I welcome early reports that he wants to attack the blatant anti-Brexit, anti-Tory and anti-Trump rhetoric in nearly every TV and radio comedy show.
However, it will take much more than giving people like Lee Hurst, Geoff Norcott or Andrew Doyle primetime slots to convince public opinion that the BBC is worth saving.
The success of the Defund the BBC campaign and the rising number of licence fee refuseniks will not be stemmed either by cutting the outside earnings of the Beeb’s biggest names.
Again, it is welcome that Tim is intending to stop people like Naga Munchetty and Fiona Bruce grossing up to £25 grand for hosting or speaking at corporate events.
I was amazed to discover that these ‘public servants’ don’t actually have to even disclose how much the likes of Aston Martin or big banks like JP Morgan are paying them to speak and eat prawn vol-au-vents.
That is a disgrace and, of course, just like with our MPs there should be a register of all outside engagements and the fees paid. Without a register, this reminds me too much of the MP’s expenses scandal. How about you?
How can the BBC boast about impartiality when their top news stars are picking up such massive wads of cash from companies they may well be called upon to report on?
Impartiality vs Social Media
Talking of impartiality, I also welcome reports that Tim Davie is also going to curtail his staff’s use of twitter and other social media sites.
There is no way a publicly funded news reporter or any presenter should be allowed to express political views or opinions on social media.
I would like the inquiry into this by Richard Sambrook to go much further and also investigate the twitter use of their biggest entertainment stars like Gary Lineker.
He picks up millions from the BBC and is arguably only such a big and in-demand presenter because of his work on the publicly-funded BBC.
So, the excuse that he is only a sports presenter and therefore can give out political opinions on everything from illegal immigrants to Trump is nonsense. I wonder if he held right of centre views like Matt Le Tissier he would be given the same freedom?
If any of these “stars” object to a Twitter ban then Tim Davie should let them walk and see how they fare in the open market.
Afraid of Competition
Tim Davie began work today with a visit to BBC Scotland and sent out a message to all the staff of the Bloated Broadcasting Corporation telling them that “the organisation must represent every part of this country.”
Brave words, mate, and I wish you luck with that and look forward to seeing you air the views of real people on subjects like the illegal immigrants at Dover, Black Lives Matter, Law and Order and even the death penalty.
I can’t wait to see balanced discussions about all of these topics where all opinions are given equal air time, even the opinions that make the Islington Woke Brigade choke on their sparkling mineral water. I am afraid I won’t be holding my breath.
You can fantasise, Tim but let me tell you mate that after 25 years of working for the Biased Broadcasting Corporation you can dream but it is an impossible dream. The BBC is infested with left-leaning liberals who all sing from the same hymn sheet.
This was so clearly illustrated this week by the lead presenter on the Today programme, Nick Robinson.
Reacting to the news that two rival companies are planning to set up right of centre TV news channels to challenge the BBC, Robinson tweeted, ‘Will a British “Fox News” channel improve debate, decision making and democracy in this country? Send your answers to Ofcom.’
In under 120 characters, he illustrated his and the BBC’s bias and blind belief that they are above criticism or challenge.
For god’s sake, the channels haven’t even been announced or launched yet and he is trying to whip up a campaign against the new competition via Ofcom.
Robinson needs to wake up and smell his skinny latte (which we no doubt pay for) and realise that the broadcasting world is changing and changing fast.
Why should the BBC have dominance over the news agenda in the UK? Answer: they shouldn’t and if Nick is so good at his job why is he afraid of competition?
Time for the Beeb to Slim Down
If Davie wants any hope of changing public opinion about defunding the BBC he needs to announce today that the decision to ban the singing of patriotic songs at the proms this year is reversed.
He needs to accept that the Government are 100 percent correct to decriminalise non-payment of the licence fee.
He needs to restore the free licence to the millions of OAPs who have had it stolen from them.
He needs to propose concrete and achievable ways that the bloated corporation could slim down and he could start by privatising Radio 1 and Radio 2 and selling off Radio 4.
He needs to pull his tanks off the lawn of the internet and stop trying to dominate and decimate local newspapers and websites.
He needs to accept that the licence fee will not go up next summer and make up any alleged shortfall with massive cuts in middle management.
At the same time, he needs to realise that the licence fee will be gone for good by 2027 and provide the blueprint for how a slimmed-down state broadcaster can exist in the real world.
Of course, if he had real balls and really wanted ‘to serve the whole nation’ he could actually propose how the BBC could be dismantled completely and how the licence fee could be consigned to the dustbin of history.
