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

[ArseInTheCoOpWindow]

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.

George VI died in 1952. The World has moved on since then. The Royals invented a whole lot of ceremonies in the 20th Century, so they need now to re-invent some more suitable for the 21st. They will probably gain more respect for doing that.

@Peregrina I get that, but people saying it is a possible start of fascism, I’m just highlighting that it is similar to what has happened when other senior Royals have died. So I don’t think it is something we need to worry about. It can be something to change to move with modern times but not something for people to see something sinister in.

@HeddaGarbled

But then I guess it brings into question the agenda of the right wing media and govt

Indeed. Which is why I think we should be campaigning for a fully funded, independent, public service broadcaster, which doesn’t have to tiptoe around the government of the day.

Unwittingly, the complainers are playing into the government and right wing media’s hands. How cleverly they’ve been weaponised.

Why?

Actually I think the bbc won’t win.
Things will be twisted to suit
Eg concentrate on fall in viewing figures (due to wall to wall PP) = lets defund the bbc

Too many complaints= not fit for purpose= defunding

Not enough RF/ forelock tugging etc

I don’t expect my day to day life to be limited, even temporarily, because somebody rich and posh, with no relevance to my life, has died

If not being able to watch Pointless for a day counts as ‘life being limited’, I’d suggest there are bigger issues at play....!

It’s not even just about the coverage of PP it was the lack of any other news. So for the last year we have had this terrible pandemic dominating every news bulletin and over the weekend - nothing. It doesn’t help with the message as to how serious Covid supposedly is when it can go from dominating news broadcasting to zero mention at all.

Yes, that is exactly what people have complained about. Not being able to watch Pointless for a day. You have encapsulated the problem brilliantly with your incisive analysis.

I did say before, I wonder what would have happened if PP had died a day later, when the Grand National was due to run. I doubt very much whether would have cancelled it, and I wouldn't mind betting that they would have shunted the coverage off to BBC2.

*So sad that people couldn’t cope with an afternoon off TV to honour a man who devoted his life to public service.

This. It’s not like there isn’t a plethora of other channels they could watch.*

I know! I hate it when the football is everywhere and programs are constantly delayed if it runs over. I don’t complain to the TV network, I just... don’t watch it

Don’t want to see it? Watch something else.
People who complain about this sort of stuff are the same people Ricky Gervais talks about in that sketch about guitar lessons.
(They read a notice in the town hall about guitar lessons and get enraged “I don’t want guitar lessons!!!” Ok, it’s not for you then, move on.

Then watch something else. 😆

@Iamthewombat

Yes, that is exactly what people have complained about. Not being able to watch Pointless for a day. You have encapsulated the problem brilliantly with your incisive analysis.

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes 🤷🏼‍♀️

@The90swereadecadeago

*So sad that people couldn’t cope with an afternoon off TV to honour a man who devoted his life to public service.

This. It’s not like there isn’t a plethora of other channels they could watch.*

I know! I hate it when the football is everywhere and programs are constantly delayed if it runs over. I don’t complain to the TV network, I just... don’t watch it

Don’t want to see it? Watch something else.
People who complain about this sort of stuff are the same people Ricky Gervais talks about in that sketch about guitar lessons.
(They read a notice in the town hall about guitar lessons and get enraged “I don’t want guitar lessons!!!” Ok, it’s not for you then, move on.

Now you’ve posted it not really.

@RedcurrantPuff that happens with all sorts of news though doesn't it. Most headlines today are about COVID, in particular restrictions being lifted and pubs being open.

You can have a natural disaster in another country or a civil war and hundreds of people die which makes headlines news for a few days, but then some celebrity does something or dies in this country and they take over the news and it is like the natural disaster never happened. It is the nature of our media, not saying it is correct just how it is.

People who complain about this sort of stuff are the same people Ricky Gervais talks about in that sketch about guitar lessons.
(They read a notice in the town hall about guitar lessons and get enraged “I don’t want guitar lessons!!!” Ok, it’s not for you then, move on.

Except for that to be an apt analogy, you'd have to transplant the person to a world where all forms of music other than guitar have been (temporarily) banned across the board. And make the person a dedicated pianist who is obsessively passionate about the piano, and simply wants to be left in peace to practice his piano, and is not allowed to practice the piano because the government/media have dictated that only guitar music is permitted because any other form of music is "disrespectful." And where if you happen to mention that you'd quite like to practise the piano that afternoon, strangers line up to hurl abuse at you and tell you how disrespectful and chavvy you are.

So basically nothing like Ricky Gervais' sketch in any way.

Oh and if you also lived in a world controlled by an extremely powerful unelected consortium of guitar manufacturers, who are basically above the law, and have an extreme level of control over most of the press, and have a direct line to newspaper editors and regularly feed tabloid editors stories. Where you read pro-guitar propaganda in almost every single newspaper. Where any newspaper who prints anything anti-guitar immediately gets a phone call from Big Guitar demanding they remove it, and making legal threats.

Where anyone who is publicly even slightly anti-guitar, or who points out the bully boy tactics used by Big Guitar, is subject to a huge media smear campaign.

Where the government use guitar coverage as a way to bury and censor genuine news about corruption, lies, and abuse of police powers.

Except for that to be an apt analogy, you'd have to transplant the person to a world where all forms of music other than guitar have been (temporarily) banned across the board. And make the person a dedicated pianist who is obsessively passionate about the piano, and simply wants to be left in peace to practice his piano, and is not allowed to practice the piano because the government/media have dictated that only guitar music is permitted because any other form of music is "disrespectful." And where if you happen to mention that you'd quite like to practise the piano that afternoon, strangers line up to hurl abuse at you and tell you how disrespectful and chavvy you are.

Except they haven't banned other forms of music, they simply haven't been putting any on themselves. There is a difference. You can still play any music you want.

I'm not sure what you're talking about with the "obsessively passionate piano player" analogy. Are you talking about other news topics? If so that last paragraph is a very hyperbolic summary of how people have responded. I don't think anyone has said you'd be disrespectful to read the news elsewhere or pop on iplayer.

@ArseInTheCoOpWindow

So sad that people pay a license fee to watch channels totally dominated by something they may have no interest in.

For how many hours in the grand scheme?

@Neonprint

Good. It's fucking embarrassing. We're in the middle of a pandemic.

This is embarrassing

When subscribing to the BBC becomes a choice then they can show whatever they want and let the market decide. Until then, we are allowed to complain about content-poor, lazy programming.

@Bluegrass

If only the BBC had some sort of on demand service with thousands of hours of tv and radio available at a click of a button and at no additional cost to tide people over for a few hours while they are in official mourning mode.

Well exactly!!

People who complain about this sort of stuff are the same people Ricky Gervais talks about in that sketch about guitar lessons.

You're right. If only there was a multitude of channels, radio stations, on demand services, media outlets, and a life beyond the telly. Oh wait...

Then again I still find it funny that the mere suggestion of choosing not to watch something you're not interested in is somehow snobby trying to prove how cultured you are, telling people to go read a book or knit etc. Anyone who observed my largely Prince Philip free day would be really pushed to find anything particularly cultured or snobby about it other than the ability to press the off button.

Then again I still find it funny that the mere suggestion of choosing not to watch something you're not interested in is somehow snobby trying to prove how cultured you are, telling people to go read a book or knit etc. Anyone who observed my largely Prince Philip free day would be really pushed to find anything particularly cultured or snobby about it other than the ability to press the off button.

Indeed. I will freely admit I love watching telly. I do it most nights, I'm not in the slightest bit inclined to tell people to "go read a book" or imply they are uncultured. It is simply not that difficult to watch something else (free) on demand when you don't like what is on, which is often for me, so one to two days would never even enter into my radar as being worth complaining about.

How about the BBC do something good in his name? I can't stop thinking about the Vanuatu tribe. They worshipped Prince Philip and believed he'd bring them prosperity. They live in a lot of poverty. I was so touched by their story. I think it would lovely if money was raised to give to them in his name. I'd happily donate. It's interesting learning about them and their history. I know very little. The BBC could perhaps do a programme on them. Am educational way to honour Prince Philip that does a lot of good at the same time.

*An

@Tealightsandd

How about the BBC do something good in his name? I can't stop thinking about the Vanuatu tribe. They worshipped Prince Philip and believed he'd bring them prosperity. They live in a lot of poverty. I was so touched by their story. I think it would lovely if money was raised to give to them in his name. I'd happily donate. It's interesting learning about them and their history. I know very little. The BBC could perhaps do a programme on them. Am educational way to honour Prince Philip that does a lot of good at the same time.

That’s a great idea.

I am quite sad about Prince Philip but have seen barely any coverage because I haven't watched any. I have watched television since Friday, just not that. Simples.