Political bias at BBC - something has to be done surely

[TTwiggy]

Biker 1 said:

BBC drama? Not really my thing
Sport on BBC? Like what? Ladies football? Athletics? No thanks
Nature documentary? Now that Attenbourough is in the twilight of his career, we get endless stuff with annoying Scottish, Mexican, or other assorted 'diverse' accents.
Whatever, it just doesn't seem to be very good value any more, the bias IMO makes the news not worth watching, & its ridiculous that not having a license is a criminal offence.

Good grief.

If you're going to contend that you don't watch and/or enjoy any BBC output I suppose I just have to take you at your word, but it's very surprising indeed. You must really enjoy the X Factor...

[TTwiggy]

Stickyfinger said:

It may be, but it IS bound by charter not to be a political spokesperson for the personal views of its staff. It is failing its charter.

In your opinion (from, I would assume, somewhere to the right of centre on the political spectrum).

[chris watton]

TTwiggy said:

Good grief.

If you're going to contend that you don't watch and/or enjoy any BBC output I suppose I just have to take you at your word, but it's very surprising indeed. You must really enjoy the X Factor...

Not sure if you're aware, but this is not 1985. There is a plethora of other services many people now use to get TV content that are more suited to their particular viewing habits.

I can no longer comment on BBC content as I do not watch it, but I do know I still pay for it, even though I can and have been living quite happily without watching any of it.

[TTwiggy]

chris watton said:

Not sure if you're aware, but this is not 1985. There is a plethora of other services many people now use to get TV content that are more suited to their particular viewing habits.

I can no longer comment on BBC content as I do not watch it, but I do know I still pay for it, even though I can and have been living quite happily without watching any of it.

I'm well aware of the number of TV channels available - it's part of my job. Quantity is not a guarantee of quality however.

[chris watton]

TTwiggy said:

I'm well aware of the number of TV channels available - it's part of my job. Quantity is not a guarantee of quality however.

It would also appear that receiving £Millions in funding is no guarantee of quality, too, never mind impartiality.

A cursory glance through threads like these seems to indicate that the majority of people who love the BBC and see no issue with it are left-leaning and/or ardent 'Remoaners'

As both seem to be not as popular as they think, given the poll rating for both left and EU remainers, I do wonder just how many would not subscribe to the BBC if it ever had to stand on its own two feet, commercially speaking.

[TTwiggy]

chris watton said:

A cursory glance through threads like these seems to indicate that the majority of people who love the BBC and see no issue with it are left-leaning and/or ardent 'Remoaners'

It's also clear that 'hating the BBC' is a requirement for every proud right-winger. As such, it's a pointless thread with no hope for reasoned debate.

[chris watton]

TTwiggy said:

It's also clear that 'hating the BBC' is a requirement for every proud right-winger. As such, it's a pointless thread with no hope for reasoned debate.

But what about those of us who don't really have nor want any particular political and ideological allegiances? I stopped watching the BBC because the bias was so blatant. I do not watch it for the same reason I don't read the Mail or Fox News. The bias on both sides is so overt it renders them unwatchable for those of us who just want a little balance and not an echo chamber for those with narrow viewpoints.

Trying to pigeon-hole me as a rabid right winger doesn't really work, and says more about you than anyone else you direct your bile at.

[TTwiggy]

chris watton said:

TTwiggy said:

It's also clear that 'hating the BBC' is a requirement for every proud right-winger. As such, it's a pointless thread with no hope for reasoned debate.

But what about those of us who don't really have nor want any particular political and ideological allegiances? I stopped watching the BBC because the bias was so blatant. I do not watch it for the same reason I don't read the Mail or Fox News. The bias on both sides is so overt it renders them unwatchable for those of us who just want a little balance and not an echo chamber for those with narrow viewpoints.

Trying to pigeon-hole me as a rabid right winger doesn't really work, and says more about you than anyone else you direct your bile at.

Bile? Get a grip. You were the one who brought the personal angle into it with your 'Remoaners' comment.

Bias remains subjective. You see it, as do others. I don't see it, and I'm not alone in my view either.


edited to add: I said 'proud', not 'rabid'. So there's really no need for the 'bile' accusation.

[chris watton]

TTwiggy said:

Bile? Get a grip. You were the one who brought the personal angle into it with your 'Remoaners' comment.

Bias remains subjective. You see it, as do others. I don't see it, and I'm not alone in my view either.


edited to add: I said 'proud', not 'rabid'. So there's really no need for the 'bile' accusation.

No - The gist of your argument was this - I am reasonable for liking the BBC, and you are a 'Proud' Right Winger for not liking it.

AFAIAC, if you like it and are happy to pay for it, that's great. However, as I have said before, given the choice, I would not. this means that we're both happy!

[TTwiggy]

chris watton said:

TTwiggy said:

Bile? Get a grip. You were the one who brought the personal angle into it with your 'Remoaners' comment.

Bias remains subjective. You see it, as do others. I don't see it, and I'm not alone in my view either.


edited to add: I said 'proud', not 'rabid'. So there's really no need for the 'bile' accusation.

No - The gist of your argument was this - I am reasonable for liking the BBC, and you are a 'Proud' Right Winger for not liking it.

AFAIAC, if you like it and are happy to pay for it, that's great. However, as I have said before, given the choice, I would not. this means that we're both happy!

Ah, I'm sorry. I really wasn't aware that you were privy to my thought processes.

I haven't actually offered an opinion either way on the quality of the BBC's output other than contending it's not biased and reasonable value for money. I certainly haven't claimed any sort of moral high ground.

As to the 'proud right-winger' thing - it's simply what I've noticed. Those who are more to the right of centre generally have issues with the BBC. This is also true for some on the far left.

I still fail to see any 'bile' in anything I've written and I object to the smear frankly.

[jjlynn27]

TTwiggy said:

It's also clear that 'hating the BBC' is a requirement for every proud right-winger. As such, it's a pointless thread with no hope for reasoned debate.

I'd guess it's mostly old, lonely people desperate to belong to a gang, as it seems cool. Let's see who can be more angry at BBC, NHS, Muslamics, immigrants or anything else that express or breitbart tells them that they really need to be angry about.

[t1grm]

TTwiggy said:

chris watton said:

A cursory glance through threads like these seems to indicate that the majority of people who love the BBC and see no issue with it are left-leaning and/or ardent 'Remoaners'

It's also clear that 'hating the BBC' is a requirement for every proud right-winger. As such, it's a pointless thread with no hope for reasoned debate.

So you agree that the BBC is left wing then? It's supposed to be impartial.

[anonymous-user]

t1grm said:

So you agree that the BBC is left wing then? It's supposed to be impartial.

For a left wing biased organisation there are a lot of Tories in the news and politics team.

[TTwiggy]

t1grm said:

TTwiggy said:

chris watton said:

A cursory glance through threads like these seems to indicate that the majority of people who love the BBC and see no issue with it are left-leaning and/or ardent 'Remoaners'

It's also clear that 'hating the BBC' is a requirement for every proud right-winger. As such, it's a pointless thread with no hope for reasoned debate.

So you agree that the BBC is left wing then? It's supposed to be impartial.

No (with the caveat that true impartiality is impossible) I agree to no such thing. I said that in my experience people of a more right-wing persuasion tend to have a problem with the BBC. THEY are the ones who see left-wing bias. I also said that people on the far-left have a tendency to see bias (of the opposite type) in the BBC.

[hairyben]

TTwiggy said:

chris watton said:

A cursory glance through threads like these seems to indicate that the majority of people who love the BBC and see no issue with it are left-leaning and/or ardent 'Remoaners'

It's also clear that 'hating the BBC' is a requirement for every proud right-winger. As such, it's a pointless thread with no hope for reasoned debate.

Can you define and show me this "hatred"? I see a fair bit of criticism and highlighting of the bbc's political slant, some distaste perhaps tipping into loathing for a few. Not much I'd call hatred though... and certainly not to the point it renders the thread pointless and hopeless.

[eccles]

chris watton said:

I stopped watching the BBC because the bias was so blatant..

Yup, I'm the same, I was watching Pointless the other day and I thought, 'cor, look at the bias there', then I watched a bit of Masterchef, and that was bloody biased as well!
Yup, it's so biased the BBC!

[Shakermaker]

TTwiggy said:

No (with the caveat that true impartiality is impossible) I agree to no such thing. I said that in my experience people of a more right-wing persuasion tend to have a problem with the BBC. THEY are the ones who see left-wing bias. I also said that people on the far-left have a tendency to see bias (of the opposite type) in the BBC.

My experience is that many people on the left believe the BBC to be right wing biased. Particular hatred is directed towards Laura Kussenburg

Today's gripe that those on the left have, which I saw shared around Facebook, is that the figures for the Labour tax plan were massively mis-represented on the BBC Money segment, making them sound a heck of a lot worse than the proposal and lots of "scare mongering" etc.

[TTwiggy]

hairyben said:

TTwiggy said:

chris watton said:

A cursory glance through threads like these seems to indicate that the majority of people who love the BBC and see no issue with it are left-leaning and/or ardent 'Remoaners'

It's also clear that 'hating the BBC' is a requirement for every proud right-winger. As such, it's a pointless thread with no hope for reasoned debate.

Can you define and show me this "hatred"? I see a fair bit of criticism and highlighting of the bbc's political slant, some distaste perhaps tipping into loathing for a few. Not much I'd call hatred though... and certainly not to the point it renders the thread pointless and hopeless.

I put 'hating the BBC' into quote marks to highlight that it was shorthand for everything you've said (i.e it covers everything from criticism through loathing).

This thread has gone on for page after page for years. It dies down until someone finds something else to get 'angry' (quote marks again) about with the Beeb and then it flares up again. But it comes down to one group claiming bias and another claiming not. These groups are unlikely to find common ground.

[Biker 1]

TTwiggy said:

Good grief.

If you're going to contend that you don't watch and/or enjoy any BBC output I suppose I just have to take you at your word, but it's very surprising indeed. You must really enjoy the X Factor...

I repeat: I find the BBC VERY poor VFM. Criminal record for not paying the license - WTF????
I certainly do not watch X Factor or any of that other st like the Voice, soaps etc.
So its to the modern on-demand systems that I turn to, like droves of others, so not really surprising. I will soon get rid of my Freesat box & cancel my license for good.
The BBC & most other broadcast TV platforms are probably doomed.

[Munter]

Biker 1 said:

I repeat: I find the BBC VERY poor VFM. Criminal record for not paying the license - WTF????
I certainly do not watch X Factor or any of that other st like the Voice, soaps etc.
So its to the modern on-demand systems that I turn to, like droves of others, so not really surprising. I will soon get rid of my Freesat box & cancel my license for good.
The BBC & most other broadcast TV platforms are probably doomed.

Because the BBC iPlayer isn't a " modern on-demand system" at all.