Post by Teddy Bear on Sept 18, 2009 21:56:03 GMT
It's unusual to hear any government arm actually sounding honest and intelligent, applying moral values to their reasoning instead of spin.
The Tories are stepping up the pressure against the BBC - I love it.
Reading Mark Thompson's response to statements yesterday by Ben Bradshaw, I was reminded of a Fawlty Tower episode when 'Basil' was taken to task by a threatening visiting American for lousy service. Basil was so certain that the other meek English guests would not take the American side, he launched into a patriotic defense designed to stir the spirit of these guests, and keep them onside. However, they weren't taken in.
Here's what Thompson said, and hopefully he won't have any more success than Basil.
Director-general Mark Thompson hit back last night, accusing him of political meddling and a ‘frankly puzzling’ attack on the BBC Trust.
‘To threaten them with imminent or creeping abolition when they take a different view from you is not in keeping with the tradition of political independence on which the whole of British public broadcasting is based,’ he said.
With the laugh of Jim Carrey I say heh heh heh heh heh ;D
The Tories are stepping up the pressure against the BBC - I love it.
Reading Mark Thompson's response to statements yesterday by Ben Bradshaw, I was reminded of a Fawlty Tower episode when 'Basil' was taken to task by a threatening visiting American for lousy service. Basil was so certain that the other meek English guests would not take the American side, he launched into a patriotic defense designed to stir the spirit of these guests, and keep them onside. However, they weren't taken in.
Here's what Thompson said, and hopefully he won't have any more success than Basil.
Director-general Mark Thompson hit back last night, accusing him of political meddling and a ‘frankly puzzling’ attack on the BBC Trust.
‘To threaten them with imminent or creeping abolition when they take a different view from you is not in keeping with the tradition of political independence on which the whole of British public broadcasting is based,’ he said.
With the laugh of Jim Carrey I say heh heh heh heh heh ;D
We'll rein in the BBC, say Tories in radical plans to prevent 'one broadcaster state'
By James Chapman
The BBC will be forced to rein in fat cat salaries, its creeping commercial activities and internet empire under radical Tory plans to prevent Britain becoming a ‘one broadcaster state’.
Conservative culture spokesman Jeremy Hunt said that the corporation would be required to restrict its ambitions to ‘core broadcasting’ if the Tories win the next election.
Mr Hunt, in an interview with the Daily Mail, suggested discussions over the future of the licence fee would hinge on the BBC agreeing to dramatically scale back activities that are forcing out commercial competitors.
His radical proposals include:
A cap on top BBC executives’ pay of £192,250
A block on inflationary increases to the licence fee
Scrapping the BBC Trust, with powers transferred to an independent body – possibly Ofcom
BBC’s commercial arm, BBC Worldwide, limited to promoting products overseas. Parts of it could be sold off
Dominant online presence scaled back
Channels with low audiences, such as BBC3 and BBC4, could be scrapped
The proposals come after a spat between the BBC and Culture Secretary Ben Bradshaw.
Mr Bradshaw warned earlier this week that the BBC had probably expanded far enough and raised the possibility of the ruling BBC Trust being replaced by an external regulator.
Director-general Mark Thompson hit back last night, accusing him of political meddling and a ‘frankly puzzling’ attack on the BBC Trust.
‘To threaten them with imminent or creeping abolition when they take a different view from you is not in keeping with the tradition of political independence on which the whole of British public broadcasting is based,’ he said.
A defiant BBC Trust chairman Sir Michael Lyons insisted: ‘We are here to do a job and we will continue to do that job of re-shaping the BBC and protecting its independence.’
Mr Hunt’s intervention raises the stakes in the debate over the future of the BBC.
He warned that there was now a ‘real danger’ of it crowding out competitors.
‘We would certainly make clear our concerns over the scope of the BBC’s commercial activity in any discussions over its future, for example decisions over the licence fee settlement,’ he said.
‘We would want a clear understanding of how the BBC was going to rein in its commercial activities.
‘Do we want the BBC to do less good quality, family entertainment? No, we don’t.
'But do we want the BBC to constrain its ambitions beyond that core broadcasting? Absolutely.
‘We are now in a situation where licence fee income is likely to be £1billion more than the combined income of all the commercial broadcasters. We don’t want to become a one broadcaster state.’
Mr Hunt suggested parts of BBC Worldwide, the corporation’s commercial arm, would have to be sold off.
He attacked its decision to buy the Lonely Planet travel guides as ‘extraordinary’, adding: ‘No-one can possibly understand how it related to the BBC’s core purposes.
‘I am not against parts of Worldwide being sold altogether if it could raise money. Potentially it’s worth more than £1billion.
‘Any revenue that we can get we are obviously going to welcome at a time when the national debt has doubled and we face severe public spending constraints.
‘BBC Worldwide needs to be restricted to its core business, which is exploiting BBC brands overseas.’
Mr Hunt also warned the BBC that the £142.50-a-year licence fee could be frozen under the Tories.
‘We are giving notice that the world has changed. It’s a very difficult economic time out there for licence fee payers,’ he said.
He also set out far-reaching proposals to change the law to free commercial broadcasters from rules requiring political impartiality.
'We have to ask in a free society whether it’s appropriate to have such tight regulations,’ he said.
This would pave the way for channels such as Rupert Murdoch’s Fox News – which has been accused of promoting a Republican point of view in the U.S. – to come to Britain.
The salaries of senior BBC executives – including Mr Thompson’s £834,000 a year – are too high, Mr Hunt added.
‘The BBC has 47 people who are paid more than the Prime Minister,’ he said. ‘In an era where people are tightening their belts, these salaries seem way out of proportion.
'Were there to be a Conservative government, when the next director-general’s salary is advertised we would expect it to be much more realistic.
'We would expect the BBC to listen.’
Mr Hunt signalled his determination to examine the BBC’s online expansion, which has seen it create ever-more specialist websites.
He said he was concerned about the impact on commercial rivals.
He agreed with Mr Bradshaw that the BBC Trust, which has been in place for just three years, had become a ‘corporate champion’ and should be scrapped.
'It’s clear there has been a failure of leadership at the BBC,’ he said.
‘Many feel there is no independent voice for licence fee payers. ‘There’s a conflict at the heart of the BBC Trust.
'Is it there to champion the institutional interests of the BBC or is there to champion
the interests of the licence fee payer?
‘Licence fee payers need a body that’s wholly independent of the BBC, that they can complain to if they are not happy.
'We haven’t made a decision yet whether that role should be performed by Ofcom.’
By James Chapman
The BBC will be forced to rein in fat cat salaries, its creeping commercial activities and internet empire under radical Tory plans to prevent Britain becoming a ‘one broadcaster state’.
Conservative culture spokesman Jeremy Hunt said that the corporation would be required to restrict its ambitions to ‘core broadcasting’ if the Tories win the next election.
Mr Hunt, in an interview with the Daily Mail, suggested discussions over the future of the licence fee would hinge on the BBC agreeing to dramatically scale back activities that are forcing out commercial competitors.
His radical proposals include:
A cap on top BBC executives’ pay of £192,250
A block on inflationary increases to the licence fee
Scrapping the BBC Trust, with powers transferred to an independent body – possibly Ofcom
BBC’s commercial arm, BBC Worldwide, limited to promoting products overseas. Parts of it could be sold off
Dominant online presence scaled back
Channels with low audiences, such as BBC3 and BBC4, could be scrapped
The proposals come after a spat between the BBC and Culture Secretary Ben Bradshaw.
Mr Bradshaw warned earlier this week that the BBC had probably expanded far enough and raised the possibility of the ruling BBC Trust being replaced by an external regulator.
Director-general Mark Thompson hit back last night, accusing him of political meddling and a ‘frankly puzzling’ attack on the BBC Trust.
‘To threaten them with imminent or creeping abolition when they take a different view from you is not in keeping with the tradition of political independence on which the whole of British public broadcasting is based,’ he said.
A defiant BBC Trust chairman Sir Michael Lyons insisted: ‘We are here to do a job and we will continue to do that job of re-shaping the BBC and protecting its independence.’
Mr Hunt’s intervention raises the stakes in the debate over the future of the BBC.
He warned that there was now a ‘real danger’ of it crowding out competitors.
‘We would certainly make clear our concerns over the scope of the BBC’s commercial activity in any discussions over its future, for example decisions over the licence fee settlement,’ he said.
‘We would want a clear understanding of how the BBC was going to rein in its commercial activities.
‘Do we want the BBC to do less good quality, family entertainment? No, we don’t.
'But do we want the BBC to constrain its ambitions beyond that core broadcasting? Absolutely.
‘We are now in a situation where licence fee income is likely to be £1billion more than the combined income of all the commercial broadcasters. We don’t want to become a one broadcaster state.’
Mr Hunt suggested parts of BBC Worldwide, the corporation’s commercial arm, would have to be sold off.
He attacked its decision to buy the Lonely Planet travel guides as ‘extraordinary’, adding: ‘No-one can possibly understand how it related to the BBC’s core purposes.
‘I am not against parts of Worldwide being sold altogether if it could raise money. Potentially it’s worth more than £1billion.
‘Any revenue that we can get we are obviously going to welcome at a time when the national debt has doubled and we face severe public spending constraints.
‘BBC Worldwide needs to be restricted to its core business, which is exploiting BBC brands overseas.’
Mr Hunt also warned the BBC that the £142.50-a-year licence fee could be frozen under the Tories.
‘We are giving notice that the world has changed. It’s a very difficult economic time out there for licence fee payers,’ he said.
He also set out far-reaching proposals to change the law to free commercial broadcasters from rules requiring political impartiality.
'We have to ask in a free society whether it’s appropriate to have such tight regulations,’ he said.
This would pave the way for channels such as Rupert Murdoch’s Fox News – which has been accused of promoting a Republican point of view in the U.S. – to come to Britain.
The salaries of senior BBC executives – including Mr Thompson’s £834,000 a year – are too high, Mr Hunt added.
‘The BBC has 47 people who are paid more than the Prime Minister,’ he said. ‘In an era where people are tightening their belts, these salaries seem way out of proportion.
'Were there to be a Conservative government, when the next director-general’s salary is advertised we would expect it to be much more realistic.
'We would expect the BBC to listen.’
Mr Hunt signalled his determination to examine the BBC’s online expansion, which has seen it create ever-more specialist websites.
He said he was concerned about the impact on commercial rivals.
He agreed with Mr Bradshaw that the BBC Trust, which has been in place for just three years, had become a ‘corporate champion’ and should be scrapped.
'It’s clear there has been a failure of leadership at the BBC,’ he said.
‘Many feel there is no independent voice for licence fee payers. ‘There’s a conflict at the heart of the BBC Trust.
'Is it there to champion the institutional interests of the BBC or is there to champion
the interests of the licence fee payer?
‘Licence fee payers need a body that’s wholly independent of the BBC, that they can complain to if they are not happy.
'We haven’t made a decision yet whether that role should be performed by Ofcom.’