Blair's Government Urges BBC Over Content (calling 4 outside contractors)

[Khephra]

Blair's Government Urges BBC Over Content
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Published: July 12, 2004


Filed at 2:22 p.m. ET

LONDON (AP) -- A British government report suggests that the British Broadcasting Corp. drop some features from its popular Web site to better concentrate on news.

The review, commissioned by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, also calls for outside contractors to provide a quarter of the site's non-news content by 2006.

Philip Graf, the author of the review, said some BBC features -- including fantasy football, games and entertainment listings -- differed little from those of commercial competitors or were only faintly associated with the BBC's commitment to public service.

The BBC, whose Internet activities have been strongly criticized by commercial publishers, was given until October to respond. But the corporation said it had already closed some sites and planned to shut down five more.

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/international/AP-BBC-Content.html

[cprise]

1. Oh Really?

The largest broadcast news organization in the world needs to "better concentrate" on news?

Feh. I don't think so.

Blair is pushing the BBC to reduce its public appeal so he can marginalize public broadcasting in the UK. This is all about catering to the wishes of Murdoch & Co.

[AP]

3. I couldn't disagree more.

[acmavm]

4. Oh bull, the last time the BBC concentrated on the news the top two

people had to resign (and that's because of the demands of the damn government). I think I'd tell Tony and the boys to go pound sand (in Iraq).

[w4rma]

5. Yup. He's trying to open more of the market up to Murdoch. (nt)

[AP]

2. I agree with this. BBC is getting farther from news and is more and more

simply a marketing tool for the premier league.

Entertainment and sports marketing should be provided in the free market, while news should be provided by a body not under the influence of the private sector.

There's a conflict in interest when you're helping out sports leagues owned by huge media companies which have political agendas while also being expected to report fairly on policy issues and politicians those private companies might not like.

[w4rma]

6. No. It's payback to Murdoch by laxing some of the BBC so that Murdoch

can make inroads into BBC's viewership/readership/listenership.

[cprise]

7. You must be joking

The public and private sectors should compete in all areas of communication. Take that away and there is no mediating influence in entertainment... In fact don't be surprised if the 'entertaintment' industry becomes unhinged and used to start a war against public institutions. If the Right can bring entertainment to their news to instill fear and loathing, they can bring current events to entertainment for the same effect. Do you really want the British cultural self-image from TV to become the eerie, creepy funhouse mirror we see in the U.S.?

The BBC is still highly insulated from the government, perhaps more so than private corporations. If for-profit sports teams gain from BBC exposure, I believe that's one of the bennies of public service.

Everyone has a political agenda, even the BBC which is more populist than most. That's the point.

[muriel_volestrangler]

8. before people get too involved in arguments about the BBC's future

I'd like to point out this is just about the BBC's web sites. Not broadcasting. The report recommended the closure of some sites. It's not that big a deal (I'd never heard of any of them - can anyone here actually say they had?)

[Matilda]

9. Murdoch's grubby little paws are all over this.

"Murdoch is not only a leading supporter of the Blair government.
He has much to gain from Blair's policies for the media and from
any misfortune that may befall the BBC.

The first is the attempt to make the BBC answerable to Ofcom" (the
government's new media regulatory body).

(snip)

"The other aspect of government policy that interests Murdoch
directly is that the creation of Ofcom is bound up with efforts
to deregulate the entire media sector. The Government's
Communictions Bill, presently going through various readings and
amendments in the House of Lords, removes cross-media and radio
ownership barriers and allows companies from the United States
and other overseas investors to buy ITV and commercial radio
licences."

more from this website:

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2003/aug2003/bbc-a01.shtml

There is a pattern here - it is replicating what Murdoch has done
in Australia, where he now wields so much media power (70% of
Australian newspapers) that both political parties are afraid of
him. His 70% stake is against the laws regarding foreign companies
owning more than 20% of news outlets, but neither party will move
against him.

I consider Murdoch to be one of the most evil men in the world,
and I would never underestimate his power when it comes to
political pull.

[Gyre]

10. Sod off!

Just trying to destroy a dissenting voice's popularity w/ the British equivalent of the Nascar crowd.

Gyre