I think John should be encouraged to perservere with that set of suggestions
and questions.

He should be aided by the Freedom of Information Act.   He can now ask how
his suggestions and questions have been dealt with, and what action has been
taken.

Ray Thomas
35 Passmore, Tinkers Bridge, Milton Keynes MK6 3DY
Email: [log in to unmask]
Tel 01908 679081
**********************

----- Original Message -----
From: "John Logsdon" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, December 28, 2004 6:21 PM
Subject: Re: 'The Global Sell-Off'


> Ted's experience is not of course uncommon where journalism is concerned -
> they are the masters of spin.
>
> But it does raise another issue.  The BBC World Service on the radio is
> actually funded by the Foreign Office.  So where is the editorial
> independence?
>
> BBC World TV is funded by sponsors (and IMHO has stopped showing the more
> interesting programmes these days). So where is the editorial
> independence?
>
> I suggested some time ago to the BBC that, as they were looking at putting
> their domestic channels on satellite, they could do so world-wide and have
> a subscription service.  Domestic viewers could apply for a card if they
> were licence payers but overseas viewers could buy a card or some code
> over the internet.  There must be many ex-pats and others who would pay 7
> or 8 quid a month for CBeeBees alone and then there is all that excellent
> news coverage, drama, comedy and language.
>
> This could fund both radio and TV services world wide, possibly reducing
> the need for licence increases but more importantly enable the BBC to
> broadcast foreign language channels.  But above all, it would ensure the
> independence of the BBC from either government or even worse, big
> business.  Then we may hear the truth about privatisation.
>
> Of course I have not heard a dickie bird about this...
>
> Pip pip and Happy New Year to all
>
> John
>
> John Logsdon                               "Try to make things as simple
> Quantex Research Ltd, Manchester UK         as possible but not simpler"
> [log in to unmask]              [log in to unmask]
> +44(0)161 445 4951/G:+44(0)7717758675       www.quantex-research.com
>
>
> On Mon, 27 Dec 2004, Ted Harding wrote:
>
>> On 26-Dec-04 Robert Moore wrote:
>> > Members of the list might be interested in a series being
>> > broadcast on the World Service of the BBC. From the accounts
>> > I heard (and the trailers) it sounds good, dealing with
>> > privatisation world-wide, using data of a kind that does not
>> > normally feature in much home broadcasting. Series began
>> > on the 20th.
>> >
>> >  No need to tune up your steam radio, you can listen on:
>> >
>> > http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/programmes/documentary_1.shtml#
>> >
>> > The first installment is there until Tuesday.
>> >
>> > Hope this is not off-topic.
>> >
>> > Robert
>>
>> Well, that looked good, and so did the blurb on the website at
>> the above URL:
>>
>>   Privatisation is a great trick -- if a country can
>>   pull it off.
>>
>>   At the wave of wand, a loss-making and inefficient
>>   enterprise making poor investment decisions can start
>>   to become a tax-payer, rather than remaining a recipient
>>   of state largesse.
>>
>>   Yet, in a special four-part series, Nigel Cassidy
>>   discovers at first hand, how poor consumers in India
>>   face mass disconnection when they cannot pay water
>>   or electricity bills.
>>
>>   Privatisation has brought them none of the promised
>>   benefits. The drive to attract private capital to
>>   essential services has become relentless.
>>
>>   Ultimately however, someone has to pay.
>>
>> However, when I listened to it this morning it didn't quite
>> live up to the blurb. Very "journalistic", hopping from
>> scenario to scenario, briefly visiting the history of
>> privatisation (starting with BT), in many cases quoting
>> benefits which many reaped, and only at the end getting
>> round to a rather short piece on the hardships of poor
>> Indian farmers (who rely on electricity to pump irrigation
>> water and post-privatisation can only have it 7 hours a
>> day even if they pay their bills, whereas they often need
>> it 24 hours a day).
>>
>> Nor did there seem tp be mention of "data of a kind that
>> does not normally feature in much home broadcasting".
>>
>> Some of it may have been "tongue in cheek", however.
>>
>> Somewhat disappointing on the part of World Service, after
>> the publicity hype. The World Service often comes up with
>> stuff that you can't imagine Radio 4 being keen to broadcast
>> (interesting in itself, since both are controlled by the
>> BBC and the principal difference between them is their
>> respective audiences -- not many UK voters listen to the
>> World Service, especially during the day when you would
>> have to deliberately tune into it; most are asleep at
>> night and even if awake many are not likely to be interested
>> in that "foreign" stuff).
>>
>> However, I still reckon Robert Moore's posting was "On Topic",
>> in principle. To the extent that the program might have come
>> up with the goods, it might have provided a useful instance of
>> how to look "alternatively" at so much of the "information"
>> we get fed!
>>
>> At least the broadcast took a "world view"! Maybe subsequent
>> broadcasts will be more stimulating.
>>
>> Best wishes, and Happy New Year to all.
>> Ted.
>>
>>
>> --------------------------------------------------------------------
>> E-Mail: (Ted Harding) <[log in to unmask]>
>> Fax-to-email: +44 (0)870 094 0861  [NB: New number!]
>> Date: 27-Dec-04                                       Time: 13:24:54
>> ------------------------------ XFMail ------------------------------
>>
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