Tony Hall Resigns

[cloughie]

Well, my suppositions seem to converge with information on the intentions of those with influence.......

https://www.theguardian.com/politics...n-current-form

Dominic Cummings’s thinktank called for the “end of the BBC in its current form” and suggested rightwingers should work to undermine the credibility of the broadcaster, branding it the “mortal enemy” of the Conservative party.

Cummings….was the director of the New Frontiers Foundation when it called in 2004 for a campaign to target the BBC and the creation of a Fox News equivalent that would not be constrained by impartiality rules.......

........The thinktank also suggested an end to the ban on TV political advertising to allow politicians to speak directly to the public in ad breaks…… and the “development of the web networks scrutinising the BBC and providing information to commercial rivals with an interest in undermining the BBC’s credibility”........

.......One post from September 2004 said: “There are three structural things that the right needs to happen in terms of communications... 1) the undermining of the BBC’s credibility; 2) the creation of a Fox News equivalent / talk radio shows / bloggers etc to shift the centre of gravity; 3) the end of the ban on TV political advertising.................

Another idea proposed was that government ministers should avoid appearing on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme – a policy that has come to pass.........."

"People" say that Boris likes to be liked, even more has a sharp sense of self-preservation and overweening ambition (so would like 2,3 - 4? terms as Prime Minister). Perhaps the only question is whether he will follow through on the intentions of the right / far right or whether underneath that solid coating of ERG style rightism, he is the "one nation" sort of Tory that some try to reassure us is his true nature.

I suspect that whether it is his true nature, to attempt to keep red blue he will have to be!

[kernelbogey]

Football is the most popular spectator sport, and one of the most popular participation sports. I can't see the problem with the BBC making a decent effort to reflect this as budget sensibly allows. there is Hardly any UK football elsewhere on free channels.

As someone barely interested in football (although an occasional viewer of rugby matches), and by no means conversant with the market for televised football, I am unconvinced that it is appropriate for the BBC, funded as it is, to bid against commercial giants like Sky for the tv rights. And the venal football clubs have to share some blame for what has happened.

[teamsaint]

As someone barely interested in football (although an occasional viewer of rugby matches), and by no means conversant with the market for televised football, I am unconvinced that it is appropriate for the BBC, funded as it is, to bid against commercial giants like Sky for the tv rights. And the venal football clubs have to share some blame for what has happened.

Premier League football is funded by SKY /BT etc. The rights for Premier League football are very expensive because of the bidding war between those people. The BBC probably can't afford to bid for live coverage of the PL, but opts for a package ( Match of the Day) that is within its means, and which does a good job of catering as best it can, to its audience.

Surely the issue here is the interests of the audience. Football is enormously popular, and many licence fee payers can't or won't pay for subscription. In that case I don't see why their interests shouldn't be catered to , to a reasonable extent.
I agree that the clubs are partly to blame for the situation, but I'm not sure that is relevant. We shouldn't be punishing the audience because of the skewed distribution of income to a few at the top, or detail within other funding agreements. Classical music , for one, might not come out too well if they did .

[teamsaint]

That is the popularist argument for broadening the content scope of Radio 3. None of the other stations are doing it, or would do it, so Radio 3 must provide it because that audience pays its licence fee too !!

BBC 4 is going the same way as BBC 2: once the arts and culture service, now used for the overspill of popular entertainment. And bit by bit the popular entertainment squeezes out the arts and culture. And what's left of arts and culture descends into popular entertainment anyway.

the problem may well start here.

http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust/assets/files/pdf/regulatory_framework/service_licences/tv/2012/bbc_four_nov12.pdf

150 hours a year of new arts and music programmes each year.

[Andy Freude]

the problem may well start here.

http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust/assets/files/pdf/regulatory_framework/service_licences/tv/2012/bbc_four_nov12.pdf

150 hours a year of new arts and music programmes each year.

It's hard to see how that fits with:

"1. Remit BBC Four’s primary role is to reflect a range of UK and international arts, music and culture. It should provide an ambitious range of innovative, high quality programming that is intellectually and culturally enriching, taking an expert and in-depth approach to a wide range of subjects. " The rest of the hours in the year are just filled with repeats?

I suppose they may feel that by the time they've filled 150 hours with new arts and music programmes, they need to cast around for other stuff to fill the rest of the hours. But referring back to what the other poster said, it's hard to see how football could be included appropriately in BBC 4's remit, beyond an occasional broadcast of an especially important match when transmitting on another channel isn't possible for some reason.

[teamsaint]

It's hard to see how that fits with:

"1. Remit BBC Four’s primary role is to reflect a range of UK and international arts, music and culture. It should provide an ambitious range of innovative, high quality programming that is intellectually and culturally enriching, taking an expert and in-depth approach to a wide range of subjects. " The rest of the hours in the year are just filled with repeats?

I suppose they may feel that by the time they've filled 150 hours with new arts and music programmes, they need to cast around for other stuff to fill the rest of the hours. But referring back to what the other poster said, it's hard to see how football could be included appropriately in BBC 4's remit, beyond an occasional broadcast of an especially important match when transmitting on another channel isn't possible for some reason.

Isn't this why football turns up on BBC 4 ? I imagine it is just occasional overspill.

[zola]

Isn't this why football turns up on BBC 4 ? I imagine it is just occasional overspill.

It's women's football that is shown on BBC4, though I think they may also have shown the odd African Nations Cup game a couple of years ago.

[Cockney Sparrow]

I don't think it has been mentioned that the timing of Tony Hall's resignation ensures that the present Chairman of the BBC gets to lead the appointment process for his successor.

A date of February is cited as being the end of the Chairman's term, not sure how that gives enough time, but perhaps that is the start of the recruitment process (by the government) for the successor. In any event the papers are saying it ensures a government patsy won't be in post in time for those running the process of appointing the new DG to be hitched within the orbit of the evil emperor (otherwise known as Mr Johnson's principal Downing Street political advisor).

[Andy Freude]

the timing of Tony Hall's resignation ensures that the present Chairman of the BBC gets to lead the appointment process for his successor.

Who, I seem to have read, is the great-great(-great?)-grandson of Muzio C, who famously took part in a piano competition with Mozart.

(The Chairman, when asked who won, said he didn't know - but 'probably Mozart')

[CGR]

It's hard to see how that fits with:

"1. Remit BBC Four’s primary role is to reflect a range of UK and international arts, music and culture. It should provide an ambitious range of innovative, high quality programming that is intellectually and culturally enriching, taking an expert and in-depth approach to a wide range of subjects. " The rest of the hours in the year are just filled with repeats?

I suppose they may feel that by the time they've filled 150 hours with new arts and music programmes, they need to cast around for other stuff to fill the rest of the hours. But referring back to what the other poster said, it's hard to see how football could be included appropriately in BBC 4's remit, beyond an occasional broadcast of an especially important match when transmitting on another channel isn't possible for some reason.

Yep. But 7pm on a Sunday BBC4 is now Woman's Football

The best thing to be said about woman's football was on Not The Nine O'Clock News way back in the good old days