BBC on strike

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/4570237.stm

The BBC know how to wind the listeners up though. My radio alarm came on this morning at 6.30 and instead of getting John Humphreys arguing with a politician, I got:

"We are not able to bring you the Today programme because of industrial action. Instead, we have a special programme where Kenneth Clarke talks about his favourite music in KEN CLARKE'S JAZZ GREATS!" - cue Spirt-Of-Jazz style trumpet. Not good at 6.30.

I don't know much about the media, but it seems unlikely that you can lose 10% of the workforce and be expected to make more stuff and better stuff. Fewer staff = more outside produced, pre-recording stuff = more KEN CLARKE'S JAZZ GREATS! which is a future that none of us want to see.

― Come Back Johnny B (Johnney B), Monday, 23 May 2005 07:23 (twenty-one years ago)

Speak for yourself pal. We need MUCH MORE KEN CLARKE'S JAZZ GREATS! instead of dreary self-serving, overfunded "news" programmes.

Better still, KEN CLARKE'S GRIME GREATS! That'll win him the next election!

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Monday, 23 May 2005 07:25 (twenty-one years ago)

just out of interest, now there are unlimited web radio stations, why would anyone listen to bbc radio anyway?

although, breakfast radio, ive never understood that anyway

― charltonlido (gareth), Monday, 23 May 2005 07:26 (twenty-one years ago)

KEN CLARKE'S AND HIS HAPPYSLAP JAZZBOYS

― charltonlido (gareth), Monday, 23 May 2005 07:27 (twenty-one years ago)

Well exactly, you wouldn't have all this happyslap nonsense if The News didn't ramble on about it endlessly and therefore all The Kids hear about it and start doing it. Spirits need to be lifted, thus KEN CLARKE'S EUROPOP GREATS!

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Monday, 23 May 2005 07:30 (twenty-one years ago)

I got Just A Minute instead of Today. Which was great, but it's disorientating when you use different bits of the programme as an alarm clock. When the sport starts, I know I'm late.

I listen to the radio in the shower and I don't think my computer would do too well in there with me.

― beanz (beanz), Monday, 23 May 2005 07:31 (twenty-one years ago)

Because the BBC is better than web radio stations, and you can hear it properly.

What was on at 6 this morning was quite good. It was Business Today about podcasting. Presumably that was to put the wind up the strikers. Fucking repeat though. Why don't they get the army in to do the news?

Anyway, podcasting is the new blogging.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Monday, 23 May 2005 07:32 (twenty-one years ago)

Anyway, Penny Smith's on GMTV between six and seven in her gold lame jackets and Doc Martens sigh...

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Monday, 23 May 2005 07:33 (twenty-one years ago)

Did anyone video the strike?

― Jarlr'mai (jarlrmai), Monday, 23 May 2005 07:34 (twenty-one years ago)

I passed by it early this morning. Two pickets outside the car park, another three outside Television Centre, zero pickets outside the main building, though no doubt the numbers will have multiplied by now.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Monday, 23 May 2005 07:36 (twenty-one years ago)

just out of interest, now there are unlimited web radio stations, why would anyone listen to bbc radio anyway?

cos they don't have the money to fund a proper newsgathering organization.

― N)RQ, Monday, 23 May 2005 07:43 (twenty-one years ago)

a proper newsgathering organization

Ghost of Dr David Kelly to thread.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Monday, 23 May 2005 07:50 (twenty-one years ago)

It was nice to hear 'Just a Minute' this morning with TB-T singing the words of 'When I see an elephant fly' to the music of 'Falling in love again'. They should do this more often.

― Jerry the Nipper (Jerrynipper), Monday, 23 May 2005 08:00 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm sorry i have't a clue, surely.

― Ed (dali), Monday, 23 May 2005 08:10 (twenty-one years ago)

Tim Brooke-Taylor?

I went to a proper photgrapher's place on Saturday to get some passport photos done, and one of the many celebrities lining the walls was Tim Brooke-Taylor, alongside Norman Wisdom and King Hussein of Jordan.

They wanted fifteen quid for the passport photos, so I went to Snappy Snaps instead.

But I was impressed.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Monday, 23 May 2005 08:11 (twenty-one years ago)

Yes. 'Just a minute' was on before that. Merton and Freud had a dispute about herbacious borders.

― Jerry the Nipper (Jerrynipper), Monday, 23 May 2005 08:11 (twenty-one years ago)

> just out of interest, now there are unlimited web radio stations, why would anyone listen to bbc radio anyway?

because they don't have a computer in their bathroom?

if this morning's show is any indication of post-danny baker radio london i'll be retuning to radio 4.

― koogs (koogs), Monday, 23 May 2005 08:19 (twenty-one years ago)

Has he gone then? Who's taken over?

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Monday, 23 May 2005 08:21 (twenty-one years ago)

people listen to the radio in the bathroom?

― charltonlido (gareth), Monday, 23 May 2005 08:25 (twenty-one years ago)

I heard somewhere (on Radio 4 actually) that there are orders to our nuclear submarine commanders that if they fail to pick up the Today program for 5 days on the run they are to assume civilization as we know it is over and unleash the Nukes.

― Bidfurd, Monday, 23 May 2005 08:25 (twenty-one years ago)

danny baker, i'm guessing, didn't want to be "danny baker, strike breaker" and that turner woman from the weekends was doing it instead. painful. he leaves for real at the end of the week. i wonder what the rest of the crew will do?

> people listen to the radio in the bathroom?

yes, because watching tv in there would be dangerous. besides, the acoustics are better 8)

― koogs (koogs), Monday, 23 May 2005 08:31 (twenty-one years ago)

chris moyles xssed the picket line. like i needed another reason to despise him.

― N_RQ, Monday, 23 May 2005 08:34 (twenty-one years ago)

Anyway, Penny Smith's on GMTV between six and seven in her gold lame jackets and Doc Martens sigh...

Edward Sturton looks good in that combo too.

― Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Monday, 23 May 2005 09:05 (twenty-one years ago)

Bill I've just drunk my tea twice as a result of that quip!

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Monday, 23 May 2005 09:06 (twenty-one years ago)

Marcello left (briefly) speechless shockah and no Today to cover it.

― Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Monday, 23 May 2005 09:10 (twenty-one years ago)

this meant that i got to listen to aa really interesting interview with jimmy carter on the world service last night. i dont know what it was replacing.

― ambrose (ambrose), Monday, 23 May 2005 09:54 (twenty-one years ago)

Looks like most of the R1/R2 djs went to work regardless. Or at least Terry Wogan, Jo Whiley, Ken Bruce and Moyles. SCABS!

― Philip Alderman (Phil A), Monday, 23 May 2005 09:56 (twenty-one years ago)

As if we expected any of these four to be anything other than self-satisfied Tory shitehawks.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Monday, 23 May 2005 10:01 (twenty-one years ago)

I have never understood that submarine thing. Who are they meant to unleash the nukes on?

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Monday, 23 May 2005 10:03 (twenty-one years ago)

Can't quote all of the Whiley and Moyles stings that Chris Morris did on Blue Jam but they are very appropriate in this context.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Monday, 23 May 2005 10:03 (twenty-one years ago)

Well done Ken Bruce for soldiering on in the face of violent leftist rent-a-thug enemy-within picket lines.

You can email all those people and ask them why they crossed the picket line. You will get an automated reply.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Monday, 23 May 2005 10:06 (twenty-one years ago)

Wouldn't it just be easier to drop bricks on their cars as they drive out onto the Westway?

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Monday, 23 May 2005 10:11 (twenty-one years ago)

Almost half of the employees due in on Monday joined the walkout, the BBC said. But its Chelsea Flower Show coverage is to go ahead as planned.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Monday, 23 May 2005 10:28 (twenty-one years ago)

With or without Titmarsh?

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Monday, 23 May 2005 10:35 (twenty-one years ago)

The BBC was hoping to deliver some coverage of the opening day of the gardening festival using freelance crews.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Monday, 23 May 2005 10:38 (twenty-one years ago)

That jazz did my head in at 6.30am too.

― caitlin (caitlin), Monday, 23 May 2005 10:42 (twenty-one years ago)

I think I'll hit the BBC up for a £1 rebate on my license for these strikes. It's gonna be 4 full 24hours periods of strikes. That's gotta be worth some money back...

― Craig Gilchrist (Craig Gilchrist), Monday, 23 May 2005 10:55 (twenty-one years ago)

Nothing like a good blast of Brotzmann to get one going first thing in the morning, I find.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Monday, 23 May 2005 10:56 (twenty-one years ago)

C4 news had a graphic of who had and who hadn't crossed the picket line but I had the sound off and didn't recognise all of them. One of the scabs appeared to be a puppet. Paxman, Humphreys and Ford refused to go in. Moyles was named'n'shamed (or depicted'n'convicted).

― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Monday, 23 May 2005 11:00 (twenty-one years ago)

Humphrys, sorry.

― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Monday, 23 May 2005 11:02 (twenty-one years ago)

You should all listen to Danny Baker on Thursday morning, at least, because my friend Rachael will be on the show promoting her event Peckham Pet-Tastic (more details on the Brown Wedge on Freaky Trigger).

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Monday, 23 May 2005 11:30 (twenty-one years ago)

On BBC1 at about 9 this morning there was a huge, irrelevant interview with the huge, irrelevant Duran Duran. Was this why?

― mei (mei), Monday, 23 May 2005 14:32 (twenty-one years ago)

I believe the programme was called HARD TALK. I hope they asked some deeply probing questions as the name suggests.

― beanz (beanz), Monday, 23 May 2005 15:00 (twenty-one years ago)

hard talk with tim sebastian!! a stalwart of bbc world tv. it really is hard, tough, uncompromising drivel

― ambrose (ambrose), Monday, 23 May 2005 16:02 (twenty-one years ago)

Others who didn't cross the picket line: Natasha Kaplinsky, George Alagiah, Fiona Bruce, Jeremys Vine and Paxman, Nicky Campbell.

Titmarsh turned up on the Chelsea Flower Show programme last night so he's a scab as well.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 04:42 (twenty-one years ago)

On BBC1 at about 9 this morning there was a huge, irrelevant interview with the huge, irrelevant Duran Duran. Was this why?

Those are fighting words, mei. *sharpens claws*

― The Kind and Benevolent Oracle of Dee (Dee the Lurker), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 05:06 (twenty-one years ago)

I am disappointed in Kaplinsky.

Humphrys sounded kinda sheepish this morning.

Next strike is 48 hours!

How does this count as 'chaos', as reported in the Evening Standard or something?

I heard the Jimmy Carter thing. It was very good. He is prepared to sort out North Korea, should he be called upon.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 07:11 (twenty-one years ago)

Why are you disappointed in Kaplinsky for not crossing the picket line? Would you have thought better of her were she a scab?

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 07:33 (twenty-one years ago)

Dammit. All these years I've hated Nicky Campbell and now I have to grudgingly admit he's not pure evil.

― TV's Mr Noodle Vague (noodle vague), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 07:47 (twenty-one years ago)

It was a joke.

But I certainly had her down as more right-wing than, let's say, Wogan.

I must text her an apology.

I don't know how this strike came about, whether all these people were balloted or not.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 07:53 (twenty-one years ago)

Apparently Wogan said "Good luck" to the strikers as he crossed the picket line. Perhaps that was another example of his famous Eurovision irony.

Nothing like a strike to bring "impartial" BBC broadcasters out in their true colours, innit?

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 07:55 (twenty-one years ago)

Since Kaplinsky learnt to Rumba she has become increasingly obsessed with all things Cuban. Her current nickname at the Beeb is "Che".

N.B. This may be a fantasy/lie.

― TV's Mr Noodle Vague (noodle vague), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 07:58 (twenty-one years ago)

Kaplinsky is nowhere near as fanciable as Penny Smith. Don't understand why people think she is - or maybe I do.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 08:02 (twenty-one years ago)

Interesting that old Radio one-ers, Campbell and Simon Mayo on 5 Live didn't cross the picket line, but the current lot - except Colin and Edith, I think - all dutifully turned up. But whoever thought Chris Moyles was anything other than a dyed-in-the-wool, desperate-to-please, corperation lap-dog to the very core anyway?

Mark Radcliffe also turned up for work at 10.30pm. What time did the strike end, midnight?

― David Merryweather (DavidM), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 08:03 (twenty-one years ago)

Johnnie Walker crossed the picket line - I'm very disappointed in him, or perhaps that incipient Toryism common to all pirate radio jocks in the '60s applies to him as well.

Radcliffe - well, we all know about the right-wing flirtations of his earlier days, Skrewdriver and all that...

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 08:04 (twenty-one years ago)

Not entirely fair, I think - isn't it Radcliffe's assertion that Skrewdriver didn't turn into right-wing nutcases until way after he left?

(although, yes, disappointed that he crossed the picket line on the Oxford Road...)

― carson dial (carson dial), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 08:23 (twenty-one years ago)

Consider his frequent diatribes against the dance and hip hop music he had to play on his Radio 1 show. Once a rascist, always a rascist, as Geir might say.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 08:57 (twenty-one years ago)

We need Peter Snow-led animations of who struck and who didn't.

― $V£N! (blueski), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 09:00 (twenty-one years ago)

Including tea ladies and comissionaires.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 09:04 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm certainly not surprised about Natasha Kaplinsky refusing to cross the picket line, she's from a left-wing background, her family were leading left-wingers in South Africa plus I'm pretty sure she worked for the Labour Party (no guarantee of leftism of course but it probably was when she did it). Is there a list of the scabs anywhere?

― Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 09:04 (twenty-one years ago)

Just because it rhymes, doesn't mean it's true.

― mark grout (mark grout), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 09:07 (twenty-one years ago)

But Natasha Kaplinsky was on Breakfast this morning wasn't she?? Doesn't that mean she did cross the picket line? Or was it just a replacement who looked like her, I was only half-awake. Or was the strike just yesterday, I thought it was still on.

― Colonel Poo (Colonel Poo), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 09:10 (twenty-one years ago)

24 hours, finished at midnight.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 09:10 (twenty-one years ago)

Next one will be 48hrs though.

― robster (robster), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 09:11 (twenty-one years ago)

Ah, fair enough then.

And it's quite well known among aging punk rockers that Skrewdriver didn't turn into NF scumbags until 1980 or so, when the only member left from the 77 era line-up was Ian Stuart. So Radcliffe can't be tarred with that brush.

― Colonel Poo (Colonel Poo), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 09:12 (twenty-one years ago)

Come off it, Radcliffe has never liked black music, has barely attempted to conceal his contempt for it. How happy he must be to inhabit his new, whiter-than-white Radio 2 slot where he can play lots of music by Proper (i.e. White) Musicians.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 09:14 (twenty-one years ago)

I thought Kaplinsky was descended from diplomats. I also thought she was engaged to a very, very rich man, although that could be an urban legend.

Neither of which makes her right-wing, I suppose. It's just her sour face and popularity with men of a certain disposition that seems like such a throwback to Thatcherism.

Not that I would object anyway, being broadly pro-democracy.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 09:15 (twenty-one years ago)

Have you never heard of the meme "vote Socialist, shag Tory"?

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 09:16 (twenty-one years ago)

Speaking of which...Amanda Platell can cross my picket line any time...boots boots marching up and down again

*bucket of water quick*

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 09:17 (twenty-one years ago)

Her family were anti-apartheid refugees from South Afirca

― Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 09:19 (twenty-one years ago)

OK, I stand corrected. I will text her another apology.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 09:22 (twenty-one years ago)

You wouldn't want to break your restriction order PJ

― Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 09:24 (twenty-one years ago)

Wasn't the strike technically a strike of journalists and technicians, so non-journalists (say, Wogan) striking would be secondary action and illegal thanks to Maggie. Of course I don't think the BBC would have fired any senior presenters who did undertake such secondary action so they are still scabs.

― Ed (dali), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 09:25 (twenty-one years ago)

Are weatherpeople BBC employees? Helen Willetts was on last night, and I'd hate for her to be a scab.

London news was hilariously bad last night. Jim fixed it for several people to have a go at the news.

― Dave B (daveb), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 09:29 (twenty-one years ago)

The great thing I noticed when I came to London is that the local news is just as crap as it is anywhere else in the country

― Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 09:30 (twenty-one years ago)

Weather people are employed by the MET office, and on loan to the bbc or something...

― jellybean (jellybean), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 10:12 (twenty-one years ago)

Still. Not good is it. Should have called in sick or something. Helen, you are no longer the girl of my meteorological dreams.

― Dave B (daveb), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 10:28 (twenty-one years ago)

I'll take her off your hands then

― Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 10:34 (twenty-one years ago)

He used to play a fair bit of dub when I used to listen to his evening show on R1.

Amanda Platell? Are you mad? Have you ever read her NS column - 10,000 weekly variations on "YOU'RE FAT, LOVE, YOU SHOULDN'T BE ON TV"

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 10:37 (twenty-one years ago)

You're full of shit, man. I guess I must've imagined him playing Chuck Berry the other night then?

He doesn't much care for hip-hop or dance music(The Prodigy excepted), but that clearly comes of being a forty-something year old man rather than any particular racist tendencies.

― Philip Alderman (Phil A), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 10:44 (twenty-one years ago)

Trevor Nelson doesn't like The Fall? Racist!

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 10:54 (twenty-one years ago)

This Mark Radcliffe is the finest DJ in Europe. At least there is one DJ who is not afraid to play melodic white pop music, like Cardinal and Future Bible Heroes, instead of the bling Cristal fuck die motherfuckit subhuman howling you get on all other radio stations.

― Comstock Carabinieri (nostudium), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 11:43 (twenty-one years ago)

You are fooling no-one Marcello!

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 11:55 (twenty-one years ago)

I had been about to say that not liking black music doesn't make you a racist, but I don't think I will now.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 11:56 (twenty-one years ago)

Terry Wogan mumbled some sort of "justification" to his listeners this morning (a few of whom had contacted his show a bit miffed that he had crossed the picket line instead of standing up with his colleagues). This justification was that he had a job to do, and he needed to do it because he needed his job. I don't know if I believe that or not, but he at least was willing to offer his reasons for not striking.

― ailsa (ailsa), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 18:34 (twenty-one years ago)

What a novel justification.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 19:43 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh, I didn't say it was good or anything, or that I agree with him, just fair play of sorts to him for acknowledging that they were on strike and he was being a scab (though he did suggest he wasn't really a scab, and I don't know after that because I turned over) which is more than I imagine Moyles, for example, would have done.

― ailsa (ailsa), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 19:45 (twenty-one years ago)

Mark Thompson seems to be using Bush's approach to Social Security in his strategy for securing the long-term success of the BBC: privatize bits of it, slash benefits, cut more people out of the loop.

I think both employees and the public are entitled to protest that this kind of "saving" they could do without.

Linked report particularly self-contradictory: BBC says it wants the unions to "return to the table," yet is unwilling to negotiate with them. So, what table then, BBC? When pressed on this point, a spokeman says, and this is a real quote from the article, "We would want to say we would want to sit down and talk with them." Let us know when you actually say it, spokesman.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 19:49 (twenty-one years ago)

They should get Jimmy Carter in to help.

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 21:53 (twenty-one years ago)

ACAS are coming!

I thought thay had split up ages ago!

Well, they said Peel was always worried about getting the sack, perhaps Wogan is worried too.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Wednesday, 25 May 2005 07:29 (twenty-one years ago)

five years pass...

sad to hear that chris evans crossed last month's picket. thought the working class warrington boy in him would have more consideration for the serfs. his new book is a horrorshow mind, a constant stream of tedious bragging and self-aggrandisement (yeah yeah i know, shock horror, but his first book was actually fascinating once he got that out of the way).

out of interest (because i like them a lot), are danny baker, russell brand and karl pilkington known to have ever crossed a bbc picket line?

i know moyles kept up his unbeaten scab record. think wiley did too. list any other sleb scabs here.

― NI, Thursday, 25 November 2010 12:08 (fifteen years ago)

DBaker is unwell.

― Mark G, Thursday, 25 November 2010 12:14 (fifteen years ago)

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