Page 3 | What is going on at the BBC right now?

TooBigForMyBoots · 10/03/2023 18:34

The Gary Linekar thing is ridiculous. He's a football pundit, not a news presenter. He is right in what he said and should not be stopped from saying it.

Did the Beeb kick up over his multiple Walkers ads?

Chevyimpala67 · 10/03/2023 18:35

Their government paymasters are pulling the strings
Fairly obvious

Calmdown14 · 10/03/2023 18:35

If he has an impartiality clause in his contract then it's a requirement whether you agree with what he said or not. I do think the nazi comparison was inappropriate.

I'd also feel more like supporting him if he hadn't avoided five million quid in tax. Think how many asylum seekers that would help

blackpearwhitelilies · 10/03/2023 18:36

MrsBennetsPoorNerves · 10/03/2023 18:12

I absolutely agree that news and current affairs presenters should be impartial. I couldn't care less if "personalities" like Lineker have political opinions. It's different.

Show quote history

Quite. This would also be more persuasive if the BBC had chastised the likes of Prue Leith for voicing her positive views of Brexit, for instance. They didn't.

bellac11 · 10/03/2023 18:36

ClassicLib · 10/03/2023 18:22

What has happened is that the BBC has finally started to take impartiality seriously.
The result of the Brexit referendum, and the deep social & cultural divides between London & England outside the M25 which it exposed, stunned the broadcaster. It simply didn’t see Brexit coming, and didn’t understand it. Brexit forced the BBC to question & challenge its default metropolitan liberal mindset in ways it had never done before.
The Tory government spotted this and decided to apply pressure on the BBC to get more balanced coverage of the views of its voters on sensitive, divisive issues such as immigration.
All governments do likewise, of course. Remember the Labour government’s outrage at the BBC’s coverage of Iraq?

From memory the BBC pushed brexit and was incredibly pro brexit.

carriedout · 10/03/2023 18:39

Shearer has pulled out too I see.

The Beeb have handled this so badly. Because they are led by Tories and pander to the government all the time now.

HadEnoughOfBears · 10/03/2023 18:39

bellac11 · 10/03/2023 18:11

Good for Gary Lineker and Ian Wright. I dont watch them at all but admire their stance.

Alan Shearer has now also said he will not appear

Aavalon57 · 10/03/2023 18:40

The two top men at the BBC have close Conservative Party links (Sharp and Davie), Robbie Gibb, brother of Conservative MP Nick Gibb, headed the BBC's political programme output before leaving to become Director of Communications at 10 Downing Street under Theresa May, Andrew Neil - need I say more? The real decision makers are behind the scenes and also influence how and what news is broadcast. By focusing so heavily on Gary Lineker's comments, the BBC has done itself no favours.

Chevyimpala67 · 10/03/2023 18:41

carriedout · 10/03/2023 18:39

Shearer has pulled out too I see.

The Beeb have handled this so badly. Because they are led by Tories and pander to the government all the time now.

I'm so happy that Ian Wright and Alan shearer are doing this
Time the bbc was renamed
Brexit broadcasting Corp

carriedout · 10/03/2023 18:41

John Humphreys apparently used to slag off Labour in speeches. He was a news presenter!

cakeorwine · 10/03/2023 18:41

I am Spartacus.

That's what they are doing.

Good for Linekar for calling out the language. I wish the BBC had discussed the language used which is dehumanizing people. Fascism doesn't arrive overnight

lieselotte · 10/03/2023 18:42

Totally disagree that the BBC is scared of the truth or run by Tory ministers.

Well, the latter is probably somewhat true. They are petrified of Tory ministers because they are scared of losing funding.

bellac11 · 10/03/2023 18:42

I thought Alan Sugar was a labour supporter, inn reference to a previous post

The BBC have handled this really badly its the Streisand effect to some degree, its not that no one knew about his comments but it wouldnt have had the light shone on it in the way it currently is if they hadnt kicked up a stink about him

Haffiana · 10/03/2023 18:43

This is designed to get a backlash against the Government. I think the BBC are cunningly making it all impossible to ignore - 'cancelling' the most important episode of the new David Attenborough show is pure genius. There is going to be a furore!

I totally support those who oppose the racist arsehole fucks that are the Tory Government and the Brexit Bastards who support them. I cannot WAIT for the next general election...

mrswhiplington · 10/03/2023 18:45

Why wasn't he so outspoken about human rights and the treatment of women and migrant workers in Qatar during the World Cup. I imagine the pay packet was too good to turn down.

PrincessScarlett · 10/03/2023 18:45

Definitely something very wrong with BBC at the moment. They want GL to be censored and impartial for speaking up for immigrants but BBC didn't think there was anything wrong with promoting Shamima Begum's bid to return to the UK.

bellac11 · 10/03/2023 18:47

mrswhiplington · 10/03/2023 18:45

Why wasn't he so outspoken about human rights and the treatment of women and migrant workers in Qatar during the World Cup. I imagine the pay packet was too good to turn down.

This is true but doesnt make what he now says on this subject, irrelevant

But does make you wonder what the BBC would have done if he had spoken out about that as well?

Aavalon57 · 10/03/2023 18:48

bellac11 · 10/03/2023 18:42

I thought Alan Sugar was a labour supporter, inn reference to a previous post

The BBC have handled this really badly its the Streisand effect to some degree, its not that no one knew about his comments but it wouldnt have had the light shone on it in the way it currently is if they hadnt kicked up a stink about him

Alan Sugar was a Labour peer until Corbyn became leader of the Labour Party. He then became an 'independent' but enjoyed slagging off Labour at every opportunity and backing the Tories.

User15953798 · 10/03/2023 18:49

Hopefully the licence fee will go down with Lineker gone

Those David Attenborough things are usually watched on iPlayer anyway where all episodes are being shown, they are in UHD on iPlayer.

ichundich · 10/03/2023 18:49

LookItsMeAgain · 10/03/2023 17:42

What with the news breaking today ( 10/03/23) that Lineker is to step back from presenting Match of the Day and now Ian Wright is also not going to appear on the show in solidarity. They also have said that they will not air a David Attenborough (what the hell did he do/say that pushed their buttons) episode due to fears of a right-wing backlash. On top of that, Fiona Bruce has said that Stanley Johnson 'only' broke his wife's nose once (I mean just how many times is too many, I ask ye).

What the hell is going on at the BBC right now????

Sources:
David Attenborough being cancelled
Gary Lineker stepping back from MotD
Ian Wright standing by Gary
Fiona Bruce story

Just wondering if anyone can make sense of what is going on in the BBC at the moment.

Yes, I think Gary Lineker had a point comparing current policy to 1930ies Germany. The BBC bowing down to pressure from the government just confirms this.

RedHelenB · 10/03/2023 18:50

woodhill · 10/03/2023 18:14

I don't agree with him either

Nothing like Nazi Germany, insulting to Jewish people

It's easy to have these opinions when you are very wealthy and you are not affected

Not caring if asylum seekers are drowned, sold into slavery? It's inhumane and " othering" refugees is exactly what happened to Jews in Germany before they were made to wear star of Davids stopped from working, rounded up etc etc.

SilverGlitterBaubles · 10/03/2023 18:51

Haffiana · 10/03/2023 18:43

This is designed to get a backlash against the Government. I think the BBC are cunningly making it all impossible to ignore - 'cancelling' the most important episode of the new David Attenborough show is pure genius. There is going to be a furore!

I totally support those who oppose the racist arsehole fucks that are the Tory Government and the Brexit Bastards who support them. I cannot WAIT for the next general election...

Agreed. I am hoping it will all backfire spectacularly on the Tory party.

woodhill · 10/03/2023 18:51

Yes but no one is harming the people who are already here so I don't agree

Pandor · 10/03/2023 18:51

bellac11 · 10/03/2023 18:42

I thought Alan Sugar was a labour supporter, inn reference to a previous post

The BBC have handled this really badly its the Streisand effect to some degree, its not that no one knew about his comments but it wouldnt have had the light shone on it in the way it currently is if they hadnt kicked up a stink about him

This really highlights the issues here

it is perfectly possible that a large majority of people at the BBC might be very supportive of Gary Lineker, whilst simultaneously knowing that impartiality is a key requirement for the BBC as an organisation and so they recognise that having a very high profile presenter expressing these views is problematic.

most people in life are very black and white though so that sort of complexity gets turned into - I hate them, they are fascist, they are left wing, aaaaaaargh!!!!

countrygirl99 · 10/03/2023 18:52

I see the Tory bots have been activated.
Gary Lineker is a decent human being. He has had to cope with a terribly ill child and still been a great support to a friend of ours whose child was on the same ward. He's hosted refugees. I'd have a beer with him any day. I'd turn down any of the current cabinet even if they were paying.