The Newsroom

BBC News Cutbacks

(October 2007)

This site closed in March 2021 and is now a read-only archive
DA
Davidjb Founding member
noggin posted:
Davidjb posted:
Would this still be happening if Greg Dyke was running the show? I doubt it! Just goes to show what can happen when you put the wrong people incharge of a great British Institution.


Yep - though Greg lived through a BBC with a very healthy licence-fee settlement, and arguably the BBC grew too big too quickly under his tenure.

On the other hand it would have been interesting to have seen how he handled the licence-fee negotiation - and hypothetically how he handled the less-than-great settlement the BBC now has.


I remember Greg did instigate cut backs during his time, but he took away the non essential things like danish cakes in meetings etc. Cars that pick people up and the like.

As someone who works at Televison Centre Noggin, do you see it as a good or bad thing that it is likely to be sold? Do you think this will benefit the viewing audience in anyway?
BR
Brekkie
Asa posted:
Trying hard but unable to help slipping into being personal, he did the "ask 1000 on the street whether they wanted the Today programme or BBC Three" argument to which Murphy, in his fairness, did a very direct and reasoned argument, mainly around the fact that a 50 year old not liking BBC Three was really neither here nor there.



Well, I can safely say I've never once listened to a single minute of Today - but BBC3 has produced the odd gem over the last few years.


That's another area of duplication - Today and 5 Live Breakfast. Although they are of course quite different, they both really aim to do the same - but of course 5 Live is modern and up to date, while Today - well, I've never listened to today!
DA
Davidjb Founding member
Brekkie Boy posted:
Asa posted:
Trying hard but unable to help slipping into being personal, he did the "ask 1000 on the street whether they wanted the Today programme or BBC Three" argument to which Murphy, in his fairness, did a very direct and reasoned argument, mainly around the fact that a 50 year old not liking BBC Three was really neither here nor there.



Well, I can safely say I've never once listened to a single minute of Today - but BBC3 has produced the odd gem over the last few years.


That's another area of duplication - Today and 5 Live Breakfast. Although they are of course quite different, they both really aim to do the same - but of course 5 Live is modern and up to date, while Today - well, I've never listened to today!


I think 5 Live Breakfast is more News driven where as Today has more debate and in depth analysis. I may well be wrong though as i rarely listen to either.
WF
WiFi99
Davidjb posted:
Brekkie Boy posted:
Asa posted:
Trying hard but unable to help slipping into being personal, he did the "ask 1000 on the street whether they wanted the Today programme or BBC Three" argument to which Murphy, in his fairness, did a very direct and reasoned argument, mainly around the fact that a 50 year old not liking BBC Three was really neither here nor there.



Well, I can safely say I've never once listened to a single minute of Today - but BBC3 has produced the odd gem over the last few years.


That's another area of duplication - Today and 5 Live Breakfast. Although they are of course quite different, they both really aim to do the same - but of course 5 Live is modern and up to date, while Today - well, I've never listened to today!


I think 5 Live Breakfast is more News driven where as Today has more debate and in depth analysis. I may well be wrong though as i rarely listen to either.


Sadly the once great Five Live Breakfast is now a vehicle for Nicky Campbell's ego, and is no comparison to R4's Today prog.
BN
Breakfast News
WiFi99 posted:
Davidjb posted:
Brekkie Boy posted:
Asa posted:
Trying hard but unable to help slipping into being personal, he did the "ask 1000 on the street whether they wanted the Today programme or BBC Three" argument to which Murphy, in his fairness, did a very direct and reasoned argument, mainly around the fact that a 50 year old not liking BBC Three was really neither here nor there.



Well, I can safely say I've never once listened to a single minute of Today - but BBC3 has produced the odd gem over the last few years.


That's another area of duplication - Today and 5 Live Breakfast. Although they are of course quite different, they both really aim to do the same - but of course 5 Live is modern and up to date, while Today - well, I've never listened to today!


I think 5 Live Breakfast is more News driven where as Today has more debate and in depth analysis. I may well be wrong though as i rarely listen to either.


Sadly the once great Five Live Breakfast is now a vehicle for Nicky Campbell's ego, and is no comparison to R4's Today prog.


Yeah. 'Cause Today isn't a vehicle for John Humphry's ego Rolling Eyes
MO
Moz
I listen regularly to both the Today programme and 5 Live breakfast, and enjoy them both. Today had authority and importance, 5 Live breakfast has a more lively pace, and the usual 5 Live ironic humour.

I also like listening because Shelagh Fogarty camped with us, and came for a pint, at the World Scout Jamboree! She's great!
NG
noggin Founding member
Davidjb posted:

As someone who works at Televison Centre Noggin, do you see it as a good or bad thing that it is likely to be sold? Do you think this will benefit the viewing audience in anyway?


Nice assumption of my place of work - though inaccurate.

For me the sale of BBC Resources - i.e. the talented staff who make programmes for the BBC, many of whom joined to BE the BBC - is a far sadder state of affairs than the sale of bricks and mortar.

It is the PEOPLE who make the programmes who make the BBC - the buildings are far less relevant.
JR
jrothwell97
Asa posted:
A report and debate on Newsnight just now about the cuts including a live discussion with Stuart Murphy and Jeff Randall (Daily Telegraph). Jeff giving some interesting stats to stoke the flame of the proposed Newsnight cuts and also the cut the Today programme is going to get.

Trying hard but unable to help slipping into being personal, he did the "ask 1000 on the street whether they wanted the Today programme or BBC Three" argument to which Murphy, in his fairness, did a very direct and reasoned argument, mainly around the fact that a 50 year old not liking BBC Three was really neither here nor there.

12 million supposedly tune into BBC Three each week.


I wonder how many of those people stay watching for more than half a second?

Either way, BBC3 would do better if it was closed and merged into BBC2. BBC4's programming justifies its existence completely.

Interestingly, the Daily Hate Mail has, as usual, been running the 'scrap the license fee!' nonsense for the past few weeks. But today's front cover:

http://jrothwell97.googlepages.com/dailyhatemail.png

Now how do they expect the BBC to stop showing repeats if the license fee is scrapped? They're insane!
BR
Brekkie
Talking of repeats, seems like the Daily Mail are using the same cover girl once again!
JR
jrothwell97
I suppose the only time it will really get out of hand is when it comes to the point the CA has to say: "Now on BBC3, another chance to catch up with yesterday morning's repeat of Monday's Newsnight ".
DA
Davidjb Founding member
noggin posted:
Davidjb posted:

As someone who works at Televison Centre Noggin, do you see it as a good or bad thing that it is likely to be sold? Do you think this will benefit the viewing audience in anyway?


Nice assumption of my place of work - though inaccurate.

For me the sale of BBC Resources - i.e. the talented staff who make programmes for the BBC, many of whom joined to BE the BBC - is a far sadder state of affairs than the sale of bricks and mortar.

It is the PEOPLE who make the programmes who make the BBC - the buildings are far less relevant.


Ok fair enough but you did work with in there recently didn't you?
DL
dlee123
I no..... just scrap BBC 3 and BBC 4 and get rid of BBC Radio 7, who ever listens to it, and maybe............

axe BBC Radio 6 music, because there is no reason for it in my view, and due to the scandels, it is tainted the radio channel.

Concentrate on the main 6 radio channels, and on the main two channels, BBC 1 and 2, and maybe get rid of BBC Parliment?

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