(Bit of gillivery:) David Hepworth from the RT

[Chris J Dixon]

Presumably accidentally, over on uk.media.radio.bbc-r4

I was reading an old Radio Times, and thought UMRA might like this, from
their Stream of Consciousness column. It's nearly a year old, but I
From RT 12-18 August 2023 (page 109)
===
Stream of Consciousness
DAVID HEPWORTH
I'm not gonna lie, /The Archers/ of 2023 has lost its charm
[that was a sort of headline, I suspect extracted by the editing staff]
WE USED to be an /Archers/ household. Never missed. Then came the
pandemic and we got out of the habit. It was liberating to break loose.
I had no regrets. It was as though we'd spent the previous 20 years
tethered to a lunatic.
I do like to drop in every now and then, just to see how things are
going. When I catch the odd episode on BBC Sounds I feel as though I'm
wandering through Ambridge, trying to put a name to the urchin who just
whizzed past me on a scooter, noting which front doors have been
Farrow-and-Balled and wondering what's the latest ill-advised novelty on
the menu at The Bull.
The first line of dialogue I heard when turning on this time was
"While it's quiet, let's check the sell-by dates". I was thrilled. This
is precisely the kind of low-stakes drama I always looked to /The
Archers/ to provide. I anticipated the theme tune swelling over the
sound of Helen tentatively nibbling an expired bourbon and the ensuing
cliffhanger as we waited to see whether the next episode opened with her
in casualty.
SADLY, JUST WHEN I was plumping up the cushions for a traditional
comfort listen, I was jerked into the digital reality of Ambridge 2023,
where people who used to be written off as "a nasty piece of work" are
suddenly "toxic", characters no longer sleep it off on the haystack but
in their gaming chair, and young people called Mia, Brad and Chelsea
complain that the grown-ups never tell them what's going on.
I'm not gonna lie, as Brad would probably say. It was a disheartening
experience. Aside from Helen I didn't recognise anyone. By the time we
got to the shop Lynda Snell had just gone, which was a shame. I always
loved Lynda Snell. Great name. Great characters always seem to grow into
their names.
I remember asking Victoria Wood who was her favourite /Archers/
character and she said Marjorie Antrobus. Maybe in time Mia, Brad and
Chelsea will have the same immemorial ring as Marjorie Antrobus. I hope
to return in ten years to find out.
===
I've left it as printed (other than ignoring line wraps as it was a
narrower column), including the absence of Oxford (and other) commas I'd
have put in if it was me writing. I've no idea what Farrow-and-Balled
means.

F&B means decorated with trendy and expensive paint colours.

Chris

[Kosmo]

Post by Chris J Dixon
Presumably accidentally, over on uk.media.radio.bbc-r4

I was reading an old Radio Times, and thought UMRA might like this, from
their Stream of Consciousness column. It's nearly a year old, but I
From RT 12-18 August 2023 (page 109)
===
Stream of Consciousness
DAVID HEPWORTH
I'm not gonna lie, /The Archers/ of 2023 has lost its charm
[that was a sort of headline, I suspect extracted by the editing staff]
WE USED to be an /Archers/ household. Never missed. Then came the
pandemic and we got out of the habit. It was liberating to break loose.
I had no regrets. It was as though we'd spent the previous 20 years
tethered to a lunatic.
I do like to drop in every now and then, just to see how things are
going. When I catch the odd episode on BBC Sounds I feel as though I'm
wandering through Ambridge, trying to put a name to the urchin who just
whizzed past me on a scooter, noting which front doors have been
Farrow-and-Balled and wondering what's the latest ill-advised novelty on
the menu at The Bull.
The first line of dialogue I heard when turning on this time was
"While it's quiet, let's check the sell-by dates". I was thrilled. This
is precisely the kind of low-stakes drama I always looked to /The
Archers/ to provide. I anticipated the theme tune swelling over the
sound of Helen tentatively nibbling an expired bourbon and the ensuing
cliffhanger as we waited to see whether the next episode opened with her
in casualty.
SADLY, JUST WHEN I was plumping up the cushions for a traditional
comfort listen, I was jerked into the digital reality of Ambridge 2023,
where people who used to be written off as "a nasty piece of work" are
suddenly "toxic", characters no longer sleep it off on the haystack but
in their gaming chair, and young people called Mia, Brad and Chelsea
complain that the grown-ups never tell them what's going on.
I'm not gonna lie, as Brad would probably say. It was a disheartening
experience. Aside from Helen I didn't recognise anyone. By the time we
got to the shop Lynda Snell had just gone, which was a shame. I always
loved Lynda Snell. Great name. Great characters always seem to grow into
their names.
I remember asking Victoria Wood who was her favourite /Archers/
character and she said Marjorie Antrobus. Maybe in time Mia, Brad and
Chelsea will have the same immemorial ring as Marjorie Antrobus. I hope
to return in ten years to find out.
===
I've left it as printed (other than ignoring line wraps as it was a
narrower column), including the absence of Oxford (and other) commas I'd
have put in if it was me writing. I've no idea what Farrow-and-Balled
means.

F&B means decorated with trendy and expensive paint colours.

And I believe that all paint colours have fancy names like Brad, Mia or
Chelsea

[J. P. Gilliver]

Post by Kosmo

Post by Chris J Dixon
Presumably accidentally, over on uk.media.radio.bbc-r4

Correct; thanks for bringing it in (to Grand Fenwick).

Post by Kosmo

Post by Chris J Dixon

I was reading an old Radio Times, and thought UMRA might like this, from
their Stream of Consciousness column. It's nearly a year old, but I
From RT 12-18 August 2023 (page 109)
===
Stream of Consciousness
DAVID HEPWORTH
I'm not gonna lie, /The Archers/ of 2023 has lost its charm
[that was a sort of headline, I suspect extracted by the editing staff]
WE USED to be an /Archers/ household. Never missed. Then came the
pandemic and we got out of the habit. It was liberating to break loose.
I had no regrets. It was as though we'd spent the previous 20 years
tethered to a lunatic.
I do like to drop in every now and then, just to see how things are
going. When I catch the odd episode on BBC Sounds I feel as though I'm
wandering through Ambridge, trying to put a name to the urchin who just
whizzed past me on a scooter, noting which front doors have been
Farrow-and-Balled and wondering what's the latest ill-advised novelty on
the menu at The Bull.
The first line of dialogue I heard when turning on this time was
"While it's quiet, let's check the sell-by dates". I was thrilled. This
is precisely the kind of low-stakes drama I always looked to /The
Archers/ to provide. I anticipated the theme tune swelling over the
sound of Helen tentatively nibbling an expired bourbon and the ensuing
cliffhanger as we waited to see whether the next episode opened with her
in casualty.
SADLY, JUST WHEN I was plumping up the cushions for a traditional
comfort listen, I was jerked into the digital reality of Ambridge 2023,
where people who used to be written off as "a nasty piece of work" are
suddenly "toxic", characters no longer sleep it off on the haystack but
in their gaming chair, and young people called Mia, Brad and Chelsea
complain that the grown-ups never tell them what's going on.
I'm not gonna lie, as Brad would probably say. It was a disheartening
experience. Aside from Helen I didn't recognise anyone. By the time we
got to the shop Lynda Snell had just gone, which was a shame. I always
loved Lynda Snell. Great name. Great characters always seem to grow into
their names.
I remember asking Victoria Wood who was her favourite /Archers/
character and she said Marjorie Antrobus. Maybe in time Mia, Brad and
Chelsea will have the same immemorial ring as Marjorie Antrobus. I hope
to return in ten years to find out.
===
I've left it as printed (other than ignoring line wraps as it was a
narrower column), including the absence of Oxford (and other) commas I'd
have put in if it was me writing. I've no idea what Farrow-and-Balled
means.

F&B means decorated with trendy and expensive paint colours.

And I believe that all paint colours have fancy names like Brad, Mia or
Chelsea

(-: Thanks for that.

Any comments on the rest of his column?

[Sam Plusnet]

Post by J. P. Gilliver
Any comments on the rest of his column?

Is that a reference to Nelson?

[J. P. Gilliver]

Post by Sam Plusnet

Post by J. P. Gilliver
Any comments on the rest of his column?

Is that a reference to Nelson?

Ah, those were the days:

(I've just re-watched that - I remember thinking it was silly/OTT at the
time, but it did have me smiling through most of it this time. Mainly
just admiring Rowan, I think.)

[Nick Odell]

On Wed, 12 Jun 2024 23:30:13 +0100, "J. P. Gilliver"

Post by J. P. Gilliver

Post by Kosmo

Post by Chris J Dixon
Presumably accidentally, over on uk.media.radio.bbc-r4

Correct; thanks for bringing it in (to Grand Fenwick).

Post by Kosmo

Post by Chris J Dixon

I was reading an old Radio Times, and thought UMRA might like this, from
their Stream of Consciousness column. It's nearly a year old, but I
From RT 12-18 August 2023 (page 109)
===
Stream of Consciousness
DAVID HEPWORTH
I'm not gonna lie, /The Archers/ of 2023 has lost its charm
[that was a sort of headline, I suspect extracted by the editing staff]
WE USED to be an /Archers/ household. Never missed. Then came the
pandemic and we got out of the habit. It was liberating to break loose.
I had no regrets. It was as though we'd spent the previous 20 years
tethered to a lunatic.
I do like to drop in every now and then, just to see how things are
going. When I catch the odd episode on BBC Sounds I feel as though I'm
wandering through Ambridge, trying to put a name to the urchin who just
whizzed past me on a scooter, noting which front doors have been
Farrow-and-Balled and wondering what's the latest ill-advised novelty on
the menu at The Bull.
The first line of dialogue I heard when turning on this time was
"While it's quiet, let's check the sell-by dates". I was thrilled. This
is precisely the kind of low-stakes drama I always looked to /The
Archers/ to provide. I anticipated the theme tune swelling over the
sound of Helen tentatively nibbling an expired bourbon and the ensuing
cliffhanger as we waited to see whether the next episode opened with her
in casualty.
SADLY, JUST WHEN I was plumping up the cushions for a traditional
comfort listen, I was jerked into the digital reality of Ambridge 2023,
where people who used to be written off as "a nasty piece of work" are
suddenly "toxic", characters no longer sleep it off on the haystack but
in their gaming chair, and young people called Mia, Brad and Chelsea
complain that the grown-ups never tell them what's going on.
I'm not gonna lie, as Brad would probably say. It was a disheartening
experience. Aside from Helen I didn't recognise anyone. By the time we
got to the shop Lynda Snell had just gone, which was a shame. I always
loved Lynda Snell. Great name. Great characters always seem to grow into
their names.
I remember asking Victoria Wood who was her favourite /Archers/
character and she said Marjorie Antrobus. Maybe in time Mia, Brad and
Chelsea will have the same immemorial ring as Marjorie Antrobus. I hope
to return in ten years to find out.
===
I've left it as printed (other than ignoring line wraps as it was a
narrower column), including the absence of Oxford (and other) commas I'd
have put in if it was me writing. I've no idea what Farrow-and-Balled
means.

F&B means decorated with trendy and expensive paint colours.

And I believe that all paint colours have fancy names like Brad, Mia or
Chelsea

(-: Thanks for that.
Any comments on the rest of his column?

I know that times are hard for everybody, including the BBC who are
working more and more repeats into their schedules but even with a
cost-of-living-crisis[1] can you really use last year's copies of the
Radio Times to keep up to date with what's on the airwaves now?

Nick
[1]A term that beautifully fails to get to the heart of why things are
so sh*t for so many people, in my opinion, much as the term "credit
crunch" sounds more like a new chocolate covered biscuit bar than the
result of financial institutions deliberately performing unsafe
lending and then repackaging and reselling the toxic results
afterwards.

[J. P. Gilliver]

Post by Nick Odell
On Wed, 12 Jun 2024 23:30:13 +0100, "J. P. Gilliver"

Post by J. P. Gilliver

Post by Kosmo

Post by Chris J Dixon
Presumably accidentally, over on uk.media.radio.bbc-r4

Correct; thanks for bringing it in (to Grand Fenwick).

Post by Kosmo

Post by Chris J Dixon

I was reading an old Radio Times, and thought UMRA might like this, from
their Stream of Consciousness column. It's nearly a year old, but I
From RT 12-18 August 2023 (page 109)
===
Stream of Consciousness
DAVID HEPWORTH
I'm not gonna lie, /The Archers/ of 2023 has lost its charm
[that was a sort of headline, I suspect extracted by the editing staff]
WE USED to be an /Archers/ household. Never missed. Then came the
pandemic and we got out of the habit. It was liberating to break loose.
I had no regrets. It was as though we'd spent the previous 20 years
tethered to a lunatic.
I do like to drop in every now and then, just to see how things are
going. When I catch the odd episode on BBC Sounds I feel as though I'm
wandering through Ambridge, trying to put a name to the urchin who just
whizzed past me on a scooter, noting which front doors have been
Farrow-and-Balled and wondering what's the latest ill-advised novelty on
the menu at The Bull.
The first line of dialogue I heard when turning on this time was
"While it's quiet, let's check the sell-by dates". I was thrilled. This
is precisely the kind of low-stakes drama I always looked to /The
Archers/ to provide. I anticipated the theme tune swelling over the
sound of Helen tentatively nibbling an expired bourbon and the ensuing
cliffhanger as we waited to see whether the next episode opened with her
in casualty.
SADLY, JUST WHEN I was plumping up the cushions for a traditional
comfort listen, I was jerked into the digital reality of Ambridge 2023,
where people who used to be written off as "a nasty piece of work" are
suddenly "toxic", characters no longer sleep it off on the haystack but
in their gaming chair, and young people called Mia, Brad and Chelsea
complain that the grown-ups never tell them what's going on.
I'm not gonna lie, as Brad would probably say. It was a disheartening
experience. Aside from Helen I didn't recognise anyone. By the time we
got to the shop Lynda Snell had just gone, which was a shame. I always
loved Lynda Snell. Great name. Great characters always seem to grow into
their names.
I remember asking Victoria Wood who was her favourite /Archers/
character and she said Marjorie Antrobus. Maybe in time Mia, Brad and
Chelsea will have the same immemorial ring as Marjorie Antrobus. I hope
to return in ten years to find out.
===
I've left it as printed (other than ignoring line wraps as it was a
narrower column), including the absence of Oxford (and other) commas I'd
have put in if it was me writing. I've no idea what Farrow-and-Balled
means.

F&B means decorated with trendy and expensive paint colours.

And I believe that all paint colours have fancy names like Brad, Mia or
Chelsea

(-: Thanks for that.
Any comments on the rest of his column?

I know that times are hard for everybody, including the BBC who are
working more and more repeats into their schedules but even with a
cost-of-living-crisis[1] can you really use last year's copies of the
Radio Times to keep up to date with what's on the airwaves now?

An interesting question in the context of TA; one of the attractions of
it _used_ to be that you could drop out of listening for years, and come
back and get into it almost immediately. That's probably no longer true
(to be fair hasn't been for quite a while). Though I think the general
tone of the column/article is pretty true.

I agree - the Beeb seem to be doing a lot of repeats: BBC4 seems almost
entirely (R). Given the squeeze on them, I guess that's inevitable, and
on the whole, I don't mind - they're often either things I didn't mind
seeing again, or missed the first time round. There are a lot of old BBC
prog.s coming up on the minor channels, which must help the coffers a
little - Drama recently ended a rerun of All Creatures (the original,
with alarming colour shifts due to the aging film), and is now doing
Tenko. I do fear for the future of the poor old Beeb; I can't see the
licence fee continuing for much longer, and whatever replaces it

Post by Nick Odell
Nick
[1]A term that beautifully fails to get to the heart of why things are
so sh*t for so many people, in my opinion, much as the term "credit
crunch" sounds more like a new chocolate covered biscuit bar than the

It does, doesn't it!

Post by Nick Odell
result of financial institutions deliberately performing unsafe
lending and then repackaging and reselling the toxic results
afterwards.

What's been puzzling me for many years is, where is the ever-increasing
housing demand _coming from_? I know there's been a shortage for
decades, but I assumed when I was in my say twenties that that was
mainly due to more single-person households than in the past - people
marrying/partnering later than in the past, and having fewer children,
thus the number of actual dwelling units needed rises. But I'd sort of
assumed that that would work through - i. e. the _increase_ in
single-person or small households, as a _proportion_ of the whole, would
stabilise, and - though fewer than targeted - we _have_ been building
new houses for the last few decades; and the population as a whole
hasn't been rising _that_ much. Or isn't the demand increasing as much
as alleged?

[Chris]

Post by J. P. Gilliver

Post by Nick Odell
On Wed, 12 Jun 2024 23:30:13 +0100, "J. P. Gilliver"

Post by J. P. Gilliver

Post by Kosmo

Post by Chris J Dixon
Presumably accidentally, over on uk.media.radio.bbc-r4

Correct; thanks for bringing it in (to Grand Fenwick).

Post by Kosmo

Post by Chris J Dixon

I was reading an old Radio Times, and thought UMRA might like this, from
their Stream of Consciousness column. It's nearly a year old, but I
From RT 12-18 August 2023 (page 109)
===
Stream of Consciousness
DAVID HEPWORTH
I'm not gonna lie, /The Archers/ of 2023 has lost its charm
[that was a sort of headline, I suspect extracted by the editing staff]
WE USED to be an /Archers/ household. Never missed. Then came the
pandemic and we got out of the habit. It was liberating to break loose.
I had no regrets. It was as though we'd spent the previous 20 years
tethered to a lunatic.
I do like to drop in every now and then, just to see how things are
going. When I catch the odd episode on BBC Sounds I feel as though I'm
wandering through Ambridge, trying to put a name to the urchin who just
whizzed past me on a scooter, noting which front doors have been
Farrow-and-Balled and wondering what's the latest ill-advised novelty on
the menu at The Bull.
The first line of dialogue I heard when turning on this time was
"While it's quiet, let's check the sell-by dates". I was thrilled. This
is precisely the kind of low-stakes drama I always looked to /The
Archers/ to provide. I anticipated the theme tune swelling over the
sound of Helen tentatively nibbling an expired bourbon and the ensuing
cliffhanger as we waited to see whether the next episode opened with her
in casualty.
SADLY, JUST WHEN I was plumping up the cushions for a traditional
comfort listen, I was jerked into the digital reality of Ambridge 2023,
where people who used to be written off as "a nasty piece of work" are
suddenly "toxic", characters no longer sleep it off on the haystack but
in their gaming chair, and young people called Mia, Brad and Chelsea
complain that the grown-ups never tell them what's going on.
I'm not gonna lie, as Brad would probably say. It was a disheartening
experience. Aside from Helen I didn't recognise anyone. By the time we
got to the shop Lynda Snell had just gone, which was a shame. I always
loved Lynda Snell. Great name. Great characters always seem to grow into
their names.
I remember asking Victoria Wood who was her favourite /Archers/
character and she said Marjorie Antrobus. Maybe in time Mia, Brad and
Chelsea will have the same immemorial ring as Marjorie Antrobus. I hope
to return in ten years to find out.
===
I've left it as printed (other than ignoring line wraps as it was a
narrower column), including the absence of Oxford (and other) commas I'd
have put in if it was me writing. I've no idea what Farrow-and-Balled
means.

F&B means decorated with trendy and expensive paint colours.

And I believe that all paint colours have fancy names like Brad, Mia or
Chelsea

(-: Thanks for that.
Any comments on the rest of his column?

I know that times are hard for everybody, including the BBC who are
working more and more repeats into their schedules but even with a
cost-of-living-crisis[1] can you really use last year's copies of the
Radio Times to keep up to date with what's on the airwaves now?

An interesting question in the context of TA; one of the attractions of
it _used_ to be that you could drop out of listening for years, and come
back and get into it almost immediately. That's probably no longer true
(to be fair hasn't been for quite a while). Though I think the general
tone of the column/article is pretty true.
I agree - the Beeb seem to be doing a lot of repeats: BBC4 seems almost
entirely (R). Given the squeeze on them, I guess that's inevitable, and
on the whole, I don't mind - they're often either things I didn't mind
seeing again, or missed the first time round. There are a lot of old BBC
prog.s coming up on the minor channels, which must help the coffers a
little - Drama recently ended a rerun of All Creatures (the original,
with alarming colour shifts due to the aging film), and is now doing
Tenko. I do fear for the future of the poor old Beeb; I can't see the
licence fee continuing for much longer, and whatever replaces it

Post by Nick Odell
Nick
[1]A term that beautifully fails to get to the heart of why things are
so sh*t for so many people, in my opinion, much as the term "credit
crunch" sounds more like a new chocolate covered biscuit bar than the

It does, doesn't it!

Post by Nick Odell
result of financial institutions deliberately performing unsafe
lending and then repackaging and reselling the toxic results
afterwards.

What's been puzzling me for many years is, where is the ever-increasing
housing demand _coming from_? I know there's been a shortage for
decades, but I assumed when I was in my say twenties that that was
mainly due to more single-person households than in the past - people
marrying/partnering later than in the past, and having fewer children,
thus the number of actual dwelling units needed rises. But I'd sort of
assumed that that would work through - i. e. the _increase_ in
single-person or small households, as a _proportion_ of the whole, would
stabilise, and - though fewer than targeted - we _have_ been building
new houses for the last few decades; and the population as a whole
hasn't been rising _that_ much. Or isn't the demand increasing as much
as alleged?

A huge increase in migrants, an even bigger increase in university and
college students not able or willing to commute/the huge international
students here for a year who prefer to ‘live out’ but not with host
families. People forced to decide to move/rent pre covid when the SE had
that long rail strike. Never mind all the rest since who probably want to
reverse what they did or lost their jobs because of Brexit/covid (delete
one, other, both). Arrival of Hong Kongers who were able to bring their
savings and have bought houses. A lot have come, a lot still can with
their special passports and I suspect quietly arrive and the population
won’t be aware. I’ve met just a few yet Rdg is one of the areas they came
to. (Food Prog)

Mrs McT

[john ashby]

Post by J. P. Gilliver
There are a lot of old BBC
prog.s coming up on the minor channels, which must help the coffers a
little - Drama recently ended a rerun of All Creatures (the original,
with alarming colour shifts due to the aging film), and is now doing
Tenko.

Hurrah, a repeat fee for Ed Reardon.

john

[Nick Odell]

Post by john ashby

Post by J. P. Gilliver
There are a lot of old BBC
prog.s coming up on the minor channels, which must help the coffers a
little - Drama recently ended a rerun of All Creatures (the original,
with alarming colour shifts due to the aging film), and is now doing
Tenko.

Hurrah, a repeat fee for Ed Reardon.

If anyrat is going to re-watch the whole series then perhaps they
could check the credits and tell us exactly which (single) episode he
wrote. I sincerely hope it doesn't turn out that Mr Reardon has been
embellishing his CV.

Nick

[Jenny M Benson]

Post by J. P. Gilliver
I agree - the Beeb seem to be doing a lot of repeats: BBC4 seems almost
entirely (R). Given the squeeze on them, I guess that's inevitable, and
on the whole, I don't mind - they're often either things I didn't mind
seeing again, or missed the first time round. There are a lot of old BBC
prog.s coming up on the minor channels, which must help the coffers a
little - Drama recently ended a rerun of All Creatures (the original,
with alarming colour shifts due to the aging film), and is now doing
Tenko. I do fear for the future of the poor old Beeb; I can't see the
licence fee continuing for much longer, and whatever replaces it

The Beeb could avoid vast quantities of expenditure by cutting down on
the number of presenters for every programme and by not sending
so-called "celebrities" off on package holidays around the world.

Harrumph!

[Sam Plusnet]

Post by Jenny M Benson

Post by J. P. Gilliver
I agree - the Beeb seem to be doing a lot of repeats: BBC4 seems
almost entirely (R). Given the squeeze on them, I guess that's
inevitable, and on the whole, I don't mind - they're often either
things I didn't mind seeing again, or missed the first time round.
There are a lot of old BBC prog.s coming up on the minor channels,
which must help the coffers a little - Drama recently ended a rerun of
All Creatures (the original, with alarming colour shifts due to the
aging film), and is now doing Tenko. I do fear for the future of the
poor old Beeb; I can't see the licence fee continuing for much longer,
and whatever replaces it (assuming _anything_ does!) will inevitably

The Beeb could avoid vast quantities of expenditure by cutting down on
the number of presenters for every programme and by not sending
so-called "celebrities" off on package holidays around the world.

A new reality TV show. Send a package of 'Celebrities' to Rwanda to try
out the accommodation we seem to have already paid for.
No need for return tickets.

[J. P. Gilliver]

In message <DGEaO.7126$***@fx18.iad> at Thu, 13 Jun 2024 16:58:27,
Sam Plusnet <***@home.com> writes
[]

Post by Sam Plusnet

Post by Jenny M Benson
The Beeb could avoid vast quantities of expenditure by cutting down
on the number of presenters for every programme and by not sending

Agreed - and having them in view less of the time. (Not that that'd
_immediately_ save anything, but they'd become less of a "personality"
and thus eventually could be paid less.)

Post by Sam Plusnet

Post by Jenny M Benson
so-called "celebrities" off on package holidays around the world.

If you mean things like the jungle, I don't watch such - but one gathers
they're popular, and thus probably sell to other broadcasters for more
than they cost to make.

Post by Sam Plusnet
A new reality TV show. Send a package of 'Celebrities' to Rwanda to
try out the accommodation we seem to have already paid for.
No need for return tickets.

Or politicians. (Though these days there's not a lot of difference.)

[Jenny M Benson]

Post by J. P. Gilliver

Post by Jenny M Benson
so-called "celebrities" off on package holidays around the world.

If you mean things like the jungle,

As I never watch such they weren't what I was thinking of. I meant
things like the current Romesh and Clive Myrie progs.

[Chris J Dixon]

Post by Jenny M Benson
As I never watch such they weren't what I was thinking of. I meant
things like the current Romesh and Clive Myrie progs.

You could have a drinking game on Clive's programme based upon
mentions of his wife, or relatives.

Chris

[Nick Odell]

Post by Sam Plusnet

Post by Jenny M Benson

Post by J. P. Gilliver
I agree - the Beeb seem to be doing a lot of repeats: BBC4 seems
almost entirely (R). Given the squeeze on them, I guess that's
inevitable, and on the whole, I don't mind - they're often either
things I didn't mind seeing again, or missed the first time round.
There are a lot of old BBC prog.s coming up on the minor channels,
which must help the coffers a little - Drama recently ended a rerun of
All Creatures (the original, with alarming colour shifts due to the
aging film), and is now doing Tenko. I do fear for the future of the
poor old Beeb; I can't see the licence fee continuing for much longer,
and whatever replaces it (assuming _anything_ does!) will inevitably

The Beeb could avoid vast quantities of expenditure by cutting down on
the number of presenters for every programme and by not sending
so-called "celebrities" off on package holidays around the world.

A new reality TV show. Send a package of 'Celebrities' to Rwanda to try
out the accommodation we seem to have already paid for.
No need for return tickets.

It seems as if the Home Office has already arranged for civil servants
to go and open up a local office there. Perhaps when they get fed up
with the gorillas/guerillas they might consider taking the reality tv
show job on as a side-hustle.

Nick

[Paul Herber]

Post by Jenny M Benson

Post by J. P. Gilliver
I agree - the Beeb seem to be doing a lot of repeats: BBC4 seems almost
entirely (R). Given the squeeze on them, I guess that's inevitable, and
on the whole, I don't mind - they're often either things I didn't mind
seeing again, or missed the first time round. There are a lot of old BBC
prog.s coming up on the minor channels, which must help the coffers a
little - Drama recently ended a rerun of All Creatures (the original,
with alarming colour shifts due to the aging film), and is now doing
Tenko. I do fear for the future of the poor old Beeb; I can't see the
licence fee continuing for much longer, and whatever replaces it

The Beeb could avoid vast quantities of expenditure by cutting down on
the number of presenters for every programme and by not sending
so-called "celebrities" off on package holidays around the world.
Harrumph!

I've often wondered why two or three presenters are required each
taking it in turn to read a sentence from the autocue.

[Jenny M Benson]

Post by Paul Herber
I've often wondered why two or three presenters are required each
taking it in turn to read a sentence from the autocue.

.. while the other one(s) gaze adoringly at him/her.

[Sam Plusnet]

Post by Jenny M Benson

Post by Paul Herber
I've often wondered why two or three presenters are required each
taking it in turn to read a sentence from the autocue.

.. while the other one(s) gaze adoringly at him/her.

Now that it's election time[1], I'm reminded of the role of 'Candidate's
Spouse' - which is to gaze lovingly at the candidate as though every
word from their lips is a source of wondrous inspiration.

[1] Thank the Lord our election campaigns are relatively short.

[Nick Odell]

Post by Sam Plusnet

Post by Jenny M Benson

Post by Paul Herber
I've often wondered why two or three presenters are required each
taking it in turn to read a sentence from the autocue.

.. while the other one(s) gaze adoringly at him/her.

Now that it's election time[1], I'm reminded of the role of 'Candidate's
Spouse' - which is to gaze lovingly at the candidate as though every
word from their lips is a source of wondrous inspiration.
[1] Thank the Lord our election campaigns are relatively short.

But you are discounting the four years of cut and thrust and jockeying
for position that preceded it. Anyway, the French seem to manage these
things much better still. Surprise election called on June 9th and the
first round will all be over by June 30th.

Nick

[Kosmo]

Post by J. P. Gilliver
Given the squeeze on them, I guess that's inevitable,

Yes - but why are they squeezed and should they be?

I am not saying that they should have an open cheque book - but I want
to know why our politicians seem unable to properly resource and finance
an independent broadcaster which they respect and which respects them?

For several years Johnson ignored their existence until he needed them
for covid. Osborne deliberately changed the funding structure (over 80s
licences and BBC Overseas) without a mandate from the general public.

So on what basis do the politicians attack the BBC when the general
public have made no demands for the changes made?

[john ashby]

Post by Kosmo

Post by J. P. Gilliver
Given the squeeze on them, I guess that's inevitable,

Yes - but why are they squeezed and should they be?
I am not saying that they should have an open cheque book - but I want
to know why our politicians seem unable to properly resource and finance
an independent broadcaster which they respect and which respects them?
For several years Johnson ignored their existence until he needed them
for covid.  Osborne deliberately changed the funding structure (over 80s
licences and BBC Overseas) without a mandate from the general public.
So on what basis do the politicians attack the BBC when the general
public have made no demands for the changes made?

Two words which are an anagram of Maily Dial. Spot the commonality
between the politicians you mention.

john

[J. P. Gilliver]

In message <v4eue3$2a2ns$***@dont-email.me> at Thu, 13 Jun 2024 15:06:59,
john ashby <***@yahoo.com> writes
[]

Post by john ashby
Two words which are an anagram of Maily Dial. Spot the commonality
between the politicians you mention.
john

I recently saw, in something that started out being about solar
eclipses, words similar to:

Do not look directly into the Sun.

It's best to avoid the Mail and Express, too.

[Nick Odell]

Post by john ashby

Post by Kosmo

Post by J. P. Gilliver
Given the squeeze on them, I guess that's inevitable,

Yes - but why are they squeezed and should they be?
I am not saying that they should have an open cheque book - but I want
to know why our politicians seem unable to properly resource and finance
an independent broadcaster which they respect and which respects them?
For several years Johnson ignored their existence until he needed them
for covid.  Osborne deliberately changed the funding structure (over 80s
licences and BBC Overseas) without a mandate from the general public.
So on what basis do the politicians attack the BBC when the general
public have made no demands for the changes made?

Two words which are an anagram of Maily Dial. Spot the commonality
between the politicians you mention.

That's a good place to start but I think it goes deeper than that. The
kind of people who own and run most of the commercial media seem to
see public service broadcasting as a(n unfair) threat to their bottom
line.

Nick

[Paul Herber]

Post by Nick Odell

Post by john ashby

Post by Kosmo

Post by J. P. Gilliver
Given the squeeze on them, I guess that's inevitable,

Yes - but why are they squeezed and should they be?
I am not saying that they should have an open cheque book - but I want
to know why our politicians seem unable to properly resource and finance
an independent broadcaster which they respect and which respects them?
For several years Johnson ignored their existence until he needed them
for covid.  Osborne deliberately changed the funding structure (over 80s
licences and BBC Overseas) without a mandate from the general public.
So on what basis do the politicians attack the BBC when the general
public have made no demands for the changes made?

Two words which are an anagram of Maily Dial. Spot the commonality
between the politicians you mention.

That's a good place to start but I think it goes deeper than that. The
kind of people who own and run most of the commercial media seem to
see public service broadcasting as a(n unfair) threat to their bottom
line.

State-run anything is tantamount to communism in the USA.

[Sam Plusnet]

Post by Paul Herber

Post by Nick Odell

Post by john ashby

Post by Kosmo

Post by J. P. Gilliver
Given the squeeze on them, I guess that's inevitable,

Yes - but why are they squeezed and should they be?
I am not saying that they should have an open cheque book - but I want
to know why our politicians seem unable to properly resource and finance
an independent broadcaster which they respect and which respects them?
For several years Johnson ignored their existence until he needed them
for covid.  Osborne deliberately changed the funding structure (over 80s
licences and BBC Overseas) without a mandate from the general public.
So on what basis do the politicians attack the BBC when the general
public have made no demands for the changes made?

Two words which are an anagram of Maily Dial. Spot the commonality
between the politicians you mention.

That's a good place to start but I think it goes deeper than that. The
kind of people who own and run most of the commercial media seem to
see public service broadcasting as a(n unfair) threat to their bottom
line.

State-run anything is tantamount to communism in the USA.

Every state in the US is state run - but they will try and wriggle out
by saying "That's not what we meant!"

"Socialised Medicine!"
In most European countries, the "Socialised" system is insurance-based.
Don't Americans rely on Medical insurance?

[Joe Kerr]

Post by Sam Plusnet

Post by Paul Herber
State-run anything is tantamount to communism in the USA.

Every state in the US is state run - but they will try and wriggle out
by saying "That's not what we meant!"
"Socialised Medicine!"
In most European countries, the "Socialised" system is insurance-based.
Don't Americans rely on Medical insurance?

Only the ones who can afford it!

[Joe Kerr]

Post by Paul Herber

Post by Nick Odell

Post by john ashby

Post by Kosmo

Post by J. P. Gilliver
Given the squeeze on them, I guess that's inevitable,

Yes - but why are they squeezed and should they be?
I am not saying that they should have an open cheque book - but I want
to know why our politicians seem unable to properly resource and finance
an independent broadcaster which they respect and which respects them?
For several years Johnson ignored their existence until he needed them
for covid.  Osborne deliberately changed the funding structure (over 80s
licences and BBC Overseas) without a mandate from the general public.
So on what basis do the politicians attack the BBC when the general
public have made no demands for the changes made?

Two words which are an anagram of Maily Dial. Spot the commonality
between the politicians you mention.

That's a good place to start but I think it goes deeper than that. The
kind of people who own and run most of the commercial media seem to
see public service broadcasting as a(n unfair) threat to their bottom
line.

State-run anything is tantamount to communism in the USA.

Privatise the election!

[Paul Herber]

Post by Joe Kerr

Post by Paul Herber

Post by Nick Odell

Post by john ashby

Post by Kosmo

Post by J. P. Gilliver
Given the squeeze on them, I guess that's inevitable,

Yes - but why are they squeezed and should they be?
I am not saying that they should have an open cheque book - but I want
to know why our politicians seem unable to properly resource and finance
an independent broadcaster which they respect and which respects them?
For several years Johnson ignored their existence until he needed them
for covid.  Osborne deliberately changed the funding structure (over 80s
licences and BBC Overseas) without a mandate from the general public.
So on what basis do the politicians attack the BBC when the general
public have made no demands for the changes made?

Two words which are an anagram of Maily Dial. Spot the commonality
between the politicians you mention.

That's a good place to start but I think it goes deeper than that. The
kind of people who own and run most of the commercial media seem to
see public service broadcasting as a(n unfair) threat to their bottom
line.

State-run anything is tantamount to communism in the USA.

Privatise the election!

Private Eye's the election!

[Rosie Mitchell]

Post by Joe Kerr

Post by Paul Herber

Post by Nick Odell

Post by john ashby

Post by Kosmo

Post by J. P. Gilliver
Given the squeeze on them, I guess that's inevitable,

Yes - but why are they squeezed and should they be?
I am not saying that they should have an open cheque book - but I want
to know why our politicians seem unable to properly resource and finance
an independent broadcaster which they respect and which respects them?
For several years Johnson ignored their existence until he needed them
for covid.  Osborne deliberately changed the funding structure (over 80s
licences and BBC Overseas) without a mandate from the general public.
So on what basis do the politicians attack the BBC when the general
public have made no demands for the changes made?

Two words which are an anagram of Maily Dial. Spot the commonality
between the politicians you mention.

That's a good place to start but I think it goes deeper than that. The
kind of people who own and run most of the commercial media seem to
see public service broadcasting as a(n unfair) threat to their bottom
line.

State-run anything is tantamount to communism in the USA.

Privatise the election!

Nigel Garage has already done that.

Rosie

[Sam Plusnet]

Post by Rosie Mitchell

Post by Joe Kerr

Post by Paul Herber

Post by Nick Odell

Post by john ashby

Post by Kosmo

Post by J. P. Gilliver
Given the squeeze on them, I guess that's inevitable,

Yes - but why are they squeezed and should they be?
I am not saying that they should have an open cheque book - but I want
to know why our politicians seem unable to properly resource and finance
an independent broadcaster which they respect and which respects them?
For several years Johnson ignored their existence until he needed them
for covid.  Osborne deliberately changed the funding structure (over 80s
licences and BBC Overseas) without a mandate from the general public.
So on what basis do the politicians attack the BBC when the general
public have made no demands for the changes made?

Two words which are an anagram of Maily Dial. Spot the commonality
between the politicians you mention.

That's a good place to start but I think it goes deeper than that. The
kind of people who own and run most of the commercial media seem to
see public service broadcasting as a(n unfair) threat to their bottom
line.

State-run anything is tantamount to communism in the USA.

Privatise the election!

Nigel Garage has already done that.

I do hope he has the same success as in all his previous attempts (7) to
become an MP.

[v***@gmail.com]

Post by Sam Plusnet

Post by Rosie Mitchell

Post by Joe Kerr

Post by Paul Herber

Post by Nick Odell

Post by john ashby

Post by Kosmo

Post by J. P. Gilliver
Given the squeeze on them, I guess that's inevitable,

Yes - but why are they squeezed and should they be?
I am not saying that they should have an open cheque book - but I want
to know why our politicians seem unable to properly resource and finance
an independent broadcaster which they respect and which respects them?
For several years Johnson ignored their existence until he needed them
for covid.  Osborne deliberately changed the funding structure (over 80s
licences and BBC Overseas) without a mandate from the general public.
So on what basis do the politicians attack the BBC when the general
public have made no demands for the changes made?

Two words which are an anagram of Maily Dial. Spot the commonality
between the politicians you mention.

That's a good place to start but I think it goes deeper than that. The
kind of people who own and run most of the commercial media seem to
see public service broadcasting as a(n unfair) threat to their bottom
line.

State-run anything is tantamount to communism in the USA.

Privatise the election!

Nigel Garage has already done that.

I do hope he has the same success as in all his previous attempts (7) to
become an MP.

I've got a horrible feeeling about this. Also about the US one. I
wonder if Robert Kennedy can change things...

[Sam Plusnet]

Post by v***@gmail.com

Post by Sam Plusnet

Post by Rosie Mitchell

Post by Joe Kerr

Post by Paul Herber

Post by Nick Odell

Post by john ashby

Post by Kosmo

Post by J. P. Gilliver
Given the squeeze on them, I guess that's inevitable,

Yes - but why are they squeezed and should they be?
I am not saying that they should have an open cheque book - but I want
to know why our politicians seem unable to properly resource and finance
an independent broadcaster which they respect and which respects them?
For several years Johnson ignored their existence until he needed them
for covid.  Osborne deliberately changed the funding structure (over 80s
licences and BBC Overseas) without a mandate from the general public.
So on what basis do the politicians attack the BBC when the general
public have made no demands for the changes made?

Two words which are an anagram of Maily Dial. Spot the commonality
between the politicians you mention.

That's a good place to start but I think it goes deeper than that. The
kind of people who own and run most of the commercial media seem to
see public service broadcasting as a(n unfair) threat to their bottom
line.

State-run anything is tantamount to communism in the USA.

Privatise the election!

Nigel Garage has already done that.

I do hope he has the same success as in all his previous attempts (7) to
become an MP.

I've got a horrible feeeling about this. Also about the US one. I
wonder if Robert Kennedy can change things...

Insure a Trump Presidency, by splitting the vote?

Surely having one candidate that is heavily into conspiracy theories
ought to be enough?

[john ashby]

Post by Sam Plusnet

Post by v***@gmail.com

Post by Sam Plusnet

Post by Rosie Mitchell

Post by Joe Kerr

On Thu, 13 Jun 2024 22:08:14 +0100, Nick Odell

On Thu, 13 Jun 2024 15:06:59 +0100, john ashby

Post by john ashby

Post by Kosmo

Post by J. P. Gilliver
Given the squeeze on them, I guess that's inevitable,

Yes - but why are they squeezed and should they be?
I am not saying that they should have an open cheque book - but I want
to know why our politicians seem unable to properly resource and finance
an independent broadcaster which they respect and which respects them?
For several years Johnson ignored their existence until he needed them
for covid.  Osborne deliberately changed the funding structure (over 80s
licences and BBC Overseas) without a mandate from the general public.
So on what basis do the politicians attack the BBC when the general
public have made no demands for the changes made?

Two words which are an anagram of Maily Dial. Spot the commonality
between the politicians you mention.

That's a good place to start but I think it goes deeper than that. The
kind of people who own and run most of the commercial media seem to
see public service broadcasting as a(n unfair) threat to their bottom
line.

State-run anything is tantamount to communism in the USA.

Privatise the election!

Nigel Garage has already done that.

I do hope he has the same success as in all his previous attempts (7) to
become an MP.

I've got a horrible feeeling about this. Also about the US one. I
wonder if Robert Kennedy can change things...

Insure a Trump Presidency, by splitting the vote?
Surely having one candidate that is heavily into conspiracy theories
ought to be enough?

That's what They want you to think.

john

[v***@gmail.com]

Post by Kosmo

Post by J. P. Gilliver
Given the squeeze on them, I guess that's inevitable,

Yes - but why are they squeezed and should they be?
I am not saying that they should have an open cheque book - but I want
to know why our politicians seem unable to properly resource and finance
an independent broadcaster which they respect and which respects them?
For several years Johnson ignored their existence until he needed them
for covid. Osborne deliberately changed the funding structure (over 80s
licences and BBC Overseas) without a mandate from the general public.
So on what basis do the politicians attack the BBC when the general
public have made no demands for the changes made?

I paid the lisence fee for 2 years after I got to 75 but was annoyed
and now no longer pay and have removed iplayer from our tv.We just
watch prime and similar.offers. I would have liked to see the latest
Dr Who but it will come to some place I can see it eventually.

[Sam Plusnet]

Post by Kosmo

Post by J. P. Gilliver
Given the squeeze on them, I guess that's inevitable,

Yes - but why are they squeezed and should they be?
I am not saying that they should have an open cheque book - but I want
to know why our politicians seem unable to properly resource and finance
an independent broadcaster which they respect and which respects them?
For several years Johnson ignored their existence until he needed them
for covid.  Osborne deliberately changed the funding structure (over 80s
licences and BBC Overseas) without a mandate from the general public.
So on what basis do the politicians attack the BBC when the general
public have made no demands for the changes made?

The BBC is capable of (to some degree) holding them to account for their
actions. That's intolerable.

[Paul Herber]

Post by Kosmo

Post by J. P. Gilliver
Given the squeeze on them, I guess that's inevitable,

Yes - but why are they squeezed and should they be?
I am not saying that they should have an open cheque book - but I want
to know why our politicians seem unable to properly resource and finance
an independent broadcaster which they respect and which respects them?

as per Putin, Xi or Kim?