Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

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:
LimitIsUp · 10/04/2021 13:08

I could just about handle the tributes on all channels since I chose to watch something on Netflix instead, however it was mighty irriating when I tuned into the 10 o clock news on BBC1 straight after the tributes to find the news was an extended programme dedicated to even more coverage of Prince Philip. Then this morning, yet more extended coverage.

Roussette · 10/04/2021 13:08

Luckily I enjoy Gogglebox!

Their viewing figures quadrupled, I read that somewhere. Not surprising.

peak2021 · 10/04/2021 13:08

Do all of you complain to the BBC when they show the transphobic drivel called Mrs Browns Boys?

Do all of you complain to the BBC when they fail to challenge the Prime Minister on his industrial scale lying and whose neglect and inaction last year led to more than 10,000 avoidable deaths?

Bit rich complaining about having only 66 channels instead of 70 (plus Iplayer) to choose from.

I watched the women's football and part of Gogglebox myself last night.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

The royal family
BurbageBrook · 10/04/2021 13:09

It was a ridiculous level of coverage for a 99 year old man dying a natural and peaceful death.

FlattestWhite · 10/04/2021 13:09

It is just odd, the fact that they seem to think that people somehow shouldn't be watching TV out of respect. By showing the same thing on all the channels, and repeatedly, it just means people have to do something else, and I find that a bit weird - not that they are cancelling some comedy programs (understandable) or that they are showing documentaries about him for people who want to watch (also understandable) but that by showing the same thing on the other channels, or even turning the channels off, it is saying that it's somehow disrespectful to be watching TV when he has died! Even the people here who say you should read a book instead or do a jigsaw or whatever - why are those pastimes somehow more respectful than watching a TV show?

And no, not everyone has other options. I actually watch very little live TV, so don't have alternatives. And I don't really mind not being able to watch TV - although I was planning to watch Have I Got News For You, it's not like i'm complaining about missing favourite shows or that I have nothing else to do. It is more that I find it weird that they are essentially saying 'watching TV is bad and disrespectful, so we will take channels off the air and show the same thing on the others, so that you watch this or nothing, because watching nothing is more respectful than watching something like a film'. I can see that they might pick and choose what is shown a bit carefully, but that's about all the needed to do, apart from showing the documentaries etc for the people who want to know more. It's like the BBC want to pretend that everyone is somehow mourning, that people won't be out doing other fun things today, or from Monday going shopping or to the pub or whatever, which just isn't the case. I don't think people feel strongly enough about him to want all fun things cancelled for some enforced mourning, and the fact that they've just picked television to do it to is what makes it seem stuck in the past and not with the national mood.

UntamedWisteria · 10/04/2021 13:09

How often do we have to put up with sport being broadcast simultaneously on both channels?

Not the same at all. Different matches, sometimes different sports.

I think even when England is in a football final & match might be on both BBC & ITV, the programmes have different commentators.

last night BBC1 and BBC2 had identical programmes on simultaneously. Identical.

Original poster
ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 10/04/2021 13:09

But there's lots of crap on the BBC that I choose not to watch. Eastenders, for example. Or Top Gear.

I agree with the fact that there’s a lot of rubbish on the Beeb, but it’s not the same thing simultaneously on every channel and leads to the suspension of BBC4 which doesn’t show the crap you mentioned.

OP posts:
Nat6999 · 10/04/2021 13:09

It's the thought that when the Queen dies we will have to go through even more of this & let's face it, that will happen in the next ten years. What the BBC have done proves that in effect it is a state propaganda channel if we didn't already know it.

Bamski · 10/04/2021 13:10

Do those of you stomping your feet over not wanting your licence fee spent on historical coverage not understand that there is likely many more license payers who do want this level of coverage?

His death is a big deal- you might not want it to be or be able grasp that but it really is.

SleepingStandingUp · 10/04/2021 13:10

@Haydugi

WTF is wrong with people?

History in the making and people moaning about missing pointless Confused

I agree moaning is pointless hit a bit meh about the history on the making stuff.

Yes he is the longest serving consort and probably will be ever. Camilla will be Queen or consort or whatever for a fairly short time , Wills likely won't get to the Throne until into his 50s so again Kate won't be Queen for more than probably 40 years, George is 7, hopefully he'll also be well into his 40s too. But it's stil la fact not anything that has any impact on anything. No one will care where you were when it happened or will write anything beyond "it happened"

Roussette · 10/04/2021 13:10

Ditch the license fee over a day or two of tv they don’t like? Seems a bit self-involved

There are very many people teetering on the edge with their views on the BBC and how they don't handle current affairs properly. This will tip them over.

Lightningrain · 10/04/2021 13:11

I’m no Royalist but I can’t get worked up about a couple of days paying tribute to him.

Surely people can find something else to watch on the other channels/streaming services or turn off their TVs and do something else if they have no interest.

I did find it interesting to watch some of it as I actually had no idea about his upbringing and some of the things he’d done.

Like it or not the Royal Family are a big part of the country’s history and heritage and it’s to be expected that the BBC will pay tribute.

I watched an hour or so and then turned it off. No outrage or complaint from me about having to find an alternative on Netflix or Freeview.

littlepattilou · 10/04/2021 13:11

@CatherineMorland

So sad that people couldn’t cope with an afternoon off TV to honour a man who devoted his life to public service.
This. ^ Although it seems a bit much to have had it on EVERY ONE of the terrestrial channels, actually complaining to the BBC is pathetic. Some people need to get a life.

Have they got nothing better to do but watch TV and whinge and complain that their fave TV programme has been postponed?! Big deal, get over it.

Prince Philip dying is virtually like a Monarch dying. Quit moaning, and shut your piehole.

FlattestWhite · 10/04/2021 13:11

It's also irritating that all of the other news has been relegated to minor stories in favour of this one, even on things like the BBC app - usually a whole live channel about Covid developments, stories about NI riots high up on the page etc, and now there are dozens of stories about him that you have to scroll through first to find out anything else.

I'm not against stories about him, and some are quite interesting, and I am interested in the protocol stuff and how things will work - but it's not the only thing I'm interested in, so I'd quite like other important news to be shown and discussed as much as that.

Teddyandsuzie · 10/04/2021 13:11

I found the coverage really interesting.

He was relatively old when I was born so I was curious to see him as a young man. Also had no idea about his work in conservation or turbulent early life.

I am surprised how sad I feel at his death. Sad

RavingAnnie · 10/04/2021 13:12

I didn't even realise there was any coverage at all. You know because there are plenty of other channels etc etc to watch. It's one day. And whether you like them or not, we do have a royal family currently and while we do they will be treated as such. Find something better to worry about than missing an afternoon of TV. I can't believe people have the time or headspace to complain about this.

poppycat10 · 10/04/2021 13:13

People moan about everything don't they. DH wanted to see the Masterchef final but it would never occur to me to make the effort to complain. BBC should just tell people to bog off and get a life in my view.

Can people really not cope without the TV for one day? Read a book, play a computer game, play a board game if it floats your boat. Either watch the coverage or do something else.

As for when the Queen dies - we'll have about two weeks of this.

Roussette · 10/04/2021 13:13

Do those of you stomping your feet over not wanting your licence fee spent on historical coverage not understand that there is likely many more license payers who do want this level of coverage?

Do those people want exactly the same programmes on both BBC1 and BBC2?

I have nothing against the coverage on one of their channels but for 9 hours it was identical on both

poppycat10 · 10/04/2021 13:14

@Roussette

Ditch the license fee over a day or two of tv they don’t like? Seems a bit self-involved

There are very many people teetering on the edge with their views on the BBC and how they don't handle current affairs properly. This will tip them over.

The fact that people on all sides complain about the BBC being biased rather indicates that the reverse is true in my view!
CormoranStrike · 10/04/2021 13:14

@ArseInTheCoOpWindow

I’ve complained. One channel would have been fine.
Why?

They made an editorial decision they thought would be largely popular with their audience. Just because you don’t like it surely doesn’t make it a complaining issue?

Other people would no doubt complain if they underplayed it.

Me? I watched the news then switched the telly off, voting with my feet when I had had enough.

Original poster
ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 10/04/2021 13:14

It’s not about not being able to watch programmes for a day...

OP posts:
FlattestWhite · 10/04/2021 13:14

But the point is why are people saying 'watch netflix' or 'find something else to do', if they agree with the BBC that we should all be in mourning and that it's disrespectful to be doing fun or frivolous things? And if they don't agree that we should, then why shouldn't people be able to watch something on one of the BBC channels if they want? Surely if you think it's disrespectful to complain about the coverage, then you think it's disrespectful to watch neflix or read a funny book or play a game with your family, if you think we should all be feeling serious and sober and reflecting on him all the time. It's the slight hypocrisy of it all that doesn't make sense.

UrAWizHarry · 10/04/2021 13:14

It is ridiculous. Looking at the BBC website the top 10 stories are about an old man dying.

Actual news which means something like, I dunno, the riots in Belfast and the volcano in the Caribbean are squashed down the bottom.

Even if you are a supporter of our ridiculously outdated monarchy you can't argue that the coverage hasn't been bordering on propoganda.

poppycat10 · 10/04/2021 13:14

Do those people want exactly the same programmes on both BBC1 and BBC2

We get that with sporting events at times too.

Moondust001 · 10/04/2021 13:14

@ArseInTheCoOpWindow

It’s not about refunds. It’s about the assumption that as a licence payer which funds the BBC l want to watch this crap. And l don’t.
I do have quite a lot of sympathy with that position, to be fair. It's a hell of a lot of money to pay to watch Dr Who. Which, I think, is possibly the last thing I watched on BBC, and will probably be the next thing I watch on it. 97% of the programming on BBC is crap! It's not just one day.