1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:03,480 Speaker 1: In Britain, Rod a little morning to you, Mite, good morning. 2 00:00:03,840 --> 00:00:06,240 Speaker 1: I don't know. I can only imagine. I mean, it's 3 00:00:06,240 --> 00:00:08,240 Speaker 1: a big story here, for goodness sake, I can only 4 00:00:08,280 --> 00:00:10,119 Speaker 1: imagine how big it is in your part of the world. 5 00:00:10,119 --> 00:00:13,800 Speaker 1: As far as clusters go and previous clusters involving the BBC, 6 00:00:13,960 --> 00:00:14,920 Speaker 1: where does this one sit? 7 00:00:17,239 --> 00:00:21,320 Speaker 2: I think rather high, because it's about editorial standards and 8 00:00:21,360 --> 00:00:24,439 Speaker 2: that's what the BBC has always banked its reputation on. 9 00:00:26,079 --> 00:00:28,440 Speaker 2: You know, I mentioned this story to you last week 10 00:00:29,720 --> 00:00:33,280 Speaker 2: when it was making no headway whatsoever, you know, no 11 00:00:33,440 --> 00:00:38,320 Speaker 2: headway at all. And yet suddenly it has, partly I 12 00:00:38,320 --> 00:00:41,760 Speaker 2: think as a consequence of Donald Trump's intervention, who picked 13 00:00:41,840 --> 00:00:43,400 Speaker 2: up on some of the stuff that we were all 14 00:00:43,400 --> 00:00:46,440 Speaker 2: writing over here. Needless to say, the BBC is in 15 00:00:46,440 --> 00:00:50,159 Speaker 2: a state of complete and utter denial about it. If 16 00:00:50,200 --> 00:00:52,879 Speaker 2: you listen to their morning bullet in the Today Program 17 00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:55,840 Speaker 2: or the five o'clock show PM, they're all saying a 18 00:00:55,960 --> 00:00:58,720 Speaker 2: right wing coup has occurred within the BBC and we're 19 00:00:58,760 --> 00:01:01,960 Speaker 2: all being penalized Ford and there's nothing wrong without journalism. 20 00:01:02,440 --> 00:01:09,160 Speaker 2: It's remarkable of something defiance. I don't know. I think 21 00:01:09,200 --> 00:01:12,840 Speaker 2: it's a show of ignorance, that they just don't know 22 00:01:12,920 --> 00:01:13,720 Speaker 2: the trouble they're in. 23 00:01:13,880 --> 00:01:15,720 Speaker 1: It's funny you should say that because the woman who 24 00:01:15,720 --> 00:01:18,520 Speaker 1: fell on I sawed yesterday along with the DG. She 25 00:01:18,640 --> 00:01:21,240 Speaker 1: was out there this morning, and I believe that she 26 00:01:21,520 --> 00:01:24,319 Speaker 1: believes when she goes and we're not biased. I believe 27 00:01:24,360 --> 00:01:28,160 Speaker 1: that she believes that. But she doesn't obviously understand just 28 00:01:28,240 --> 00:01:30,920 Speaker 1: how out to lunch she clearly is, and the rest 29 00:01:30,920 --> 00:01:32,760 Speaker 1: of the world doesn't see her the same way she 30 00:01:32,800 --> 00:01:33,440 Speaker 1: sees herself. 31 00:01:34,720 --> 00:01:37,120 Speaker 2: No, that's right. I think that's right. Because she comes 32 00:01:37,120 --> 00:01:41,360 Speaker 2: from Channel four, you know, BBC background, they're all in 33 00:01:41,400 --> 00:01:45,360 Speaker 2: the same bubble together. She probably thinks that being in 34 00:01:45,400 --> 00:01:50,160 Speaker 2: favor of her mass is kind of civilized, and that 35 00:01:51,240 --> 00:01:55,640 Speaker 2: taking the wilder views on trans issues, there's also a 36 00:01:55,720 --> 00:02:00,440 Speaker 2: question of civility. Samir Shah said the same thing. He's 37 00:02:00,480 --> 00:02:02,800 Speaker 2: the chairman of the BBC. He said he didn't think 38 00:02:03,320 --> 00:02:07,080 Speaker 2: that the BBC was institutionally biased. I don't believe he 39 00:02:07,240 --> 00:02:10,880 Speaker 2: thinks that. No, I think he knows that it is 40 00:02:11,240 --> 00:02:13,560 Speaker 2: because you know, you know him. 41 00:02:13,639 --> 00:02:17,240 Speaker 1: I mean, why would he do that if what you 42 00:02:17,400 --> 00:02:19,239 Speaker 1: sayer's creed? Why would he go and say that? 43 00:02:20,639 --> 00:02:23,320 Speaker 2: I think because what he feels he needs to do 44 00:02:23,440 --> 00:02:26,520 Speaker 2: now is hold to the BBC together in the wake 45 00:02:26,600 --> 00:02:30,480 Speaker 2: of two of its most damaging resignations, the DJ and 46 00:02:30,560 --> 00:02:34,639 Speaker 2: head of News. Incidentally, the guy, the guy who said 47 00:02:34,680 --> 00:02:38,440 Speaker 2: that the editing of the Panorama documentary was normal practice 48 00:02:38,520 --> 00:02:42,480 Speaker 2: remains head of News Content. God knows how, but there 49 00:02:42,520 --> 00:02:46,200 Speaker 2: we are. So I think he is trying to pull 50 00:02:46,240 --> 00:02:50,320 Speaker 2: the BBC together. But there's an existential threat. You know, 51 00:02:51,000 --> 00:02:54,919 Speaker 2: if Donald Trump really does sue for a billion of quid, 52 00:02:55,240 --> 00:02:57,520 Speaker 2: well that's kind of the end of the BBC, isn't it. 53 00:02:57,680 --> 00:02:59,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, exactly, Well that it comes back to the business 54 00:02:59,880 --> 00:03:01,920 Speaker 1: r Ronically, we must not forget there was the parliamentary 55 00:03:01,960 --> 00:03:04,000 Speaker 1: inquiry which is due to go this week on Gaza 56 00:03:04,040 --> 00:03:07,640 Speaker 1: and train so they head form and and and you 57 00:03:07,639 --> 00:03:09,920 Speaker 1: can't forget the fact it is publicly hunted, you know, 58 00:03:10,080 --> 00:03:13,800 Speaker 1: text payers, you know, pay for all of this, which 59 00:03:14,040 --> 00:03:16,560 Speaker 1: leads to the question, if it's biased and they've been 60 00:03:16,600 --> 00:03:19,400 Speaker 1: caught and it's a problem, what do they do about it? 61 00:03:21,200 --> 00:03:23,960 Speaker 2: Well, you see, this is a huge problem because I 62 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:26,000 Speaker 2: don't know that there's very much they can do. I 63 00:03:26,120 --> 00:03:29,480 Speaker 2: spoke to Tim Davey when he became Director General and 64 00:03:29,560 --> 00:03:32,359 Speaker 2: he was well aware that there was a bias, and 65 00:03:32,480 --> 00:03:34,800 Speaker 2: he said as much, you know. He said, yes, there's 66 00:03:34,840 --> 00:03:37,480 Speaker 2: a bias. He said we can put we can put 67 00:03:37,480 --> 00:03:40,920 Speaker 2: that right. And they thought they were winning the battle. 68 00:03:41,800 --> 00:03:45,680 Speaker 2: You listened to the Today Program and PM it's still 69 00:03:45,840 --> 00:03:51,120 Speaker 2: exactly the same stuff. And uh this, this wasn't an 70 00:03:51,120 --> 00:03:55,280 Speaker 2: attack from the right. We impressed this dossier which which 71 00:03:55,280 --> 00:03:58,720 Speaker 2: we're all reading at the moment. It wasn't, you know, 72 00:03:58,800 --> 00:04:02,360 Speaker 2: the Murdoch Empire or the far right. It was their 73 00:04:02,440 --> 00:04:09,720 Speaker 2: own editorial advisor who said, I'm afraid you're I'm shocked. 74 00:04:09,960 --> 00:04:16,200 Speaker 2: You called it shocking bias and discrimination in one direction. Remarkable. 75 00:04:16,760 --> 00:04:19,200 Speaker 1: Somebody said yesterday. I can't remember who it was, but 76 00:04:19,240 --> 00:04:22,719 Speaker 1: the suggestion was that the DG's job is now undoable. 77 00:04:22,839 --> 00:04:25,679 Speaker 1: You can't be a DG at the BBC. It's such 78 00:04:25,720 --> 00:04:28,640 Speaker 1: a cluster. No one can fix it. Is that fail. 79 00:04:30,760 --> 00:04:35,360 Speaker 2: It's certainly a job you wouldn't want, you know, whereas 80 00:04:35,400 --> 00:04:38,040 Speaker 2: it used to be the greatest job in broadcasting. Of course, 81 00:04:38,800 --> 00:04:43,480 Speaker 2: it is true, and this is partly a consequence of 82 00:04:44,279 --> 00:04:48,960 Speaker 2: changing market, which is that there are people out there 83 00:04:48,960 --> 00:04:52,560 Speaker 2: who will attack the BBC for ideological and commercial reasons 84 00:04:53,040 --> 00:04:55,840 Speaker 2: and will keep on doing so and keep on doing 85 00:04:56,000 --> 00:05:01,440 Speaker 2: so and forcing the BBC to react by the same token. 86 00:05:01,720 --> 00:05:04,880 Speaker 2: The BBC with social media and all this kind of stuff. 87 00:05:04,880 --> 00:05:07,880 Speaker 2: The BBC is far more open now and we can 88 00:05:07,960 --> 00:05:12,599 Speaker 2: see it's where it's causing problems for itself. So it 89 00:05:12,720 --> 00:05:15,360 Speaker 2: is a very very difficult job. And I, you know, 90 00:05:15,440 --> 00:05:17,400 Speaker 2: I feel some sympathy with Tim Davey. 91 00:05:17,680 --> 00:05:19,840 Speaker 1: Yeah, having said that, I was long with the boss 92 00:05:19,880 --> 00:05:22,080 Speaker 1: here and I thought he made a reason. See when 93 00:05:22,120 --> 00:05:24,480 Speaker 1: Lineker was there, I couldn't hear this what he thinks. 94 00:05:24,520 --> 00:05:26,240 Speaker 1: He can be anything he wants as long as he's 95 00:05:26,240 --> 00:05:28,040 Speaker 1: good at the football, that's all we're playing him for. 96 00:05:28,080 --> 00:05:30,440 Speaker 1: And yet he got himself an endless amount of political trouble. 97 00:05:30,600 --> 00:05:32,760 Speaker 1: What about all the DJs on the music stations who 98 00:05:32,800 --> 00:05:34,240 Speaker 1: are out there. You know, there's a lot that the 99 00:05:34,279 --> 00:05:37,280 Speaker 1: BBC does that's actually very popular, very successful and very 100 00:05:37,279 --> 00:05:42,360 Speaker 1: good that doesn't have any journalistic attachment to it at all, 101 00:05:43,000 --> 00:05:45,479 Speaker 1: And it must be hard working for an organization that's 102 00:05:45,680 --> 00:05:48,520 Speaker 1: dreadfully tainted. You're actually nothing to do with it. 103 00:05:50,279 --> 00:05:52,960 Speaker 2: Well, no, indeed. And I remember when Greg dug came 104 00:05:53,000 --> 00:05:55,520 Speaker 2: in as Director General when I was working at the BBC, 105 00:05:55,560 --> 00:05:57,400 Speaker 2: and he said, God, if I could only get rid 106 00:05:57,440 --> 00:06:04,000 Speaker 2: of news would be fine. And indeed, last week everyone 107 00:06:04,120 --> 00:06:08,600 Speaker 2: was in euphoria celebrating the final episode of Celebrity Traitors, 108 00:06:08,720 --> 00:06:11,880 Speaker 2: which has been described as a television event of the year. 109 00:06:11,920 --> 00:06:17,000 Speaker 2: That's something the BBC got very right. But over the 110 00:06:17,120 --> 00:06:20,960 Speaker 2: years even the good stuff has become tainted. You know. 111 00:06:21,120 --> 00:06:25,479 Speaker 2: The dramas and now invariably are about some kind of 112 00:06:25,520 --> 00:06:30,839 Speaker 2: intersectional politics issue. You know, the comedians tend to be 113 00:06:30,920 --> 00:06:35,400 Speaker 2: all from the left. It infests everywhere because it's such 114 00:06:35,440 --> 00:06:39,120 Speaker 2: an authoritarian dogma, the far left. And we're talking about 115 00:06:39,120 --> 00:06:41,839 Speaker 2: the far left. You know, it's not the center left, 116 00:06:42,800 --> 00:06:46,720 Speaker 2: it's the far left. And the BBC's it. Why have 117 00:06:46,800 --> 00:06:49,840 Speaker 2: we got an LGBTQ unit in the BBC? There was 118 00:06:49,880 --> 00:06:53,400 Speaker 2: a one on ITV, you know, why have one? 119 00:06:54,880 --> 00:06:57,080 Speaker 1: It's a really good question. Speaking about TV. By the way, 120 00:06:57,120 --> 00:07:01,840 Speaker 1: just quickly can they sell their television business to Sky 121 00:07:01,960 --> 00:07:04,360 Speaker 1: without some sort of regulator going we'll hold on here. 122 00:07:04,400 --> 00:07:06,760 Speaker 1: You own or now dominate a tremendous amount of the market. 123 00:07:08,560 --> 00:07:11,040 Speaker 2: I don't know, is the short answer to that my 124 00:07:11,120 --> 00:07:14,600 Speaker 2: suspicion That My suspicion is they probably can these days. 125 00:07:15,760 --> 00:07:19,280 Speaker 2: But I don't know enough about it. I shall cannot 126 00:07:19,480 --> 00:07:22,040 Speaker 2: it from when we next, from when we're next to. 127 00:07:22,320 --> 00:07:25,760 Speaker 1: Prepare yourself, prepare, prepare yourself for Thursday, Rod, there will 128 00:07:25,760 --> 00:07:28,120 Speaker 1: be at least sixteen questions on that subject coming you away. 129 00:07:28,200 --> 00:07:30,560 Speaker 1: I appreciate your times always, Rod Little Yeah. So ITV. 130 00:07:30,840 --> 00:07:34,200 Speaker 1: So the television business gets sold to Sky also in Britain. 131 00:07:34,800 --> 00:07:37,760 Speaker 1: Doesn't include the production stuff, the production stuff as I'm 132 00:07:37,800 --> 00:07:40,880 Speaker 1: a celebrity, Love Island, all that other bollocks. But they 133 00:07:41,000 --> 00:07:45,160 Speaker 1: will have they about seventy percent of the UK television 134 00:07:45,160 --> 00:07:47,440 Speaker 1: advertising market if it goes ahead. So I would have 135 00:07:47,440 --> 00:07:49,520 Speaker 1: thought somebody, someone has got to have a look at that. 136 00:07:50,120 --> 00:07:53,000 Speaker 2: For more from the Mic Asking Breakfast, listen live to 137 00:07:53,120 --> 00:07:53,680 Speaker 2: news talks. 138 00:07:53,680 --> 00:07:56,880 Speaker 1: It'd be from six am weekdays, or follow the podcast 139 00:07:56,920 --> 00:07:57,800 Speaker 1: on iHeartRadio.