When people ask for evidence of an institutional Left-wing bias at the BBC, this is the place to go for evidence. Out of the mouths of Beeboids….
The BBC is “a publicly-funded urban organisation with an abnormally large proportion of younger people, of people in ethnic minorities and almost certainly of gay people, compared with the population at large”.
All this, he said, “creates an innate liberal bias inside the BBC”.
“It’s a bit like walking into a Sunday meeting of the Flat Earth Society. As they discuss great issues of the day, they discuss them from the point of view that the earth is flat.
“If someone says, ‘No, no, no, the earth is round!’, they think this person is an extremist. That’s what it’s like for someone with my right-of-centre views working inside the BBC.”
– Jeff Randall, former BBC business editor
By far the most popular and widely read newspapers at the BBC are The Guardian and The Independent. Producers refer to them routinely for the line to take on running stories, and for inspiration on which items to cover. In the later stages of my career, I lost count of the number of times I asked a producer for a brief on a story, only to be handed a copy of The Guardian and told ‘it’s all in there’.
– Peter Sissons, Former BBC News and Current Affairs presenter
“In the BBC I joined 30 years ago [as a production trainee, in 1979], there was, in much of current affairs, in terms of people’s personal politics, which were quite vocal, a massive bias to the left. The organisation did struggle then with impartiality. And journalistically, staff were quite mystified by the early years of Thatcher.
“Now it is a completely different generation. There is much less overt tribalism among the young journalists who work for the BBC. It is like the New Statesman, which used to be various shades of soft and hard left and is now more technocratic. We’re like that, too.”
– Mark Thomspon, former BBC Director General
“I do remember… the corridors of Broadcasting House were strewn with empty champagne bottles. I’ll always remember that”
– Jane Garvey, Radio 4 presenter, recalling Tony Blair’s election victory in 1997
I absorbed and expressed all the accepted BBC attitudes: hostility to, or at least suspicion of, America, monarchy, government, capitalism, empire, banking and the defence establishment, and in favour of the Health Service, state welfare, the social sciences, the environment and state education. But perhaps our most powerful antagonism was directed at advertising. This is not surprising; commercial television was the biggest threat the BBC had ever had to face.
– Sir Antony Jay, former BBC producer and creator, inter alia, of “Yes, (Prime) Minister”
“Liberal sceptical humanists tend to dominate television”.
The “default position in broadcasting” – when covering issues such as gay marriage and the Roman Catholic position on IVF – revolved around human rights, and that opponents should not be treated as “lunatics”.
“All I’m saying is, if you have at the centre of News an editor, he could explain why people in particular areas…are motivated, why they behave as they do and I think that would just increase understanding.”
– Roger Bolton, Radio 4 presenter and former head of Panorama and Nationwide
“And, in the tone of what we say about America, we have a tendency to scorn and deride. We don’t give America any kind of moral weight in our broadcasts.”
– Justin Webb (pg. 66), Today presenter and former BBC North America editor
“We need to foster peculiarity, idiosyncrasy, stubborn-mindedness, left-of-centre thinking.”
– Ben Stephenson, BBC controller of drama commissioning
Surely we must include some quotes from Robin Aitken’s book Can We Trust The BBC?, based on his 25 years working at the BBC, although it is difficult to know which ones to choose. I have selected a few paragraphs from his synopsis at http://www.standard.co.uk/news/what-is-the-loneliest-job-in-britain-being-a-tory-at-the-bbc-7245499.html.
In 1984 I returned to BBC Scotland after covering the Tory conference in Brighton. The IRA had come close to assassinating Margaret Thatcher with a bomb and the country was in shock. Apart, that is, from some of my BBC colleagues. “Pity they missed the bitch,” one confided to me.
For three decades I was that rare breed – a Conservative at the BBC. In my time working on programmes such as Today and Breakfast News I couldn’t have formed a cricket team from Tory sympathisers. As one producer put it, you feel almost part of an ethnic minority.
We all know the cliched critique of the BBC: a nest of Lefties promoting a progressive agenda and political correctness. Depressingly, that cliche is uncomfortably close to the truth: the BBC is biased, and it is a bias that seriously distorts public debate. In the past 30 years, ‘Auntie’ has transformed from the staid upholder of the status quo to a champion of progressive causes. In the process, the ideal at the heart of the corporation – that it should be fair-minded and non-partisan – has all but disappeared.
Our scripts were as opinionated as any commentary in The Guardian. I argued the case for Thatcherism but was massively outgunned.
The General Election of 1992 put things into sharp focus. The BBC had privately rejoiced at the downfall of Thatcher in 1990 and there was widespread expectation of a Labour victory. But that optimism was misplaced. Neil Kinnock failed to convince the voters. On Election night, the atmosphere in the newsroom was one of palpable deflation. A young female producer was in tears.
‘Neutral’ for BBC journalists is left of centre for everyone else; everything is seen through the distorting prism of the progressive agenda. As one senior news presenter told me: “Anybody who attacks the Labour Government is always coming from the Left, and the Tories are written off as insane or – if there’s the slightest chance of them getting anywhere – evil.”
It is worth bearing in mind what happens if someone at the BBC breaks ranks. In 2004, TV presenter Robert Kilroy-Silk wrote about the Arab people and asked: “What do they think we feel about them? That we adore them for the way they murdered more than 3,000 civilians on September 11 and then danced in their hot, dusty streets to celebrate the murders? That we admire them for being suicide bombers, limb amputators, women repressors?” Kilroy-Silk’s TV career ended the next week.
In 2007, there is a solid consensus within the BBC on most issues of private morality and, in many cases, public policy. One presenter described the sense of superiority that working at the BBC confers on its staff. “It’s the whole thing that ‘we know best’ and it’s our responsibility to educate the poor unfortunates beneath us in how things should be.”
The BBC is a profoundly influential opponent of nearly everything conservatives believe, with the Right forced to accede feebly to the Left-liberal consensus. If the time comes when British conservatives feel like fighting back, broadcasting policy might not be a bad place to start.
So why, when we have known about this for so many, many years, when successive Governments of both colours have been aware – why is it still going on?
Why does EVERYTHING in this country (Asian child groomers, MP’s expenses, paedophiles in high office, Islamification in schools etc etc) which is known by every man on the street to be a scandal have to get to be such a great stinking crisis before action is taken?
Absolutely right. Unfortunately nothing will be done while we have a media that encourages homosexuality lesbianism bi sexuality and trans genderism as normal behaviour which has to be embraced as acceptable in a civilised society. I believe that most people in the UK do not accept such things at all as being normal. As for Islam, we are and always have been a Christian country and while we should welcome the stranger into our house as Christians, it is only right that we expect those strangers to accept and adhere to the rules of the house, not expecting them to be bent to suit their foreign (to us ) traditions.
Unfortunately, I feel that it may be too late unless an extreme right wing authority comes to power in this country which I wouldn’t accept at any price. Fortunately for me I am too old to worry about the future but I do fear for my white christian grandchildren who will slowly become marginalised because Black Lives who matter consider that white lives don’t and the liberal lefties will consider them abnormal if they are not homosexual /lesbian /trans gender or bi sexual.
How about for a start preventing the word ” Gay ” being used about homosexuals , lesbians et al . Gay is defined as something pretty and nice . Neither of those words can be used to describe what homosexuals and lesbians do to each other.
This is your evidence of left wing bias? Some opinion pieces from a few people who used to work at the BBC?
and how is
”“I do remember… the corridors of Broadcasting House were strewn with empty champagne bottles. I’ll always remember that””
evidence of left wing bias?
I think if you have to have that explained to you, you’re as far away from understanding the alternative point of view as it’s possible to be.
Employee?
Are you perhaps too challenged to read the 2000+ examples of BBC bias reported over a 10 year period?
And it’s pretty pathetic trying to debunk a whole argument by disagreeing with the smallest quote. Do you challenge the other quotes? Nope because you have nothing to stand on.
As well as making reference to the BBC’s ‘champagne socialist’ attitude it also very much correlates with the behavior of former socialist/communist governments. They are a public broadcaster so should serve the public but instead take the public money to indulge in communicating their political views to the left (as well as protecting some child abusers here and there)
Yeah, massive celebration of a Labour victory isn’t evidence. Now go back over to the Tweets page and read how you misunderstood and got it 100% backwards.
Because it was when Blair was elected. Read the story.
”“I do remember… the corridors of Broadcasting House were strewn with empty champagne bottles. I’ll always remember that””
evidence of left wing bias?—
Er, presumably you’re not au fait with the term ‘Champagne socialists’???
Strewn with champagne bottles after the Labour victory of Tony Blair. I wonder how much champagne they drank after the first British soldiers were murdered in Iraq.
Champagne socialists says it all
Mike, I think you may have missed the referencing… This was the aftermath of Blair’s election victory
The corridors were strewn with champagne bottles following Tony Blairs election victory, If you read the description as well as the text!
Oh well, the BBC isn’t biased? Let’s all just go home then. But only when it also fairly reflects what I personally hear, feel, see and experience in the real world i.e the world of mums in the playground, tops of buses, work colleagues. Not the world of tortured, pained, caring, ‘better than the proles’ but ‘love the proles’ lefties thank you!!
that would be waste of our money.
I would go, in the early eighties, to Young Socialists meetings with a friend (privately educated interestingly). He was an avowed socialist and very bright went on to a top university. I note with interest that he now has a high ranking job at the BBC. As I understand it he still is a socialist albeit on a large BBC salary.
“avowed socialist and”…..NOT so very bright. There are, of course, many forms of intelligence but the ability to move on, in adulthood, from the essentially adolescent mentality of socialism – this is one of the most important.
He is bright enough to know on which side his bread is buttered, helping the poor has nothing to do with it. To be on the Left all that is required is a complete absence of conscience.
If they work in the Public Sector and have a conscience they gradually deconstruct their own Leftism, with the expectation they they should a social conscience medal for articulating the views which the grown ups they ranted against pointed out to them at the very beginning.
In “Can We Still Trust The BBC?” (the 2013 update of the Robin Aitken book referred to above) he quotes a “senior editor in television news” (“Interviewee 6” or “Source 6):
“… it was just after the fall of Thatcher, my head of department took me along with him to a meeting with John Birt, who at that time was vice or deputy Director-General. Given a general election was likely, my boss asked what we would do if Labour formed the next government. John Birt replied: “Let’s hope the fuck they do.” I couldn’t believe how candid he was! I mean, he didn’t know who I was, I could have been anybody, but he obviously felt so comfortable and secure within the BBC environment to presume (correctly) that he was in like minded company.”
Nine times out of ten, when the BBC are reporting from a school, the majority of pupils are black or from an ethnic minority. One could argue that they are all ‘ inner London schools’ perhaps, but every report is always the same. In today’s BBC lunchtime news there was a story about how, in two years’ time, primary schools will not be able to cope with the numbers of children at school age. Once again there was film and photos of pupils, but not one non-white child was shown. I wonder why ?
Four years later and nothing has changed….BBC news report on the crisis in the NHS and every patient shown was white yet when the cameras focused on NHS staff suddenly the ethnic minorities appeared wih a vengeance…Muslim and ethnic staff busily and efficiently working away…what would the NHS do without them!
Harry,
Good point and thanks for reminding me of Geoff’s post all these years ago !
‘Can we trust the BBC?’
(more extracts from the book by Robin Aitkin). Reveals a history of hidden agenda that is far deeper than bias. Far more influential than we thought… Note Robin Aitkin has updated this book to include former BBC celebrities i.e (under operation yewtree) and the recent exposure of multi-million pay offs to top BBC executives etc.
Read on:
1987 John Birt became Director General. Praised for fundamental changes and cost savings that changed the ‘nature’ of the BBC from news commentator to an influential left wing lobby group employing core Labour sympathisers such as: David Aronovich (journalist Independent, The Times), Poly Tonybee (journalist Guardian) and Greg Dyke (LWT and future BBC DG for BBC).
OTHER ’high profile’ Labour members with links back to the BBC include: Peter Mendleson (Media guru for Tony Blair with closer links to Greg Dyke (from LWT TV). Greg Dyke later become Director General of the BBC), Will Hutton (Guardian journalist to BBC Journalist), Liz Fogan (BBC and Guardian Journalist), Andrew Rawnsley (BBC to New Labour activist), James McNaughtie (Guardian to BBC staff Radio 4), (1997) Lance Price (BBC to New Labour activist), Martin Sixsmith (BBC to New Labour activist), Tom Kelly (BBC to New Labour activist), Ed Richards (BBC to New Labour activist), Bill Bush (BBC to New Labour activist), Catherine Rimmer (BBC to New Labour activist), John Birt (BBC DG to New Labour activist), Don Briad (BBC to New Labour activist), Sarah Hunter (BBC to New Labour activist), Ben Bradshaw, (BBC to New Labour MP 1997), Chris Bryant (BBC to New Labour MP), Celia Barlow (BBC to New Labour MP), James Purnell (BBC to New Labour Gov. Minster), Ken Macintosh, (BBC to (Scotland) MSP).
NO COINCIDENCE:
1990 BBC Joy Johnson became Labour campaigns Media director.
1997 BBC Joy Johnson was also rehired by the BBC after the election.
1997 Nine Labour MP’s were previously employed by the BBC (page75)
LIBERAL MEDIA INFLUENCES:
2003 BBC Panorama TV programme critically claimed in an ’expose’ of ‘Sex and the Holy City’ (p145). Without declaring that the programme makers were (1) linked to pro-abortionist TVE organisation (2) Programme producer Chris Woods (was one of three founder members of gay activist group ‘Outrage’*) (3) The programme was found to be biased** and also fraudulent ‘claims’ when they referred to a chosen ‘expert’ professor who later complained (to the BBC) that his own comments and conclusion had been ‘edited-out’ by the BBC). The BBC never apologised, nor corrected any of the allegations or responded to complaints about the programme. (see pages 145, 147 and 148).
* Not to be confused with an identical organisation set up by Labour called Stonewall as a lobby group (and paid for by the taxpayer again under Labour under various guises). Full uncritical support of the BBC.
WRONG VIEWS:
2004 Jana Bennett sacked Robert Kilroy Silk (for impartiality) i.e. right wing views expressed in the press on immigration.
RIGHT VIEWS:
2004 John Humphries (Radio 4 Today programme openly attacks Christians on contraception preventing HIV in Africa and third world.
2004 Nigel Wrench (Guardian journalist and BBC presenter for Radio 4 Today) programme went on to describe on-air his ‘gay’ encounter (2000) to support the BBC Radio 4 Today presenter John Humphries assertion that The Pope was ‘a right wing extremist’ *
The pope was objecting to the a UN policy on condoms for HIV that would promote promiscuity as being ‘safe’ (when it is clearly is not safe) . *‘Humanae Vitae’ book written by Jean Paul II (Published 1991). The moral maze chapter 8 section (page 145) high lights how the BBC claims the moral high ground based on its own principles which are often biased and in this case, proven incorrect.
**BBC Panorama (2003) indictment of bias:
Long term Ex BBC journalist Robin Aitkins in his book (page 63) states that the UN reported a ‘failure in practice’ and the international Doctors teams who (initially) supported the UN Condoms policy admitted were conclusively wrong). UN facts now proved that the Pope’s stance (Jean Paul II) was perfectly correct and what did actually happen was as not as predicted by the BBC. However the BBC never apologised and continued with their public ‘extremist’ allegations in international news channels both on Radio and TV. This was monitored by an independent public Media news agency which was asked to monitor instances * which characterised the BBC in Chapter 7 (p116) as a damning indictment of bias.
Note: When UK Charity regulations were changed in 2008 to reinforce Labour policy. Gordon Brown chose Andrew Hind (former chief operating officer of the BBC World Service) to head the commission.
Ever since Birt was installed in 1987 many of the BBC Director Generals have links to either Labour or the BBC (including the latest candidate Tony Hall (made Director General in 2012) Hall had been previously employed by the BBC in some managerial capacity. The point here is the frequent movement of managerial staff in and out of Labour administrations (since) has not been reflected in Tory membership on balance. This is because the BBC sees (without bias) Tories as ‘the enemy‘.***
*** This is according to Robin Aitkin a former BBC journalist for 15 years. (this page is attributable to Robin Aitkin’s book ‘CAN WE TRUST THE BBC’ (published in 2007) before the Jimmy Saville pedophile crisis and the recent (2013) BBC salary pay offs were exposed as BBC executive ‘loyalty awards’ for retiring BBC top management costing up to half a million pounds. The BBC was asked to justify the expenditure at a cross party public accounts select committee which decided that the BBC was largely unaccountable for a public body. Current BBC trustee Chris Patten and former BBC Director General Mark Thompson publicly argued about who should take responsibility for the financial ’retirement awards’ (kept secret from public accounts committee until exposed by the press. (Sept 2013).
When the last BBC charter was last updated in 2006 (under Labour with the another recession) it was awarded 3 billion pounds (per year) to ’expand’ Media operations. (30bn pounds is an extraordinary amount of ‘guaranteed’ money for any organisation to receive ‘tax-free’). The next BBC financial review will be in 2016.
The BBC itself does not recognise BBC employees as ‘biased’ so any employees who are aware of a ‘corporation’ bias have explicitly asked NOT to be named in this critical book (employees are numbered for reference only). Other such as Jeremy Paxman, John Simpson, Jeremy Clarkson are able to speak their minds whilst many cannot for ‘fear of losing their jobs’. However they are in a minority and few go on to join any public positions on leaving the BBC (as freely as Labour offer positions reserved for ex BBC directors or senior managers). (P171)
The BBC charter mindset before BIRT:
Back in the 1930’s the BBC upheld (1) British institutions of Monarchy, (2) Constitution, (3) Empire, (4) Christianity and the League of Nations. According to an American writer of that time (sixty years ago). (p187)
Since 1987 we have had a BBC doctrine with a very different bias:
(1) Anti-Racist (2) Pro-Abortion (3) Pro Women and ‘Gay rights’ (4) Pro UN (5) Pro EU (6) Pro Union and Anti Big Business (7) Pro high taxation (8) Pro government spending (9) Anti-private education (10) Anti-private health-care (11) Pro local democracy and local government (11) Pro multi-cultural and ethnic in general (13) Pro foreigner and foreign (left wing) governments (14) Anti American (15) Anti Monarchy (16) Anti prison etc.
Concerns:
The BBC is a virtual monopoly (Radio 44% and TV 94% in 2007)* news coverage of current affairs news in the UK and in Radio particularly has an even wider international following in America and African states as the voice of British authority and reliance. Supposably unbiased is in direct contradiction to it’s license with the public. (p15).
Recent BBC management awards
A recent cross party select committee on public accountability (Sept 2013) gave a clear indication that BBC trustees cannot recollect how the awards were allocated or made to whom. I read Mark Thompson himself signed of 25 Million pounds in back payments and is unrepentant on that exposure. It’s not unique.
Something to remember when the License fee charter comes up for renewal in 2016!
Philip, whilst I agree with much of what you say your assertions about HIV/Aids in Africa are completely wrong.
Andrew Hind (a former BBC chief executive), failed to be an elected Labour MP but was successful in corrupting the Charity Commission for Labour policies…
Andrew Hind worked for 10 years as chief operating officer at the BBC World Service (and he remains a BBC charity trustee), but says the BBC’s ethos was in some ways similar – “being there without fear or favour, doing what you think is right”. He could not resist when the Charity Commission job came up,..‘ Hind was however a previous Labour party MP who had failed to get elected and was made a member of Brown’s ‘inner circle (The Smith Institute), which has charitable status….
The Smith Institute calls itself an “independent think tank”, which was set up in 1997. However by 2007, an article in The Guardian announced that the Institute “is to be investigated by the Charity Commission for alleged breaches of the rule that bars voluntary organisations from being used for overtly party political purposes”: Source: http://wikispooks.com/wiki/The_Smith_Institute
Corruption of the Charity Commison (under Gordon Brown):
(In summery ) we see three likely outcomes if politicians and bureaucrats create and/or fund politically active organisations. Firstly, a concentrated interest group, once endowed with taxpayers’ money, will promote its cause through political means. It’s interest may be ideological rather than financial, but it will seek to impose its policies on the rest of society like any other lobby group’ ) Institute of Economic Affairs. (Sock Puppets – June 2012). IEA Discussion paper No.39: http://www.iea.org.uk.
Not only but also:
Leveson Press Intrusion: Andrew Hind was also involved in the recent Leveson Inquiry into Press Intrusion (along with Suzi Leather) another former chair of Charity Commission who was complicit in Charity changes to Schools (in particular);
Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1568137/Quango-queen-takes-on-the-public-schools.html
Andrew Hind created new ‘double standards’ for charities and made them vulnerable to political interference:
Example: Adoption agencies are denied discriminating between suitable parents for example. Under section 193 (equality act 2010) which is in addition to Article 14 (European Court of Human Rights). The Labour law’s of 2007/2010 have made it impossible to appeal and refer to public benefit. Memorandum by the Parliamentary charity Commission CB 01) of 2007 results show the impact of Charity Commission regulations which are (still) unquestionable). http://www.parliament.uk/documents/…/memoranda-by-the-charity-commission.pdf
Now at large:
Andrew Hind is currently a special advisor to Camerons Big Society initiative! Suzi Leather meanwhile has ‘retired’ last seen here (although not a BBC executive she was leading very colourful lifestyle in the Press, (perhaps a future BBC trustee?):
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2174004/Pay-sweet-charity-quango-queen.html
BBC paedophiles (in their own words)…
BBC’s Michael Souter ‘maintains his complete innocence’.
The court heard a string of charges against a 20 year reign by a “deviant sexual abuser” and a “predatory paedophile”. (Michael Souter worked as a BBC Radio DJ and presenter). He was found guilty of all charges and jailed for 22 years, (31/11/ 2013) The court found guilt of 26 offences including indecent assault, indecency with a child, serious sexual offences and seven sex offences against young boys.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/…/Michael-Souter-Ex-BBC-presenter-jailed-sexually-abusing-SEVEN-boys.html
BBC’s Chris Denning. ‘the age of consent should be lowered’
BBC Radio 1 Controller Chris Denning was charged with serious sex offences (against boys under the age of 14 going back to 1974). He was jailed in Slovakia and then re-arrested after release under operation yewtree) he claims that the age of consent is to low). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/…/Radio-1-DJ-jailed-for-paedophilia-claims-offences-were-consensual.html
BBC’s JIMMY SAVILLE ‘nothing to say’ (deceased).
Sexual perversion of ‘impressionable’ teenage girls, supposedly under the BBC protection in numerous TV programmes. Hushed up by the BBC who denied that the allegations were true. (Later exposure by a BBC Panorama programme was halted by BBC management). Widely reported (leaked) to the UK Press led to operation Yewtree by Scotland Yard.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-20984284
Eight Arrests, 589 enquiries:
BBC’s Dave Smith (former Jimmy Saviles chauffeur – also deceased)
(employed by the BBC) arrested and charged was a ‘prolific paedophile’.
BBC’s Stuart Hall OBE (BBC Sports presenter) Jailed
BBC broadcaster Stuart Hall has vowed to fight sex offence allegations and “regain my reputation” has been recently re-arrested on yet more charges.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/stuart-hall-re-arrested-questioned-over-2482900
However police arrested 589 others (not all BBC but connected to it) but dropped charges due to lack of hard evidence (against the BBC or individuals within the BBC, many of which are well known BBC presenters). One veteren was aged 80 and dropped due to that fact by Scotland Yard.
http://ukpaedos-exposed.com/councillorspolitical-party-affiliated/cover-ups/the-truth-about-operation-yewtree-savile/
The recent (November 2013) BBC campaign to lower the age of consent from 16 to 15 was widely trumpeted by the BBC as the obvious thing to do next. The BBC gave Prof Ashton a weeks free TV and radio air time to state his choice: ‘Lower the age of consent’ Professor John Ashton, (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-24976929) is president of the Faculty of Public Health (not recognised as public health association by the NHS) and sponsored by the Labour party. Which is responsible for endorsing the current 2006 BBC charter.
The BBC finances ‘in their own words: ‘VALUE-FOR-MONEY’, so says former DG Mark Thompson (who has already admitted that he personally ‘signed off’ 25 million pounds for retiring BBC executives which were already known by the BBC Trust (Chris Patten).
As the Public Accounts Committee struggled to get to the bottom of the utter mess… To the astonishment of MPs on the powerful PAC, BBC bosses repeatedly claimed the £949,000 paid to Mr Byford in a 2010 deal represented ‘value for money’..
Committee chairman Margaret Hodge said she was surprised that Mr Thompson decided the contractual sum of £500,000 was not enough for Mr Byford to stay ‘focused’ on his BBC job, and instead agreed a £949,000 severance payment. Mr Thompson and Lord Patten were called to appear with BBC HR director Lucy Adams, Marcus Agius, the former chairman of the BBC Executive Board Remuneration Committee, BBC director Nicholas Kroll, BBC Trustee Anthony Fry and former BBC Trust chairman Sir Michael Lyons.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2416019/BBC-Trust-chairman-Lord-Patten-Mark-Thompson-quizzed-Parliament-severance-payments.html
Ms Hodge said she hoped to ‘establish on behalf of both the public and licence-fee payer who knew what and at what time and who is responsible for decisions taken by the BBC. However Patten (or Mark Thompson) refused to take any responsibility and Patten even refused a recall to parliament. (BBC 2006 charter indemnifies BBC from Parliamentary scrutiny). Lucy Adams later admitted (after lying at inquiry that) she knew of the payments and has since resigned from the BBC. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/…/BBC-HR-boss-admits-mistake-in-evidence-to-MPs-on-payoffs.html
The year before; the BBC defended ‘stars’ paid through ‘personal services’ contracts… In evidence to the sam Public Accounts Committee, the BBC admitted that 148 of its 467 “on screen” presenters were paid through “personal service” firms rather than as ordinary employees. A breakdown submitted to the committee showed that some of the actors, presenters or musicians were paid more than £100,000 a year through personal service companies. Three of the performers received more than £150,000 annually. The news came as the corporation’s annual report disclosed that it pays 16 performers more than £500,000, including three who earn more than £1million a year *.
‘BBC bosses came under fire yesterday for paying 25,000 employees “off-the-payroll” in a potential tax avoidance loophole. Around 3,000 BBC employees are paid through private companies, allowing them to reduce their tax liabilities’.
http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/350171/BBC-allows-25-000-staff-to-avoid-tax
*Graham Norton, the chat show host, the sports presenter Gary Lineker and Match of the Day regular Alan Hansen, are each thought to earn a seven-figure annual sum (over a million pounds). Although there was no evidence that they were paid through private service companies. Figures disclosed in the annual report yesterday showed that 16 BBC top performers were paid a total of £9.7?million, (down from 19 million in the previous year). Other presenters are ‘off books’ and are unaccountable to the BBC however the BBC is the only client for tax purposes. The HMRC tax is looking into BBC ‘personal service’ contracts. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/consumertips/tax/9577017/HMRC-crackdown-on-freelance-tax-dodge-used-by-BBC-and-civil-servants.html
The sad reality is that the majority of the public are indifferent about taking action. They will feel outrage when it is exposed but in true British fashion will trudge on and say ‘that’s life’.
Inline with the Governments Applied Behavioural Physiology of ‘Nudging’ (Department of ‘Nudge’); distorting peoples’ views for the good of ‘policy’, biased BBC and Common Purpose Graduates networking and pushing the UK towards their political goals (and personal ambitions) we are falling into a controlled society. Just see the young people of today, they are being molded into sheep.
Check out UK Column,
http://www.youtube.com/user/ukcolumn/videos
Alternative Media that knows what is happening. They were reporting about Common Purpose, state supported pedophiles, corrupt government, charities masquerading as ‘change agents’ and tools of the establishment.
….long before any other media outlets published anything
One of many alternative news sources which communicates what actually happens in the UK and not the rosey picture the BBC presents
Now Angie ” A old man who raped a baby who born” that’s no way to speak about your prophet, is it?
The fact that they received well over 1000 complaints about excessive purile coverage of the Mandela idolatry, yet still continued unabated to stroke the image of the alternative marxist pope that they had created.
Without even a mention of the 150 people mandela was responsible for killing nor the 100’s of TONS of arms he smuggled into SA (which is the actual reason he went to jail).
And in contrast, just a month earlier, they labelled the 23 Boers (Afrikaners) who were sentenced to excessive prison sentences for accidentally killing ONE person in their attempt to get Independence discussions going, as “White Supremacists”. I guess that makes the Catalans, Basques and Kosovans Nazi’s too???
Oh, I think you missed the whole apartheid thing and the reasoning that a group of people had a right to defend themselves when they are being oppressed in their own country.
And the Afrikaners to which you are referring to had no problem using palafernalia clearly invoking Nazi iconography.
Now, if the BBC had been the only one lionizing Mandela you may have a point, but only the derided don’t recognize his cause as just and his behaviour after the end of apartheid as exemplary, he could have easily unleashed a round of proper ethnic cleansing but he didn’t.
But hey, nice to be you in your parallel universe I suppose.
Forced integration and forced racemixing is WORSE than apartheid. Far worse because it is genocide.
By force i mean overt, covert, and through social and political and emotional blackmail and coersion.
The biggest irony is that the true supremacists are liberals and marxists, as THEY want a One World State! Afrikaners and nationalists only want to rule themselves in their own country. If only you Supremacist control freaks really were in another universe…
The BBC (2 Jan 2014) has warned (Culture, Media and Sports Committee) ..’ that its programmes would be damaged if it was forced to seek commercial funding instead of the licence fee’… ‘BBC subscription would have ‘significant drawbacks’… ‘turn the BBC into a commercial operator with an incentive to provide services that maximise revenue and/or profits” http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/medianews/article3963348.ece
The BBC however has already partly PRIVATISED itself so this is patently untrue. Consider this list below and ask what are we actually paying for as License fee payers?
Its a fact that all BBC broadcast functions are now in private hands…
(1) The BBC transmitters were sold to USA in 1997. (Which sold them back to the UK in 2004, (National Grid plc). In 2005 name changed to National Grid Wireless. It’s now called Merlin Communications. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arqiva
(2) Merlin Communications, became VT Merlin Communications on London’s South Bank, is now Media Management Centre. From 8th July 2010 (part of the Babcock International Group), own all the current BBC broadcast transmitters and functions itself. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VT_Communications
(3) Since 1991 The BBC has also privatised the fee collection via TV Licensing Authority (Logo and Trademark remain BBC) now functions are provided by Capita Business Services Limited. (July 2002) ‘… Our role is to send out TVL reminders, process queries, applications and payments and maintain an accurate licence database. It also involves looking for people using a TV set without a valid licence”. From (Captia web site, 2006). (A total of 140,000 people were convicted of avoiding the licence fee in 2012). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-order/9154568/Thousands-in-court-every-week-for-not-having-a-TV-licence.html
(4) All BBC Magazines are also all privatised, as a publishing division of BBC Worldwide, the commercial subsidiary of the BBC. It is now part of a new venture called Immediate Media Company (1 Nov. 2011). Immediate Media is now the publishing company formed after the private equity take-over of BBC Magazines This includes Magazines (based on BBC programmes from Cookery to Top Gear). The BBC run these lucrative privatised under franchise and supplement meagre BBC income by being in joint private equity.
http://www.mediaweek.co.uk/…/immediate-media-named-new-home-bbc-magazines?
(5) The BBC employs INTERSERVE to fully service this fat Quango using public money. (Worth £150m over five-years). This ‘management and delivery of services’ at 150 key facilities including Broadcasting House in London, MediaCityUK in Salford, Pacific Quay in Glasgow. http://www.insidermedia.com/insider/south-east/100851-interserve-bags-150m-bbc-contract
(6) Two thirds of all BBC programming is now BBC repeats. In addition the BBC makes money by selling the ‘back catalogue’ to freeview channels on a BBC license fee basis. (Just like any commercial private Video or Photo Library). The BBC also ‘buys’ cheap children’s programmes that it can feature but does not own. i.e. Magic Roudabout and Hollywood ‘feature films’ shown on BBC just like any other commercial broadcaster such as ‘Sky’ or ‘BT vision’. No difference there.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/…/bbc/…/Almost-two-thirds-of-BBC-programmes-are-repeats.html
The BBC sees itself as an international ‘News’ organisation that deserves ‘private’ autonomy about disclosing too much public financial or embarrassing information such as ‘pay awards’ and ‘staff allegiances’. The Freedom of Information Act 2000 ensures that all BBC financial ‘facts and figures’ are kept secret “for the purposes of journalism”, (and that still exists until parliament decides to dispose of that license protection dreamt up under Labour in 2006. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/11/19/the_virus_that_ate_the_bbc/
(8) THE BBC relocation to Salford Quay Manchester means that the BBC is renting it’s luxury HQ premises from a private sector developer called PEELS (75%) and the remainder (25%) from Saudi Arabia (which are both UK tax exempt). In addition the fact that the landlord is one Labour entrepreneur and the other Saudi Arabian investor (both being UK tax exiled) sets the future tone of the future BBC as a ‘privately’ funded interest group. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2462151/BBCs-24m-Salford-relocation-difficult-justify-say-MPs.html
The BBC can strategically now survive without the BBC license fee (as it has already privatised it’s core functions) and has a sizeable London property portfolio to mortgage. The one thing that has not changed is it political bias towards the Liberal Socialist axis and Islamist group fronts where it gains funding and support from the EU for UK ‘social integration’ funds: The BBC’s famous impartiality of its coverage of the European Union after its charity arm received millions of pounds to promote the EU’s political agenda.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/10423013/BBC-faces-new-bias-row-over-charity-given-millions-by-EU.html
The UK taxpayer should consider it’s future is better off ‘broken-up’ into accountable pieces and sold for just £1 would save the nation 4.8 Billion pounds annually and save us from George Orwell’s nightmare that the BBC represents in stature and influence.
The BBC (The Times 2 Jan 2014) has warned (Culture, Media and Sports Committee) ..’ that its programmes would be damaged if it was forced to seek commercial funding instead of the licence fee’… ‘BBC subscription would have ‘significant drawbacks’… ‘turn the BBC into a commercial operator with an incentive to provide services that maximise revenue and/or profits”
The BBC however has already been PRIVATISED so this is patently untrue, it can work. Consider this list below and ask what are we actually paying for as BBC License fee payers?
Its a fact that all BBC broadcast functions are now in private hands…
(1) The BBC transmitters were sold to USA in 1997. (Which sold them back to the UK in 2004, (National Grid plc). In 2005 name changed to National Grid Wireless. It’s now called Merlin Communications. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arqiva
(2) Merlin Communications, became VT Merlin Communications on London’s South Bank, is now Media Management Centre. From 8th July 2010 (part of the Babcock International Group), own all the current BBC broadcast transmitters and functions itself. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VT_Communications
(3) Since 1991 The BBC has also privatised the fee collection via TV Licensing Authority (Logo and Trademark remain BBC) now functions are provided by Capita Business Services Limited. (July 2002) ‘… Our role is to send out TVL reminders, process queries, applications and payments and maintain an accurate licence database. It also involves looking for people using a TV set without a valid licence”. From (Captia web site, 2006). (A total of 140,000 people were convicted of avoiding the licence fee in 2012). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-order/9154568/Thousands-in-court-every-week-for-not-having-a-TV-licence.html
(4) All BBC Magazines are also all privatised, as a publishing division of BBC Worldwide, the commercial subsidiary of the BBC. It is now part of a new venture called Immediate Media Company (1 Nov. 2011). Immediate Media is now the publishing company formed after the private equity take-over of BBC Magazines This includes Magazines (based on BBC programmes from Cookery to Top Gear). The BBC run these lucrative privatised under franchise and supplement meagre BBC income by being in joint private equity.
http://www.mediaweek.co.uk/…/immediate-media-named-new-home-bbc-magazines?
(5) The BBC employs INTERSERVE to fully service this fat Quango using public money. (Worth £150m over five-years). This ‘management and delivery of services’ at 150 key facilities including Broadcasting House in London, MediaCityUK in Salford, Pacific Quay in Glasgow. http://www.insidermedia.com/insider/south-east/100851-interserve-bags-150m-bbc-contract
(6) Two thirds of all BBC programming is now BBC repeats. In addition the BBC makes money by selling the ‘back catalogue’ to freeview channels on a BBC license fee basis. (Just like any commercial private Video or Photo Library). The BBC also ‘buys’ cheap children’s programmes that it can feature but does not own. i.e. Magic Roudabout and Hollywood ‘feature films’ shown on BBC just like any other commercial broadcaster such as ‘Sky’ or ‘BT vision’. No difference there.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/…/bbc/…/Almost-two-thirds-of-BBC-programmes-are-repeats.html
(7) The BBC sees itself as an international ‘News’ organisation that deserves ‘private’ autonomy about disclosing too much public financial or embarrassing information such as ‘pay awards’ and ‘staff allegiances’. The Freedom of Information Act 2000 ensures that all BBC financial ‘facts and figures’ are kept secret “for the purposes of journalism”, (and that still exists until parliament decides to dispose of that license protection dreamt up under Labour in 2006. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/11/19/the_virus_that_ate_the_bbc/
(8) THE BBC relocation to Salford Quay Manchester means that the BBC is renting it’s luxury HQ premises from a private sector developer called PEELS (75%) and the remainder (25%) from Saudi Arabia (which are both UK tax exempt). In addition the fact that the landlord is one Labour entrepreneur and the other Saudi Arabian investor (both being UK tax exiled) sets the future tone of the future BBC as a ‘privately’ funded interest group. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2462151/BBCs-24m-Salford-relocation-difficult-justify-say-MPs.html
The BBC can strategically now survive without the BBC license fee (as it has already privatised it’s core functions) and has a sizeable London property portfolio to mortgage. The one thing that has not changed is it political bias towards the Liberal Socialist axis and Islamist group fronts where it gains funding and support from the EU for UK ‘social integration’ funds: The BBC’s famous impartiality of its coverage of the European Union after its charity arm received millions of pounds to promote the EU’s political agenda.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/10423013/BBC-faces-new-bias-row-over-charity-given-millions-by-EU.html
The UK taxpayer should consider it’s future is better off ‘broken-up’ into accountable pieces and sold for just £1 would save the nation 4.8 Billion pounds annually and save us from George Orwell’s nightmare that the BBC represents in stature and influence.
Philip – that’s brilliant! I’m glad to say I don’t watch BBC and don’t pay the licence fee, but the principle is true – why should they have public funding when they are just a propaganda machine? They are a disgraceful bunch of shameless manipulators who should all be sacked.
Just come across this site which I find very interesting particularly some of the lunatic views above. I have no political axe to grind but I would say any fair minded person would suggest the biggest bias in the BBC is to present no information at all. I must say the funniest issue so far is cutting off anyone who mentions Global warming or the contributory effects of UK war mongering on domestic terrorism.
I have to say yours is the only lunatic view, were you drunk when you commented.
On another FOI request (2013) on the number of CHILD ABUSERS at the BBC (since 2000). The BBC refuse to divulge – due to impartiality (cough), journalistic integrity (choke) or anything else remotely ’embarrassing’ to the BBC. Saville clearly did not work alone.
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/child_sexual_abuse#incoming-46590
Please sign this petition to abolish the TV licence. Maybe then we can get on with our lives in peace.
https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/end-the-bbc-licence-fee
PS Over 75,000 signatures already!
Please sign this petition to abolish the TV licence. Over 102,000 have already signed in a week.
Pass it on!
https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/end-the-bbc-licence-fee.
Why is the SNP not told that Scotland prefers Socialism but England has found out that socialism ruins countries and doesn’t want it so why is The SNP trying to force it on us!
Left wing bias? Maybe back in the day, but not anymore by a long stretch of the imagination.
The BBC’s political editor, Nick Robinson, was once chairman of the Young Conservatives. His former senior political producer, Thea Rogers, became George Osborne’s special advisor in 2012. Andrew Neil, the presenter of the BBC’s flagship political programmes Daily Politics and This Week, is chairman of the conservative Spectator magazine. His editor is Robbie Gibb, former chief of staff to the Tory Francis Maude.
After Andy Coulson was driven from No 10, David Cameron replaced him with the then BBC news controller Craig Oliver. Boris Johnson’s former communications supremo was the former BBC political correspondent Guto Harri; after moving to News International in 2012, he was replaced by the BBC’s Westminster news editor, Will Walden.
Insanity and stupidity rule. Of course the B.B.C. is grossly biased. The Glasgow University Media study thirty years ago proved it beyond doubt. Paxman, Robinson, Maher, Dimbleby, Landale, Brillo Pad. Very, very right wing. Obviously some of you have an extreme Overton window, and many of you are simpletons who believe the Daily Mail.
When you look for bias you can find it anywhere. I was watching ‘In the Night Garden’ with my granddaughter. The Pontypines were all (ten of them) sleeping in one bedroom. Clearly the nutters would interpret this as an attack on the bedroom tax and evidence of bias. Meanwhile the country lurches towards civil chaos. Hitler convinced Germans that mercantile Jews were communists. Ridiculous isn’t it?
The B.B.C. has always been right wing, and always will be.
Interesting then that labour want to keep it then..
hmmmm lots of people here complaining of right wing bias, but what they seem to be complaining about would seem to be a centre gound bias, when did you actually last see a right winger on the tele never mind not being berated and interrupted,
Be interested in how all this Stateside sideshow about “banning the Confederate flag” develops.
Typical liberal displacement activity,a mere symbol like plain cigarette packets…but allows the thick sadsacks a bit of a chance to signal how virtuous they all are.
I myself have got my old Lynard Skynard LPs out and will tell all who care to know about their pride in being white southereners.
Hope they start to move against the public showing of the rainbow flag-as much a provocation to we white christian conservatives as the confederate flag is to the liberals.
Should be fun.
Professionalism has replaced expertise as the most valued characteristic at the BBC . What this means is that the organisation is full of ill-informed cretins who are very good at the organisational side of their job.
Its been a while since I have had much to add in this section. But its probably the way (by making a marker) to ensure that the BBC is remembered for being the most disloyal and betraying servant of the people in living memory. It concerns the BBC and it’s so called ‘impartial’ reporting on Climate Change. It clearly had none. The introduction by Sir Anthony Jay sums up what the BBC thinks its role is… to undermine Science to make it poltically correct ‘consensual’ (when it clearly wasn’t). Attuned to Political needs of the UN (left) rather than a regard to the BBC Charter in word or deed. The book is a pretty damning legacy of the BBC, that it denies any involvement in misusing public money and trust and replacing it with glorified BBC bias based on ‘what-we-know-and-decide’ being found totally incorrect with assumptions and faulty computer data all GREATLY EXAGGERATED! Go read it, it is extraordinary detailed and compelling read. Nothing has changed since, and the BBC are still peddling the same line of lies. I am even more infuriated by the BBC now. If every politican read this the BBC budget would be immediatly cut by two thirds. It would be lucky to survive if all this was more widely known.
You can read this 76 page report for free (pdf format) ‘The BBC and Climate Change betrayal’ by Christopher Booker. With a foreward by (ex BBC) Anthony Jay.
http://www.thegwpf.org/christopher-christopher-booker-the-bbc-and-climate-change-a-triple-betrayal/
Christopher Booker is the author and a Telegraph journalist. He has regularly reported on scientific and political issues related to global warming. In 2009 he published a detailed history of how global warming developed into one of the most important and controversial issues of our time: The Real Global Warming Disaster: Is the obsession with ‘climate change’ is turning out to be the most costly scientific blunder in history? (Continuum, 2009). In December 2010 it was named by The Bookseller as having been one of the three best-selling books on the subject in Britain over the previous decade, (alongside works by Al Gore and James Lovelock).
Anthony Jay also questions the BBC ‘wisdom’ in claiming any such ‘impartiality’ on Climate Change when it has abused its position for a clearly political viewpoint. Jay has enjoyed a distinguished career as writer, BBC broadcaster and producer. He was a founder and editor of the BBC’s legendary Tonight programme and is famous for his political comedies Yes Minister and Yes, Prime Minister (1980-88).
The answer is simple: end the licence fee NOW. Everyone should write to their MP and demand its end.
The BBC is now an activist organization for cultural Marxism, and ordinary people should not have to pay their salaries. EVERY day the BBC has on Radio4, article after article on gays, blacks, lesbians, …as victims, . a great long list of people for BBC ‘support ‘. I listen each day and there it is all again and again.-dont truse me, listen for yourself.
Yet, ALL these ‘minorities are no longer minorities, they have full legal protection in law against any attack. Its over. no need for more and more relentless supplication. Its starts before Woman’s Hour, and goes on until BBC World Service takes over at midnight or later. ( I wonder if any Women still listen to Women’s Hour since is became a radical Marxist platform?)
There is no longer need to promote all these ‘victim’s as victims, the law has already bee made to ‘protect them. Pretending the only thing of worth is cultural Marxism, all history as miserabilist western bad white people until the rise of cultural Marxism, is what you get from listening to Radio4.
I really miss the Radio 4 of the past when every article did not have relentless cultural Marxism as its sole point.
In their own words: BBC cannot afford to tell the truth!
Can’t afford to Tell The Truth by Owen Bennet-Jones on the state of the BBC… writing in December 2018 London Book Review*
Trouble at the BBC according to Chris Moore (Author of Going Gone: How Newsrooms Die) * has worked as a BBC staff insider at the top and is now (ex) BBC (2012) tells it like it is. This book review is a serious article outlined by Owen Bennett-Jones on the state of the BBC is a take on the waste and mismanagement of the BBC Corporate. He documents a long list of BBC failures including wasting £3.8 Billion pounds a year on its mission to compete with Facebook, Apple, Netflix and Google… He explains that the cost strapped BBC (always short or money – so they say) cannot ever hope to compete with any of them for a number of reasons, that Chris Moore explains in the book. He likens the BBC to the poll tax as it has to reach 90% of the UK audience which is steadily and increasingly dwindling. He points out that the BBC are able to use figures that measure radio and TV audiences in terms of once a week, once a month even if viewers or listeners only do so for a second or minute. The BBC are able to chalk this up as adding to the numbers. This is important for the BBC as the BBC funding is based on hitting this number, (as the Author stresses) is a higher BBC priority than anything else such as informing, educating and entertaining. From the BBC’s point of view, he states that for several reasons the BBC are doomed as they are desperate to raise revenue but are hopeless at living within their means. This means for an example the BBC takes thirty staff to Davos (World Economic Forums) and over a hundred to Nelson Mandela’s funeral. BBC Managers spend most of there time avoiding ‘bad’ publicity on excessive deployments that many of us read about in the Daily Mail. The cost over runs are so excessive ‘in-house’ is due to routines that commercial companies just could not afford. Such as using the same ‘spokespeople’ until it becomes obvious that in house messaging has to be called in to ‘halt’ repeated use of their favourite pundits. Each programme sets its own budget and economies of scale is never materialised. The BBC journalists are competing with each other and suspicious of each other in equal measure. It is a pecking order of conformity, lesser journalist refusing to appear on lesser programmes as they consider beneath them. An example is the bottom of the pile is Radio Wales and Radio Scotland. These are services by a team of freelancers who are paid £40 for just three minutes work. Barely any thought is given to what other broadcasters are doing. They are too preoccupied with what other people are doing at the BBC. For an independent UK programme maker, selling a single TV documentary to the BBC can involve ten face to face meetings, dozens of conference calls, and several hundred emails over a year or two.
That the BBC can waste so much money is argument enough for radical reform of its funding arrangements. And a change is bound to come. Moore accounts for the slow decline of the World Service, its incompetent take over ill motivated, and grossly overpaid managers….. Moore is furious that these senior executives have dismantled the best aspect of the World Service. More complained but got nowhere with these imposed senior managers who were there solely for the high salaries and pension arrangements. He gives examples of Mark Thompsom (former DG), Alan Yentob and their ilk in which he set about the hopeless task of urging them to fly economy. Since the W1A appeared BBC managers (under parody) have become a national joke. The problem, he says, is structural. Today the system has collapsed, Tough decisions are endlessly battled between departments – programme, legal, editorial policy, multi-media, news and current affairs, and even health & safety – as everyone tries to avoid taking a decision. Manager’s admit (talking about the World Service) lack any knowledge of what editorial decisions that came before them. BBC managers are also unsackable. None have been sacked even when confronted with Jimmy Saville expose or the public court case against the BBC by Cliff Richard changes anything at the BBC. Nobody resigns at the BBC. It was ITV that had to uncover the abuse of Jimmy Saviile, the BBC refused to expose or even that he ever worked for the BBC.
The BBC claim to have over 5 hundred million world wide listeners however this is sleight of hand to achieve this which makes it largely meaningless. The trick is to chop it up into smaller pieces and range it out on every social media platform imaginable even if momentarily and by accident, counts as a member of this audience. The BBC does attract an audience in failed states around the world such as Somali, Afghanistan and South Sudan although it does not measure them in those countries. The BBC performs badly in the US where its agenda is seen (by those bought up on FOX news) see the BBC as a liberal leaning reinforced by the ‘re-broadcasting’ on US funded public radio stations whose audiences tend to be liberal.
Underlying all these uncertainties is the BBC claim to be ‘..the World’s Service is one of the important cultural exports and one of our sources of global influence.’ This statement by Lord Hall, the Director General of the BBC who is convinced that the BBC is in the first rank of British brands, alongside the royal family and the premier league. Such statements are intended to encourage generous licensee fee settlements and top-up funds for the World Service.
Despite such sentiment, there is plenty of evidence that the BBC, in both its international and domestic manifestations, deserves the epithet ‘state broadcaster’. The most important moment in the recent history of the BBC news was the publication of the Hutton inquiry into the surroundings of the death of scientist David Kelly. The report was highly critical of the BBC and ever since, editorial controls on output have become ever stifling. Most (BBC) editors now are less concerned about what should be ‘in’ than what should be left ‘out’. Its a fear of compliance and peer pressure. The vast output of news is is now merely sanctioned news from officials, and other news outlets. Most BBC journalists prefer to read the News (such as in The Guardian) rather than break the news nor see it as their job to do.
Until 1990’s it was the job of Mi5 to monitor the political opinion of its staff. This is no longer the case. The BBC can ‘leak’ information and change the timing or release of information to secure favourable coverage even to the point of denying it exists.
There are so many failures at the BBC but the license fee creates the incentive. The BBC still enjoys a high level of public support. The author argues that this is because of the reflection in the rest of the media and he gives two examples. which I find fascinating reading from a BBC insider…
Of the two national dailies The Guardian and the Financial Times both together have 334,000 circulation. Both papers have consistently been against BREXIT. Despite the BBC claim of ‘balance’ (which is still unproven I think, although the book the author claims otherwise). The two papers that backed BREXIT had over 4 million readers (that would be the Daily Mail and Express).
However, those that don’t trust the BBC around 20% to 35% are rejection what they think is fake news. All this poses a significant challenge to the BBC. No matter how many time the BBC point out a fake news item, it fails to alter the belief. Although the BBC insists on its commitment to impartiality there are times when it takes sides and ‘tells the truth’ as the BBC declares that a failure to lead, on some issues, a failure to take sides will lead to bad publicity.
As an example of this (so called) impartiality we are given the Climate Change Lobby, which the BBC had endorsed as ‘truth’ and that MMR vaccination does not cause autism. Not because of medical fact but the fear or of a backlash (from higher up) if it doesn’t.
The same goes for BREXIT. The fact checking only goes so far. The BBC is nervous about its future, it cannot survive without government subsidy and yet the licensee fee is unsustainable (an outdated and unpopular poll tax). A subscription is considered for some channels. The BBC has a hundreds of channels and most of Radio and TV will have be accountable to the huge losses it generates annually. If more widely known many would close.
The BBC will never embrace such a future. And it is to big to be reformed.
I have edited this and added some comment but you can see the general direction of the book. It is a lament of the once famous BBC let down by new wave minions hell bent on taking over the BBC for their own destructive politic and in doing so lining their pockets as the ship sinks. I have left out much more that may be of interest but I have had to edit a lot. Its worth more as he is passionate about saving the BBC, but he fears its too late. They are sinking. And he answer is to sack the lot up top…
Going Gone: How Newsrooms Die
Authored by ex BBC sound Engineer; Chris Moore, 254 pages.
Daily Mail: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/books/article-3120512/Why-job-Beeb-slow-death-flipchart-Chris-Moore-reveals-s-really-like-work-BBC.html
*London book review.
https://www.lrb.co.uk/v40/n24/owen-bennett-jones/cant-afford-to-tell-the-truth
The BBC reporter for Palestine surprised me a year ago.
She was reporting on the Arab tradition of once a year, going up to Israeli guards at a gate and threatening them and getting shot. The reporter asked a Palestinian woman why she was taking her children with her to the protest. The woman replied “Palestine needs blood” -this was not deleted from the report. I guess it was so blatant and disgusting that even the female reporter decided to include it.
Peter Sissons (quoted in January 2011):
“In my view, ‘bias’ is too blunt a word to describe the subtleties of the pervading culture. The better word is a ‘mindset’. At the core of the BBC, in its very DNA, is a way of thinking that is firmly of the Left.
By far the most popular and widely read newspapers at the BBC are The Guardian and The Independent. Producers refer to them routinely for the line to take on running stories, and for inspiration on which items to cover. In the later stages of my career, I lost count of the number of times I asked a producer for a brief on a story, only to be handed a copy of The Guardian and told ‘it’s all in there’.”
The Times dated: Monday 22nd June 2015
A former BBC executive memoir makes essential reading for license-fee payers.
Roger Mosley recalls in his memoirs of his career in public broadcasting at the BBC.
He has written a book called ‘Getting Out Alive’ and after 30 years broadcasting experience. He has this to say about the BBC as a reporter, producer, editor and senior executive at the corporation.
He recruited the best known presenters, and moved its entire corporation to Manchester and masterminded the BBC coverage of the London Olympics in 2012. So he has form as a mover and shaker at the BBC when it was then (as it is now) comprised of insular management protected from ‘real life’ (he mentions the response to the Jimmy Saville scandal). He says’ Its a culture that even now threatens to make the BBC a byword for profligacy and self interest rather than excellence. He states that the BBC evinces affection for the corporations program-makers and pride in its own achievements, but is devastating on its failures.
HE describes a news management system inclined to distort the news rather than report it; a delusional notion of the BBC’s typical radio listener; and a ‘liberal-defensive’ default mindset that bears no relation to the real world.
Mr Mosley goes on to explain about the BBC bewildered response to the Saville scandal as an ‘enormous cock-up” as well as the corporations sanitised reporting to the ‘immigration crisis’ on the Ten O’clock News, (for example). He observed how anyone who did not think uncontrolled ‘immigration’ was that good (the BBC clearly displaying a bias) was labelled fairly rabidly racist’ and made to look a solitary lone figure. The BBC then; fearful of breaking ‘Corporate guidelines’, had edited out reality.
Mr Mosley pointed out that the editorial policy reinforced teams to make sure the BBC’s vast news operation is consistent, ending up imposing on it a politically correct group think instead.
The Hypothetical target audience for local radio stations consisted of ‘Dave and Sue’, and open-minded middle age couple interested in ‘social-cohesion’ and ‘international development’, for example. Not exactly representative of real world listeners. “ It must have been something of a shock to the writer of this leaflet when many real-life Dave and Sue went off and joined Ukip”, Mr Mosley writes.
Mr Mosley is not the only senior insider to sound the alarm around the BBC’s world view. Mark Thompson, the former director-general, and Helen Boaden, director of BBC radio, has done so too. But Mr Mosey is the first to live through the Saville debacle and its aftermath and to offer such an unsparing look at what ails the broadcaster at the level of DNA.
This report is the edited version that appeared in The Times ‘leading articles’ section and is based on the book “Getting Out Alive” by Roger Mosley and his memoirs of career at the BBC.
[end of article]
Andrew Marr has since become the new darling of the BBC that is hardly critical of the BBC. It has become too big, too ‘omni-potent’ to criticise when you rely it for your big corporate pension. And the BBC pension scheme – is the best you can expect from a generous employer (with no constraints to its generosity -if you play the game). And that’s the problem. Working in the BBC you cannot see ANY of its faults (and there are horrendous examples that are reported) but when it pays you so much money, its better (and easier) to just ‘accept’ the status-quo and pocket the money.
What has changed in the past five years since this was published?
Not-a-lot apart from OFCOM. Our MP’s have failed to overhaul the BBC or change the TV license which is the root cause of the BBC’s problems and the fact that it Charter has been regularly abused for the past forty years and cannot be trusted with public funding.
This archive clip I have kept to see what would happen since MP’s looked into the way BBC finances were run. Thee big hope that OFCOM would change the way the BBC is run – totally inclined to the liberal global world view (even though BBC staffers have admitted to being Trotskyists or self admitted Labour activists or/and Marxist supporters), the ball rolls on with public money until the ‘next’ Charter review on 31 December 2027.
Surly this has to be the last Charter. There is no point perpetuating it.
Another update.
Other sites reporting BBC abuses over a long period are listed here. We are not alone on biasedbbc!
a. BBC Complaints evidence: Evidence of BBC bias archived.
http://www.bbccomplaints.com
b. Culture, Media and Sport Committee (2013) ‘THE Priorities FOR the new Director-General of the BBC’ – the media ‘untouchables’
https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmselect/cmcumeds/uc1099-i/uc109901.htm
c. This is what BBC bias looks like: Corruption and omissions a plenty
https://camera-uk.org/2014/08/04/this-is-what-it-looks-like-when-the-bbc-waives-its-fourth-estate-role/
d. BBC Bias digest archives. Useful current BBC misinformation and biases
https://news-watch.co.uk
e. BBC reality check. The BBC and ‘Fake News” agenda
https://tallbloke.wordpress.com/2017/01/13/bbc-reality-check-team-to-expose-social-media-fake-news-stories/
f. BBC and a house full of ‘Common Purpose’ graduates.
https://www.cpexposed.com/latest-news/common-purpose-caught-nuclear-fallout-after-attack-press-freedom
g. BBC can often ignore FOI complaints as commercially ‘sensitive’.
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/search/BBC%20complaints
h. BBC cover up those Scientists that prove climate since 1960’s.
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/search/BBC%20complaints
i. BBC expansion – includes its commercial activities via ‘limited’ companies.
The BBC is totally reliant on its TV license fee, it uses the TV license to ‘create’ jobs.
https://www.nao.org.uk/report/the-bbcs-commercial-activities-a-landscape-review/
j. The BBC and the EU: a bromance made in left-liberal heaven
http://scottgronmark.blogspot.com/2016/05/the-bbc-and-eu-bromance-made-in-left.html?showComment=1462363817891
k. Defund the BBC campaign – Defund the next BBC Charter due in 2027
https://www.defundbbc.uk/
l. Axe-The-Tax campaign – current situation on the fallacy of BBC Charter in 2027
https://www.tfa.net/axe_the_tv_tax
Finally. We can all make a a difference here in the UK against the BBC cancelling valid opinion and facts presented as balance.
The BBC are at war with Freedom as we know it. They want to silence all debate that may upset the cartel of global misinformation.
https://www.tfa.net/
OFCOM: Other than in exceptional circumstances, Ofcom can only consider your complaint if you’ve already complained to the BBC first. And the BBC will ‘palm’ it off as being protected under the BBC Charter for journalist integrity. They use the Charter in almost all replies unless they have a legal requirement bordering on financial fraud or and misconduct by staff. You need supportive evidence of malpractice (with supporting evidence of an error, which they will initially deny). Only then OFCOM are asked to verify the charge and report -usually after the horse has bolted.
https://www.ofcom.org.uk/tv-radio-and-on-demand/advice-for-consumers/how-ofcom-deals-with-bbc-complaints
Postscript: Please feel free to add your own BBC critical sites. This will never stop until the BBC is sold off in parts starting with radio by removing the BBC Charter, (which no longer applies in practice). It has lost all credibility as it has abused its Charter obligations and monopoly position for far too long. It is currently ‘protected’ by its Charter from any reform.
Another petition (if you have time). At some point it has to be de-commissioned by parliament and voted on in parliament to remove its Charter of abuse. The more signatures will focus MP’s into what they should be voting for in the national interest for the UK.
Hold a binding referendum on the future of the TV licence.
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/587212
2023 New years list of critical of BBC transmissions and of historic left wing bias…
In particular: BBC ‘recommendations and endorsements’ are far and wide influencing politics across the UK. This is also why its attractive to global ‘influencers’. Corporate political agenda bias confirmation (for a price).
(1) COVID restrictions and lock downs (enforced) perpetual vaccination…
(2) Imposition of face masks for all (enforced) perpetual face masks
(3) COVID vaccinations for children (enforced)* until death by drug complications
(4) EU policies should trump UK electorate – (sham politics) Socialism trumps ‘conservatism’
(5) EHRC judgements trump UK Courts – (endorsed as good as it undermines ALL UK courts.)
(6) Green convergence by globalists (mandatory proclamation leading to ‘net zero’
(7) Green ban on mass transportation (unless your very rich you cannot now own a private car)
(8) Green endorsements by Globalists (SOROS, GATES*, SHWAB, are all corporate global factions)
The BBC bias is beyond absurd. Its cultural vandalism leading to an inevitable crisis and financial collapse.
– BBC effectively ‘banning a harmless natural gas used for growing plants and food (makes no sense of Farming or Agriculture)
– BBC (False -BBC Fact Checking) on ‘global’ Climate (deemed social) ‘Science’ claims that are NOT based entirely on facts (are contrary to REAL Science)
– BBC claims its unbiased whilst demonstrating the exact opposite.
– BBC drama claiming global climate apocalypse (is a common theme) i.e David Attenborough runs his own production Co. on such claims.
– BBC factual drama (as documentaries) are not entirely factually based but sold as IF it was factual.
– BBC indoctrination of staff is well known. They are promoted if they ask no questions… (loyalty debt)
– BBC ex-staffers confirm that ANY critical views are challenged (by consensus) and demoted (the cost)
– BBC acts like a ‘fiefdom’, only the ‘right ‘views are tolerated. (Internal reviews on what is ‘best’)
– BBC ‘correct’ view of the world are represented as if the UK is more or less ‘consensual’.
– BBC is influenced by its staff recruitment process it calls its core ‘Ethos’. (A ban on conservative thinkers)
– BBC is unduly influenced by big global billionaires* (proven)
All this is paid by the UK taxpayer, however disabled, unable, debt-ridden or morally opposed. Deaf or Blind owning a TV set and listening or viewing only occasionally. Its bonkers. Mp’s are aware of the problems at the BBC but see no reason to stop it – as they so not want the publicity of trying to close down a national institution that (by Charter) has to cover UK state parliament, Royal announcements and state Funerals. It does this as part of Broadcast Charter obligations, although its ignores the Charter and has done so many times, it is largely immune as long as the Charter exists.
The BBC is an indifferent corporate monster. it exist to prove that it can exist, despite critics, sex scandals, financial trafficking, social bias, false climate predictions and change of governments.
BBC Pension investments
https://www.business-humanrights.org/en/latest-news/uk-bbc-pension-fund-criticised-for-investing-more-than-150million-in-chinese-state-owned-companies-accused-of-links-to-alleged-serious-human-rights-violations/
BBC TV License campaign that it is unfair and forced on the public.
https://www.defundbbc.uk/
Stop paying the BBC TV license. How to cancel it and avoid paying it.
https://www.tvlicencestop.co.uk/
Mumsnet collecting examples of BBC bias.
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/3296433-BBC-Bias-Collecting-Examples-here
BBC Declared Most Biased News Service By The British Public.
https://thepointnews.uk/
BBC news and views blog of biased BBC news examples.
https://isthebbcbiased.blogspot.com/
BBC bias by presentation (why it should be privatised)
https://iea.org.uk/blog/bbc-bias-by-presentation-a-case-study-of-think-tanks
BBC ex staff critical of BBC bias.
https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/stopbbcbias/
BBC are against UK workers (who are not Marxist or Liberals or ‘off the left’)
https://www.thecanary.co/topics/bbc-bias/
BBC bias is ‘built-in’ to very structure of the BBC itself.
View at Medium.com
BBC bias as reported by Conservative Woman (TCW) and its mis-use of the its Broadcast Charter (again)
https://www.conservativewoman.co.uk/help-us-crowdfund-to-stop-bbc-bias/
BBC has for a long time attacked Israel for being ‘Jewish’. Its an inherent left wing ‘bias’.
https://besacenter.org/bbc-bias-israel/
BBC has for along time attacked Rome for being ‘Catholic’. Its anti- Christian in all things.
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/7733/uk-bishops-angered-by-bbc-attack-on-pope
Complaining about the BBC are always ignored. Unless its approved by OfCom first who will direct you to BBC complaints procedure who will state effectively they are immune under the TV broadcasting act by parliament where each and every BBC journalist is covered and protected fro adverse comment. Exceptions are Police investigations, Overt tax avoidance (HMRC).
(Try it and see for yourself… how far you get without press coverage).
https://ico.org.uk/your-data-matters/data-protection-and-journalism/complaining-about-the-bbc/
Ofcom does not see the BBC as ‘biased’. In defence = The BBC like to call it ‘News and Opinion’ (as this is specifically protected by the BBC Charter.)
https://www.jewishrefugees.org.uk/2022/06/ofcom-rejects-complaint-on-bbc-bias-regarding-refugees.html
BBC bias is also set against children. Following a ‘cover up’ at the BBC which was ignored for many years until Jimmy Saville suddenly ‘died’.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC_sexual_abuse_cases
The Future for the BBC is uncertain. It is rich (thanks to the TV license) but has lost all morality and authority. it exists only as a monopoly corporate body (that pays no corporate tax). Its main claim to fame is that it has a ‘global’ audience of 500 million . However it is fined almost exclusively by the TV license under threat of UK court-action. This it does through fear and fines by the UK courts. to those who refuse to pay – or cannot pay.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/bbc-and-s4c-final-2022-licence-fee-settlement-letters/letter-from-secretary-of-state-to-bbc-on-final-determination-of-the-2022-licence-fee-settlement
The BBC is worth £16.6 Billion pounds (2019) on Its own over generous pension scheme. It also pays its prized journalists more than any other UK broadcast provider can afford.
https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/news/article-7070107/BBC-British-pension-funds-lost-millions-investments-Tesla.html
It has also committed to disclosing those who are routinely paid more than £150,000 pounds (which it use to never disclose). The top awards are in the Millions and not disclosed.
https://employeebenefits.co.uk/issues/september-online-2016/bbc-charter-provides-transparency-pay/
Modernising the BBC is open for discussion by Ofcom. (2021)
Click to access global.pdf
BBC Bias includes re-writing history to suit its own political agenda (at the same time as denying any bias exists).
https://historyreclaimed.co.uk/can-we-trust-the-bbc-with-our-history/
The BBC Charter in 2016
https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn03416/
The BBC ignores it top five commitments. It can ignore anything it does not agree with. it has your money *(£3.8 Billion each year). Parliament has failed to reign in the BBC largesse and global aspirations. Many on the left of politics actively encourage its shared views. Its values are not shared by the public at large. But the values of the BBC media corporate of what they WANT to do is to Change public perception. The presumption is that it has no bias (at all) is often used which has been challenged since the last war. Then the BBC has its role to play.
The BBC sphere of global and influence and why the globalists pay the BBC for such influence (a form of political lobbying not specifically banned).
https://factnest.com/rethink/depopulation-agenda-of-the-globalist-billionaires/
The BBC adores the very nature of the EU. It can do no wrong, however brutal, distorted or financially corrupt it becomes.
https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-millions-in-eu-funding-the-bbc-tried-to-hide/
Its going to be a very long year 2023. Again.
The BBC claim they are impartial, but as long as we pay the TV license they can claim UK cultural conformity cultural conformity – such as ‘Net Zero’ which the BBC claim as a ‘scientific proof; when none exits scientifically. It is contested but the BBC ignore dissent as we head towards George Orwell corporate absurdity that ignores all facts made in DAVOS, WEF or UN Agenda 21 to favour globalist lobby groups who also help fund the BBC against a sceptical UK public forced to pay for it.