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A predicable response from the BBC, concerned about all the complaints from Middle England's wifeswappers.
I'm far more offended by Eastenders and Strictly Come Dancing, better Brand than bland.
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Bless Emily - of course if we quoted any of that here it wouuld be moderated.
Emily is great isn't she? - I admire the way she kept a straight face.
A few of us were on the cam chatting away whilst watching newsnight and agreed how professional she is.
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I think editorially, the beeb has a lot of catching up to do.
The standards have slipped to the lager lout and ladette. It starts in childrens tv with being shouted at all the time, it moves on to BBC 'free' [BBC3] and to 'edgy tv' which is another euphamism for lack of script writing skills. There are also a plethora of single idea programmes which are repeated ad nauseum and this is meant to be entertaining broken comedy.
It's as if the Young Ones have taken over the asylum. The trouble is that the audience is ageing and rudeness and disrespecting elders is a symptom of yoof that this audience does not want.
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Didn't see Mock the Week, but I'll bet it was Frankie Boyle that said it.
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Of course EVEN programmes like PM have come under fire in the past for - lets call it strange editorial judgement.
Remember a few years ago when one of the items run during PM had a load of sound effects mixed in?
Ahem!
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Given what Mrs Slocome did with her pussy, I fail to see the issue - or do we want "Are you Being Served" banned?
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The current situation re abusive phone calls by Ross and Brand is a mistake showing the very highest level of BBC management unable to act in a fair and even handed way.
Punishing the wrong people and not taking control is as poor message to send out. If someone had to be suspended without pay, Lesley Douglas controller of Radio 2 must realistically be the person, not booted out of her job (her resignation should have been refused).
She is an unnecessary victim who's contribution for making the Radio 2 station the most popular in the UK should have been recognised.
Lesley and those immediately responsible for signing off the programme could have been suspended and a thoughtful approach and assessment, undertaken.
The head of the BBC has shown his hard working staff they are disposable for mistakes made by others.
Ultimately, Jonathan Ross and Russel Brand made the abusive calls and should have been professional, mature and educated enough to realise this would be unacceptable.
If a section of their audience think unsolicited abusive calls about the private life of Sachs family members and his hoped for suicide is funny, pandering to this, highlights the cowardly vein of humour and stupidity of the presenters.
Brand resigned, Ross has shown his immaturity and selfishness by failing to follow suit and allowing Lesley Douglas (and no doubt others at the BBC will follow) to pay the price.
This bothers me, as it gives the wrong signals, showing stupidity and lack of integrity as acceptable behaviour.
Ross has ultimately been rewarded by a suspension and the losers are the public and staff at the BBC.
P.S Did anyone notice the veiled threat to Emily Maitlis by a rather incoherent BBC Director-General Mark Thompson on Newsnight last night when she appeared a little pushy in her interview with him over the Ross/Brand affair?
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BB - my S O says it was Frankie Boyle wot said it. He was watching. I wasn't paying any attention - as usual.
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Question:
Isn't it right that the BBC has 'something for everyone' ??!
Given that everyone who pays a licence is a customer, should the BBC broadcast what people want to see and hear??
And, finally, should these programmes be hived off to separate channels, (BBC Happy Slap, etc), or should they all have a place on BBC Mainstream??
n
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In my opinion, Andrew Sachs and the BBC are the people that should be punished. Andrew Sachs has loved every second of this whole thing and has jumped at being on camera for the first time in about 30 years.
Thanks to this ageing actor we have lost Russell Brand for good and Jonathan Ross for 3 months.
What shall we have on instead, the ultimate guide to Tea and Biscuits? Or maybe something for the mail readers that complained like, "everyone is a terrorist", or danger danger, there was a naughty word volume III
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"Given that everyone who pays a licence is a customer, should the BBC broadcast what people want to see and hear??"
Absolutely YES n-n!
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A really excellent interview on today's R4's "World At One" with Lord David Putnam giving his "take" on the Ross/Brand et al debacle.
Made a great deal of sense. A great deal...
Interview started approx 13.24 hrs for those who may wish to 'Listen Again"
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The real culprit here is the Daily Mail.
Disappearing into the shadows as far as its role in all this is concerned is the Daily Mail Newspaper Group. By creating a mountain of a story out of a relatively minor breach it has triggered the loss to me as a member of the BBC audience of three extremely talented people so far - Leslie Douglas, Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross (for now).
In the mayoral election campaign, London's Evening Standard was responsible for an onslaught of misleading headlines about Ken Livingstone over a sustained period. The final result was so close that I can't believe that this didn't effectively CAUSE Boris Johnson to win that contest.
In these two cases, and many others on a daily basis, this media group is (fraudulently, I believe) manipulating public opinion in a way which is drastically altering my quality of life, for the worse.
I find this unacceptable and would dearly love to see their methods and motives investigated. Anybody else agree?
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What answer will Jonathan Ross give his children when they are bullied in the playground or cyberspace and the bully refers to their dad? Fine example to all the impressionable youngsters!
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I can't remember whether I saw this cartoon yonks ago, or whether I just woke up thinking it, but it is a picture of two or three young lads who have clearly just rung someone's doorbell and turned to run away, and between them and the road is a *huge* bloke with a snarling doberman, and a couple more toughs behind him, and he's saying 'Got something for my granny, had you?'
I'm not that keen on doberman-wielding thugs, mind you, but on such an occasion it does rather seem like 'the biter bit' or poetic justice or something. They thought they would get away with a nasty little bit of malicious fun, and it all went horribly wrong -- for them rather than for the victim.
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I'm sorry that Leslie Douglas has gone, I don't think that was necessary.
What is necessary is that the senior produciton staff on the programme should be sacked. They are paid to make editorial decisions and they failed.
If the programme had gone out live it would have been impossible to stop these 2 stupid men from making these remarks but I still can't understand how anyone could have let the programme go out.
It's not what was said about Andrew Sachs' grandaughter, although that was pretty nasty. But she had admitted having a relationship with Brand and knowing the sort of man he is it was bound to have been the subject of his "humour" at some point. It is leaving unpleasant and abusive messages on the answer phone of someone who had nothing to do with it.
There have to be moral boundaries that are not crossed or we will degenerate into an even more selfish and careless society than we are now.
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Radio 1 listeners loved it. Everyone else hated it.
Goodness, what a channel allocation problem for the BBC to solve.
The worse off competing groups are, the more they fight for the scraps and crumbs.
Without a proper development policy, real aid and a real vision for society, there, areas like the Congo are always going to be marked by tragedy and slaughter.
Let's face it, we don't care enough.
Equality, I spake the word,
Quite clear no doubt somehow
Never mind those bankers' bonuses waht about their salaries?
The old arguments 'Every one else in the same position gets the same screw'
'International comparisons, (ie with NY) make such dosh imperative'.
(And the BBC salaries? Yeah, we might lose those execs and stars to Micheal Grade's set up or whatever. Actually there is a clear excess supply of such bigwigs and people willing to be obscene in public).
The poor in impoverished Africa are as worthwhile as every one of us. What right does any one of us have to be richer rich than they?
Even Lord Stern of Brentford counted them as lesser people, (and then tried to link saving the planet to their welfare!!!).
Personally I think if we were impoverished like there, the red and whites of Yorks and Lancs, Prot and Cat, Scot and Englander would be tearing each other's guts out here too.
Well, it's no go in the taxi, and all we want is another thunderdome and being mentioned by Edgie Eddie on PM
And yet there are hopes:
Pres. Obama may be better placed to bring true human charity (which should always be more generous than mere prudence would allow) to Africa than to America itself (redistribution to the slaves' descendants is not in his blood)
The Belgians may finally acknowledge their hideous history and it's legacies in Africa.
Though personally I think we'll get more agitated by the next crude message left on an answer machine.
Why else has the PM phone comment line been shut down?
Brand resigning 'cos the BBC done him wrong by not leaving his stuff on the cutting room floor, still tops Goma on the BBC Ceefax news.
And brick work being destroyed by ivy, and having to wait till next year for 5 photies from the self same spot, and beauty of course, it's truth and all I need to know, are what attract my attention here.
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This is not the issue with the BBC. It was a 2 second shock joke at the end of a repeat. I did not even remember it from the first time. It happens to be the only episode I ever saw!
(PS. I am pro-monarchy)
The issue is way deeper than that. It is to do with actions that are encouraging unsocial behaviour. Easily imitable acts. It is making its mark on our society. Just watch the continuous uncontrolled absolute hatred and dysfunctionality that is Eastenders. They even target it directly at children. The only child happy scene was over loaded with jealousy and hatred. Even vehicular killing is easily imitated by the young. My grandfather took 8 years to die after being knock down by a youngster in a "borrowed" high power car.
How can anyone think an old school boy joke is akin to promoting bullying by one way telephone messages to the aged. Even if every word was clean the total effect was still wrong. They even incited suicide over relational issues! Do they not read the papers? It is the fact that they were doing easily imitable acts of cowardly bullying, as highly paid entertainers, that was wrong, not their language.
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What should we do?
What should we do?
What should we do?
What should we do?
Donate, give, aid, devolop, with such 'generosity', so richly, to places we still can in Africa, whilst there is still time, to avoid the next catastrophe there.
And give whether the leaders are intolerent Moslems or petty dictators or the country has been ruined by land grabbing whites (all in your view, of course, if that's waht it is)
Edgie Eddie might give out telephone numbers where you can leave a message giving all you can afford and a few quid more.
Call it the 'Third party coals of fire on the Brand and Ross affair' donation.
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When I was at school (about a hundred years ago), every pupil was given a small red booklet that contained the school rules. There were just ten of them.
On the final page, the following statement was printed (as close to verbatim as I can remember it):
"The above are the school's ten formal rules. The remaining rules rely entirely on common sense. Any breach of common sense will be regarded as a breach of the school rules."
Would it be advisable for the BBC to apply a similar principle to all of its broadcasts?
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What should we do?
What should we do?
What should we do?
What should we do?
Or better, hold Brown and Co to their Africa plans.
A huge, and adequate (way beyond mere sufficiency) African development would avoid the slump and prevent the slaughters to come.
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Listened to Feedback to-day, and one question wasn't asked, and that is: Did Russell and Jonathan have any clauses in their contracts with the BBC that protected them from editorial control?
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The most interesting thing that came out of Feedback was confirmation that the 25-year old Producer apparently worked for Russell Brand's production company. So effectively he was producing a programme starring his boss. Hardly the best model for content control I think.
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Personally I think the reason the BBC and DG announced their stuff, in effect, post PM time, was to save Edge Eddie, Tittlebum hiself, from himself and his feeling he should be so far out there, he's out of sight.
What should we do?
What should we do?
What should we do?
Stop the next Goma by making Africa wealthy.
What should we do?
What should we do?
What should we do?
About Frances-O's sense of humour? Why nothing, nothing can be done.
Laugh at her's and Edgie Eddie Tittlebum's* frivolities as you write the cheque to support large scale fresh water projects in East and North Africa.
*Edgie's rude manner is well known . This was a PM NewsLetter pseudonym. Unless the service has been Ross-Branded by personation.
Africa weeps. England laughs.
Africa weeps. England sneers.
Africa weeps. England eats beans, smells blooms, sports diamonds and gold, torn from her soil with the sweat of her aboriginal sons and daughters.
And as those pre - post -Apartheid white South Africans used to try to tell me, 'You know, xxxxxx, if you'd go to South Africa you'd find it really isn't like they say ti is here'.
Well it was, And it still is, in East and North Africa where we could still help.
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I think the whole issue around Jonathon Ross and Russel Brand has been blown hugely out of proportion by newspapers and media companies keen to knock the BBC. Ultimately, yes it was an inappropriate broadcast, and it did grossly overstep the mark, but it was a mistake, and we all know, occasionally mistakes happen. I wonder if all the people who were self-righteously calling for heads to roll have never made mistakes in their line of work. Comedy is like a best man's speech, doing it badly, or making a mistake can either result in something totally unfunny, or extremely offensive, it is a fine line and occasionally comics who are trying to push the bracket will cross over it and offend.
The fact that there have had to be any resignations at all, particularly Leslie Douglas someone who has had years of extremely distinguished service, I think is disgusting, but ultimately was brought about by the gleeful baying for blood from the rest of the media.
We should be extremely proud of the BBC, it is the one thing that comes out of the UK that is truly the envy of the rest of the world. I am extremely shocked and dismayed by suggestions of privatising and disbanding the licence fee, you only have to go to the USA to see what a dismal state a fully privatised media would end in. All around the world people turn to the BBC for news and entertainment, and yet their are people around who would rather see it closed. I think that is the most shocking thing I have heard over the last week.
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BB 23, I also don't remember hearing Bolton ask why Ross hadn't been fired.
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pmL 17, Why werre Radio 1 listeners listening to Radio 2?
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jhc_1982 10, Google Sachs and you will find out that he has appeared on many TV programs in the last thirty years. Probably more than Brand and Ross.
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My wife received a letter from a charity
today:
Dear Ms McNickle,
Blah blah blah blah, etc......
With warm regards,
Jonathan Ross
Poor timing, I'd say. I think I will frame it.
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t-c-w 1, What are wifes wappers?
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Listening to Paul Gambaccini on Radio 5 live today provides an interesting insight into Lesley Douglas' position in all of this. Perhaps she is not quite the innocent party she is being made out to be in parts of the media.
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Brand and Douglas resigning got the Beeb off the hook about how to deal with them. One suspects that Douglas`s motives were more honourable than Brand`s who will, no doubt, still be offered other work since his notoriety value has increased. Pity his entertainment value is not similarly improved.
The Beeb has shown abject cowardice in Ross`s case - he should have been sacked! Perhaps he still will be - one can only hope that someone is clear-sighted and courageous enough to take that decision.
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I only clicked on it to see Em.
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(24) hands off the personal stuff, mac; let's just have your thoughts on the current events, shall we??
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nn 34, Phew, I thought you were talking about me.
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I thought that the most interesting comment on Feedback was that Sachs had been due to appear in the radio show, but had dropped out at the last minute.
Grandaughter should have known that she was fair game to these two, and Sachs had planned to make himself available as fair game.
Except that the BBC appears to enjoy self-flagination, I cannot see why we have had so many hours of media attention over such a minor matter.
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A recent BBC news broadcast mentioned both hero Lance Corporal Matthew Croucher and prat Jonathan Ross - one gets paid £6m per year and the other doesn't. I know which one deserves £6m per year!
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What is truly, shockingly disappointing about John Humphrys, of all people, is that he should choose to rake this up in his discussion with Michael Lyons and refer to this 'filthy Queen joke', even though this is over a year old.
What on earth are we doing here ?
He was on Radio Wales the other day chatting to Ruth Jones, praising the show 'Gavin and Stacey', and today he is giving succour to those who like to see BBC 3 taken off the air.
What is safe in this climate of cleanliness ?
There is a 'ghost' afoot alright, the Ghost of Mary Whitehouse, and she is after Mrs Slocombe's pussy...
Ridiculous..
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(34) nn See 96 on "BBC Resignation". It was a jest that was not obvious to all.
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Passing some young children begging for a "Penny for the Guy" yesterday I walked past trying to ignore them as far as possible. One of them shouted "Bitch" after me. He was about 10.
I found this rather threatening as an OAP, and sad - because people like Russell Brand would think this enormously amusing.
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Just heard a comment from a Ross supporter read out on P.M.
Neither the contributor nor apparently the editorial staff are aware of the difference in meaning between 'incredible' and 'incredulous'.
Says it all about the dumbed down overpaid twerps who apparently 'can't see the fuss' about endemic vulgarianism at our self-vaunting and conceited national broadcaster.
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jhc_1982 what a puerile immature post. Go to your room and do some growing up.
atomicecho and others balming the media, nothing to do with tabloids, it's the public who have complained in large numbers as soon as they heard about it, the media and Gordon Brown are just jumping on the bandwagon, so don't try to make out it's all them.
Anyone who thinks louts like these two are funny is, by definition, a lout who thinks bullying old people, making obscene phone calls and then making a joke out of it on air is ok. It is a generational thing in that it is about maturity; these two oiks are immature as are all their supporters who claim they are funny. About as funny as a lot of the bullying that is shown on youtube, euphemistically called happy slapping. A generation lost to decency, care for others and sensitivity, well not a whole generation, just some of them, the lout element who will doubtless be out in numbers in the following few days throwing fireworks at people and animals. Their excuse is usually they were too drunk to remember.
The BBC is responsible for courting these people in a stupid drive to cater to everyone. Perhaps they should have just left yoof to grow up and appreciate quality if they are capable.
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Snafu_land @41 I suspect you might be among the first to complain if Eddie and the team got out the teacher's red pencil and edited letters and contributions. OK so the writer made a small slip, the pedant in me noticed, but I also understood what was intended and at least the writer's own 'voice' was being heard.
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Mr Ross & Mr Brand and now, Ms Lesley Douglas...
I had thought and, indeed hoped, that accusations of "further" systemic failure within the BBC, following the Ross/Brand debacle, were somewhat overdone.
I began to seriously reconsider, when I read Paul Gambaccini's comments as reported in today's on-line Guardian:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/oct/31/russell-brand-lesleydouglas
Now, we hear from the BBC DG that Ms Douglas knew of the offending programme's content PRIOR to broadcast...
An appaling situation...
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Lesley Douglas has removed more of the much-loved programmes of the old Radio 2 than any other controller. In her search for a younger audience she has ditched listeners of my generation to the extent that Radio 2's motto should be "The old are for mocking but not for serving". Possibly this is because we are no longer paying a licence fee. But then I bet not many listeners to Radio 1 pay the licence. I am an octogenarian - a veteran of World War 2 who paid my licence on the dot. I no longer listen to the channel as I did in the glorious days of Frances Line when Sunday was a joy and she wasn't afraid to run 2-hour Radio 2 Arts programmes and Tuesday features. I don't expect people of my age to monopolise the channel but surely we should be recognised as an audience - ratings are not the only measure of a successful channel.
In a recent conversation with a local radio producer I upbraided him for only playing pop music. His reply said it all: "You are not part of our target audience".
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Anne P. I can see your embarrassment at finding yourself aligned with illiterates.
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Sorry, but being an occasional Mail reader I guess I'm just used to higher standards of grammar and literacy.
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This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
Oh dear oh dear you think it's all a lot of fuss kicked up by the Daily Mail but then you report an asterixed use of the F-word to the moderators. Get some therapy you seriously need it.
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The bbc only had one decision to make .... and they still got it wrong!
Ross should have been sacked
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jackofhr (45)
thankyou for your thoughtful and thought-provoking comment!!!
I recall 'your 100 best tunes' - the long running 47 year old programme; as much loved, i expect as my favourite ISIHAC.
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Sack Ross from all Radio and TV.
I hope the Police will charge them both.
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Why are your programmes not checked this way
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This whole event has done wonders to flush out the nutcases and appeasers. I think the worst are those who think the Daily Mail whipped us sheep up and that we cannot be genuinely revolted by such low actions. What a scary lot, some might even be parents.
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jackofhr @ 45, an interesting point is raised by what you say.
As I recall, back when the Home Service, Third Programme and Light Programme were added to and became Radio 4, Radio 3, Radio 2 and Radio 1 (the new one, with Radios 5, 6 and 7 added later), Radio 4 was for current affairs, information and drama, Radio 3 for Kulture, Radio 2 for (forgive me!) slightly older people and undemanding amusement, and Radio 1 for Yoof.
If Radio 4 is still for current affairs, magazine programmes and drama, Radio 3 for Kulture,
Radio 2 is trying to become a programme for Yoof, with Edgy Humour and shows aimed at people under 25, and Radio 1 remains for the Yoof, where is the programme for the slightly older listener who was meant to be the core audience for Radio 2?
I mean, given that the population is on average getting older rather than younger, shouldn't *one* programme remain for the older listeners who don't particularly want to be shocked or startled, and would quite like to listen to music that doesn't have lyrics that make them cringe, comedy that doesn't try to make them angry, and the likes of Terry Wogan who comfort them rather then making them feel unhappy?
It seems to me that Lesley wossit may have been running the wrong programme: she might have been better off with Radio 1, while someone who wasn't quite so keen on capturing the Young Demographic and being Cutting Edge had charge of Radio 2. The ratings surely must include listeners over 25 who don't happen to want to be informed or Kultured, after all: more of them all the time.
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Where is Ross?.Suspended and thinking this will die down and be forgotten and he will return after a brief holiday. The other misfit had the sence to leave the country and hopefully thats the last we see or hear from him.I believe the licence fee payers will not tolerate any defence by the DG to allow Ross to be seen or heard of on BBC again. His absence along with the other overpaid misfit will prove they are not of any significance but a liability to the BBC.In the light of this the DG must Fire Ross to prove the BBC like any organisation in this country is not a law onto itself at the expence of the licence payers.Ross should be provided with a copy of every complaint in order for his tiny brain cell to gain an awareness of how the fee payers realy think.Should he ever attempt to try voice his talentless and brainless humer in public he should realise real people are listening and he will no longer get away with it. The DG should make him aware he is finished and the DG must be seen to take appropriate action for the damage Ross has done to the BBC and the offence he has caused to licence fee payers.His contract should be torn up.I hope the trustees act appropriately to see real management decisions are made in order to put an end to this and demonstrate there are much more important issues to deal with in this world.Ross and Brand should have no more influence in the public media other than as a memory of shame on the BBC.
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pmLeader '*Edgie's rude manner is well known'
Really? I've always found Eddie politeness itself, especially when ensnaring liars [politicians], or getting to the heart of something. It's quite an art getting people to admit to things they had no intention of admitting and I have always found his interview technique praiseworthy. I thought his interview of the George Cross marine a bit nauseatingly worshipful, but then I have a different take on men who kill for the state and a pay packet.
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Radio 2's predessor back in the days of WW2 was the Forces programme.
After the war this became the Light Programme.
In 1967 it became Radio 2 with a remit to supply entertainment for listeners who were too adult to listen to the newly created Radio 1 which aimed at defeating Pirate Radio - a supplier of pop music.
Until Lesley Douglas became controller it fulfilled its function of entetaining all ages except those for whom Radio 1 had been created.
At her appointment Lesley Douglas was a youngish woman who was not even born when the Beatles phenomenon arose so it is not surprising that she had little sympathy with the great treasury of popular music and entertainment of the past. It is to be hoped that when a new controller is appointed it will be someone with a wide knowledge of all types of entertainment suitable for those listeners who have grown out of the Radio 1 culture.
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Philosopher1 - Money doesn't talk, it swears... in this case a very apt line from the bard. Ross is paid so much I imagine all staff including the DG are in awe of him. The DG's performance has been pathetic, hesitant, insincere and cowardly, so he's hardly likely to sack Woss, or resign himself. How did HE get the job?
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I predict Ross will resign on Sunday.Its way to hot now for him to skulk away and return in 2009 with any credibility or honour.
BBC will be remembered for weak hypocritical stance.
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i feel sorry that j ross was so stupid and hurt mr sachs and his grandaughter i enjoy his programmes but he should have been as honourable as russel brand and resigned and saved the licence payers £6,000,000 because he is not worth any where as much as that,i would suggest someone dropped a booboo,i would say £1,000,000 is tops that he should have been offered and he would have snatched there hand off,he should have been taken off the air,as he will still be abusive he cant help himself (sorry)
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If Jonathan Ross comes back in January, there should be a BBC boycott, demonstrations and refusal to pay licence fees. This arrogant smug spoilt sewer-mouthed lout should have been permanently sacked. He (and his obscene salary) is a disgrace. The BBC deserves to lose its public funding - it has got completely out of control, and needs to be reformed from top to bottom. The public outcry was a long time coming, but it's certainly here now - and quite right too. The BBC management has been just as arrogant and contemptuous of public sensibilities as Ross was.
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traubloch (62) Maybe Mr Ross will have found a new gravitas by January?
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Gwavitas? Wossat??
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i sent a comment yesterday,and on reflection found i hadmore to say i believe the fact that ross was only suspended lesley douglas,s resignation should not have been accepted as it is at the momentross should be big and swallow the bullet and offer his resignation even though i enjoy some of his programs sorry
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Oh dear,
Now that I have seen Glock slow down to 'cheat' Hamilton to win the World Championship I am beginning to despair over the level of honour and honesty in the human species.
Mr Ross failed to resign over the weekend and the staff in Matalan have not been as polite as those in M and S (I cannot afford to shop at M and S anymore). It might be time to move abroad. But where?
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Now, now, ingeniousCliff (66) - I understood that his tyres lost grip going uphill on a damp surface.
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Steady on ingeniousCliff! Hamilton won because Glock had 'dry' tyres on and had to ease off in order to finish. If he hadn't he would have ended up bining it.
Might be so bold as to suggest Alaska?
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Fair enough I am prepared to accept the possibility of other versions, especially as the crowds booing also upset me. I have no problem either with his 'tax exile' status. Good for him and his likable and commited dad. It seems time has let Ross survive and all of us 'Sheep' have calmed down about it. I however am still praying for his struggling , greedy soul. I am very good with accepting apologies..........when will he sober up and emerge to give us rightous license payers a genuine 'I am sorry'?
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ingeniousCliff @ 69, probably some time around the second Tuesday of the week after next, at a guess.
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Ah, I see, in about £276,000 time.
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£276,000
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iC: For some reason, the blog doesn't like any 'unusual' characters - including the pound sign! You can also forget about abbreviating 1,000s with the letter between j and l, because the blog doesn't like that either...and it can throw wobblies over ampersands (&) and angle brackets (< and >)...
As for somewhere to migrate to, I've heard a rumour that the Seychelles are rather cushy...
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If the BBC has the courage to recognise its mistake, then clearly Ross will be sacked'
However, this episode is part of a deeper problem. We are all concerned at the growing percentage of young thugs on our streets, and the efforts of so many people to correct the situation, but really we have only ourselves to blame.
Children learn their language, and behavour from their parents, school friends, the cinema, and the radio and TV.
Of these, the TV and cinema are probably more to blame, than even parents and school friends. Today, children see violence, and hear bad language to a degree they would never have experienced in the days before TV was invented, and most films these days need to include some violence if they are to have any chance of being successful at the box office.
The need therefore is to ban all this from both the TV and the cinema. Maybe the children will then learn the better things in life. I see no reason why not.
This should give our hard working schoolteachers a better chance of educating our youngsters, and maybe, just maybe, we might see a big reduction in the crime rate of the young.
I think this is where we should start, and perhaps Jonathan Ross might just get some credit for starting the ball rolling,..... even though he is sacked.
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Well quite frankly It disturbs me that the BBC, seemed to ignore the thousands of complaints they received regarding Jonathan Ross calling for his dismissal and the lack of backbone Ross Showed in not doing the honourable thing and resigning,
Not to mention that the BBC who were just as bad, in declining to sack him. Ross should have been sacked, not just suspended.
Anywhere other than the BBC such behavior would have earned Ross Instant dismissal, but the common rules we are all subject to apparently do not apply to the BBC or indeed Ross.
I think its a serious oversight on behalf off the BBC to retain characters like Ross on over inflated salaries, I think he is a liability and not worth the money or the effort. I also think as a public relations appeasement the suspension will not work. People will remember the BBC's actions over this incident for a very long time.
I think it calls into doubt just how accountable the BBC actually are towards the people who pay their wages.
Frankly as a license payer i have decided that enough is enough and i now wish to see the License fee abolished and have the BBC survive without its pot of gold.
The technology now exists to put people like Ross on there own channel and that way allow those who can stand to watch that sort of dubious entertainment, whilst other like myself can avoid the channel altogether, by removing it from my channel listings.
In the Present economic climate though public funding of the BBC is i believe a luxury people can no longer afford. I personally really resent paying the wages of people like Ross.
There are several Sites where you can like me if you wish to see the license fee abolished, add your name to the petition
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blimey....poor old Brenda!
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funny as hell!
who ever feels insulted by this needs to be educated on the comedians of today - i suggest jimmy carr or fankie boyle! and watching things like never mind the buzzcocks or mock the week.
it was hillarious, the song was brill!
and as for georgina baile, she needs to put some clothes on before she starts demanding respect and dignity!
shes a 'satanic' slut by name and nature!
Brand should be offered his job back and Ross should come back on the air, the world needs comedians like them!
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"The audience to which they appealed enjoyed them saying these incredibly crude, filthy things on the posh BBC, where they was no one with the authority to edit the offerings to this ghastly herd." - Peter Mckay, Mail Online.
So, I belong to a ghastly herd according to the Daily Mail. I didn't read this article in the paper but now my attention has been drawn to it I would like to complain, now I just need 29,999 other people with far too much time on there hands and a strange idea of what is right and what is wrong.
Do you think Anrew Sachs wanted this story to explode like this? Did the Mail on Sunday ask Andrew Sachs if he was okay with them breaking the story or did they do it to sell newspapers regardless of how he felt?
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What I cannotget my head around is how the BBC can justify spending £18 000 000
over 3 years on a questionable comic? The world has gone mad. JR takes 43,011 yearly license fees each year to cover his salary. I for one think that it could be better spent else where. Its not that I don't like JR, generally I do, and I find him funny. But from now on I won't be laughing when I see him I will just be seething at the ridiculous amount he's beeing paid. No one person is worth that!
There must be lots of up and coming comedians that could and would take his place at much more reasonable rates. Lets give him some competition. And the licence payers better value for money.
As for the Sachs issue, I believe it went too far. Peraps JR should pass on some of his millions to him in reparation! After all he didn't ask nor was he paid for that inexcusable event.
Move over Ross you've got more than most, in the way of money, let someone else take over.
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