Wednesday 24 October 2012

Tories and the BBC


Murdoch’s minions aka the Conservative Party have been unable to contain their relish at the discomfiture of the BBC. They are seizing the moment to put the boot into public service broadcasting. The derisory laughter at the Commons Culture Committee meeting yesterday was disturbing and informative. It was unpleasant to witness. Entwistle has had a baptism of fire and may not be up to the job. He does appear to be a decent person, struggling to come to terms with the issues swarming around him. He did not deserve ridicule - particularly from Tories who are not exactly covering themselves in glory either. 

“The Tories have long hated the BBC - it would be a real travesty if the Savile affair gave them the excuse they have been looking for to make significant changes to the organisation.
Savile was undoubtedly an evil bastard, there were undoubtedly others of his ilk within the BBC - deal with them, but don't let Savile's legacy be the dismantling of an invaluable institution.”  EvilMcBad - Guardian Comment

It is also becoming clear that the BBC is a very convenient scapegoat. This allows other equally (or even more) deserving institutions to run for cover. 

“I feel all this eagerness to hammer the BBC is mostly driven out of a desire to bludgeon it to submission and scandalise it to the point where the license fee is no longer tenable whilst minimising the amount of attention to other agencies in this affair. Far bigger questions surround how this man was able to get his own private accommodations in hospitals and how he came to be given the keys to the wards. How and who made these decisions? Why were repeated allegations of his behaviours not investigated? It seems everyone knew about them but no one did anything. Why?
This guy was knighted and had friends in very high places so what kind of protections did these relationships afford him? Did he know too much about others as to make him untouchable? There is a lot to uncover in this sordid tale and it's disheartening to see all the focus given to management/editorial standards at the BBC seemingly to deflect from others.”
Fickleposter ibid.

Before Tory MPs like Philip Davis become too cocky they should beware. Savile was often associated with Thatcher. He was appointed to look into Broadmoor by Edwina Currie. He was knighted in the Queens Birthday Honours list of 1990.

And who were the party of government in 1990? Well bless my cotton socks if it was not the Conservatives. Clearly they were either gullible or colluding too. 

Philip Davis demanded to know who knew what and when yesterday, going back five decades. Perhaps he ought to look a little closer to home and ask who knew what and when in the Tory party in the 1980’s?

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