Re: The BBC and Jimmy Saville : Mon Nov 12, 2012 10:10 pm  

cod'ead wrote:

What are your views on Rebekah Brooks walking away from NI with a £7m bung?

I didn't know that was the case. What I do know though is that she didn't work for the BBC. Therefore, taxpayers' money wasn't involved, and that was my point.

Re: The BBC and Jimmy Saville : Mon Nov 12, 2012 10:29 pm  

One small point to make that has been overlooked by critical MPs and the rest of the media witch hunt is that the BBC made a statement early this morning that at least a part of the DG's pay off was a retainer for consultancy services over the next twelve months.

Now I don't know just how much work that will involve but if they can justify the 50% of the payoff that they needn't have given him by using him elsewhere in their organisation for a fee that is normally commensurate with that duty, then is there a problem any more - and why didn't MP's hear the same news story that I did at 8am this morning ?

Re: The BBC and Jimmy Saville : Mon Nov 12, 2012 10:52 pm  

SaintsFan wrote:

I didn't know that was the case. What I do know though is that she didn't work for the BBC. Therefore, taxpayers' money wasn't involved, and that was my point.

The BBC, as with other public services, was instructed by government to behave like the private sector – including in matters of employment (well, at least pertaining to management).

Because, as we all know: private is always better and private knows best.

So Auntie is doing exactly that.

Re: The BBC and Jimmy Saville : Tue Nov 13, 2012 6:28 am  

JerryChicken wrote:

One small point to make that has been overlooked by critical MPs and the rest of the media witch hunt is that the BBC made a statement early this morning that at least a part of the DG's pay off was a retainer for consultancy services over the next twelve months.

Now I don't know just how much work that will involve but if they can justify the 50% of the payoff that they needn't have given him by using him elsewhere in their organisation for a fee that is normally commensurate with that duty, then is there a problem any more - and why didn't MP's hear the same news story that I did at 8am this morning ?

Those same critics should also be reminded that Entwistle has worked at the BBC since 1989, so I imagine part of his severance reflected his previous service too. I never managed a 12 month notice period but have twice negotiated a 6 month notice clause. Losing a job is never easy but it helps when you know that you'll be comfortable for a few future months.

The BBC was "encouraged" to chase ratings and become more like a commercial, rather than a public service broadcaster. That would account for some of the abject shite that it's been producing in recent years and its failure to inveest in what it has always done best: news reporting, investigative journalism and commissioning new drama.

Entwistle inherited the current BBC culture from his predecessor Mark Thompson, so I fail to see how he could take sole blame for what happened at Newsnight.

Re: The BBC and Jimmy Saville : Tue Nov 13, 2012 8:12 am  

cod'ead wrote:

... The BBC was "encouraged" to chase ratings and become more like a commercial, rather than a public service broadcaster. That would account for some of the abject shite that it's been producing in recent years and its failure to inveest in what it has always done best: news reporting, investigative journalism and commissioning new drama...

And just to add, like countless private-sector media organisations, the BBC has been cutting jobs in recent years and journalists have been a major target area.

Re: The BBC and Jimmy Saville : Tue Nov 13, 2012 8:14 am  

SaintsFan wrote:

... Unfortunately for Steve Messham he has form when it comes to being an unreliable witness in that he has been mistaken about things before ...

I don't suppose having been repeatedly raped as a child does the mind much good on that score.

SaintsFan wrote:

.... That is just frankly immoral and all that kind of stuff needs challenging and changing ...

Yes, it does. Treating a victim of crime as though he were to blame is utterly immoral.

Re: The BBC and Jimmy Saville : Tue Nov 13, 2012 8:46 am  

Mintball wrote:

And just to add, like countless private-sector media organisations, the BBC has been cutting jobs in recent years and journalists have been a major target area.

I do worry about the future of journalism, particularly investigative journalism.

Regional newspapers have shed staff and now mostly repeat what their national paymasters are printing. National newspapers have shed staff and simply seem to repeat and twist the words of any blogger that suits or opposes their own agendas. Preferring instead to fill their pages with the words of commentators and Z-list "celebrities".

The BBC has cut back, particularly in the areas in which they previously excelled: investigative journalism - reducing Panorama to a 30 minute sundbite hardly gives it a chance to present any meaningful reports. I and many others have been particularly concerned over the BBC's near silence on NHS reforms. Channel 4 (another publicly subscribed broadcaster), now seems to be the leader in exposing wrongdoing but must still be subject to commercial influence.

So it looks like the future will rely on whistle-blowers and bloggers, some of whom will have a personal or political agenda and getting an unbiased presentation of facts will be harder. That's the real tragedy of dumbing down, I'm amazed at the number of people I know who never read a newspaper or watch or listen to news reports on other media.

Re: The BBC and Jimmy Saville : Tue Nov 13, 2012 8:55 am  

The whole reporting as news something that somebody tweets is indicative of the malaise. The state of the public discourse in the UK is absolutely dire.

Incidentally, on the BBC and the NHS, Lord Patten (appointed by David Cameron in 2011) is a member of the European advisory board of a private equity company called Bridgeport, which owns (amongst other things) Care UK. Now that company has had problems with inspections at homes etc. This used to be reported by the BBC, until ... Incidentally, Care UK boss Jonathon Nash donated £21,000 to Andrew Lansley's office in 2009.

Other deals in the health sector that Bridgeport have been involved with include:

Aenova – Contract drugs manufacturer - Switzerland
Alliance Medical – Diagonostic imaging service provider - UK
Attendo – Elderly care home operator - Sweden
Clinical Solutions – Clinical decision support software provider - UK
Corin – Orthopaedic products manufacturer - UK
Diaverum – Dialysis care services group - Sweden
Finagest – Nursing home operator - France
Firstpoint – Healthcare flexible staffing agency - UK
Healthcall – Out of hours primary care and healthcare service provider - UK
Medica – Nursing home group - France
Profile Therapeutics – Inhaled drug delivery systems manufacturer - UK
Pulse Staffing (formerly Match Group) – Flexible staffing provider - UK
Robinia – Care provider for people with profound learning difficulties - UK
Rodenstock – Ophthalmic lens manufacturer - Germany
Terveystalo – Private healthcare group - Finland
Tunstall – Personal and home reassurance telecare systems provider - UK

So at least Patten would not be at all likely to benefit from the privatisation of the NHS.

It's also worth noting that Alan Milburn, secretary of state for health under Tony Blair, was chair of the Bridgeport board.

Re: The BBC and Jimmy Saville : Tue Nov 13, 2012 1:06 pm  

Mintball wrote:

I don't suppose having been repeatedly raped as a child does the mind much good on that score..

Indeed. And I'm sure the fallout from the lack of care taken with him won't have done him any good either.

Re: The BBC and Jimmy Saville : Tue Nov 13, 2012 1:10 pm  

SaintsFan wrote: Indeed. And I'm sure the fallout from the lack of care taken with him won't have done him any good either. And the lack of justice. Anyway, more arrests in abuse cases. Perhaps this is also the BBC's fault? There's also a piece, here about Cyril Smith. Elsewhere, a comment here suggests that, as with the Savile case, 'everyone' knew about Smith.

SaintsFan wrote: Indeed. And I'm sure the fallout from the lack of care taken with him won't have done him any good either. And the lack of justice. Anyway, more arrests in abuse cases. Perhaps this is also the BBC's fault? There's also a piece, here about Cyril Smith. Elsewhere, a comment here suggests that, as with the Savile case, 'everyone' knew about Smith.