BBC – Page 4 – Slugger O'Toole

The BBC has no business making a silly unionist dig at Martin McGuinness

Brian Walker on January 3, 2013, 12:04 pm

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Just a bit of New Year harrumping. I see the Bel Tel couldn’t resist joining the tease that Martin McGuinness took on an “English aristocratic title” when he had to go through the traditional form of accepting an office of profit under the Crown in order to quit as an abstensionist MP. The BBC website even put up a headline with the “aristocratic “ tag which with a bit of searching you can still find. It’s all very well for the …

Memories of 1982, a strange year

Brian Walker on December 31, 2012, 6:49 pm

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According to what’s appeared in the papers, the archives of 1982 have produced few surprises. Perhaps Wally Kirwan’s suggestion of cross border internment put (safely) to Garret FitzGerald comes close but it was never going to happen. The two governments had allowed themselves to be pushed apart by the 1981 hunger strike and a key initiative had been handed to the IRA and Sinn Fein for years. I missed an early chance of enlightenment. After snatching a TV interview with …

“Heads must roll” is not a quick fix for the BBC or the cabinet

Brian Walker on December 20, 2012, 9:31 am

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What’s there to trust in public life? A new Hillsborough inquiry into a dreadful police cover up of how 23 died in the same year as Finucane ; UBS in the latest bank scandal over fixing the Libor rate, amid unresolved rows about big banks and bankers’ pay. Off with all their heads? But also comes a reminder that it should not be so easy to sack cabinet ministers such as Andrew Mitchell and Peter Mandelson, “the comeback king”. Where …

“For the avoidance of doubt…”

Pete Baker on December 16, 2012, 11:32 pm

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The unsurprising, for many reasons, winner of the BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2012 may have been this year’s Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins, a well-deserved third place went to Olympic and US Open tennis champion, Andy Murray. But the Guardian’s Paul Owens has spotted something strange about the BBC’s Panel awarding ‘Team of the Year’ to the Olympic Team GB/Paralympics GB. From the BBC’s own “SPOTY Voting & Judging: Terms & conditions 2012” [dated 12 December 2012] TEAM OF THE YEAR For the …

Northern Ireland training ground for new BBC leadership

Brian Walker on November 23, 2012, 3:46 pm

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I was going to headline this: “BBC NI ex News trainee becomes Director General. ” But then nearly all the bright young things in London HQ in the 1970s were blooded (figuratively) in the Belfast newsroom at the height of the Troubles. BBC News and current Affairs was the forcing ground for familiar luminaries Jeremy Paxman, Gavin Esler and Bill Neely ( Spotlight). Among those who enhanced their reputation outside the BBC later were Chris Graham, former head the Advertising …

Visual Comment of the Week: Scandal and Resignation

Brian Spencer on November 18, 2012, 7:12 pm

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Commentary from Aaron Callan and cartoon from Brian Spencer The past couple of weeks have witnessed the resignations at the BBC and CIA. Both these resignations have been well covered in the media. However, I believe that it represents a further undermining of the belief in our public and private institutions. We just have to look over the last number of years here in the UK. From the MP’s Expenses scandal to the Phone Hacking debacle and the financial crisis. …

Mail names BBC NI Director as the weak link in latest crisis…

Mick Fealty on November 12, 2012, 11:54 am

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Suddenly the vast and inscrutable machine of the BBC is under intense investigation, and the hunt is on for whomever it was at Director level that signed off on the Newsnight. The Daily Mail believes it has found the weak link in the chain. The person they now claim was responsible for sign off at the highest level was the Director of BBC NI, Peter Johnston. Johnson, whose core competence is audience development, found himself with executive responsibilities for national …

Wanted: a new John Birt for the BBC

Brian Walker on November 11, 2012, 12:52 pm

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I never thought I’d write this but John Birt is the kind of figure the BBC now needs to steady the ship. In 1987 the BBC faced a similar if slower burning crisis. The DG Alasdair Milne never recovered from the row in 1985 over Real Lives: On the Edge of the Union, a network documentary that depicted the then Derry IRA boss Martin McGuinness not as a red in tooth and claw monster but as a man capable of …

Paisley jnr, Andrew Marr and a case of mistaken identity

Brian Walker on October 16, 2012, 9:50 am

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Guido flashed it, so to speak. Then Quentin Letts, a graduate of TCD and therefore qualified to comment on all things Irish north and south picked it up in his sketch. Mr Paisley rose. Tall fella. He has his father’s shoulders and skull-shape and Northern Irish accent. As I say, the larynx does not yet have the entrancing, papery creak but it is still a strong, clear voice, the Ulster uplift giving it a tone of disbelief. He asked Mrs …

Respect?

John Ó Néill on October 1, 2012, 10:05 am

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[click here if image doesn’t show] From today’s Irish News (h/t to @Short_Strand). Doesn’t really need much more comment. Sorry to rain on anyone’s parade, but you know what us Fenian bastards are like. At least in the case of the bandsman urinating on the church gates, the Grand Secretary of the Orange Order was quick out of the blocks this morning to the BBC: Mr Nelson said the incident was “outrageous and unacceptable”. He apologised unreservedly to the priest and parishioners of …

Niall Ferguson on the devolution of Education to a bigger society…

Mick Fealty on July 10, 2012, 10:23 am

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This podcast of Niall Ferguson’s last Reith lecture (transcript, h/t Nev) is well worth listening to, not least because a really sharp Scottish audience which is not prepared to let him off with anything sloppy. There’s some very good stuff on de Tocqueville, and Democracy in America at the beginning plus a great line on technology. On education, I rather think his own rather too strident ideology gets in the way his making a good point on how devolving greater …

That’ll be twelve pounds fifty please …

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on June 22, 2012, 10:05 am

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BBC Hearts and Minds

After years of providing material for Thursday night and Friday morning posts on Slugger, BBC NI’s Hearts and Minds aired last night for the last time. [Ed – Not quite the last: it has one last swansong on BBC Parliament at 4pm on Sunday afternoon] While waiting for Sinn Fein’s Ard Comhairle to shake hands on the Ts and Cs of Martin McGuinness protocol for meeting the Queen, there’s just enough time to watch the last episode on iPlayer. Classic …

“Having the BBC available in the South gives us a clear link with what politicians in the North are doing.”

Pete Baker on May 29, 2012, 7:14 pm

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So opined the then Irish Minister for Communications, Eamon Ryan, in February 2010 when the Irish and UK governments signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) “for continuing co-operation on broadcasting issues on the island of Ireland.” Specifically, on what will happen after the digital switchover in 2012 – now scheduled for Oct 24 in Ireland as well as in Northern Ireland. Reports at the time that the agreement committed “the two governments to facilitating RTÉ services in Northern Ireland and BBC services …

Eurovision 2012: “Good luck on your journey, Azerbaijan!”

Pete Baker on May 27, 2012, 11:29 pm

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Mark Lawson on the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 in Azerbaijan – “the most politicised contest yet.” [Apart from the one in 1974? – Ed] Indeed. Back to Mark Lawson. Tensions between several of the core participants had been raised by the possible exit of Greece from the stricken eurozone and, increasing the volume of disharmony to Jedward levels, BBC news and current affairs programmes have run several reports questioning the suitability of the host nation because of Azerbaijan’s record of …

“UK courts cannot force the handing over of journalistic material to foreign organizations…”

Pete Baker on May 9, 2012, 6:29 pm

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Just a quick note of the BBC reporting that Garda have failed in their attempt to force the BBC and UTV to hand over unbroadcast video footage of rioting in Dublin during Queen Elizabeth II’s visit last year. From the BBC report The request which was made through the Home Office failed after Senior Belfast Judge Tom Burgess agreed with the case put by the broadcasters. He found UK courts cannot force the handing over of journalistic material to foreign organizations. Just …

“Love Will Set You Free is actually quite a savvy song choice…”

Pete Baker on March 19, 2012, 9:52 pm

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Having decided to to send a relative newcomer to the Eurovision Song Contest in Baku this year – the 75 year old Arnold George Dorsey, better known as Engelbert Humperdinck – the BBC have now unveiled the song he will be singing. Apparently, Engelbert is “very proud of the song”. Well, it’s not a turkey… From the Eurovision channel Okaaay… I’m not seeing much ‘choreography’. But as the Guardian’s Stuart Heritage says While Love Will Set You Free might not be a song that imprints …

Have you an informed interest in what the BBC broadcasts and publishes online?

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on March 16, 2012, 9:02 am

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BBC Audience Council Northern Ireland

The BBC Audience Council for Northern Ireland is currently recruiting new members. If you have an informed interest in what the BBC broadcasts and publishes online and an understanding of the needs of local audiences, you may want to apply for this voluntary position. Looking at some of the posts and comments on Slugger, some people certainly fit the bill! Audience Council meets most months and gives a voice to local audiences right at the heart of the BBC. Council …

Engelbert Humperdinck will represent the UK…

Pete Baker on March 2, 2012, 2:26 pm

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RTÉ may be trying again with the terrible twins, but the BBC have decided to send a relative newcomer to the Eurovision Song Contest in Baku this year – the 75 year old Arnold George Dorsey, better known as Engelbert Humperdinck. No members of the public were consulted in the decision. Will he do better than Blue’s 11th place finish last year… Pete Baker

“Jedward will now represent Ireland…” – Redux

Pete Baker on February 26, 2012, 8:11 pm

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The RTÉ selected panel, and those members of the Irish public who voted, have, once again, decided that Jedward will represent Ireland RTÉ in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest – to be held in Baku in May. And Louis didn’t even need to fix the voting this year. [Allegedly! – Ed] Indeed. Whether RTÉ are any more willing to host next year’s final than they were this one is another matter. [At least it’s not another turkey! – Ed] You might …

Scottish referendum no further forward

Brian Walker on February 14, 2012, 11:55 am

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“Spin” the Telgraph acidly calls it, while the home- based Herald labels it “confusion“ There are different views, of course, on the timescale that the Scottish Government has set out. I don’t think that is a serious argument any more.” However, Mr Moore later insisted that he timing question was far from settled and said the two sides “still have some way to travel” to reach an agreement. Mr Moore said: “I am still not convinced that the people of …