Gary Lineker and the BBC
Discussion
Before we start, this is not about loving or hating Mr Lineker.
Following his interview with Amol Rajan yesterday, where does it leave the BBC?
Does the BBC kill itself by claiming this impartiality rule as rule number 1. Should it not be reporting fact rather than thinking about partiality?
I like a lot of the BBC, I also dislike an awful lot of it. I think 24 hour news has been bad for the country as a whole meaning all broadcasters look to build a story as otherwise the output would be pretty tedious so the truth then becomes an embellishment rather than a fact.
Commentary on the news helps no one and causes more issues. Most government leaks are made to the chief political hack of the news organisations so that helps no one. As soon as you begin commenting on the story you are expressing an opinion so cannot therefore be impartial.
You then get something like GB news which is clearly not impartial and attracts a certain type of viewer, but then that is exactly what the same people lambast the BBC for being in the first place.
In my view the BBC is not to make profit. If it reported and read the news like it did in the 80's, no commentary from political hacks, where news readers were respected journalists, would that not help their cause and give us broadcast news we can trust and see as impartial by reporting only the truth?
Following his interview with Amol Rajan yesterday, where does it leave the BBC?
Does the BBC kill itself by claiming this impartiality rule as rule number 1. Should it not be reporting fact rather than thinking about partiality?
I like a lot of the BBC, I also dislike an awful lot of it. I think 24 hour news has been bad for the country as a whole meaning all broadcasters look to build a story as otherwise the output would be pretty tedious so the truth then becomes an embellishment rather than a fact.
Commentary on the news helps no one and causes more issues. Most government leaks are made to the chief political hack of the news organisations so that helps no one. As soon as you begin commenting on the story you are expressing an opinion so cannot therefore be impartial.
You then get something like GB news which is clearly not impartial and attracts a certain type of viewer, but then that is exactly what the same people lambast the BBC for being in the first place.
In my view the BBC is not to make profit. If it reported and read the news like it did in the 80's, no commentary from political hacks, where news readers were respected journalists, would that not help their cause and give us broadcast news we can trust and see as impartial by reporting only the truth?
The BBC constantly walks a precarious tightrope of trying to appease everyone.
Don't have a 24hr news channel? "Sky has 24hr news, why is our national broadcaster not able or willing to offer this service?"
Has a 24hr news channel? "Why are we wasting money on news commentary when we should just be reporting facts?"
Just reports factual news "This is boring and doesn't help people to understand the relevance of how it may or may not affect them"
And so on.
And it has to do this with every single subject – news, entertainment, sport...
Everyone feels that they have the right to a say in how the BBC is run, from a bloke down the pub to MPs
Don't have a 24hr news channel? "Sky has 24hr news, why is our national broadcaster not able or willing to offer this service?"
Has a 24hr news channel? "Why are we wasting money on news commentary when we should just be reporting facts?"
Just reports factual news "This is boring and doesn't help people to understand the relevance of how it may or may not affect them"
And so on.
And it has to do this with every single subject – news, entertainment, sport...
Everyone feels that they have the right to a say in how the BBC is run, from a bloke down the pub to MPs
I think there's a difference in perception between someone who's an employee of the BBC and someone who presents a show for them.
I don't mean an employee in terms of their literal job contract but if you asked me to name someone who is a BBC employee I'd probably reel off a list of names before I got to Gary Lineker.
Not sure exactly how you define it but if you can switch from BBC One to TNT or Amazon and find the same person presenting I wouldn't think of them as a BBC employee so I think I know it when I see it.
It just seems a bit of a weird bar to try to say that anyone who presents a show on the BBC can't express an opinion.
Share some of frustration at reporters and commentators opinions dressed up as "news" but like you say that's where 24 hour rolling coverage gets you.
I don't mean an employee in terms of their literal job contract but if you asked me to name someone who is a BBC employee I'd probably reel off a list of names before I got to Gary Lineker.
Not sure exactly how you define it but if you can switch from BBC One to TNT or Amazon and find the same person presenting I wouldn't think of them as a BBC employee so I think I know it when I see it.
It just seems a bit of a weird bar to try to say that anyone who presents a show on the BBC can't express an opinion.
Share some of frustration at reporters and commentators opinions dressed up as "news" but like you say that's where 24 hour rolling coverage gets you.
Back in the day when the real news came from the BBC at 6pm everyday, but ITN News came on at 5:45pm for anyone who couldn't wait that long.
24hr news I find useful for switching on at anytime and getting flavour of what is happening, or for tuning into a 'Breaking News' story. But nowadays everything is breaking news. Watch it for too long and it's dreadfully boring as they clutch at straws trying to fill air time.
24hr news I find useful for switching on at anytime and getting flavour of what is happening, or for tuning into a 'Breaking News' story. But nowadays everything is breaking news. Watch it for too long and it's dreadfully boring as they clutch at straws trying to fill air time.
boyse7en said:
Everyone feels that they have the right to a say in how the BBC is run, from a bloke down the pub to MPs
If a person is forced (by law) to give money to an organisation despite possibly never actually using any of that organisation's services, isn't it predictable they might have an opinion on how that organisation is run? Cold said:
If a person is forced (by law) to give money to an organisation despite possibly never actually using any of that organisation's services, isn't it predictable they might have an opinion on how that organisation is run?
Here we go...You pay a fee for a licence to receive live broadcasts. If you don't want to watch any live broadcasts you do not need to pay for that licence. Some of the fee goes towards funding the national broadcaster.
This is a model used in many western countries. None of them provide a service as comprehensive as that of the BBC in return for the fee.
TTwiggy said:
Cold said:
If a person is forced (by law) to give money to an organisation despite possibly never actually using any of that organisation's services, isn't it predictable they might have an opinion on how that organisation is run?
Here we go...You pay a fee for a licence to receive live broadcasts. If you don't want to watch any live broadcasts you do not need to pay for that licence. Some of the fee goes towards funding the national broadcaster.
This is a model used in many western countries. None of them provide a service as comprehensive as that of the BBC in return for the fee.
Cold said:
TTwiggy said:
Cold said:
If a person is forced (by law) to give money to an organisation despite possibly never actually using any of that organisation's services, isn't it predictable they might have an opinion on how that organisation is run?
Here we go...You pay a fee for a licence to receive live broadcasts. If you don't want to watch any live broadcasts you do not need to pay for that licence. Some of the fee goes towards funding the national broadcaster.
This is a model used in many western countries. None of them provide a service as comprehensive as that of the BBC in return for the fee.
jjones said:
TTwiggy said:
No. They are paying for a licence to receive that live news broadcast, regardless of what station transmits it.
But if there were no BBC, which is the primary recipient of the licence fee, then that licence would be a hell of a lot cheaper. Poland: €53 per year.
Austria: €335 per year.
France: €136 per year.
Germany: €215 per year.
Byker28i said:
I actually thought that was a very interesting interview and Linekar came over very well. Body language at times was very interesting
Agreed.I'm not sure what the opening post actually has to do with the interview at all though.
In Lineker's case he was a contractor who presented a football show - there is, and was, no reason at all for him to be impartial when commenting on what someone else on social media said about immigration.
TTwiggy said:
Cold said:
TTwiggy said:
Cold said:
If a person is forced (by law) to give money to an organisation despite possibly never actually using any of that organisation's services, isn't it predictable they might have an opinion on how that organisation is run?
Here we go...You pay a fee for a licence to receive live broadcasts. If you don't want to watch any live broadcasts you do not need to pay for that licence. Some of the fee goes towards funding the national broadcaster.
This is a model used in many western countries. None of them provide a service as comprehensive as that of the BBC in return for the fee.
bUt wHAt AboUt thE rAdIO anD wEbSIte?
Cold said:
Yes, they are paying their money to the BBC despite not receiving any BBC output.
bUt wHAt AboUt thE rAdIO anD wEbSIte?
Technically the BBC is charged with collecting money and issuing licences on behalf of the government. The money is passed to the government and the BBC receives its grant.bUt wHAt AboUt thE rAdIO anD wEbSIte?
Look, in truth the BBC would love to see the fee abolished and for it to be free to be a fully commercial concern. It's a media behemoth that's currently constrained by its remit.
This country punches way above its weight globally in terms of TV & film production. It brings in £££s for the UK economy.
The licence fee is an enabler for this industry, which traditionally relies heavily upon freelancers.
The BBC collects the licence and is obliged to spend a large chunk of it with independent producers, who, in turn, hire the army of freelancers to actually make the content to sell on.
This creates a UK market for TV/film production and content producers - who then provide content for all broadcasters, not just the BBC.
So pretty much any UK production will have been part funded (directly or indirectly) by the licence fee at some point. The independent producers and freelance camera operators etc would really struggle without the licence ‘subsidy’
The licence fee is an enabler for this industry, which traditionally relies heavily upon freelancers.
The BBC collects the licence and is obliged to spend a large chunk of it with independent producers, who, in turn, hire the army of freelancers to actually make the content to sell on.
This creates a UK market for TV/film production and content producers - who then provide content for all broadcasters, not just the BBC.
So pretty much any UK production will have been part funded (directly or indirectly) by the licence fee at some point. The independent producers and freelance camera operators etc would really struggle without the licence ‘subsidy’
I think Gary is a decent presenter, so would have been happy for him to continue on MoD if he wished to.
More generally, I think the BBC is fantastic vfm. As well as the TV channels, I can’t imagine starting the day without Today on R4, then music on R3 and 6 and the live footie on R5. The BBC Sounds app also makes it super easy to listen pretty much anywhere. Currently listening in France as I type.
More generally, I think the BBC is fantastic vfm. As well as the TV channels, I can’t imagine starting the day without Today on R4, then music on R3 and 6 and the live footie on R5. The BBC Sounds app also makes it super easy to listen pretty much anywhere. Currently listening in France as I type.
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