I will admit my agenda straight away. I do not have much affection for the BBC at this moment in time. I support the licence fee and believe the BBC to be, historically speaking, a great institution for this country. I also strongly enjoy the BBC output. The trouble is, as a BBC viewer, I rather feel as though it has become the political wing of the Tory-led government - far from being independent, and far from being the left-wing biased organisation it often finds itself accused of.
Whether it is Jeremy Clarkson and friends sharing their very centre-right world view with viewers, or the BBC appointing a past Tory chairman - Chris Patten - as chairman of the BBC Trust, or inviting David Cameron on to the popular teatime tribute to touchy-feeliness The One Show, there are times when I feel the BBC has its colours nailed to the mast in a way we are supposed to believe they do not.
With that in mind, I will not be sorry to see the BBC pared down a little. Not that it would fill me with pleasure, nor would I not want to see the BBC cut to the bone, but it certainly has some fat to lose.
The BBC director general, Mark Thompson has outlined some cuts which could be made. Here are a few I would like to see:-
1. There is a lot of waste in channel use. Are BBC3 and BBC4 vanity projects or are they really needed? Regarding BBC3, I can live well enough without Snog Marry Avoid? (Produced by Endemol - who else?). In fact most people of most ages could live without the cheap and tacky rubbish that fills BBC3. If they cannot, then there is always ITV2. BBC4 has more depth, but I have noticed a few repeats on the channel. It did give me a chance to watch Electric Dreams - fantastic viewing. BBC3 and BBC4 could be merged though, and renamed. Alternatively, they could be abolished altogether and their programming used to fill gaps on BBC1 and BBC2.
2. For earlier in the day, I do not believe the BBC need to spend on two children's TV channels, even if they are pitched to different age groups. I was lucky if I got to see two hours of children's TV after school.
3. Abolish all the lifestyle shows in the daytime on BBC1 (which usually involve an auction room or rebuilding a property) and replace them with the testcard. I have missed that blackboard and chalk.
4. Local radio should be peak only and give us Radio Five Live at other times on FM.
5. Stop sending George Alagiah on holiday to disaster zones when the news can be presented from the studio.
6. Bring more BBC World news to our British screens. We would love it.
I am sure I could think of many other savings the BBC could make. However, the BBC must remember the inclusive principles that guide it. That means protecting the Asian Network. It also means continued support for 6 Music, which is one of the few refuges from the R n' B and pop which saturates mainstream radio elsewhere. The BBC is at its best when it caters for everyone, regardless of interest. It must be kept that way.
Sunday 27 March 2011
Capello out!
Sunday Supper supported the England football manager, Fabio Capello, even after the dismal World Cup, even after most of the British press had already scapegoated him for England's greater failures. In the past, I have spoken out in support of Capello when the vultures elsewhere circled. No more. England will win nothing with him in charge. Then again, England will not win anything until the retirement of most of the senior members of this present 'golden generation'.
Capello has handled the England captaincy issue with all the thoughtfulness of Basil Fawlty. Firstly, he rightly strips the undeserving John Terry of the captaincy because of his off-field behaviour. Then, the armband is tossed around like it is the central prop in a game of pass-the-parcel, before it is snatched out of the hands of the slightly more deserving Rio Ferdinand and placed back into the hands of Terry.
This episode does nothing to promote the belief that Capello is dealing with the challenges of the England job with rationality. He has gone from an authoritarian figure to someone who does not seem to know where he is anymore. In the meantime, England stumble on towards Euro 2012 qualification (though Montenegro could still have something to say about that) before the inevitable collapse when coming up against better-organised opposition of similar ability in the Euro 2012 finals.
I do not envy Capello. I cannot bring myself to cheer on the likes of John Terry, Ashley Cole and Wayne Rooney (to name three), let alone want to manage them. If I had to choose between Brentford winning League One or England winning Euro 2012, send the League One title to west London now. Despite this, I have come to accept Capello is not doing a very good job, so perhaps now is a good time to put him, and us, out of our collective misery.
Capello has handled the England captaincy issue with all the thoughtfulness of Basil Fawlty. Firstly, he rightly strips the undeserving John Terry of the captaincy because of his off-field behaviour. Then, the armband is tossed around like it is the central prop in a game of pass-the-parcel, before it is snatched out of the hands of the slightly more deserving Rio Ferdinand and placed back into the hands of Terry.
This episode does nothing to promote the belief that Capello is dealing with the challenges of the England job with rationality. He has gone from an authoritarian figure to someone who does not seem to know where he is anymore. In the meantime, England stumble on towards Euro 2012 qualification (though Montenegro could still have something to say about that) before the inevitable collapse when coming up against better-organised opposition of similar ability in the Euro 2012 finals.
I do not envy Capello. I cannot bring myself to cheer on the likes of John Terry, Ashley Cole and Wayne Rooney (to name three), let alone want to manage them. If I had to choose between Brentford winning League One or England winning Euro 2012, send the League One title to west London now. Despite this, I have come to accept Capello is not doing a very good job, so perhaps now is a good time to put him, and us, out of our collective misery.
Sunday 20 March 2011
Update 1: War on Gaddafi in Libya
The inevitable war on the Colonel Gaddafi regime in Libya is under way, with an international coalition military offensive backed by the United Nations. What was billed as an enforcement of a no-fly zone, as agreed at the UN, now involves a massive bombardment of Libyan targets. To all intents and purposes, this is war.
It is war because they have described it as such on the BBC (approx 23:20 on 20/3/11) and also the British populist press (link) are outrageously commentating on it like a war game.
Not that the Libyan regime is the first to ruthlessly suppress proletarian uprisings, but as usual we pick and choose our conflicts. There is usually a direct correlation between natural resources and western involvement. Lucky for Bob Mugabe that Zimbabwe is mainly agricultural.
My position has softened since my initial standpoint of not getting involved in Libyan affairs at all, but I still have reservations about sending our servicemen and women to another war zone.
My key reservation is that it is unclear how many Libyans really support this action. The protests against Gaddafi's regime have been clearly seen on the news. However those who have been to football matches where violence breaks out on the streets are well aware that reporters do not take their cameras to the quiet streets, only where the action is. So how representative is what is on the screen?
There is no disputing the crowds are present, for they have been witnessed in action on the television. Much depends on how many of the quiet majority support them. This is the unquantifiable. I would guess they have a sizable support, but it would be only a guess. Military interventions are never an exact science in terms of what the right thing is to do, which is why mistakes have been made in the past, notably in Iraq.
The best we can do now is back our forces and hope their work provides hope for the future of Libya. My more realistic concern is that this conflict could escalate, with bloody consequences.
It is war because they have described it as such on the BBC (approx 23:20 on 20/3/11) and also the British populist press (link) are outrageously commentating on it like a war game.
Not that the Libyan regime is the first to ruthlessly suppress proletarian uprisings, but as usual we pick and choose our conflicts. There is usually a direct correlation between natural resources and western involvement. Lucky for Bob Mugabe that Zimbabwe is mainly agricultural.
My position has softened since my initial standpoint of not getting involved in Libyan affairs at all, but I still have reservations about sending our servicemen and women to another war zone.
My key reservation is that it is unclear how many Libyans really support this action. The protests against Gaddafi's regime have been clearly seen on the news. However those who have been to football matches where violence breaks out on the streets are well aware that reporters do not take their cameras to the quiet streets, only where the action is. So how representative is what is on the screen?
There is no disputing the crowds are present, for they have been witnessed in action on the television. Much depends on how many of the quiet majority support them. This is the unquantifiable. I would guess they have a sizable support, but it would be only a guess. Military interventions are never an exact science in terms of what the right thing is to do, which is why mistakes have been made in the past, notably in Iraq.
The best we can do now is back our forces and hope their work provides hope for the future of Libya. My more realistic concern is that this conflict could escalate, with bloody consequences.
Introducing... controversial teen singer Rebecca Black
If you have been anywhere near Twitter or any other social media over the past week, you may have heard of the latest Internet phenomenon, Rebecca Black. As I type she is still trending on Twitter (as she has been for much of the week). I had no idea who she was until I saw the name enough times for me to take notice.
It did not take much research to realise that this is not another Internet phenomenon based on admiration - quite the opposite. This young 13 year old girl has seemingly become the most hated person in America, for the alleged crime of singing the most atrocious song ever, entitled Friday. It has had the best part of 20 million views on YouTube, largely by people queuing up to sneer at it. There is clearly a shortage of people in the world to hate if this is what it has come to.
Curious to discover the level of atrocity leading to this public display of ranting and raving, I decided to have a listen and yes, the song is atrocious.
Oddly enough, I did not find myself paralysed with rage, or wanting to smash my laptop to relieve myself of this aural nightmare. In fact, poor though it is, the song is not the most obnoxious assault on our eardrums in the history of popular music. It is fairly typical of the rest of the rubbish that has polluted much of the airwaves since early 2010.
Vocals with the soul autotuned out of it? Check. Generic electronic backing track? Check. Banal and meaningless lyrics? Check. If anything, it fits in perfectly with the present music scene. Thank goodness for Adele.
It is mainly the lyrics that have been roundly condemned:-
"Yesterday was Thursday Thursday,
Today it is Friday Friday,
Gotta get down to the bus stop, gotta get my bus,
I see my friends and and we we we so excited, we so excited."
It is not hard to see why, but are they any worse than these abominations?
"I spent my time just thinkin thinkin thinkin bout you,
Every single day yes, i'm really missin' missin' you,
And all those things we use to use to use to do,
Hey girl, wuz up, it use to be just me and you,
I spent my time just thinkin thinkin thinkin bout you."
or
"No, no, no, no, don’t phunk with my heart,
I wonder if I take you home, would you still be in love, baby, in love, baby
I wonder if I take you home, would you still be in love, baby, in love, baby"
or
"What you gon' do with all that junk?
All that junk inside your trunk?
I'ma get, get, get, get, you drunk,
Get you love drunk off my hump.
My hump, my hump, my hump, my hump, my hump,
My hump, my hump, my hump, my lovely little lumps."
These crimes against literature have all been part of songs by the absurdly successful bubblegum pop act (and do not try to argue otherwise), The Black Eyed Peas. The main protagonist in this group, will.i.am has gone on to produce for many artists including Cheryl Cole and Michael Jackson, and surely made a fortune doing so.
When put into context, Rebecca Black should fit in comfortably. Bad though her efforts are, we must remember she is only 13 (What is will.i.am's excuse?). Though her song is rubbish to our ears, it would probably score at least an A minus as a GCSE music coursework project. And when I look at it like that, I cannot share the contempt that others display. I can think of many people in the world more worthy of hatred than a harmless teen.
It did not take much research to realise that this is not another Internet phenomenon based on admiration - quite the opposite. This young 13 year old girl has seemingly become the most hated person in America, for the alleged crime of singing the most atrocious song ever, entitled Friday. It has had the best part of 20 million views on YouTube, largely by people queuing up to sneer at it. There is clearly a shortage of people in the world to hate if this is what it has come to.
Curious to discover the level of atrocity leading to this public display of ranting and raving, I decided to have a listen and yes, the song is atrocious.
Oddly enough, I did not find myself paralysed with rage, or wanting to smash my laptop to relieve myself of this aural nightmare. In fact, poor though it is, the song is not the most obnoxious assault on our eardrums in the history of popular music. It is fairly typical of the rest of the rubbish that has polluted much of the airwaves since early 2010.
Vocals with the soul autotuned out of it? Check. Generic electronic backing track? Check. Banal and meaningless lyrics? Check. If anything, it fits in perfectly with the present music scene. Thank goodness for Adele.
It is mainly the lyrics that have been roundly condemned:-
"Yesterday was Thursday Thursday,
Today it is Friday Friday,
Gotta get down to the bus stop, gotta get my bus,
I see my friends and and we we we so excited, we so excited."
It is not hard to see why, but are they any worse than these abominations?
"I spent my time just thinkin thinkin thinkin bout you,
Every single day yes, i'm really missin' missin' you,
And all those things we use to use to use to do,
Hey girl, wuz up, it use to be just me and you,
I spent my time just thinkin thinkin thinkin bout you."
or
"No, no, no, no, don’t phunk with my heart,
I wonder if I take you home, would you still be in love, baby, in love, baby
I wonder if I take you home, would you still be in love, baby, in love, baby"
or
"What you gon' do with all that junk?
All that junk inside your trunk?
I'ma get, get, get, get, you drunk,
Get you love drunk off my hump.
My hump, my hump, my hump, my hump, my hump,
My hump, my hump, my hump, my lovely little lumps."
These crimes against literature have all been part of songs by the absurdly successful bubblegum pop act (and do not try to argue otherwise), The Black Eyed Peas. The main protagonist in this group, will.i.am has gone on to produce for many artists including Cheryl Cole and Michael Jackson, and surely made a fortune doing so.
When put into context, Rebecca Black should fit in comfortably. Bad though her efforts are, we must remember she is only 13 (What is will.i.am's excuse?). Though her song is rubbish to our ears, it would probably score at least an A minus as a GCSE music coursework project. And when I look at it like that, I cannot share the contempt that others display. I can think of many people in the world more worthy of hatred than a harmless teen.
Sunday 13 March 2011
Some thoughts about Japan
The events in Japan this week make us realise how trivial our worries really are. For us, we may only be living the disastrous fallout from the earthquake through newspapers and the news channels, but the sight of people in cars trying to outrun a tsunami wave will haunt us forever.
We complain about Britain because we know it follows one of the most market-orientated modes of government - at the expense of welfare. When we had some 'extreme' (by our standards) weather during winter, the damage was measured in terms of cost to the economy rather than the effect it had on everyday life. Sadly, that discourse runs through the media, even the BBC.
But there is one thing we can be truly grateful for, and that the weather and the climate we complain about is, in reality, not extreme at all. Neither is the land in which we live, which is one of the safest geological locations on the planet.
Tonight, and every night since the disaster unfolded, I have been praying for the people of Japan. We hoped the earthquake would not be too destructive. Then we hoped the oncoming tsunami would be gentle with the population. Now we hope that the problems experienced at the Fukushima nuclear plant can be resolved.
So far our best hopes have been in vain. Now is the time for the world to pull together, first to help our Japanese friends, then to start looking after each other a little better, and stop worrying about the financial cost of everything.
We complain about Britain because we know it follows one of the most market-orientated modes of government - at the expense of welfare. When we had some 'extreme' (by our standards) weather during winter, the damage was measured in terms of cost to the economy rather than the effect it had on everyday life. Sadly, that discourse runs through the media, even the BBC.
But there is one thing we can be truly grateful for, and that the weather and the climate we complain about is, in reality, not extreme at all. Neither is the land in which we live, which is one of the safest geological locations on the planet.
Tonight, and every night since the disaster unfolded, I have been praying for the people of Japan. We hoped the earthquake would not be too destructive. Then we hoped the oncoming tsunami would be gentle with the population. Now we hope that the problems experienced at the Fukushima nuclear plant can be resolved.
So far our best hopes have been in vain. Now is the time for the world to pull together, first to help our Japanese friends, then to start looking after each other a little better, and stop worrying about the financial cost of everything.
Murdoch to take full control of Sky - what next?
So Rupert Murdoch got his way and was able to win approval by the government for News Corporation to take full control of BSkyB.
It left me feeling a little disorientated. In one respect, I was annoyed because I felt he had won - again. In another, had it not been for his travails, I would not have known that he did not have full control of the broadcaster. For some reason I always assumed BSkyB was his pride and joy anyway.
I certainly was not aware that his share was a mere 39 percent.
Assuming the takeover goes smoothly and Murdoch ends up in full control, the concern is regarding what will happen next. The sweetener that appears to have paved the way was Murdoch's agreement to only hold a maximum of 39 percent of Sky News and keeping it separate from the rest of the company.
There is one caveat, which is the concern as to whether any safeguards have been put into place that would prevent Murdoch from launching a Fox News for the UK, a channel which he would have a full share in. Considering I have not heard about any such safeguards, I can only assume the answer to that is 'no'.
It left me feeling a little disorientated. In one respect, I was annoyed because I felt he had won - again. In another, had it not been for his travails, I would not have known that he did not have full control of the broadcaster. For some reason I always assumed BSkyB was his pride and joy anyway.
I certainly was not aware that his share was a mere 39 percent.
Assuming the takeover goes smoothly and Murdoch ends up in full control, the concern is regarding what will happen next. The sweetener that appears to have paved the way was Murdoch's agreement to only hold a maximum of 39 percent of Sky News and keeping it separate from the rest of the company.
There is one caveat, which is the concern as to whether any safeguards have been put into place that would prevent Murdoch from launching a Fox News for the UK, a channel which he would have a full share in. Considering I have not heard about any such safeguards, I can only assume the answer to that is 'no'.
We're back!
A mixture of temperamental Internet connection and stubbornness to only add to this page on a Sunday means that no Sunday Supper went out last week.
Coming up: what I sort of had prepared.
Coming up: what I sort of had prepared.
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