A recently
declassified video "shows Prime Minister Tony Blair making tough decisions in the run up to the War on Iraq and demonstrates the correctness of continued high level support for Tony Blair seeking another term in office." (Yes, the video is a joke.)
But apparently the BBC is getting behind the effort to reelect Tony Blair as well.
The Telegraph reports that it sent hecklers armed with microphones to stage a disruption at a rally for opposition candidate Michael Howard. The BBC claims that the staged disruption was part of a "completely legitimate programme about the history and art of political heckling"
Comments
Both the Tories and Labour have accused the BBC of bias from time to time, so maybe it's really running in the way it should be........
In the past various partys have suggested that their might be a better way for the BBC to gather money such as through adverts.
The BBC of course don't want this change, and are therefore more likely to support someone who has made no move to make such a change than someone who is an unknown quantity.
It might be simpler, I'm out of contact with Britain and the BBC, but Blair has a habit of putting his people in key positions (which leader doesn't) and the head of the BBC is a position he can appoint.
Not true.
"BBC of course don't want this change, and are therefore more likely to support someone who..."
They just renewed the BBC's Charter for another 5 years... there is not reason to support Blair... even if they couild, which they can't.
"Blair.. ...the head of the BBC is a position he can appoint."
That's the job of Commissioner for Public Appointments.
"I'm out of contact with Britain and the BBC"
Yes, very. 😉
Everything I said was so as recently as four years ago.
The only thing that might not have been so then was Blair having some influence on who was the head of the BBC.
But lets face it, Blair, a man who has a record of placing his supporters in key positions whenever he can isn't going to try and influence a major media company who's very existence (the license fee) depends on the continued grace of the government?
You may be right, but I doubt it.
The British press is not know by its impartiality whereas the BBC tends to be quite neutral.
I tend to doubt the Telegraph story instead.
Sharruma, you got some real weird ideas about the bbc. the other guys are right in what they say.
sid
"everyone who owns a TV pays... ...Even if they can't receive the BBC."
Not true.
<<<<
I disagree; it's not possible to own a television, TV card or video recorder (anything with a TV tuner, basically), and not pay the licence fee, even if you somehow modify it so that it's can't pick up BBC signals.
As for biaa, the BBC's print recruit adverts appear almost exclusively in the left-wing Guardian's 'Media and Sales' section.
As for the Andrew Gillingan affair; the BBC is biased towards the left, not necessarily the Labour party, which is now pretty right-wing. They even praise Margaret Thatcher(!).
It's not because screen-printers are unreconstructed Thatcherites it's just the tradition.
Same for Media Guardian - which other paper has a media section like this?
Though it is true that the Guardian is the most common paper in the BBC and they are in general on the left.
The television programme in question featured the main parties equally, no bias.
It was aimed at the "youth" market (15-30 I think). It was an attempt to make politics interesting to this group, that's all.