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Original poster

The BBC have been overwhelmed with complaints about coverage of Prince Philip

999 replies

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 10/04/2021 12:29

Showing the same thing on 2 channels simultaneously.

Now you just enter your email to complain as they couldn’t cope with the amount of complaints.

OP posts:
Peregrina · 11/04/2021 09:46

I remember the compulsory national sentiment (it was the ‘national mood’ then) when Diana died.

It genuinely was the public mood then. There was no declared official period of morning, but people spontaneously started to lay flowers. There is a real difference between the mother of the future king being killed in an accident leaving her two boys orphaned, and a man of nearly 100 meeting his natural end.

I think it eventually the Diana sentiment went over the top though.

HeddaGarbled · 11/04/2021 09:51

And a broadcaster like the BBC, who do question the government of the day (which is why the Tories want to defund them) would definitely not exist in North Korea despite the facile comparisons thrown around by PPs.

LolaSmiles · 11/04/2021 09:52

It seemed a bit much to run it on both BB1/2, but I can't get too upset about it. At the end of the day it's less than 24 hours disruption to a couple of TV channels. It's hardly the end of the world.

The only thing I would probably complain about, if I was in the mood to complain, is that BBC news should have continued to cover a broad range of news from that day. The death of a public figure does not mean other news stops, and to stop broadcasting/substantially limit the news of the day only adds to the culture after 9/11 when someone in government suggested that today was a 'good day to bury bad news'. It would be interesting to see what the government hides in the next week.

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The royal family
MarshaBradyo · 11/04/2021 09:55

which is why the Tories want to defund them

All the more reason to act on feedback from many. Like any paid for service adapt or lose out.

aSofaNearYou · 11/04/2021 10:03

I mean I agree that it's been a lot but massive eye roll to those who actually complained 🙄

I have a TV license and loads of days pass where nothing I'm interested is on. It's so excessive to complain.

Iamthewombat · 11/04/2021 10:29

It genuinely was the public mood then. There was no declared official period of morning, but people spontaneously started to lay flowers

That some people saw some others laying flowers and decided to do the same because...er...they just wanted to feel part of something doesn’t mean that there was a pervasive ‘public mood’.

That a number of ill-advised people decided to queue up to sign ludicrous ‘books of condolence’, writing anecdotes about their own travails that nobody ever read doesn’t mean that there was a ‘public mood’.

‘Public moods’, real or imaginary, tend to be rather transitory anyway, and are prone to being whipped up by media coverage. Who remembers the streets of Leeds being lined with mourners weeping whilst Jimmy Savile’s cortège passed by, and people queueing up to file past his golden coffin? How many would admit to being part of that now?

User135644 · 11/04/2021 10:38

@TempsPerdu

There are significant anti-royalty minorities in the country (34% of 18-25 year olds, 21% overall) and as such the BBC has a duty to reflect that sentiment in its programming

And an awful lot more who, like me, bear the monarchy no ill will but aren’t remotely interested. Why should the relative minority who are actively royalist get wall to wall coverage, and the rest of us nothing at all? The woeful viewing figures suggest that national sentiment was not being reflected in this instance.

Yes, this represents a lot of us. I don't care. We aren't all Royalists or Republicans.
inappropriateraspberry · 11/04/2021 10:54

I think all the main channels (tv and radio) completely mis-read this. Did they think we would go into a state of national mourning? He was very old, had been in hospital recently, so not a tragic, unexpected death.
Yes, it is sad he has died, and I feel for his family, but we don't need program after program repeating stories of his life, or sad songs on the radio all weekend. They even kept flagging it on CBeebies with a notice about 'special news report on BBC one'. Too much.
Announce the death, have a couple of programs about him then show the funeral next weekend. It's all we need. They could put more on on-demand services for those that want it.

inappropriateraspberry · 11/04/2021 10:55

@LolaSmiles

It seemed a bit much to run it on both BB1/2, but I can't get too upset about it. At the end of the day it's less than 24 hours disruption to a couple of TV channels. It's hardly the end of the world.

The only thing I would probably complain about, if I was in the mood to complain, is that BBC news should have continued to cover a broad range of news from that day. The death of a public figure does not mean other news stops, and to stop broadcasting/substantially limit the news of the day only adds to the culture after 9/11 when someone in government suggested that today was a 'good day to bury bad news'. It would be interesting to see what the government hides in the next week.

It it wasn't less than 24hrs, it was yesterday as well. Too many repetitive programs.
aSofaNearYou · 11/04/2021 10:58

And yes there are other freeview channels, but a lot of people cannot afford streaming or sky and are also stuck indoors in lockdown. TV has been a lifeline for lots of people in lockdown and for many it is a companion. But I would expect half of those people weren’t interested and were probably made more depressed by it.

Well that puts a new light on all the people that didn't think film and TV production should continue through lockdown as it wasn't important.

But seriously, even if you don't pay for other subscriptions, everyone can access iplayer. Voila, all the BBC content you're missing.

The channels are very often dominated by sports coverage I have absolutely no interest in. Sometimes you just have to accept when something that doesn't interest you but does others is on. It's only a couple of days, far less than the Olympics.

yupyupyup · 11/04/2021 11:03

This is absolutely awful! I don't know anyone in real life who would complain about this!

We have a hugely important public figure who we have sadly lost. Particularly the older generations, born before or during the war, will have been saddened by his passing, and many of them will only tune in to the TV at certain times of the day, so the coverage is for them, really.

I do not understand the need to complain about missing TV programmes for a day or two, especially if you have catch-up or Sky. And it's sad that we have such little respect for such important people in this country Sad

ineedaholidaynow · 11/04/2021 11:12

Isn't basic Freeview free? You don't need the Internet for it

AbsolutelyPatsy · 11/04/2021 11:13

no, not everyone can access iplayer, not everyone has internet.

but i agree, this complaining is awful and embarrassing

Iamthewombat · 11/04/2021 11:13

I’ve been entertained by the regularity with which somebody chimes in and says, “can’t you cope without TV for a day?” or “can’t you read a book or knit (!!! yes, OP, some posters really do think it is still the 1950s) instead?”

It’s about once per page. Somebody then patiently explains that it’s not about missing TV programmes but about the BBC deciding for us that we will all be made to watch identical content on BBC1 and BBC2 and listen to sad music on all the radio stations because we should all be in mourning.

A few posts later and - ta da! - somebody tells us that we should be able to cope without TV for one night and we should read a book instead. As if it were a freshly minted piece of wisdom that all Prince Philip mandatory grief objectors must absorb for their own good.

Keep it up! It’s hilarious.

inappropriateraspberry · 11/04/2021 11:15

@Iamthewombat

I’ve been entertained by the regularity with which somebody chimes in and says, “can’t you cope without TV for a day?” or “can’t you read a book or knit (!!! yes, OP, some posters really do think it is still the 1950s) instead?”

It’s about once per page. Somebody then patiently explains that it’s not about missing TV programmes but about the BBC deciding for us that we will all be made to watch identical content on BBC1 and BBC2 and listen to sad music on all the radio stations because we should all be in mourning.

A few posts later and - ta da! - somebody tells us that we should be able to cope without TV for one night and we should read a book instead. As if it were a freshly minted piece of wisdom that all Prince Philip mandatory grief objectors must absorb for their own good.

Keep it up! It’s hilarious.

Exactly! It's boy that we couldn't watch Bargain Hunt, it's that we didn't have the choice.

Plus, Freeview is free, but it's mostly shopping channels or kids tv.

AbsolutelyPatsy · 11/04/2021 11:16

I am ashamed to be using the forum

inappropriateraspberry · 11/04/2021 11:19

It's not that..

Roussette · 11/04/2021 11:27

@Iamthewombat

Totally agree. Like it's groundbreaking to say 'why don't you read a book'.
Talk about groundhog day!

ineedaholidaynow · 11/04/2021 11:29

Has everyone complained to ITV too and all the newspapers?

YouAreYourBestThing · 11/04/2021 11:31

Could you not just switch off the TV for one day if it bothers you? One. Day. 🤦‍♀️ Read a book. Phone a friend. Go for a walk. Clean the sodding windows! It's hardly the biggest inconvenience in the world really 🤷‍♀️ I'm not a royalist. I've not watched any of the coverage...but it hasn't bothered me in the slightest. I really don't understand the outrage, honestly! What's wrong with people?

Roussette · 11/04/2021 11:32

Has everyone complained to ITV too and all the newspapers?

I dont pay £159 a year to ITV

yupyupyup · 11/04/2021 11:33

I can't believe that someone has said,

"It's not that we couldn't watch Bargain Hunt, it's that we didn't have the choice".

What has the world come to? I feel like I'm living in a parallel world! I'm ashamed to be on here too. You lot are an embarrassment!

YetAnotherSpartacus · 11/04/2021 11:35

It’s about once per page. Somebody then patiently explains that it’s not about missing TV programmes but about the BBC deciding for us that we will all be made to watch identical content on BBC1 and BBC2 and listen to sad music on all the radio stations because we should all be in mourning

This is such a fantastic time to learn about history! This is what happened (well, to the radio) when King George VI died. My mother was taken to London and made to queue for ages to see King George V lying in state ( ithink in those days it was also her job to get the wireless batteries charged). It's one day. Can we just hold to tradition for one day and learn from it and know what it was like for earlier generations? This in itself is interesting.

FlattestWhite · 11/04/2021 11:35

Perhaps read some of the posts explaining the outrage then, if you don't understand it? People explain very well that it's not that they can't survive without TV for one day, but that it's the fact that the coverage is being shown on many channels, or some channels even switched off entirely, as if there is an unspoken message that people shouldn't be watching TV because they should be in mourning. People are upset that this sort of message is being given out when there have been a great many people who have died this year from the pandemic that people are actuallly in mourning for, and the fact that many people are simply not in mourning for a member of the royal family that they didn't know (or in many cases, respect). They are annoyed that a great many really important news stories are not being covered because of this.

They aren't objecting to coverage being shown for those who want it. They aren't objecting because they had nothing else to do, or because they were inconvenienced.

Iamthewombat · 11/04/2021 11:36

@YouAreYourBestThing

Could you not just switch off the TV for one day if it bothers you? One. Day. 🤦‍♀️ Read a book. Phone a friend. Go for a walk. Clean the sodding windows! It's hardly the biggest inconvenience in the world really 🤷‍♀️ I'm not a royalist. I've not watched any of the coverage...but it hasn't bothered me in the slightest. I really don't understand the outrage, honestly! What's wrong with people?
See?