HAD BIN LADEN A BBC LICENSE?

I only ask the question because I read that…. Among the newly released data from inside the secret compound is a series of video tapes. They show him sat in his compound, watching video footage of himself and rehearsing his lines for propaganda video. At one point there is a recording of his favourite TV channels and among those listed are Al Jazeera and the BBC’s Arabic service… Click through … Continue reading

Meaningful Engagement

Melanie Phillips has written another open letter, this time to David Cameron. The one she wrote earlier, to Jeremy Hunt about the BBC, must have got lost in the post, so it’s doubtful that she had high hopes of a response to this one by return of post, or indeed ever. It’s a great letter, even if it only reaches readers of the Spectator and the Commentator, and not Prime … Continue reading

How Many Years Make A "Tradition"?

…so how many years makes for a “tradition”? With the BBC; not so many when it suits them. Number 10 shuns EU flag tradition Downing Street will not fly the EU flag over Number 10 during Europe Day on Monday unlike previous years, the BBC has learned. The Royal Wedding…traditional. Morris dancing…traditional. Flying the EU flag? Meh. The UK’s relationship with Europe is a potential source of tension between the Conservative and … Continue reading

If Only…

Pro-AV lefty BBC producer Richard Leeming bemoans the ignorance of the plebs: The right-on metropolitan media clique knows best but for some reason the general public refuses to acknowledge it. What a shame, eh? (See also Jon Snow) Click through to read and contribute comments on this post.

A Question of Question Time

I don’t often watch Question Time, but anticipating a clash of cultures between Douglas Murray (Hooray) and Yasmin Alibhai-Brown (Hiss) I thought it would be worth watching last night. In the event the excitement was generated by action-man Ashdown.Elder statesmen-turned-national-treasure are often afflicted by symptoms of geriatric pre-dementia such as continually harking back to the glory days, and his youthful military adventures in the Royal Marines have provided Lord Paddy … Continue reading

QT and Elections LiveChat (Pt1)

Welcome to the LiveChat which is a 5th May Election Special. We kick off with the return of Question Time; which tonight comes from the last BBC option “damn I can’t claim decent expenses from here” of London. On the panel we have Secretary of State for Transport and Conservative dark horse Philip Hammond, Andy Burnham, Paddy Pantsdown, Yasmin Alibhai-Brown and Douglas Murray. Really? Are the same dozen people always on speed-dial? … Continue reading

QT and Elections LiveChat (Pt2)

This post has been split so that if you want to follow both LiveChats at the same time you can easily open the two posts in two different windows and put them alongside each other. Cunning thinking, eh? This Scottish-oriented Chat is being hosted and moderated by Subrosa although you can’t escape the grim glare of TheEye’s moderating touch here either. Many thanks to MaxFarquar for the two excellent logos … Continue reading

Victory Lap or Somber Occasion? Whatever the White House Says It Is.

Not a single voice allowed on the BBC today to criticize. Every single Beeboid on air is saying how wonderful this is, and how this is “paying respect” to the families and is absolutely not a victory lap or moment of opportunism. Of course, they don’t know what He thinks, or what this really is, but they are telling you nevertheless. All US vox pops are positive, enthusiastic, supportive. The … Continue reading

Mark Mardell’s Crisis of Faith

The President ordered Osama Bin Laden killed without trial, without due process of law, and the BBC North America editor is crestfallen. Mardell really doesn’t know what to do. He has his own opinions, his own moral code to follow, yet cannot bring himself to actually blame the President for it. Instead, he works to shift blame onto the ugly United Statesians he’s found distasteful for so long. On the … Continue reading