Online, I often hear a lot of praise for the BBC from those of you in the US.
True, having a national broadcaster that is supposed to be impartial is an advantage, but this means that it’s even more worrying when it goes wrong.
Here’s a good article about how the BBC has been stacked with political appointees, and has narrowed the level of political discourse in the UK.
The thing about the Beeb – and British media in general – is that geeking out in public is more accepted than it is in the US and Canada. I mean, Brian May can go on TV and say, “yeah, I am a rock star and I have a physics degree, and here’s what you need to know about the solar eclipse”, and everybody just goes, “oh, Brian May’s on, but it’s about physics this time, not music” and carries on.
That happens a little bit on the CBC, not so much on commercial Canadian stations. In the US I don’t know – PBS I guess?
I know the Beeb isn’t perfect by a long shot, and Canadians have been ruled by oligarchs since colonial days, so I get the appointee issue. But there’s still a lot of good happening, and for various reasons we just don’t seem to be able to pull the same together as often over here.
I stick to Radio4 Extra
Many a work day it’s on in the background.
Similarly, I plan to listen to this conversation. Fascinating. Keep going!
And they don’t burn him as a witch? The US and UK really are different.
Well you didn’t have the worlds greatest xylophone player.
I know what this reference is thanks to YouTube.
I used to listen to the Chis Moyles Show on BBCRadio1 because, through the magic of timezones, it was on during my lunchbreak. I appreciated the “Fuck you, Morning Zoo Crew format.” vibe it had
The economics discussion, wherever it crops up, is disturbingly centered, er, centred on the asslicker school that never questions a policy of constant deference to wealth.
Even that, however, is better than USMediaBC. Bernie Sanders killed it on Hardtalk.