BBC's Dire Coverage of the Thames Flotilla and other Jubillee Events

[Janet S]

Pah! I seem to have awarded myself a vertie when I meant to add it to someone else's comment!

 

Janet

[Athy]

I have signed - there are now 72 signatories.

HOWEVER, may I ask for a small change to the wording? In the last sentence there is a reference to "dumbed down" - an inelegant slang expression which many people will not understand. I'm sure that many people would take it to mean "kept quiet" or "silenced", as I used to. If it's a reference to appealing to people of lower mental ability, it is surely condescending and insulting to call such people "dumb". Can the team think of a more apt phrase, please? How about "The coverage of the Olymic Games will be similarly inept"?

 

On a happier linguistic note, I've given MJG a greenie for coining (I assume) the felicitous word "vertie". His transformation into Monsieur Martin De La Niche* continues.

 

*La niche - the kennel or dog house.

Edited June 7, 2012 by Athy

[Guest]

Hi Martin,

 

It was on Sky News all day which you should get on Freeview if you have it. Apologies if you already knew that

 

Cheers - unfortunately we can't get Freeview at home due to a very poor line of sight to the transmitter and resulting bad signal, at least that is until they turn off analogue and boost the digital signal, our region is one of the last Digital switch over areas, scheduled to begin September this year.

 

Our TV at home comes from Freesat.

[system 4-50]

I've reluctantly signed it. It is poorly constructed. An epetition must request a specific government action to be taken. This does not. Therefore it will be automatically rejected.

[PaulG]

The BBC itself admits that it got over 2000 complaints.

 

Clicky

[Tuscan]

I've reluctantly signed it. It is poorly constructed. An epetition must request a specific government action to be taken. This does not. Therefore it will be automatically rejected.

 

I will not be signing a petition. I was neither "shocked" or "appalled" by the general Jubilee coverage, indeed I thought most of it like the concert was well done. I am shocked and appalled by the current situation in Syria but not that fussed that different interest groups weren't all catered for separate specialist commentators. Sorry guys.

[Guest]

I will not be signing a petition. I was neither "shocked" or "appalled" by the general Jubilee coverage, indeed I thought most of it like the concert was well done. I am shocked and appalled by the current situation in Syria but not that fussed that different interest groups weren't all catered for separate specialist commentators. Sorry guys.

 

No apology required - it's your view, if you think the coverage was done well fair enough.

 

I don't however subscribe to the view that we shouldn't care about less important stuff just because there is real bad/evil stuff occurring elsewhere on the planet... that is just a cop out.

[cotswoldsman]

How absolutely pathetic.

Over 2 million unemployed, the country in recession, 4 million children living in poverty (one of the highest in the western world) soldiers being killed in Afghanistan and someone starts a petition about the BBC coverage of a bunch of boats floating down the Thames.

Think some people need to get a grip of themselves.

 

The BBC itself admits that it got over 2000 complaints.

 

 

 

Guess that leaves quite a few million who thought it was ok

[Athy]

Two (or, in the case of your post, four or five) wrongs don't make a right. Just because other things are not going satisfactorily it doesn't mean that people can't criticise the TV coverage of this event.

I have not seen a single child in our local area wearing rags and walking along the road barefoot: surely if there was this child poverty of which you speak, I would encounter them every few yards?

[lydfordcastle]

Not whining, just asking a question? I don't have a tv, but I'm sure they come equipped with an off switch ... or a mute switch.

 

I totally agree with everything the petitioner listed but regret I can't sign it as it doesn't request any particular government action like chopping off the Director General's head. And to counter the moans by saying there's always the 'off' or 'mute' button is a bit stupid when the BBC was the only terrestrial channel covering the event. If, like me, you wanted to see the pageant, and don't have Sky, then there was no alternative. Hopefully the promised free DVD in the Daily Mail on Saturday will redress the situation.

[cotswoldsman]

Two (or, in the case of your post, four or five) wrongs don't make a right. Just because other things are not going satisfactorily it doesn't mean that people can't criticise the TV coverage of this event.

I have not seen a single child in our local area wearing rags and walking along the road barefoot: surely if there was this child poverty of which you speak, I would encounter them every few yards?

 

I don't really want to take this very serious topic about the BBC coverage but might I suggest you try not to trivialise the plight of children living in poverty, but then I guess if you think that the coverage by the BBC of boats floating down the Thames is that important it will not matter to you.

[ditchcrawler]

Started by Chris Brady on CanalScape-London:

BBC's Dire Coverage of the Thames Flotilla and other Jubillee Events

 

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/34656

 

Responsible department: Department for Culture, Media and Sport

 

We the undersigned are appalled at the BBC's dire coverage and reporting of the Jubilee events especially during the Thames Flotilla on Sunday June 3. We are particularly concerned at the lack of professionalism with regards to the presentation, editing and camera angles. We are shocked at the use of the term 'Her Royal Highness' when referring to Her Majesty the Queen. We are appalled at the total lack of knowledge shown by the presenters of the individual boats appearing in the Flotilla, especially regarding the Historic Boats and the 'Little Boats of Dunkirk.' We were most disappointed that the Spirit of Chartwell was not shown passing through Tower Bridge. This programme was transmitted worldwide and was a national embarrassment. We are also concerned that the Olympics will be likewise dumbed down.

 

 

__._,_.___

Will they re-run it and show it again then. Its happened, we can't change it. I have sent my feelings to the BBC

[Athy]

I don't really want to take this very serious topic about the BBC coverage but might I suggest you try not to trivialise the plight of children living in poverty, but then I guess if you think that the coverage by the BBC of boats floating down the Thames is that important it will not matter to you.

I have not trivialised the plight of children living in poverty - I have seen plentyof heart-rending film clips from parts of Africa, where millions of children do indeed live in poverty. They do not do so in Great Britain. Poverty means no roof over their head, no proper clothes to wear, no medical care, no food to eat. To suggest that four million British children live like that is frankly ludicrous - or by "poverty" perhaps you mean that the poor mites cannot afford the latest Nike training shoes, Adidas clothing or Play Station, in which case perhaps you should reconsider your definitions.

[Guest]

How absolutely pathetic.

Over 2 million unemployed, the country in recession, 4 million children living in poverty (one of the highest in the western world) soldiers being killed in Afghanistan and someone starts a petition about the BBC coverage of a bunch of boats floating down the Thames.

Think some people need to get a grip of themselves.

 

 

 

Guess that leaves quite a few million who thought it was ok

 

It's not pathetic,

 

As already said - just because there are worse and more important things going on in this country and the world is not a reason not to care about other less important things, I care about the things you mention just as much as the next person, this does not diminish my ability to care about other stuff.

 

Things of the ilk you mention will be here for evermore (there is a much longer list BTW) as will cock-ups by the BBC, there is however nothing wrong with trying to change and improve things across a broad spectrum.

 

Given what you have said John - I must admit I found this post from the original thread I started interesting.

 

You wouldn't have known it from the BBC coverage, but there were actually ten music boats. One held a large band made up of children aged 10 to 15, some from inner city deprived areas with others from music schools and conservatoires, who had been practising together for over six months and who were told by the BBC to 'play their hearts out' all the way down the pageant course, as the transmission would feature them for about one minute. This they duly did getting soaked to the skin for their pains. They were never once mentioned by the BBC.

 

 

 

..

Edited June 7, 2012 by MJG

[Tuscan]

It's not pathetic,

 

As already said - just because there are worse and more important things going on in this country and the world is not a reason not to care about other less important things, I care about the things you mention just as much as the next person, this does not diminish my ability to care about other stuff.

 

Things of the ilk you mention will be here for evermore (there is a much longer list BTW) as will cock-ups by the BBC, there is however nothing wrong with trying to change and improve things across a broad spectrum.

 

Given what you have said John - I must admit I found this post from the original thread I started interesting.

 

 

 

It's just a case of perspective the petition uses language that you would expect from a subscriber of country life, "shocked and appalled from Cheltenham" then instead of referring to the boats only which I agree was poor for the canal boats but ok if you were a rower, it goes on in the language of "angry from chipping Sudbury" to castigate the entire coverage of the jubilee, was it all so bad? Then just to get the last Daily Mail sting we bring in the olympics. Individual emails into the BBC would probably have had more relevance. Must be the weather turning me into an awkward bugger.

 

..

[Tigerr]

I was disgusted with the coverage of the flotilla.

I tuned in expecting a thorough analysis of each boat's history and crew, interesting anecdotes and technical rundown, with closeup inspections of e.g. NB Presidents engine room, only to find the viewing of the boats was constantly interrupted by completely irrelevant footage of somebodies grandparents apparently standing in the rain for hours on end. Not only that but the whole place was swarming with people waving flags of some sort and cheering/shouting so it was extremely hard to concentrate on the boats themselves. The whole thing was a shambles - many of the boats were right out in the middle of the river and it was hard to make them out in the rain.

The whole thing had been organised wrong. It should have taken place on a sunny day, and the boats should have been moored up for viewing and closeup detail, interviews with the crews and so on, by serious boating journalists, before a short parade was held. They had the wrong emphasis entirely with all the coverage of crowds of silly people and the family in the royal barge. How could they get it so wrong?

The whole thing got worse when I tuned in to the concert expecting a retrospective of teh last 60 years of rock and pop only to find it was a load of middle of the road old pop knights and bland comics. Where were the Rolling Stones, the Sex Pistols, Pogues, Eminem, Deep Purple and other landmark bands?

All in all a complete washout in every way.

[Guest]

You've not quoted my post correctly but I get the drift...I agree though it's about perspective and a proportionate response, the language used reflects perhaps the individual who worded it and their grammar which doesn't diminish the point they are trying to make.

 

 

 

 

 

edit to clarify that was in response to Tuscan not the post immediately above this one.

Edited June 7, 2012 by MJG

[LoneEcho]

Why is this on epetitions? Can anyone explain to me what is being petitioned for? This looks like a letter of complaint.

[Machpoint005]

Waste of time and effort since it's all over!

[Guest]

Why is this on epetitions? Can anyone explain to me what is being petitioned for? This looks like a letter of complaint.

 

If you cannot be arsed to check back through the thread why do expect someone to hand you an explanation on a plate...

[Tigerr]

I am also very concerned that the olympics may be 'dumbed down' as mentioned in this excellent petition.

The Olympics is one of, if not the most, important corporate sponsorship vehicles in the world, and international brands invest millions in promotional activity to ensure that carbonated sugar drinks, confectionery, high fat burgers and expensive trainers are associated indelibly with an untarnished image of individual sporting excellence to the global consumer.

The jingles and theme music developed for this are intrinsic to their corporate goals and if they are dumbed down they may not be heard properly. This could seriously undermine the purpose of the Olympics and its future as the premier corporate global event.

The concern about dumbing down is valid also as it may be hard to see how much dumber the Olympics can get (good to see Jedward 'running' with the flame) before the consumer mass spots the wall to wall corporate branding whitewash they are being sold at every turn. The sponsors may take some solace from the maxim - 'nobody ever went bust underestimating the audience', so probably we can look forward to some truly awesome stuff from the opening ceremony.

[Guest]

Waste of time and effort since it's all over!

 

Needless to say I don't agree,

 

because there will be other occasions where the broadcasters will get a chance to do better...

[LoneEcho]

If you cannot be arsed to check back through the thread why do expect someone to hand you an explanation on a plate...

 

Good afternoon to you also. I have read the epetition which I was asked to sign. Just not sure how it is a petition.

 

I will now go back and study every post, and then come back with the same question.

[Guest]

I will now go back and study every post, and then come back with the same question.

 

So why bother - your mind is clearly already made up...

 

(It's evening not afternoon where I am BTW)

[Tigerr]

Mind you I don't expect there will be boats in the arena for the opening ceremony so probably it isn't really relevant here. Unless they are going to drag a flotilla of little Dunkirk boats around the arena on wheels with motorised coke cans to stir up a bit of the old Dunkirk Spirit and get the crowd going. Not a bad idea actually.

 

Hoorah! I just became a member - broke the 50 barrier. No stopping me now chaps. Havent quite got the hang of posting sequentially though. The bit about the Dunkirk Boats on wheels in the arena is intended to address the issue of dumbing down of the Olympics - which was concerning the OP.