Payback is a bitch
Government threatens to break up BBCTHE BBC is facing the most radical shake-up in its history in a proposed overhaul that could split its Scottish operation from the rest of the UK as ministers seize on the crisis following the Hutton report.
Leaked Whitehall documents reveal that ministers are considering the complete dismantling of the Corporation, with regional wings being allowed to develop into "separate entities".
There are also plans to strip the BBC of its long-standing editorial independence, putting it under the control of an outside regulator and giving MPs more say over its affairs.
The proposals come with the Corporation still reeling from the Hutton report two weeks ago, which led to the resignations of BBC director general Greg Dyke and chairman of the Board of Governors Gavyn Davies.
The Corporation’s charter is up for renewal in 2006, and it now appears that ministers are planning to capitalise on the BBC’s current weakness to press home massive reforms.
Among them are proposals to split the BBC into "separate entities for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland".
The papers add that there could be more scope "to reduce perceived metropolitan bias".
"Metropoltian" bias? It's a tad ironic that the Goverment uses a typical mealy-mouth BBC phrase to describe the rabid Leftie bias at the BBC.
CBS has another flap on it's hands from the Grammy broadcast, I fell alseep long before the questionable performance.
CBS Apologizes for Indian-Motif OutKast NumberLOS ANGELES (Reuters) - CBS television on Friday apologized for any offense taken at the American Indian-motif Grammy Awards performance by the hip-hop group OutKast that some Native Americans have condemned as racist.
The San Francisco-based Native American Cultural Center (NACC) posted a notice on its Web site this week calling for a boycott of CBS, OutKast's label, Arista Records, and the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, which sponsors the Grammys."It was the most disgusting set of racial stereotypes aimed at American Indians that I have ever seen on TV," NACC board member Sean Freitas said in the online statement. "It was on par with white people dancing sexually in black face, or yarmulkes ... I am shocked and outraged."
NACC Chair Andrew Brother Elk said he has lodged a formal complaint with the Federal Communications Commission over the telecast, which he branded as "racist TV programing.
Those of us who recall Dan "What's the frequency Kenneth?" Rather's on-air denouncement of the GOP at the 2000 Dem convention are enjoying a little comeuppance for the uppity.
Rather's Erroneous "Leak" (pdf)Posted by feste at February 15, 2004 11:15 AM | TrackBack"Al Gore must stand and deliver here tonight as the Democratic Party's presidential nominee. And now Gore must do so against the backdrop of a potentially damaging,carefully orchestrated story leak about President Clinton.The story is that Republican-backed special prosecutor Robert Ray, Ken Starr's successor, has a new grand jury looking into possible criminal charges against the President growing out of Mr. Clinton's sex life. "
--Dan Rather opening the August 17 CBS Evening News from Los Angeles. A federal judge appointed by President Carter admitted he inadvertently leaked the news.