Well Gavin, you are a clever little "Forum Freak" aren't you? Let me guess, Ginger? Single? No mates?
If you're willing to debate the TV license and it's rights and wrongs then please do so. Otherwise please don't post and stop insulting other forum members
OK lets have a look at the issue and compare what we pay and what we get to what happens in Europe. Germany pays €204.36/£139.34 (Source: Wikipedia) per annum. This goes to fund public service channels that also carry advertising. For that reason it would be fair to say that German people have far more right to be angry at the TV License than we do. For our annual payment of £135.50 we get 8 non-commercial channels, 10 national radio networks, numerous regional radio stations, possibly the best website in the world and a lot more beside. So please stop complaining and be glad that one of the world's most highly respected broadcasters is based in your country. Many people in other countries would pay a lot more than we do to get a BBC.
Yes let's be honest maybe the BBC wouldn't care so much if it was a Sky reporter that had been kindapped...
You
grossly
underestimate the close-knit nature of television journalism. 'Rival' crews look out for one another on the road, often help each other out, reporters often pool general information and know each other personally. It's not quite always the dog-eat-dog world people imagine it to be.
You're being very selective with my comment you've missed out the bit that says but if that had been the case would sky have done the same? absolutely. Please don't twist my words to fit the opinion you think I have
Really? There has been a plentiful amount of coverage, and I'm afraid I'm with Brekkie on this one. In my opinion, it is an abuse of the BBCs position and it isn't really any different from Iranian propaganda. Also, it's not like Alan's situtation has changed since a month ago. There has been NO news about his whereabouts, so it just looks as though the BBC are waging a propaganda war against the Middle East.
I really don't think that's at all the case. Yes let's be honest maybe the BBC wouldn't care so much if it was a Sky reporter that had been kindapped but if that had been the case would sky have done the same? absolutely. The fact is this man has been kidnapped (apparently) and no word has been heard. I don't think you can compare this to the Iran coverage there was almost wall to wall non-stop coverage on that ths has only been 1 or 2 items a week at most.
They didn't do it for the Iranians kidnapping as they knew where the sailors were and what was happening. We haven't heard about Alan since he went missing so there is obviously more concern about that.
Here's the current open of the most-watched station for news in Miami -- believe it or not, it's not an English-language station:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0i1luzH7rVU
Maybe it's the accents but for some reason I find that much more watchable than the American english language stuff despite only understanding about 40% of what they're saying.