Forum Topic

BBC

Its gets worse,day by da As to removing Sue barker along with the other twoYou are a disgrace in a big declineWhos taking over, your beloved Gary for another 2k.Jog On BBC, your days are slowly becoming numbered. Even very old repeats of  David Attenborough won't save you.Its a out of the blue rant for this forum but you know what,i really really liked sue and im sure many BBC and X BBC people will be reading thisOh, hold on, paddy and Freddie with Dina Asher-Smith or kelly homes in the chair.You know where I'm going on that one. Its the BBC in 2020.As he is local, il say this, Matt, your be missed long with the Cat.It was just one of those shows that filled the gap and was switched on rather than switching over or switching off. Thats why its lasted so long and will continue to do soMind you, the best presenter by a wide margin is our own Clare balding. Just don't get to old fast girl, otherwise, the BBC will drop you as well.

Julian Pavey ● 2238d42 Comments

I have no view on SB or QoS, since I've not watched the show in years.But I note that Ms. Barker (64) has been the show's presenter for the last 23 years, though of course that was only one of her duties at the BBC.Anyhow while I have no idea how much she received for the QoS gig, it was reported in 2008 that she had signed a new 4 year contract with the BBC "worth an estimated £375,000 a year."https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2274081/Sue-Barker-wins-BBC-contract-to-cover-2012-London-Olympics.htmlI'd say she hasn't done too badly out of the Licence Fee payer.

Richard Cathcart ● 2238d

I think the three of them were a great combo. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.Maybe I’m a bit long in the tooth now though.

Maureen Yakoubi ● 2237d

Never seen it, know Sue Barker was very popular though.

Janice Evans ● 2237d

It#s a smashing programme - quite agree if it ain't broke don't  fix it!

Jennifer Selig ● 2237d

"if it ain't broke don't  fix it!"The BBC is broke - hence the need to sack some of these overpaid has-beens.

Steve Taylor ● 2237d

When I stumble on it by mistake I often amuse myself by transposing the idea to other spheres of interest - for example the world of classical music, eg. panellists have to guess the conductor from pictures of the back of their heads or short clips just showing the way they hold the baton.

David Marles ● 2237d

Working for the BBC is a cakewalk

Mike Doyle ● 2237d

Did you hear about Gary taking a 500k pay cut today but at the same time noted that  zoe Ball has had  a million pound pay rise  while loosing a million listeners since taking over Radio 2 breakfast show. Pay gap the priority at the BBC i presume. Dont worry,im sure we will have many more David Attenborough repeats to prop the organisation up.

Julian Pavey ● 2237d

A few years back I and some others had the opportunity to take part in a small feature on (live) BBC TV in Wood Lane. You had to arrive hours in advance of filming (for no discernible reason), the place was full of "ponytails" with executive titles and clipboards etc, but nothing much to do that any of us could see. There were Runners and Interns everywhere.There seemed to be no-one in overall charge (though several acted as though they were) and some of the other people we were with, professional musicians who had come down specially from Newcastle for the day, were severely pissed about unnecessarily by various bods who were sorely in need of a good boot up the arse. Repeatedly. The whole thing was chaotic.Meanwhile, I got to trot out to Sky TV in Osterley for something similar a week later. You turned up at the prescribed time and place, where one person told you what you had to do clearly and without fuss. You were then told to clear off for an hour (exactly), while the technical people did their bit in the studio, then you came back at the alloted time, when a second person led you on set for the filming.The whole 30 minute show was completed in 45(?) minutes, afterwards you got a few minutes to chat to the "talent" while the technicians checked that everything was ok. Then you went home.Before this experience I was a strong advocate for the benefits of public service broadcasting.But this experience caused me to look at the BBC/TV Licence Fee in a whole new light.Grrrrrrrrrrrr!

Richard Cathcart ● 2236d

Most public so called "services" everything are over-staffed in my own personal experience - just now it's Thames Water!

Jennifer Selig ● 2236d

Strange rant. BBC are literally right now screening a brand new David Attenborough documentary.I don't know you so won't throw accusations, but referring to Clare Balding as 'our own' while complaining about the possibility of Kelly Holmes or Dina Asher-Smith might just be construed in the wrong way.

Ian Philips ● 2236d

I get where you are coming from Ian and it was not how it was to be viewed. It was more how the BBC are acting and how the media is reporting its diversity. Not enough BAME in top positions in my view but sections of the media think they have to rather than a normal process which should be for all with all the other left out. It is those at the top that have caused this bias and public anger with a larger section of us in the last two years. I'm more just anti the license fee in 2020. The David Attenborough comment was brought about by me because when someone defends the license fee they always quote DA. I think it is even the first quote put about on here when the subject comes up. As to QOS, well sometimes you need change and in my view, that does not mean the host but the captains. They are the entertainers of the show and Sue would even most likely taken a pay cut as she said she would never walk away from the job she loved

Julian Pavey ● 2236d

Like most people outside of the neo liberal bubble didn't know already:https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/gays-and-ethnic-minorities-over-represented-on-tv-n7xcqftgz

Bryan Turner ● 2236d

'neo Liberal bubble' OFFS 🙄

Basil Finnis ● 2236d

Nothing against Sue Barker, but personally I'd be more inclined to watch QoS if Denise Lewis was in the chair.

Richard Greenhough ● 2236d

Thats a fair enough comment. Maybe we could have crazy Chris akabusi in the chair and make the show a whacky threesome to switch is around a bit more

Julian Pavey ● 2236d

A pity they don't get rid of some of the 253 Senior Managers, 106 of who "earn" over £150K per annum. I also wonder how much the Executive cars I have seen on the road with BBC registrations have cost us over the years?

Derek Hill ● 2236d

Thames Water is a private company, Australian, I think

Stewart Jones ● 2236d

I've served my time producing and directing stuff for the beeb.  And yes, they can be very annoying.. employing obnoxious offensive gits like Graham Norton and paying them millions.But they do get lots right.  And they set social trends – like upping women into top jobs and giving voice to so many great broadcasters with regional accents and cockney tones.  They set the RP world of broadcasting back in the 30's and now they lead the way breaking down the barriers in this new world.PS:-  Was last week's Last Night of the Proms a Covid bonus?I loved it.  Loved the musicianship.  And the conductor.  And the sea shanties.  And Tom Bowling.  So I suppose I also loved the absence of the fun-loving regulars  (fine as they are).A great one-off..

Stuart Kerr ● 2236d

BBC should be completely shelved. I don’t even have a roof ariel but I still have to pay a licence because I can receive the service on my devices. They’re nothing but a waste of money. Who watches the crap they produce anyway? Suppose it’s the people who like the bbc and its mainly liberal lefty appeal.

c james ● 2235d

.. have a nice day cj..PS:- does the c have 4 letters?

Stuart Kerr ● 2235d

Well,in sesponce to cj The BBC produce good programmes now and then but most likely not enough to cater to all tastes. Then you have  radio to cater to others. The issue is you have so much content elsewhere now and at a cost people are willing to pay for,the figures are a test to that For me, the things I like have either been shelved or fallen a bit long in the tooth. Take politics, shelved This Week and Daily politics while Newsnight has fallen down the pile in many ways for many reasons and Question Time, while Feona bruce does a great job in the role,they  keep rolling our year on year the same blooming people but refuses to put some people on the show becasue it does not fit in with those at the top in a personal way. I believe that is also called politics The BBC has very recently done at a cost a social media video saying how the license fee is good value. The answer to that if true is to take it subscription at £13 a month and then see if its value for money and if people are willing to pay that. The idea in 2020 going forward that to watch non-BBC content even without an aerial still says you have to have a license on top of your subs elsewhere and at this moment have a criminal conviction for non-payment is madness. The idea of you being sent to prison i believe is very low indeed so il miss that one out We know many people like BBC content and the license fee is value for money, but not for all in 2020 and the BBC know that a subscription service will be a big hit on the money pot. But unlike the past change will come and the days of growing old with many limited options at the time of being young have passed bye. Young people don't watch BBC content that much, while  I believe slightly higher on iplayer. People will say its value, we know this but for many its, another tax forced upon them for something they don't benefit from. Where else are you legally forced to pay for something because you shop elsewhere?

Julian Pavey ● 2235d

Or Fiona for that matter

Julian Pavey ● 2235d

Just dealing with QOS, from the very limited times I've caught any of the programme in the last 20 years it seems rather 'puerile' to me, and nothing like how it was in the days of Coleman/Botham/Hughes/Beaumont.Same with Top Gear - no particular fan of Clarkson, May or Hammond and they could be stupid/childish but there were also entertaining, whereas personally I think of Flintoff and McGuinness as childish yobs.  Flintoff could play abit of cricket, McGuinness has made very little go a very long way (to borrow a line from a Pet Shop Boys song), as could be said for so many TV 'celebrities' these days.But unfortunately the world we live in now is all about being loud, brash, lets be weird for the sake of being weird, that's how you get famous.  Being 'normal' and good at what you do is only good enough for presenting the news.And of course everything is driven by tokenism and box ticking.  It's a matter of fact that you can't have a panel on a TV show that isn't 'diverse'.  I couldn't care if the panel are all green creatures from Mars if they are entertaining and knowledgeable, but the powers that be could.  It must be embarrassing for some people who must know that they've only being invited onto such shows because their appearance ticks a box.Look at Soccer Saturday on Sky.  For years the programme has put its rivals to shame.  But prior to their well-publicised recent shake-up they had started 'messing around' with the panel and some of the people appearing had been utterly terrible, e.g. Troy Deeney.  Sections of the media talk positively about Micah Richards - I find him dull and based on his track record I'm surprised he hasn't sworn on air yet.  Conversely, IMHO Sky have in Andy Hinchcliffe and Don Goodman the 2 best co-commentators in the business, but, Goodman in particular, never gets big games.  Why ? - probably because he never played in the Premiership.  Although I have to say I was genuinely delighted to see on Sky football afew days ago we had a panel of all white, middle aged blokes - there's still some hope that box ticking doesn't mean everything.

Adam Beamish ● 2235d

PS:- does the c have 4 letters?No, seven actually.

c james ● 2235d

Christo ?

Richard Greenhough ● 2235d

The problem with the BBC isn't financial at heart.The problem is that it's roundly hated by many people who see it (along with the Guardian, Sky, CH4 and most of the press) as the primary manifestation of the self hatred of a now mainly rootless and deracinated middle class.It represents every group interest other than that of the white working classes and these people are now starting to notice in large numbers.

Bryan Turner ● 2235d

Graham Norton and Fiona Bruce are well worth the money they get. Intelligent and articulate. Jeremy Clarkson and Jeremy Paxman were worth every penny. To pay Zoe Ball and the silly Walkers Crisps guy ( I forget his name) such high salaries is totally obscene. The Radio 4 presenter Nick Robinson  is radically overpaid.Martha Kearney and Sarah Montague are worth it.As we see little more than 'repeats' on BBC TV these days, I wonder what all the rest of the overpaid BBC producers and presenters are actually doing? Perhaps we should return our Licences to the BBC with no payment and just scrawl 'Repeat' over it.

Steve Taylor ● 2235d

Graham Norton own the production co that sells his show to the BBC.

Julian Pavey ● 2235d

Good for Graham. He is a genius in every sense. Worth every penny!

Steve Taylor ● 2235d

FFS indeed.  I had no idea that people who favour privatisation and a de-regulated economy live in a bubble that is unaware that there are gay and BAME people on TV.  You live and learn.  Or could it be that Bryan doesn’t really know what he’s talking about?

Alastair Banton ● 2235d

Well he is miles better than the opposition thats for sure.

Julian Pavey ● 2235d

The founding general manager of the BBC largely had it right: “He who prides himself on giving what he thinks the public wants is often creating a fictitious demand for low standards which he will then satisfy.” The celeb presenter approach appears to part of this problem - and drives the high pay of certain presenters.Reith's famous approach was not to give the audience what they thought they might want, but to offer the audience programmes that would inform, educate, entertain. Not just ‘entertain’. Reith worked against an American-style free-for-all in radio in which the goal was to attract the largest audiences and thereby secure the greatest advertising revenue. That is the unique benefit of the BBC funding. And it is wrong to assume that the ordinary listener (as it primarily was) did not appreciate this. My grandfather, a fisherman of very poor background, would listen to the broadcast of Shakespeare plays with his copy of the works of Shakespeare open in front of him so that he could follow each phrase. This was, in part, the education of people and not the present day dumbing down. People of all backgrounds can and do appreciate what some call ‘highbrow’.Further, Reith frequently ran foul of government views and the presentation they wanted to make known.  He came into conflict with the of the time Government during the 1926 United Kingdom general strike. The BBC bulletins reported, without comment, all sides in the dispute, including the Trades Union Congress's and of union leaders. The government wanted their views only to be broadcast. Reith even attempted to arrange a broadcast by the opposition Labour Party but it was vetoed by the government. So attempts to control of the media and the messaging has long been with us. Given the party in government at the time I'm sure the accusation back in 1926 was that BBC was full of loony left.

Alan Clark ● 2235d

“ This was, in part, the education of people and not the present day dumbing down.“Indeed. And this is the problem with the BBC. They have lowered standards to unprecedented levels. Very sad.

Steve Taylor ● 2235d

Indeed. And this is one of the problems of our society today. We appear to assume that there is a large slice of the population that will only ever recognise or appreciate dumb entertainment. What an insult.

Alan Clark ● 2235d

Which is why some of the presenters, who struggle to put a sentence together in acceptable form, get away with it. The targets set are sub standard.  But hey, it’s all about da youff innit?

Steve Taylor ● 2234d

You are absolutely correct,Bryan.The white working class is usually portrayed by the BBC (funded to a large extent by white working class) as feckless, criminal or objects of humour.I can't imagine the beeb having the nerve to try that on with any other cultural or ethnic group.

Keith Iddon ● 2234d

Interesting Alan. I'll have a further read on that. Thanks

Basil Finnis ● 2234d

Like Mrs Brown's Boys - that's really lowering the tone and that too is being repeated.  Down down it's all down down the dummer the better!

Jennifer Selig ● 2234d

Ta. Also happens to be my home town.

Alan Clark ● 2234d

Dummer!!!  Oh m g I've got the bug - DUMBER.  I listen to  BBC 4 on the radio, sometimes Radio 3 and Classic FM.  Used to be a loyal Archers fan but got brassed off with those monologues introduced when Covid struck.  Now lost the plot and not tuned in for weeks.  Has it reverted back to something approaching normal yet?  I've paid the licence fee - on TV have Freeview and dodge about between BBC, ITV and other offerings and record using HUMAX most nights.  I do enjoy seeing the good old films, just recently cried my way through Casablanca.  Not for me too much violence and earsplitting bang bash  wallop sci-fi.  Do youngsters actually watch much telly?  Seems to me it is we older people who are the main viewers so the BBC should continue to woo us and not teenagers - they have and always had far more interesting things to do out and about with their pals.  Maybe COVID has changed all that??

Jennifer Selig ● 2234d

Yes indeed. The BBC has dumbed down for the dumb people but most of them don’t watch it. Ok, ok some of them watch East Enders.

Steve Taylor ● 2234d