We interrupt this lull in order to bring you a rant from our sponsors.
on Aug 12 in General by DanI read on Yahoo News this morning that “veteran broadcaster” Terry Wogan has spoken out against the BBC, saying that it no longer is the world class broadcaster that it used to be.
Wogan has worked for the BBC for nearly his entire career and reportedly earns £800,000 a year (which I assume includes the £10,000 he gets paid to present the annual Children in Need charity telethon, the hypocritical gitbag). Which other broadcasting company would be willing to employ a geriatric gasbag like him? No other is the answer, at least not at those prices
But employed he should be. A lot of people enjoy listening to his banal whinging about how things used to be better in the old days and bemoaning the lack of “common sense”. He is the Daily Express letters page given human form, and there is certainly an audience for it. But can you imagine him on Kiss FM? Real Radio? Even Classic FM? No, you can’t. The reason he is popular is that he has been given a relatively long leash by the BBC.
The license fee has never been as good value as it is today. Look what we get: BBC 1, 2, 3, 4. Radio 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, & 7. BBC local radio. BBC website. BBC iplayer. And all for £12 a month. I’ve said it before, but I’d probably be willing to pay that just for radio 4 and 7 alone.
Sure the BBC put out some dross. Eastenders, Strictly Come Dancing, talent shows based around whatever musical Andrew Lloyd Webber is trying to promote that year. But that’s fine, I’m not supposed to like everything they produce. I can’t bear listening to BBC 1Xra but I recognize that it speaks volumes to others.
Most UK commercial channels aim themselves firmly and squarely at the lowest common denominator, with the possible exception of Channel 4 (but recently even they are struggling against their charter in order to do so). Now I’m the first to admit that the BBC does put out the odd bit of ratings chasing populist programing, but at least that isn’t all they put out. I watched a documentary the other night about comic writer Alan Moore. You wouldn’t get that on SKY 1.
What’s my point? As usual I don’t really have one. But it just galls me that the self promoting chronic complainer Sir Terry feels the need to go public with the gripes about his employer. Save it for the pub like everyone else. Even his commentary on the Eurovision has descended from witty banter to sour and bitter ranting on the unfairness of the voting system. It used to be that the Europeans didn’t get the absurd humor of the contest Terry, now it’s just you.
For a far more interesting, intelligent, and above all hilarious take on the BBC and the license fee make sure you listen to Stephen Fry’s recent Podcast on the subject. Now there’s another reason to pay the license fee in itself. To misquote Braveheart – You may take our Laurie’s, but you’ll never take our Stephen.
I now return you to the lull.
Apologies go to the chronically foreign who will have only understood every third word of this, and also to Neil and Rachael who are a ITV employee and Terry Wogan fan respectively.
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Terry Wogan makes me angry, for most of the reasons you’ve stated above.
And yet I wouldn’t want to get rid of him, for most of the other reasons you’ve stated above.
I may not like what he says; I may not agree with what he says; but I will fight to the death for his right to say it. Only I’d prefer it if he didn’t say it as I’m waking up, as that just makes me cross.
I wholeheartedly agree with Stephen Fry’s reasons for keeping the BBC – we CAN afford to keep the BBC, simply because we can’t afford not to.
I’m not sure I’d fight to the death for Wogan’s free speech. I might fight to the slight bruising though.
I stopped listening to Wogan when his producer Dr Wally died. i think he’s been allowed to run away with things. There is no breakfast DJ I can tolerate currently so i tend to listen to CDs. Even radio 4 has the today program which often winds me up.
I can tolerate Chris Moyles, but I can’t abide local radio. Simply cannot abide it.
If my CDs had time checks appended to them, I’d go for that option too.
The only part I understood was the apology disclaimer. Thanks.
Perhaps I should have put that at the beginning :)
I have no idea who this guy is, but he sounds like just a very old guy that’s become irrelevant and he’s doing and saying anything and everything to fight it off. I’m sure he’ll be gone soon enough.
It’s true, he’ll be dead soon. Your words have soothed me.
“…the chronically foreign who will have only understood every third word of this.” — See, you’re missing the point. The foreign, non-BBC watching readers will not be able to make sense of this sentence. Is that one of these past-perfect/future-past/present perfect continuous tenses the teacher was going on about?
Maybe your teacher was, mine was just begging the class not to keep calling him Mr. Dickhead
chronical foreigner reporting, but I think I get the story :)
Arjans last blog post..Over There theme
You’re European so you are only three quarters foreign.
I remember seeing Wogan come through arrivals at Heathrow, back from another Eurovision jaunt, that’s him not me, I was picking my wife up from a trip to Sweden.
Anyhoo, he was a right cantankerous so and so, and he seemed very frail and, well, old. So it doesn’t surprise me to read he’s moaning about something he worsens. He’s as bad as Eastenders, but due to similar viewing figures still gets hansomely paid.
Look, you have such an imfluence on me, I’m now unsure what point I was trying to make.
It’s a disease – lackofpointitus. It’s very common in the blogging world apparently.
Is the blogging world not simply powered by lackofpointitis?
Well, that and pointouttheobviousitis.
Oh, and pedantry.
Licences, colour TV, queues. What the hell is going on here?
Avitables last blog post..Huge Announcement
It’s called civilization old bean, you Americans really should try it one day.
Dans last blog post..We interrupt this lull in order to bring you a rant from our sponsors.
Terry Wogan is a Limerick reject, and that is saying something.
Eastenders keeps me sane.
Xbox4NappyRashs last blog post..Up periscope II
There was a old reject from Limerick
Who….
Damn, I’m too apathetic to think f a rhyme for Limerick. I was nearly too apathetic to work out how to spell rhyme properly.
Dans last blog post..We interrupt this lull in order to bring you a rant from our sponsors.
Dan, as ever, some very interesting points – very well observed and – fairly – succinctly put.
However, don’t mess with the Tel or I’ll ‘ave ya!
(The Today programme winds me up to – in my humble opinion it’s a ‘poshed up’ version of “Wanna step outside? Car park? Come on!” And local radio is what will be played – non-stop – in hell.)
I should just ignore him I suppose. As Vegasdad says, he’ll be dead soon.
Dans last blog post..We interrupt this lull in order to bring you a rant from our sponsors.
Wogan was funny, in 1980.
I hardly listen to Radio 2 at all now, with the exception of The Jeremy Vine Show now and again mainly because it is full of “jobs for life” right through the day – never is this highlighted more than when the highly paid “jobs for life” boys take another holiday – Johnny Walker in Wogans slot last week was a breath of fresh air as was Lisa Tarbuck and that Johnny that she drags around with her sitting in Steve Wrights slot a few weeks earlier.
Wogan, Bruce and Wright need to take a long hard look at themselves.
Garys last blog post..Goodbye, goodbye, we’re leaving you goodbye…
I’m a fan of Mark Radcliffe (the Johnny that Lisa Tarbuck drags round with her), but I suspect that’s got quite a bit to do with my past history with him when he was on radio 1.
As for Jeremy Vine, any program that invites the audience to ring in with their views often has me wanting to throw my radio through the window so I tend to give it a miss.
Dans last blog post..We interrupt this lull in order to bring you a rant from our sponsors.
Just thought I had better say:
Expect a sparkling season on ITV1
The autumn season on ITV1 is underpinned by top football action, exciting event television, sparkling new entertainment, great original drama and factual programmes together with new talent – timely for nights in on shoe-string budgets..
Good corporate lacky, good boy.
No, No no, I won’t have you saying nasty things about Terry. I don’t listen to him much mind you but like an old cardigan, I’d miss him if he wasn’t there.
I also like Chris Moyles, although I didn’t at first but no I get him I think he is very funny – but I also think Terry is too – except I’d rather listen to the music on Radio 1.
Gosh it’s rather hot and sweaty here in Florida – how’s it in Huddersfield?
Aren’t you too old to be listening to radio 1?
Dans last blog post..We interrupt this lull in order to bring you a rant from our sponsors.
I don’t understand… could this be another sign of the oncomign apocalypse. There’s a post here which could, by some circles, be seen as vaguely polital and I’m agreeing with you… Dan, I could kiss you for this. (I take it you’ll never be found doing The Floral Dance?)
Becs last blog post..Far Far Better
I’m not sure it’s political Bec, perhaps it’s just a sign of something more minor, like an oncoming bit of bad weather or shortage of yogurt or something.
My slalom jar woozles tardy flippers on the roundhouse.
See, I didn’t understand that either.
On a positive note, I like your new comment reply format, or did you change that two months ago and I’m only now noticing?
I hit myself in the head with a piece of drywall last week and now everything in the world looks shiny and new.
Phils last blog post..Own Up And Be A Dad
I completely agree with your first sentence Phil, but can’t understand a word of the rest of the stuff you wrote.
Dans last blog post..We interrupt this lull in order to bring you a rant from our sponsors.