s teleprompter show is the proof indeed.

       1 likes

  45. Roland Deschain says:

    Allan@Oslo

    I think “dhimmi” at comment 7 on Justin Webb’s blog has linked to the video you refer to.

    Not sure if it’s a problem at the bBBC end or mine, but the latest comment threads are showing a count of “0”, when in fact they contain loads of comments.
    glj | 28.10.08 – 7:30 pm |

    My office computer was doing that but the home one seems OK. However can any technologically-minded person tell me why my home computer tells me how many unread comments there are but the office one gives only the total comments. Something to do with cookies I expect but as far as I can tell the settings are the same.

       1 likes

  46. archduke says:

    fair play to newsnight – the “marxist” question to joe biden was just aired.

    but its Peter Marshall doing the report. not Justin Webb…

    ( i kind of always thought that Marshall was bit more non-partisan than the usual beeboid.. good on him for doing this.. )

    now he’s doing the Palin stuff and the Stevens trial..

    a fair and balanced report i must admit. which is a rarity from the bbc.

       1 likes

  47. archduke says:

    oh dear..

    now we’re back to the usual

    eisler – “leaving aside the marxist jibe…” (move along , nothing to see here)

    and he’s interviewing James Reuben.

    Democrat.

    and just Reuben…

       1 likes

  48. archduke says:

    sidenote – and considering who newsnight interview.

    can ANYONE point to a single newsnight interview of anyone in the McCain camp?

    Romney? Guiliani?
    Hugh Hewitt? Karl Rove?

    < insert major republican mover and shaker here...>

       1 likes

  49. Martin says:

    archduke: I still think the polls are wrong. Look at how often Obama just beat Hillary when the polls showed him well ahead. He didn’t really put Hillary down did he.

    The fact the LA Times won’t release this video of Obama arselicking some PLO supporter just says it all.

    But the polls are starting to narrow again as they will up till polling day.

    I still think something will come out about Obama. I really can’t see why Hillary hasn’t done something, not unless either she thinks Obama is going to lose OR she’s been offered a job.

       1 likes

  50. Mailman says:

    Gallup has Obama’s lead down to 2 points. Whats the bet the two are even by the weekend 🙂

    Re Michael Rose, Ive worked with the guy and I doubt he would be so careless to say anything that would impact the moral of soldiers in the field. So the question is, what did the BBC leave out of their report?

    Also, Im currently engaged in some lively “debate” on Webbs blog (when I say debate, I really mean Im trying to counter lefty ignorance).

    Anyone, one of the numpties asked if there were any stations out there that were any less biased than the BBC. I pointed out that Fox is viewed as the most trust worthy newsite in America 🙂

    But to back that up, have a look at this video;

    http://hotair.com/archives/2008/10/28/shep-smith-grills-joe-the-plumber-why-is-a-vote-for-obama-a-vote-for-the-death-of-israel/

    You get that, here is Fox, the supposed dodgy rightwing propaganda site putting the boot in to Joe the Plumber.

    So what Im saying is the reason Fox is viewed as the most trust worthy news site in America is simply because Fox, unlike ALL the other MSM (including Al Been) airs both sides of the coin, and this video proves that!

    Mailman

       1 likes