Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Who Exactly Ordered the BBC Tos Stop Filming 50,000 Strong NHS Demo at Tory Conference?

The rally against NHS Privatisation that the Tories did not want you to see!
Attended by over 50,000 people outside the Conservative party conference in Manchester

The Tories conference in Manchester has now ended. At its beginning last Sunday delegates were met with a massive demonstration of well over 50.000 people campaigning against Tory privatisation of our NHS. Sky News and ITV reported brief parts of it, however the taxpayer funded BBC refused to mention the fact that a "mere" 50,000 people were amassed outside the Tory party conference demonstrating against the Tory and Liberal Democrat privatisation of our NHS! It took a twitter storm and many telephone complaints directly to the BBC for them to relent and cover and then it was done as after thought mixed in with general conference speak and then only in the most cursory of ways. It should have had it's own slot on the news, there should have been footage of the masses and interviews with demonstrators to ask why they felt so strongly that many had travelled hundreds of miles to attend the march for the NHS. When we asked why the BBC was failing to inform the public what was happening we were fed various excuses of why they couldn't film and report on the demonstration, one from BBC reporter Norman Smith who said he was told by G4S security to stop filming as it was a security risk! Does the BBC usually just say OK then and pack up and leave? If it does it wouldn't have much to report! Shortly after Mr Smith trotted this excuse out  he appeared on TV screens interviewing Conservative MP and Minister of State for Business & Enterprise Michael Fallon outside the conference hall, bells, whistles, shouting and drums could clearly be heard in the background as the demonstrators passed by the conference hall and neither men mentioned it as if 50,000 were just out for an autumn stroll and it was nothing unusual! Later G4S took to twitter to deny they had asked the BBC to stop filming!

During the process of complaining to the BBC people on twitter were being told various different excuses, from the BBC,  mainly that it was because of the Terrorism Act. (Which didn't cover Tory MPs being interviewed outside apparently)

So what exactly happened and who gave the order that this demonstration was not to be filmed? It is not feasible to even think that 50,000 people turning up to demonstrate outside the Tory party conference hall was not deemed newsworthy so obviously something went on here and we need to be told who was responsible for the plan to ignore it. As G4S said it was nothing to do with them where did the message come from, the BBC or the government?

Since assuming power David Cameron has stuffed every BBC echelon with Tories from the BBC Chairman (Tory Lord Chris Patten) downwards. After the resignation of Andy Coulson the PM's former spin doctor (who is very soon due to stand trial soon charged with hacking offenses, perverting the course of justice and misconduct in a public office), the prime minister very quickly hired Craig Oliver, the former editor of the BBC  6 o'clock and 10 0'clock flagship news programmes. Early on in his job BBC reporters had complained to their union that Oliver used to phone his former BBC newsroom colleagues several times a day to "discuss" the news agenda. Mr Oliver was hired just days after Andy Coulson left Downing Street so obviously the prime minister was already well aware that he was a person he could trust to sell him and the Conservative brand to the public - how did Cameron know this? It's a bit odd when BBC journalist and reporter Nick Robinson says that he had never knew about Craig Oliver's political leanings in all the years he had known and worked with him. Really? Are we really supposed to swallow this kind of guff? Nick Robinson was President of the Oxford Union Conservative Association and in 1986 Nick Robinson was national chairman of the Young Conservatives, his nickname was "Blue Robbo".

Obviously Cameron already had Oliver lined up for the position if he didn't know Craig Oliver, where did he get his information from and what does it all say for BBC political impartiality?  Craig Oliver has worked with all the key political producers and reporters of the BBC, ITV & Ch4, are these the people he calls in his attempt to set favourable news agenda for Downing Street and the Conservative party? Considering the Tory bias coverage on all the news bulletins in all the news stations, but especially at the BBC the public are entitled to ask if we are being misled!

I believe someone from inside Downing Street has seriously influenced last Sunday's news agenda at the Conservative Party conference, they prevented the proper filming and coverage of such a massive demonstration because an anti government rally about the NHS would have proved politically embarrassing and damaging for the Conservative party.

As taxpayers funding the state owned BBC we have a right to know what is going on and who is taking these kind of decisions.

The BBC overstepped the mark last Sunday by preventing proper filming and proper interviewing of people attending the NHS299 rally. They lied and tried to blame G4S and G4S took to twitter and categorically denied not just once but several times, this is implying that someone at the BBC is telling the public lies and is misleading the public over the content of the news.

This is actually very serious, it implies corruption,  news interference and "corrupt" practices at the BBC to be added alongside all the other alleged complaints of corruption at the BBC, from the Jimmy Saville sex scandal cover-up; to the scandal involving Tory Lord Chris Patten BBC Chairman who faced allegations from his predecessor  that he misled MPs over what he knew about a series of controversial payoffs to senior corporation executives and that he knew "chapter and verse" about the deals!  Also not forgetting the furore that Chris Patten caused by hiring the man he called the "son he never had" George Entwhistle, over other other people who were far more suitable for the position of BBC Director General. Entwhistle was forced to resign with a huge pay off after hardly a month in the job over the BBC Newsnight fiasco.

There appears to be something institutionally corrupt at the BBC and this latest complaint now over news manipulation is the last straw and really cannot be the end of it. As I see it the only course now is for a full judge led independent public inquiry to get to the truth of what is actually happening at the BBC.

3 comments:

Nick said...

when i spoke to someone at the bbc they told me that they wont be covering any more social security deaths due to welfare reform unless it involves mass deaths of other people

They say that there are just to many deaths to keep up with so unless it a lot of deaths involving a lot of people they will not be broadcasting any in the future

i never asked them about demonstrations but i would think the same applies' only will be reported if any violence or deaths are involved

Gracie Samuels said...

That is absolutely disgraceful, did you get a name? gracie.samuels@hushmail.com

Nick said...

no Gracie i didn't they as far as I'm aware don't give out names but i have had similar conversations many times before when I've rung them up to report a death all i get is no not you again and that's about it

i now give all the names to Sir-Kurt Alleyne when i come across these deaths and he always thanks me for passing the details on to him it's the least i can do

https://www.facebook.com/alleynekurtanthony?fref=ts