Blogging the Beeb

Programme Promises

The BBC's Programme Promises were published yesterday.

Invading America

The American right is getting worked up about BBC America:

Beware, patriots of all hues, you have good reason to be fearful. Like the classic sci-fi movie "The Invasion of the Body-Snatchers," the infecting of America's national psyche has already begun but almost nobody has noticed.

Since its inauguration in 1998, the cable channel BBC America has grown such that by July 2004 it was available in 40 million U.S. homes, and it's growing further. In January 2006 the BBC announced a deal with Discovery to bring its 24-hour news channel, BBC World News, to every American home.

And the papers

The Guardian says OFCOM will be able to assess the BBC's market impact. Greg Dyke comments on the proposals on governance in particular.

Blogs on White Paper

The bloggers are out in force in advance of the BBC White Paper publication.

Here's Stephen Pollard.

And Mediawatchwatch.

And Laban at Biased-BBC.

OFCOMwatch had this interview with Select Committee Chair John Whittingdale last week.

Lords' Committee reports

The House of Lords' Committee on the BBC has reported. Here's the Guardian, and here's Ofcomwatch.

The issue making the headlines is the call for greater Parliamentary scrutiny over the setting of the licence fee.

British Film

The BBC is set for a substantial investment in British Film.

Governors' papers on Dyke

The Guardian is reporting that the BBC Governors' discussions leading to Greg Dyke's sacking will remain closed for years to come.

Cultural Cringe

Too busy to post before, but this can't be missed: former BBC Television MD Will Wyatt has weighed into the BBC's coverage of Islam and Christianity online.

The Beeb is looking into it.

Government responds to Lords

The Government has published its response to the first of the Lords Select Committee reports on the future of the BBC. MediaGuardian covers the response of Lord Fowler, Chair of the Committee.

Queen sacked Beeb says Telegraph

Yesterday's Sunday Telegraph says that senior BBC figures believed that the Palace sacked the BBC as producer of HM's Christmas Message following the Princess Diana Panorama programme. The article states:

Internal documents obtained by the Sunday Telegraph reveal that BBC bosses were convinced the loss of its exclusive rights to the Queen's Christmas broadcast was directly linked to Martin Bashir's interview with the Princess in 1995.

It goes on:

BBC memos, released under the Freedom of Information Act, show that the corporation did not accept the Palace's explanation that it was bringing ITV on board because it was keen to try out "fresh ideas".

Cor, some scoop, eh?

Shame it was all in the 2003 autobiography written by former BBC TV Managing Director Will Wyatt. In his book, The Fun Factory, Will relates how he met Robert Fellowes and Charles Anson at the Palace in early 1996 to discuss the broadcast. (The Diana Panorama interview went out in late 1995). They told him that they felt that they wanted to test the market and give ITN a chance.

Will says he replied:

I see, Robert....Your motto here is "don't get mad, get even"