I hate the BBC

I bow to nobody in my dislike of the BBC as an institution, although they are of course capable of individual pieces of excellence.

Setting politics aside (although they are probably linked to this decision), what irks me is their puny justification again today for losing live coverage of the Masters - a brilliant 4 days of golf, which they have long covered live.

An organisation that can pay Lineker £1.7m a year to read an autocue, Graham Norton £1.2m a year .....Strictly etc etc .....can’t be arsed find the money for the top class golf.

It’s hard to escape the feeling that this BBC decision has more to do with golf’s demographics than any sporting logic.

No doubt if wimmin took up golf at Augusta, even if they could only drive the ball 39 yards off the tee, the BBC would be sending Claire Balding, Alex Scott & the team from Bake Off over on Business Class.

Wrong priorities. Again.

 

The collapse of free to air sport in the UK is a tragedy.

Part of the blame no doubt sits with the BBC but I think Sky/Murdock is equally to blame

 

BBC can't compete with Murdoch, simple fact. Strictly costs a fortune but they get it back from export sales. Lineker has taken a wage cut in his new contract. I probably hate Murdoch as much as Mr Rug hates the BBC.

 

Lineker took a BBC pay cut this year from £1.7m to £1.4m.

It’s about priorities. It’s not just golf ....the BBC has abandoned so much mainstream sport. Just given up. But with golf it’s more about the demographics, and the target audience the BBC wishes to attract / deter.

Other showpiece sport the BBC has recently given up on -

The Grand National, Derby, Royal Ascot
The Open (golf)
Live football (men’s, not that other crap)
Darts
The Rugby World Cup
Horse of the Year Show

 

With hindsight, hate is the wrong wrong. Hugely dislike/ massively irritated by would be better. Particularly on weeks like this, when previously covered elite men’s sport is being ignored.

And you get a choice whether or not to pay for Sky ....nobody gets the choice (at the moment) regarding funding the BBC . It’s a huge, politically correct monolith that needs scrapping, IMO.

 

Sorry to be an anorak, but they've also killed Doctor Who, which I used to enjoy

When the BBC first pulled the series back in 1989 there was talk that ITV might buy it up.
I think that would be a good idea now.
The Beeb have turned it into the wettest woke drivel ever seen on telly.
An independent company could put the fun back into it.

I do agree about the lack of sport though. It is very sad, but I'm resigned to it after years of decline.

 

People are prepared to spend a lot more for Sky than they are for terrestrial TV, add to that the revenue from advertising, and the commercial Sky simply outbid BBC for major sporting events. A huge pity, and it will only get worse. My complaints are different. BBC used to be an innovative station, with Comedy Playhouse and Wednesday Play introducing new talent like Galton and Simpson, and Denis Potter. Dr Who was proper sci-fi on the cheap, not dependent on expensive effects. The Old Grey Whistle Test, Arena, Monty Python were all innovative programmes with an element of risk, now it's all safety first, don't offend anybody, but that's society for you. Mary Whitehouse had the last laugh.

 

It's really been Bash Bashir week at the Beeb hasn't it...

Now he's being accused of finishing off Michael Jackson

According to Jacko's ex lawyer, Bashir's interview with the self-titled King of Pop set in motion a tragic chain of events that led to the Superstar's untimely death.
So, nothing to do with the buckets of tranqs and God knows what else Jacko was popping every day for years, or the fact his face fell off, or promising to do a 50 date World Tour when he could barely even get out of bed, or all the other stuff too creepy to mention at this time of the morning

 

Anyone unfortunate enough to have seen the Neverland documentary would come away thinking nothing other than Michael Jackson was a vile paedophile.

 

Hiding in public view. He still has a large devoted following who can see no wrong.

 

Jacko should have retired after the Thriller Album.
That (and the one before it) were never going to be bettered.

 

If Jackson were still alive he would now be serving a life sentence in prison (sex offenders wing).

 

I can’t imagine the reasons why but the BBC really are rolling out the red carpet for Obama’s self regarding autobiography (volume 1 £35). Its the third book he’s written about his favourite subject - himself - with a fourth to follow.

His track record as President was modest to say the least, and he achieved literally nothing in his last two years after the Democrats lost the Senate. And yet the BBC are serialising his book and giving him a long one to one interview on prime time TV ? I’m washing my hair whenever he’s on.

 

You missed a very interesting interview last night. To compare him to the present incumbent is quite depressing.

 

I didn’t ? I would have voted Biden. I just think Obama is both hugely overrated (based on his actual achievements in office) and very self regarding. Trump won in part because American working class folk felt betrayed by the King of Woke.

 

Obama was still quite popular when he left office. It was the Clinton brand that was toxic. When it comes to self-regarding the present incumbent is in a class of his own, is he not? And I still don't know what WOKE means, although I realise it's used to denigrate.

 

People and politicians who use culture war issues to disguise their political toxicity. Corbyn & the Guardian being two obvious examples in the U.K.

 

So only left leaning people qualify?

 

Not all Left. I have never had a problem with the traditional social democratic centre left Labour Party - many of them over the years have been very decent and admirable characters. What would the likes of Gaitskell, Wilson, Callaghan & Healey made of today’s Labour Party. I think we can guess.