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| Britain |
| BBC plants hecklers to disrupt Conservative rally. |
| 2005-04-24 |
| Just when you thought they couldn't get any worse: (EFL) Tory fury as BBC sends hecklers to bait Howard By Patrick Hennessy, Political Editor (Filed: 24/04/2005) The BBC was last night plunged into a damaging general election row after it admitted equipping three hecklers with microphones and sending them into a campaign meeting addressed by Michael Howard, the Conservative leader. The Tories have made an official protest after the hecklers, who were given the microphones by producers, were caught at a party event in the North West last week. Guy Black, the party's head of communications, wrote in a letter to Helen Boaden, the BBC's director of news, that the hecklers began shouting slogans that were "distracting and clearly hostile to the Conservative Party". These included "Michael Howard is a liar", "You can't trust the Tories" and "You can only trust Tony Blair". Sounds like the nuanced approach to logical argumentation we have come to expect from the Beeb, alright. Mr Black's strongly-worded letter accused the BBC of staging the event "to generate a false news story and dramatise coverage. . . intended to embarrass or ridicule the leader of the Conservative Party". The letter said that BBC staff were guilty of "serious misconduct". At least one of the hecklers was seen again at a Tory event in the North East, Mr Black added. Last night, the BBC claimed that the exercise was part of a "completely legitimate programme about the history and art of political heckling" and said that other parties' meetings were being "observed". This excuse must set a world record for transparent lameness. Media apologists will buy it though. However, The Telegraph has established that none of Tony Blair's meetings was infiltrated or disrupted in similar fashion. The Conservatives have called for an apology and an assurance that no such incident will occur again. It has also demanded that the BBC promises never to broadcast the footage. The corporation said it would investigate "very fully". It and other broadcasters have a statutory duty to remain impartial during election campaigns. The corporation's guidelines for producers state: "Our audiences rightly expect the highest editorial and ethical standards from the BBC." "but they haven't been getting them since about 1948," he continued. |
| Posted by:Atomic Conspiracy |
| #12 given enough payout to Jacques et al, no doubt these charges against M. Soros could be reviewed. They appear too harsh |
| Posted by: Frank G 2005-04-24 8:00:25 PM |
| #11 When asked for commentary, Republic of Rantburg's Assistant Director for Intelligence, COunterintelligence operations simply smiled and refused comment other than "The BBC is really showing what fools they are to inject themselves falsely onto one side of the political debate". As he was walking way the words "agents provocateur", "successful initial misson" and "privitized defunded and thrown away" were overheard. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2005-04-24 6:52:13 PM |
| #10 Silentbrick - as wonderful as that mental image is, the Phrogs first have to get their hands on Georgie-Porgie. He's got enough money to be able to live only in countries that won't extradite him to Phrogistan. (I'm not sure, but I don't think that includes here. :-D) |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2005-04-24 6:40:38 PM |
| #9 Bizarre as this may sound, the french are actually doing us a favor. Hold the flames, I know I know. But see, they DID convict Soros on insider trading and so far that conviction has stuck. I'm not sure what sort of forgiviness it'd buy for France, but sticking George Soros into the cell next to Carlos has some appeal to it. Or how about, in the cell with Carlos. |
| Posted by: Silentbrick 2005-04-24 12:48:49 PM |
| #8 Grising Shereling2932 - You being sarcastic or not? Because, that makes a lot of sense to me. They are auditioning for their new Soros-MoveOn editorial board. :-/ |
| Posted by: Laurence of the Rats 2005-04-24 12:21:06 PM |
| #7 The BBC is just getting ready for privatization and acquisition by George Soros. Then George can compete with Rupert Murdock without having to hire new administrators or establish new policy, cutting down the disruption often experienced with new ownership. George should have enough money to pick up the previous government funding, well, at least for a while. |
| Posted by: Grising Shereling2932 2005-04-24 11:53:00 AM |
| #6 You go, SECDEF AC. |
| Posted by: anon 2005-04-24 11:38:01 AM |
| #5 How soon before they hire Bill Moyers to give "an accurate view of America"? |
| Posted by: Frank G 2005-04-24 11:08:26 AM |
| #4 Do us a favor kill the BBC. This hive of unelected 5th columnists should be burnt to the ground as the threat to world peace and democracy it is. |
| Posted by: Sock Puppet 0’ Doom 2005-04-24 1:25:29 AM |
| #3 At least they aren't rigging explosive charges to pickup-truck petrol tanks. Or using fake documents to try to influence an election. Or... |
| Posted by: Pappy 2005-04-24 12:56:36 AM |
| #2 From Rantburg TV News, July 4 2006: "....according to Secretary of Defense Atomic Conspiracy, 'Our action at the BBC headquarters last night was part of a completely legitimate armed forces video production dramatizing the effects of a miniaturized neutron warhead on a defined point target.' Dr. Conspiracy added that other parties are being "observed" but there were no reports of nuclear explosions at the CBC or CNN. Rantburg TV has been unable to contact The Independent and Al Jazeerah is reportedly off the air, however." |
| Posted by: Atomic Conspiracy 2005-04-24 12:45:03 AM |
| #1 Melanie Phillips calls it the "Bent Broadcasting Corporation" A certain nuclear-mad prophet at LGF (not myself, however) called it "Belsen Broadcasting Corporation" which I think is rather harsh since the Beeb only incites and facilitates mass murder rather than actually committing it. |
| Posted by: Atomic Conspiracy 2005-04-24 12:31:34 AM |