As the BBC comes under growing criticism for its coverage of Reform, we republish Adam Bienkov and Patrick Howse's 2024 investigation into how the corporation's leadership became cowed by the right
Unfortunately it is the end of "our" BBC. I have trusted and watched the BBC for all of my 70 years. For the last 15 years I have slowly, very slowly, come to accept I no longer trust their version of the news and their ideas of fairness. And now, they can no longer afford to make the superb, world beating dramas and new history programmes I have loved. I loathe Johnson and the other over privileged, unethical bastards who have taken it away. Excellent writing as ever Byline Times, thank you.
Oh they do make good drama (admittedly there is a lot of competition now) - Blue Lights for example and I could list more. Bienkov and Howse's piece explains a great deal but if you give up now in the fight to save our sole Public Service Broadcaster, then Johnson, Neil, Cummings, Kuennsberg, Michael Prescott, Badenoch and Sir Robbie Gibb and so many more twats will have won and not only destroyed the country but the BBC as well.
I haven't given up on them really. However, there has been such a lurch to the right in this country, it saddens and angers me. I am watching the BBC at the moment, "Monday Quiz night." My favourite dramas, from many years ago, were all the adaptations of Dickens, Austen, Eliot and other classic writers. No one could touch the BBC in regard to such productions. They will never make any more. Blue lights is superb, I agree. I don't like many USA programmes to be honest and i can't agree there is a lot of competition around. Programming now seems to be designed to mainly keep "celebrities" in very highly paid work. I hope the BBC don't just give in and comply even more to the obviously organised attack from the far right. Also, I urge people to listen to Melvyn Bragg's In Our Time on Radio 4. One of the best programmes ever produced. Only the BBC could have done it.
Good keep fighting -the only way is to speak up. The BBC certainly won't be able to afford to make the dramas you and I like if Farage takes over and stops the licence fee and Trump sues for $1 bn. ( My favourites too -Bleak House being superb, and Pride and Prejudice, and all the Brontes' and other Austens). Radio 4 is worth the licence fee on its own but do the philistines in the Tory party higher echelons understand any of it? I adore Melvyn and his wife, once had the privilege of being his PRO for the South Bank Show many moons ago. I was also acting Senior PRO for Corporate BBC at one point and handled things like the campaign for the licence fee and the Panorama Carrickmore debacle as well on my watch - . You say you don't like American TV - well what about American movies: would you watch Goodnight and Good Luck the Clooney directed film about McCarthy trying to destroy CBS and Ed Murrow? Highly relevant for today's story and food for thought. Back then however, they had a President with integrity who loathed McCarthy.
Well, I am impressed, lucky you working with Melvyn Bragg, how lovely. I am just an ex Maths teacher among many other things. I did see Melvyn Bragg at Theatre By The Lake talking about his biography. He is such an interesting, brilliant man. I do like some American films of course. As a young woman, I absolutely loved the old films from the 1930's and 1940's which the BBC showed every Saturday afternooon. They all had women in them. I just hope the BBC and our government will not give in to Trump's threats. Although the edit was poor in the Panorama programme, I cannot remember anything Trump could sue about, no lies or libel. I sincerely believe the right have been plotting to destroy our BBC for years and that is why Farage, the Telegraph, Johnson and Badenoch etc. are full of faux indignation whilst rubbing their hands with glee. Thank you for responding to my moan.
I'm afraid the BBC is lost. I stopped trusting their news reporting many years ago. My only consumption of their material are selected podcasts, like Science in Action (now closed down) and More or Less. I willingly pay my licence fee to support those parts of the BBC that have.not been corrupted. Their News and Current Affairs might as well be delegated to GB News.
Well researched and evidenced piece. Control of the news agenda has always been part of the Tory plan, and unfortunately under the Conservatives during the last 10 plus years they have succeeded. They have had a compliant press for decades, and it is a shame that they managed so easily to control the BBC.
The structural changes giving them control will be long lasting. It is ironic that this has come to fruition at the time when the Conservatives appear to be terminally wounded. However, I am sure that the Faragist supporters within the BBC will happily continue to prevent any return to independent thought.
Very good piece and needs updating fast! I don't think Samir Shah will last. I worked wth him. Might be good to get Greg Dyke's view on it all but Rusbridger and David Dimbleby as well.
Unfortunately it is the end of "our" BBC. I have trusted and watched the BBC for all of my 70 years. For the last 15 years I have slowly, very slowly, come to accept I no longer trust their version of the news and their ideas of fairness. And now, they can no longer afford to make the superb, world beating dramas and new history programmes I have loved. I loathe Johnson and the other over privileged, unethical bastards who have taken it away. Excellent writing as ever Byline Times, thank you.
Oh they do make good drama (admittedly there is a lot of competition now) - Blue Lights for example and I could list more. Bienkov and Howse's piece explains a great deal but if you give up now in the fight to save our sole Public Service Broadcaster, then Johnson, Neil, Cummings, Kuennsberg, Michael Prescott, Badenoch and Sir Robbie Gibb and so many more twats will have won and not only destroyed the country but the BBC as well.
I haven't given up on them really. However, there has been such a lurch to the right in this country, it saddens and angers me. I am watching the BBC at the moment, "Monday Quiz night." My favourite dramas, from many years ago, were all the adaptations of Dickens, Austen, Eliot and other classic writers. No one could touch the BBC in regard to such productions. They will never make any more. Blue lights is superb, I agree. I don't like many USA programmes to be honest and i can't agree there is a lot of competition around. Programming now seems to be designed to mainly keep "celebrities" in very highly paid work. I hope the BBC don't just give in and comply even more to the obviously organised attack from the far right. Also, I urge people to listen to Melvyn Bragg's In Our Time on Radio 4. One of the best programmes ever produced. Only the BBC could have done it.
Good keep fighting -the only way is to speak up. The BBC certainly won't be able to afford to make the dramas you and I like if Farage takes over and stops the licence fee and Trump sues for $1 bn. ( My favourites too -Bleak House being superb, and Pride and Prejudice, and all the Brontes' and other Austens). Radio 4 is worth the licence fee on its own but do the philistines in the Tory party higher echelons understand any of it? I adore Melvyn and his wife, once had the privilege of being his PRO for the South Bank Show many moons ago. I was also acting Senior PRO for Corporate BBC at one point and handled things like the campaign for the licence fee and the Panorama Carrickmore debacle as well on my watch - . You say you don't like American TV - well what about American movies: would you watch Goodnight and Good Luck the Clooney directed film about McCarthy trying to destroy CBS and Ed Murrow? Highly relevant for today's story and food for thought. Back then however, they had a President with integrity who loathed McCarthy.
Well, I am impressed, lucky you working with Melvyn Bragg, how lovely. I am just an ex Maths teacher among many other things. I did see Melvyn Bragg at Theatre By The Lake talking about his biography. He is such an interesting, brilliant man. I do like some American films of course. As a young woman, I absolutely loved the old films from the 1930's and 1940's which the BBC showed every Saturday afternooon. They all had women in them. I just hope the BBC and our government will not give in to Trump's threats. Although the edit was poor in the Panorama programme, I cannot remember anything Trump could sue about, no lies or libel. I sincerely believe the right have been plotting to destroy our BBC for years and that is why Farage, the Telegraph, Johnson and Badenoch etc. are full of faux indignation whilst rubbing their hands with glee. Thank you for responding to my moan.
I'm afraid the BBC is lost. I stopped trusting their news reporting many years ago. My only consumption of their material are selected podcasts, like Science in Action (now closed down) and More or Less. I willingly pay my licence fee to support those parts of the BBC that have.not been corrupted. Their News and Current Affairs might as well be delegated to GB News.
Well researched and evidenced piece. Control of the news agenda has always been part of the Tory plan, and unfortunately under the Conservatives during the last 10 plus years they have succeeded. They have had a compliant press for decades, and it is a shame that they managed so easily to control the BBC.
The structural changes giving them control will be long lasting. It is ironic that this has come to fruition at the time when the Conservatives appear to be terminally wounded. However, I am sure that the Faragist supporters within the BBC will happily continue to prevent any return to independent thought.
Very good piece and needs updating fast! I don't think Samir Shah will last. I worked wth him. Might be good to get Greg Dyke's view on it all but Rusbridger and David Dimbleby as well.