The media rant thread

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North North Watford

North North Watford

Active Member
Apr 16, 2011
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I've started this thread because I don't want it to dominate the nest. The initial post is on the BBC, but feel free to rant (or rave, if you prefer) about any media organisations.

Am I taking the BBC's coverage of this town too much to heart, or on some level do they really have something in for us? I'm trying to do an exhaustive list of what the Beeb ever cover in Watford outside of 3CR, and have come up with:


  • The Grove. Whenever they mention they go out of their way to describe it as being "outside Watford" or "in Hertfordshire".
  • Leavesden Studios. Admittedly an awkward place to accurately give a location for, but they bend over backwards never to use the W-word, despite the fact that Leavesden is officially part of the Watford constituency, and in practise a suburb indistinguishable from Watford: same postcode, telephone area code, the lot.
  • Saracens. They're not the biggest team in this town, and they publicly do not want to be here.
  • Watford's opposition at Vicarage Road. The only reason the BBC come here when we are favourites to win a match is because they are contractually obliged to send staff to all Football League games.
  • Bad news for WFC. Even Sky manage to periodically cover the club from a positive angle. The only positive thing the BBC have ever written about this club is about Harefield Academy, which technically doesn't count because it's in Harefield.
  • Bad fuel-related news. BBC reporters came here for the fuel strikes in 2000, came here when prices hit a record, and are using pictures from here again.

Outside of murders, that really is it.

Nothing about the Harlequin, which is massive considering the size of this town, and really bucks the trend as far as shop occupancy goes. Nothing about the health campus. Nothing on the Croxley rail link, which will be huge not just for us but also those who commute to London from further north. Nothing about the disproportionately high number of big companies headquartered here, and so forth. Nothing about how reliable a political bellweather this town is, locally and nationally. And so on and so forth.
 
You're so right. It's quite sickening. But the BBC is a very biased organisation. You just have to see it's reporting on all things Israel to realise that. Sometimes you could see me almost screaming at the telly!

And yes, Leavesden is definitely in Watford...it's on the Watford test route!
 
North North Watford said:
[*]The Grove. Whenever they mention they go out of their way to describe it as being "outside Watford" or "in Hertfordshire".
Click to expand...

For the Sport relief omelette challenge James thingammybob from Saturday Kitchen actually said "I'm at the England team base at The Grove in Watford." Or something to that effect because i remarked to my parents that The Grove and Watford were mentioned in the same sentence! But I'm sure the Grove paid to change it's postcode to distance itself from Watford...

Also, don't be silly, the Harry Potter experience isn't in Leavesden or Watford. It's in London...
 
Hornette what do you mean? The BBC treats everyone equally because they are so PC. I am heartily fed up with their "non-bias" and have almost stopped watching BBC1 because of their attempts to treat everyone equally. We are not equal some people are clever, some not, some pretty, some not, some are good at sports and some not, I could go on. What does get me riled is their "non-political" political outlook, where anything good about anything is criticised and or ridiculed, they love to insult the Americans (who can never win, "Oh, look the Americans are at it again" or "Why have the Americans done nothing?"). Of course they have to stick it to Israel, whether Israel is right in a matter or wrong, because the demographic says better to pander to the British moslems than not; and lets not forget their stereotypical portrayal of just about every european nation; Germans - efficient, French - calculating, Greeks - untrustworthy, Irish - stupid terrorists, Italian - well they are unable to organise anything and lazy.
For an impartial organization they most certainly are not.
 
zen guerrilla said:
Hornette what do you mean? The BBC treats everyone equally because they are so PC. I am heartily fed up with their "non-bias" and have almost stopped watching BBC1 because of their attempts to treat everyone equally. We are not equal some people are clever, some not, some pretty, some not, some are good at sports and some not, I could go on. What does get me riled is their "non-political" political outlook, where anything good about anything is criticised and or ridiculed, they love to insult the Americans (who can never win, "Oh, look the Americans are at it again" or "Why have the Americans done nothing?"). Of course they have to stick it to Israel, whether Israel is right in a matter or wrong, because the demographic says better to pander to the British moslems than not; and lets not forget their stereotypical portrayal of just about every european nation; Germans - efficient, French - calculating, Greeks - untrustworthy, Irish - stupid terrorists, Italian - well they are unable to organise anything and lazy.
For an impartial organization they most certainly are not.
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Yep, agreed. (though you had me worried there for a moment! ;) )
 
It's not something I have really noticed - I do object to their vague attempts at balance that are clearly biased in favour of the ex-Notting Hill liberal elite view of the world, but are we not a little paranoid?

Still I live in Bandit Country and the view of Bandit Central being a hot-bed of Islamic Terrorists, the home of the EDL, murders on the streets every week-end and the home of a thieving, cheating football club is absolutely spot on!

But the following BBCers do get on my tits:-

Alan Green
Gary Linneker
Savage
Claridge
 
Alan Green is annoying and very rude whilst the others are either boring or just like the sound of their own voice.
 
I rant about the BBC, and what do they do? Send a helicopter to circle my bloody house. <laugh>
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Ah, it was you they were looking for! I saw it while walking the dog, wondered what was going on!
 
I thought everyone knew the BBC is really under the control of a Stalinist group intending to take over the world. They can watch you through your monitor and may be sending someone along to take you into custody at any moment.

Oh, and by the way I have friends in Knaresborough and they say they are constantly grossly misrepresented by the BBC :laugh:
 
When living in Oz, I used to regard the Beeb as the role model for all other channels. Not now though - they seem to have majorly lost their way :(

Heck, I can't even listen to their news programmes anymore as they have a predilection for employing strangely spoken presenters whose accents I find either unintelligble or downright grating on the ears.
 
You should live in Warwickshire. Our midlands version of the BBC lives in a very palatial place in Birmingham called the Mailbox but with all the dominance of Birmingham in the region I know more about what happens in Shropshire than anything else. I have a theory all the senior managers live out that way so it gets all the coverage. The last time Warwickshire got a mention was when a couple of firemen died in a food warhouse fire several years ago.

Zen I would take you to task about the BBC and the USA. As much as the BBC does seem politically to dislike the USA, especially when there is a Republican President, they never cease to amaze me with the vast ammount of coverage they give that nation.
 
I forgot

Chris Moyles..
Comedy Dave - can someone tell me why "Comedy" - the little nasal voiced **** is about as funny as a burning match down your japs eye!

TO echo BB's comment - I spent a few years working away in some remote places and the World Service was well thought of..not had a chance to canvass any opinion for many a year, but I fear the influence has been diluted
 
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