Dead air
A few weeks ago, we were told by a source that BBC Scotland’s flagship weeknight current-affairs show Scotland 2015 was recording some truly shocking viewing figures, in the region of 5,000 people a night. When we sent the BBC an FOI request for the stats, it was rejected, like almost all FOIs to the Corporation are.
We also looked into trying to get the data from BARB, but they weren’t very helpful either. So the only option we had left to get any sort of idea at all was to ask in our latest Panelbase poll.
When the results came in, we understood why the BBC wanted it kept quiet.
For perspective, we asked people how often they watched or listened to eight Scottish and UK politics shows on TV and radio. We offered respondents five options ranging from “every episode” to “never”, but for simplicity and to partially spare everyone’s feelings we’ve combined the answers down to three here.
(In each case the numbers for “every episode” were lower than “most episodes”, and in all but two the “never” figures were higher than the “rarely” ones, sometimes to a spectacular degree. For the Kaye Adams Programme, for example, the “never” figure was a whopping 71%, compared to the 19% who at least tune in now and again.)
In order from most-watched to least-watched, the results were:
QUESTION TIME (BBC1)
Every/most episodes: 13%
Some: 17%
Rarely/never: 70%
SCOTLAND TONIGHT (STV)
Every/most: 13%
Some: 16%
Rarely/never: 71%
NEWSNIGHT (BBC2)
Every/most: 7%
Some: 15%
Rarely/never: 78%
SUNDAY POLITICS SCOTLAND (BBC1/Scotland)
Every/most: 7%
Some: 11%
Rarely/never: 82%
DAILY POLITICS (BBC2)
Every/most: 6%
Some: 10%
Rarely/never: 84%
SCOTLAND 2015 (BBC1/Scotland)
Every/most: 5%
Some: 10%
Rarely/never: 85%
GOOD MORNING SCOTLAND (BBC Radio Scotland)
Every/most: 5%
Some: 8%
Rarely/never: 87%
THE KAYE ADAMS PROGRAMME (BBC Radio Scotland)
Every/most: 3%
Some: 7%
Rarely/never: 90%
That is one hefty lack of interest, although Scotland Tonight will probably be rightly pleased at splitting the two big network hitters, and indeed having only been pipped by Question Time by the narrowest of margins.
(The BBC’s completely mystifying decision to put Scotland 2015 directly up against the STV show – Scotland 2015’s predecessor Newsnight Scotland having been on later, letting viewers conveniently watch both – seems to have backfired badly.)
We were most surprised at the poor showings for the two radio programmes, having wrongly imagined that they might do better from their relatively prime-time slots as people were getting ready for or travelling to work, or taking a breather at home after getting partners/children off to work or school.
The shows most popular with voters of each party (calculated by adding together the first two categories above, ie people who watched at least semi-often) were:
QUESTION TIME
Lab 40%
Con 37%
SNP 32%
Lib 23%
SCOTLAND TONIGHT
SNP 39%
Lab 37%
Con 20%
Lib 10%
NEWSNIGHT
SNP 26%
Lab 25%
Con 21%
Lib 12%
SUNDAY POLITICS SCOTLAND
Con 26%
Lab 23%
SNP 21%
Lib 12%
DAILY POLITICS
Con 21%
SNP 21%
Lab 16%
Lib 7%
SCOTLAND 2015
Lab 24%
SNP 19%
Lib 11%
Con 9%
GOOD MORNING SCOTLAND
Con 19%
SNP 17%
Lab 14%
Lib 12%
THE KAYE ADAMS PROGRAMME
SNP 14%
Con 13%
Lab 11%
Lib 0% (not a typo – zero)
Which means that each party’s voters’ favourites were:
SNP
Scotland Tonight
Question Time
Newsnight
LABOUR
Question Time
Scotland Tonight
Newsnight
CONSERVATIVES
Question Time
Sunday Politics Scotland
Daily Politics
LIBERAL DEMOCRATS
Question Time
Good Morning Scotland
Sunday Politics Scotland
Readers can put whatever interpretation they want onto all that. But what seems beyond any rational dispute is that political TV and radio shows barely impact on the consciousness of the Scottish public. If you’re going on Scotland 2015 to make a name for yourself, you’re probably better off sticking to Twitter.
Disposed of our tv and associated licence over a year ago after Paul nutter’s “take take take” rant on question time. Don’t miss it.
Confused I watch some of these programmes either through twitter (links), you tube, Iplayer etc but I never sit through the whole of the programmes so where would you include me in that list, I think your survey would say a never/rarely if you asked me. However your point is right BBC political show don’t have the punch they used to have
From the moment John Robertson and others began to explore the likelihood of the BBC and Tory papers as agents of the State and Establishment, it would be no surprise to see the SNP / Inde figures but the others are truly a surprise.
@ Rev you’ve have knocked some of the Shine of our Glitteraty Presenters with those stats , they might ask You on, to explain them lol.
One surprise for me is that the remaining kernel of Labour supporters do take such a strong interest in programmes like QT.
I have a biased image of Labour voters as being driven by nostalgia and perhaps not being politically engaged in practice. I was wrong.
What it seems to show is that Labour voters tend to view programmes which show either Unionist bias like Scotland 2015 or focus on the WM/ London centric view like QT. Which would explain why they stick with ‘old politics’.
Interesting, thanks.
Looking forward to the rest of the polling results too.
Regarding the quality of these programmes though, it makes me think of the chicken and egg scenario; Are they generally poor quality because hardly anyone watches, or…?
(There is a real demand for political content, but it’s sadly not being supplied by the broadcasters. Imagine how the likes of a nightly, American style ‘late show’ programme would go down if it was done properly!)
Would be good if the National newspaper picked this up and perhaps carried the story of the BBC not answering FOI requests.
Imagine if Eleanor Bradford got the same responses from the NHS boards. Would she still have a career?
Never to all of them. I don’t trust any M.S.M outlet.
It also puts to bed the percieved influece biased MSM actually has.
Those figures really are shocking.
I’m watching Andrew Marr right now.
If I hear the phrase ‘everything has now changed’ one more time…
Just waiting for Teresa May to pop up and tell us she’s clamping down on ‘something’. Perhaps one day an honest politician will appear on the teevee and tell us the truth: no matter how draconian your laws, a government can’t prevent you from being murdered. That’s what this is, it’s not ‘war’ – if they call it a ‘war’ they can tell the public how many bombs they’ve dropped so they can be seen to be doing ‘something’ – this is a criminal act, perpetrated by criminals, not soldiers.
That eejit Moore from the Sun really is an airhead (and would still be an airhead if she were a man). I feel sorry for those who have lost loved ones but I’m not about to hand over what limited ‘freedoms’ we have left to a campaigning politician who lives in a perpetual popularity contest.
Oh and thanks for the data.
I’m not so sure that the politics programmes are the ones that really affect Scotland’s political consciousness. I think it is probably mostly those who take an active interest in politics that watch those shows.
The stats I’d be really interested in seeing are those for the evening news shows from our state broadcaster.
And for anyone who missed The 2015 B4FTA (Before & After) Awards, here’s the link:
http://tinyurl.com/prg39re
Again thanks to ClanDonald for the list. Hope you like the result. Spread it far ‘n’ wide folks. We have to get the message out there to people. Scotland has to see how it was conned by the Red and Blue Tory Project Fear; they have to understand that there is no such thing as the ‘Broad Shoulders’ of the UK that will protec them from an ill wind and a sociopathic chancellor.
reporting scotland and the 10pm news etc, are probably the main consumption points for the bias snpbad propaganda
oddly enough, i do watch qt, so the low viewing figures must also include social media savy yes supporters.
I’m surprised that you are surprised by the poor figures for the radio programmes. I think that a regional breakdown (if you can do it) might be interesting. I’ve never much listened to Radio Scotland as it has always struck me as being a Radio Greater Glasgow, with little to interest anyone north of Stirling (Perth on a good day). I stopped listening in the 1980s and have never really missed it.
So, on a positive note, only about 20% of the population is regularly exposed to BBC lies and propaganda through watching their TV programs.
The problem is the lies and propaganda are pumped out everywhere, in short news updates on radio and TV, newspapers like the Herald and DR, and they have lie machines that churn out stuff on Twitter 24/7.
Rev, it’s this opinionated asshole’s opinion that you need to take to the airwaves. The Wings brand on a Radio Show, there’s a nice thought. I’m sure funding wouldn’t be an issue since we all know how important countering their lies is.
Longer term, some sort of TV channel would be brilliant too. With digital it surely would t be too expensive?
I refuse to believe that Labour voters had a favourite. This would be out of character. They would either have two favourites or they would abstain.
I used to watch many of these programmes, but have lost interest over the years due to predictable biased presentation of “facts”.
The Daily Politics is an English-centric excuse to give the impression that Labour/Tory is still the mainstream ( with a bit of UKIP thrown in). I don’t understand why BBC Scotland don’t run their own show, especially after FMQ’s.
There also used to be a Scottish Question Time, which, if brought back, could easily utilise the 2015 budget.
I phoned Call Kaye once, but never again.
PS I have no fear of hammers, however I dread a slow death by red hot hat pins!
Just came back to say…
Roflmao @ Kaye Adams — 3%!!!!
3 fracking percent? You’d get as many listeners if you broadcast white noise.
A small example of BBC blindness.
Watching the news on BBC this morning. Warnings of flooding and heavy rain in NORTH BRITAIN.
The North Britain turned out to be Cumbria and North Wales.
They must be looking at an already heavily skewed map from the bottom, up.
@Clootie
Perhaps Labour voters should do us a favour and follow their party’s lead – abstain from voting!
The curious factor is that pro-indy voices have been blaming BBC political output for a proportion of no votes through misdirection or biased reporting. With these poor viewing figures, does it show that no voters viewpoints were actually more entrenched than we thought?
Oh, if only you had asked how many were actively boycotting. I used to watch several and listen to several of those avidly, but now dont.
And how many have declined to renew tv licences in the past year?
How strong is the boycott?
I must say, I don’t see what this is supposed to prove. Without the raw data I can’t really draw any kind of conclusions. I’d need to see whether these figures include the whole population or just a subset who claim to have an interest in politics. I’d also have to know whether the respondents watch TV on a regular basis or listen to the radio on a regular basis and what kind of programmes they generally watch/listen to.
Would it not be fair to say that the only people entitled to an opinion on the programming offered by the BBC are those who pay a licence fee? After all, they are the target audience. Also, those who generally watch very little TV or listen to very little radio should be given a lower weighting then those who watch regularly. If I had answered this survey, for example, I only watch about 8 or 9 hours of TV each week and only really listen to the radio for Sportsound on a Saturday afternoon (if I’m not already at the game or work). Indeed I only listen to about 3 hours of radio every month, sometimes less. It shouldn’t come as any surprise, then, that I barely ever watch any of these programs when they are on.
This question also doesn’t take account of how people consume media. For example, I can spend anything from 30-40 hours per week on the internet. Some of that may be spent watching current affairs programmes on catch-up or reading current affairs blogs or websites. So really, without any baseline statistics for the figures, they’re meaningless.
Those figures do go a long way to explaining why they won’t answer FOI requests on audience reach. They can answer BUT oh the shame of it-having to answer to licence payers-never.
Itchybiscuit
Agreed -they are all coming out of the woodwork now. Busy little beavers manipulating the news to manufacture our consent to go to war. Not in my name.
At a fringe event at SNP conference in Aberdeen, the BBC representative indicated that they always answer FoI requests. Unfortunately, we didn’t get the opportunity to challenge that assertion.
I haven’t watched any TV media news since the referendum, they all played their part in negatively affecting my children’s future. To be honest I don’t really miss the news channels poisoning our minds with their unionist agenda.
I would only watch TV news again if Scotland got its own independent news channel.
I used to like listening to the radio in the morning but during and after the referendum last year I realised that all I was doing was supporting a propaganda machine. I don’t have a radio any more!
Makes you wonder if sales of radios have been affected by BBC bias?
What a relief to see that very few people listen to Kay with an e. Of those who do, they are mostly SNP, probably phoning in to complain.
Surprised the % of those watching are so high! Only Duncan-types twittering away real-time watch… along with someone who has fallen asleep and left the TV playing.
@WellKeith89 says: 15 November, 2015 at 10:04 am:
” … I must say, I don’t see what this is supposed to prove.
But then you would say that – wouldn’t you?
The rest of your long rambling rant is quite obviously the usual Establishment Unionist pish.
Interesting. For myself – a fairly dedicated political junkie – I watch Scotland Tonight religiously, Question Time if I can stand UKIP being on, Newsnight if it’s relevant, and Scotland 2015 only infrequently, but admittedly more recently since Shelly Jofre took over. I only listen to Call Kaye if Stu has pointed out some particularly egregious whopping lies. Reporting Scotland is poison and I never watch it.
For UK wide news, Channel 4 News is hard to beat, and Jon Snow is one of my favourite broadcasters. I watch that most evenings. Daily/Sunday Politics only if I can be arsed and preferably when Andrew Neil isn’t on it, and Marr infrequently (basically only if the SNP are on).
Oh dear what a shame lol
Shameful manipulative, deceitful, lying, corrupt shower. They see the effect their lies have on the population, poverty rising, deaths from government sanctions, war for profit yet they persist.
Stop watching and listening, lower your blood pressure and share links from Wings, Proud Cybernat, GA Ponsonby and so on.
Posted some off topic links on previous thread.
imo BBC “national” TV news bulletins are the most influential in forming people’s perceptions,with newspapers well behind.
@WellKeith89
https://www.uic.edu/classes/socw/socw560/Sampling1.htm
If I watch or listen to any of the above news shows, it’s critically. It’s really to see what complete rubbish they are spouting after having got my news via the Internet or RT, Euronews etc.
I never last any longer than about five minutes, especially Kaye Adams show, which is certainly stomach churning!
The STV figures could also be affected by the fact that the south of Scotland has ITV instead so don’t have the option of watching it. Even trying on the website doesn’t work as it seems to be blocked.
So really, without any baseline statistics for the figures, they’re meaningless
Propaganda is probably never fun to watch, more creepy than anything else. BBC 24 news is on two giant tv screens at my works reception, endless ticker tape propaganda in HD. So even if like me you hardly ever watch their garbage anymore, especially BBC vote Slabour Scotland, it’s still belching out all over the shop.
18 Sept 2014, I certainly got to know Katherine Macleod of the Herald very well, as the BBC 24 news gimps had her on all day, hamming up her terrified of YES elderly lady and please vote NO its too too risky, Alex Salmond can’t even tell us what currency will be in a poor wee Scottish purses tomorrow, kind of BBC Project Fearing.
Very ugly stuff, as rancid The Graun explains, Katherine helped save red and blue tory control of Scotland because
“With six weeks to go one of Better Together’s press team asked Catherine MacLeod, Darling’s long-time aide, for a mobile number for BBC Scotland’s political editor. “How could they possibly not have had that number?” said one infuriated campaigner.”
Historic BBC fraud’s never once even mentioned that Macleod was Flipper Darling’s spin doctor.
The numbers overall explain why so few people know who Kezia and Ruth are (I would question whether Liberal Party members know who Willie is 😉 )
Nicola and by dint the SNP reach out past the political media and that is why the other parties are struggling to gain traction.
Live Licence Free so pay BBC nothing. As has been mentioned by others, don’t miss it and save money.
Have Lived Licence Free since last September so pay BBC zero. Don’t miss it or the overpriced Sky package I had.
Stuart
Can you tell us what the sample size for the poll was?
what concerns me is the numbers of “never/rarely” across the boards which makes me wonder if Scotland is as politically alive as we imagine. of course we need to know how many out of the sample actually have/watch the telly/radio nowadays or are simply just avoiding these types of programme
Just don’t buy a TV license, never have and hopefully never will.
Strange that Tories claim the BBC favours Labour when their 3 top choices are all BBC.
A few people now questioning if these shows had any influence on the voting public last year during the run up to the referendum.
The answer is Yes.
Viewing figures would be much higher during that period, and in fact, viewing figures will go up as we near any election period as public interest increases.
Important to realise that now we are in a fairly settled period so these results would be down, though it is surprising to see how low they are.
The other factor to consider may be the influence of these programmes – do newspapers and political parties pick up headlines and use them to their advantage ?
The answer to that seems to be Yes. So often we see BBC news headlines that happen to sync with SLAB accusations, a reason for the numerous ‘SNP accused’ articles. The co-ordination of such events are too regular to be anything else.
So let’s not write off the influence of these programmes.
Slightly O/T but BBC Breakfast AT 8am had pictures from around the world of cities showing unity with France by lighting landmarks in the colours of the French flag. Main focus was London but they also showed Berlin (twice), Sydney, Washington even Tapei. Absent however was Glasgow so we missed seeing the lovely display on that college that overlooks George Square not only showing the blue, white and red but emblazoned with the words “Je T’aime”. Very classy I thought. But not worth showing if you are the EBC. McCaig’s Tower on Oban was also lit up, but the Scottish news last night was blink and you miss it so no coverage.
Dunno if I’m allowed to share links but I filmed this a while ago. I had deleted it from my channel but it was shared elsewhere.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gr76dunFDwo
What really incenses me is the BBC’s repeated use of the same presenter on its political programmes. Andrew Neil hosts three political shows – The Daily and Sunday Politics Shows and This Week. Why? Is it lack of talent out there? Is it laziness?
No, it’s clear there’s a very cosy, comfortable, almost incestuous relationship with ‘establishment’ figures such as Neil, Dimbleby, etc. You can almost hear the explanation: “Of course we use Andrew, he’s one of us.”
Whatever happened to’he’s very good at his job’ as a benchmark? That’s obviously not important. Because, as was demonstrated very publicly recently, he’s not. He’s been shown up as a liar.
Quoting incorrect figures at a politician and then trying to barrack him into discussing them was a prime example of his personal political prejudices overriding any pretence of open honest discussion. Holding politicians to account doesn’t work if you are a dodgy accountant.
Until this smug complacency is cleared out, we’re never going to get anything
Can someone put a FoI request in to BBC Scotland asking what percentage of FoIs do they decline to answer?
As for all these “political” programmes they are nothing more than echo chambers for a miniscule number of white middle class viewers.
Most people don’t watch or care – anymore than they read or care about the average broadsheet newspaper.
“Readers can put whatever interpretation they want onto all that.”
I think it means they should give “Tokyo Kaye” her jotters.
I’m surprised that the survey didn’t include the teatime Scottish News programs – in particular Reporting SNPbad which probably reach far more people than any of the political programs surveyed.
I would also like to see the figures for FMQs.
Re KayE and her extended program – it is an unmitigated load of rubbish since Fred got the boot.
Come back Fred – he may have his critics but I like his light self deprecating humour which is devoid of the nastiness prevalent in so many of today’s comedians.
Rev, not usually being one for polls, i can only thank you for this. Anything that exposes the BBC is very welcome, the more the merrier.
The BBC are the ringleaders against a free and prosperous Scotland. They truly are the London establishments mouthpiece with zero credibility and from which truth is rarer than hens teeth.
Difficult question, how many of the people who might change their vote actually watch any programmes?
Does anything said on these programmes affect voting if the only people who watch are never going to change?
Even though there are adverts,I prefer Scotland Tonight as the guests & presenters vary. Always wondered though,why Scots politics programmes are never broadcast on fridays.
Wellkeith89
“only people entitled to an opinion on the programming offered by the BBC are those who pay a licence fee? ”
So, house with mum dad and three children over 18 . One licence fee holder get an opinion with the other 4 ignored.
Student flat with 8 regerstsed voters one landlord with a licence so 7 ignored.
Any other good ideas.
http://caltonjock.com/2015/11/15/the-tories-never-yet-have-taken-up-a-cause-which-they-did-not-ultimately-betray/
WellKeith89 “I’d need to see whether these figures include the whole population or just a subset who claim to have an interest in politics”
Think it safe to say the randomly selected population sample is of those 16 and over who are eligible to vote in the Holyrood elections.
“I’d also have to know whether the respondents watch TV on a regular basis or listen to the radio on a regular basis and what kind of programmes they generally watch/listen to”
Why?
“Would it not be fair to say that the only people entitled to an opinion on the programming offered by the BBC are those who pay a licence fee?”
No, that would not be fair to say. The issue is the reach of these programmes and the influence of their wears (news, analyses, and opinion) on the electorate.
“After all, they are the target audience.”
Immaterial whom the BBC or STV may deem the target audience. The question is how many electors watch it, irrespective of their status WRT the broadcasters target cohorts.
“This question also doesn’t take account of how people consume media. For example, I can spend anything from 30-40 hours per week on the internet.”
Perhaps the survey question doesn’t take this into account because it is irrelevant. What proportion of the electorate watch/listen to these broadcasts and how frequently do they do so?
“So really, without any baseline statistics for the figures, they’re meaningless.”
Consider Keith that your interests might best be served by enrolling in a remedial course in English comprehension, and auditing a class on statistical methods.
The broad shoulders of the UK need to be re-defined as the sloping shoulders of the UK.
Sorry for this repeated post, folks, I was in the middle of a sentence when I sneezed and accidentally clicked to submit.
What really incenses me is the BBC’s repeated use of the same presenter on its political programmes. Andrew Neil hosts three political shows – The Daily and Sunday Politics Shows and This Week. Why? Is it lack of talent out there? Is it laziness?
No, it’s clear there’s a very cosy, comfortable, almost incestuous relationship with ‘establishment’ figures such as Neil, Dimbleby, etc. You can almost hear the explanation: “Of course we use Andrew, he’s one of us.”
Whatever happened to ’he’s very good at his job’ as a benchmark? That’s obviously not important. Because, as was demonstrated very publicly recently, he’s not. He’s been shown up as a liar.
Quoting incorrect figures at a politician and then trying to barrack him into discussing them was a prime example of his personal political prejudices overriding any pretence of open honest discussion. Holding politicians to account doesn’t work if you are a dodgy accountant.
Until this smug complacency is cleared out, we’re never going to get anything like the standard of political discourse we deserve. And we deserve much better than presenters resting on the laurels of their long-past achievements, while still being comfotably rewarded by good old Auntie.
BBC Scotland won’t give a shit about these figures, their job is to continue to scaremonger, no matter what.
Scotland must be the ONLY country in the world where our views are shaped by an outside force (LONDON) and we sit back and accept it.
These figures show that they are depriving us of a “normal” news service.
@ WellKeith, 40 hours a week on the internet, what kind of a life is that? living in a bubble with chronic piles.
Don’t watch any of the junk listed inless excerpts are posted on Wings & wouldn’t touch Keyhole Kaye with a bargepole, the voice alone is enough.
steveasaneilean wrote:
“Can someone put a FoI request in to BBC Scotland asking what percentage of FoIs do they decline to answer?”
Not sure if your query is genuine or tongue-in-cheek but i recall seeing such a request on the ‘What Do They Know’ FOI site. Can’t recall what the reply was but don’t be surprised if it was declined.
__________
msean wrote:
“Always wondered though,why Scots politics programmes are never broadcast on fridays.”
Funny you should say that but i have always jokingly said that the reason for weekend television viewing being so abysmally uninteresting, and basically p!sh, was a deliberate ploy to chase us all out to the pubs & clubs and turn us all into raging alcoholics.
‘If you’re going on Scotland 2015 to make a name for yourself, you’re probably better off sticking to Twitter.’
Well, maybe, but of course even if not that many folk actually watch/listen to these programmes, they set the news agenda on other media, including this site. Think about how many times This site has subjected a calamitous Jackie Baillie interview (watched initially by a handful) to a much wider audience.
If people are not watching these politics programmes on TV then they are probably not reading political stories in newspapers.
Could it be that a very high % of voters get their information just from headlines. A quick scan over the headlines in the supermarket/station on Google news or in the free newspapers provided on buses etc.
I expect the ‘perception managers’ are aware of all the best ways of manipulating the busy population.
Becoming politically aware takes up an awful lot of one’s spare time.
O/T – listening to ‘Desert Island Discs’.
Kirsty Young just questioned Nicola about Police Scotland and the crash where tragically that couple died. She says if this had happened in ‘British’ politics the minister would have been forced to resign. What a load of bollocks.
Also quizzed NS about removing ‘right to buy’ policy, while mentioning that her parents had bought their council house.
The innate arrogance of the unionist media, especially the bbc, means it will probably see these figures as some kind of exclusive vindiction.
Ohhh, that’ll leave a mark. 🙂
Also, the folk who are commenting proudly ‘I literally never watch/read/listen to any news source other than Wings and NewsNet’ are utter fuds. Where are you going to get information about world affairs?
The pro-Indy online media is excellent there’s stuff it just doesn’t cover. Reading Wings should give you the critical reading skills to read other news sources (like the Graun) and extract what’s true from the spin. Ignorance should never, ever be a source of pride.
caz-m wrote:
“..and we sit back and accept it.”
Not only do some accept it Caz, there are still far too many in Scotland who continue to pay these liars to spread their propaganda. I would go to jail rather than give them a single penny.
I bet although people are for the most part totally unaware of what’s going on in politics a very high % of people will know every details of the incidents in Paris.
They will be highly’ informed’ about these incidents in Paris and they will even be placing flowers & message outside every French Consulate in the whole of the UK.
@Jim McIntosh 12:05 pm
Kisty Young: just another proudbut Scot who makes their way in London by knocking Scotland. The bbc loves her.
Call Kaye and Sarah Smith were given primetime slots on TV and radio to help save the Union AND Scottish Labour.
They have failed miserably regarding Scottish Labour and as for the Union, well as we say on Wings,
Tick Tock, Tick Tock.
PS. Sarah Smith was last seen hanging on to Jon Snow’s leg pleading with him to get her old job back.
If you’re going on Scotland 2015 to make a name for yourself, you’re probably better off sticking to Twitter.
Peat Worrier – someone has got to tell him!
“Ignorance should never, ever be a source of pride.”
BBC and newspapers such as the Guardian are adept at thought control. (Tabloids are brazen liars.) You need a professor of linguistics skills to spot the subtleties as they arrive before you, and have the time to analyse.
I wonder if this could be behind the support for a Scottish 6 News?
Get the anti SNP propaganda out when more people are watching for real news?
@handandShrimp
I think many LibDem supporters ahve difficulty remebering whe they themselves are.
Listening to my Drake R4B radio (built into a delightfully fake walnut cabinet) the other day, I accidentally dialled through a segment hosted by that harridan Kay(e) Adams on BBC Radio Scotland (810 MW for geeks).
You’ll be delighted to hear that I intuitively switched to short wave to absorb the last 45 minutes of a taped radio broadcast of the Soviet grain harvest results from 1972.
Much, much more entertaining. And informative.
O/T
https://www.politicshome.com/home-affairs/articles/story/george-osborne-abandons-cuts-universal-credit-after-ids-quit-threat
Stoker
They would need to build one of those enormous super-prisons
if they were to lock up all of us who refuse to pay the illegal BBC license fee.
Scotland gets around £150 Million pounds spent on programmes, out of an overall BBC budget of around £5 Billion pounds.
Why should I go to jail for not paying Jackie Bird’s wages?
Should a parent be sent to prison if they decide to by food for their starving children, rather than pay their TV License?
It’s antiquated and immoral.
I have said on a previous post, since giving up the licence, we only watch catch up, I-player e.t.c, never live TV.
When we watch 6.30pm Reporting Misery for example later on at night, you get the headlines and then skip to the weather.
You will not miss the TV when you stop paying the licence,
I thought we would but it enhanced our outlook on what is happening in the country.
WoS is one of the few sources where we now get TRUE FACTUAL information.
The EBC sold itself down the river decades ago.
Break free from the matrix.
lol ouch
i would go as far as to say most of the figures for the SNP viewers are just the alert readers checking out what lies they are peddling today.
Which means that each party’s voters’ favourites were…
No it doesn’t, not really. We haven’t seen the tables yet, but assuming that you started out with the usual sample of around 1000, the numbers involved in the subsamples will be so small that distinguishing between SNP/Lab/Con in who came first for any programme will be random – they’re not that much separated here. And the number of Lib Dems will be so tiny that you can draw no conclusions at all.
It’s also worth pointing out that the overall viewing/listening figures you have got will be a considerable over-estimate of the true ones. Partly this is because people say they partake more than they do. The ‘Some’ people may only catch things once a month, the ‘Most’ once a week – but they feel obliged to say they watch/listen more than they do because knowing what is happening in the world is seem as virtuous.
The other reason is that people who have signed up to join a consumer panel, such as Panelbase, will be more likely to be politically engaged than average anyway and so more likely to listen to such programmes. People who are engaged and have opinions on things, tend to have opinions on everything. So even the percentages you have got here will be more than the true ones.
I used to be an ardent listener to GMS in the days before I gave up work, I used it to time where I was in the process of getting ready. Even then I was adept at missing bits out of my hearing. I am now back listening to Radio 4, well might as well be a real foreign country as the one that is potrayed on GMS.
I wonder if it is because people in Scotland who are aware of the state of Politics get their news elsewhere, like here?
BBC Scotland political programmes are ‘regional’ magazine shows, hence budget is modest, thus constraining quality of personnel and content.
Do BBC mandarins realise the qualitative outcome of their parsimonious colonial decisions? Is the Pope a Catholic?
Your Sunday anger boost: http://wp.me/p4fd9j-2oL
I no longer watch or listen to any of the listed programmes. I don’t care for any of them. I consider them all equally not just anti Indy or even anti SNP but anti Scottish to their rotten whoring Brit Nat cores.
So the Tories watch the Sunday Politics, I thought they would all be in church. I guess not as I am confirmed in my belief that they are all godless heathens.
“Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs on Sunday, Sturgeon revealed how she was “totally and utterly devastated” by the defeat of the yes campaign in last year’s independence referendum.”
Another sneaky creepy old The Guardian report.
The never ending eye opener on the vote Tory R4 propaganda, is just how entirely centered on bigging up hard line right establishment England they all are.
Everything they do is entirely giant boosting for rule Britannia. If they get bored they pull in right wing USA stuff. Insular, navel gazing, overblown pompous UKOK, everything lensed through toryboy England world, prep school, oxbridge, royals groveling, honking south east of England centre of BBC universe, which ofcourse it really is.
Fair play to Sturgeon engaging with hard core UKOK propandists but they will anihalate Scottish democracy as easy as breathing.
Kirsty Young just questioned Nicola
I must own up to inventing her.
I remember the exact moment and place. Told her she did not have the talent to be an actress, but her ‘dark’ voice lent itself well to presenting programmes. She should pursue that career. Alas, she took my advice and was soon presenting and even sooner in the tabloids.
Hi Stuart,
Very interesting piece thank you.
Have you thought about putting in an appeal to the original FOIA/FOISA request?
The reason that I ask is Heather Brooke famously made an FOIA request regarding MP expenses. She appealed and went all the way. The rest they say is history.
Of material relevance is what the High Court of Justice – which ruled on 16 May 2008 in favour of releasing the information – had to say:-
The House of Commons expense system has a shortfall—both in terms of transparency and accountability. We have no doubt that the public interest is at stake. We are not here dealing with idle gossip, or public curiosity about what in truth are trivialities. The expenditure of public money through the payment of MPs’ salaries and allowances is a matter of direct and reasonable interest to taxpayer.
Is it just me, or do the BBC have a similar responsibility in accounting what they do with public money?
The BBC have an appalling record. Not just with anti-SNP bias in Scotland, but as a fact that they jail many women in debtors prison for failure to pay their TV Licence Tax. That is when the BBC are not gorging themselves overpaying senior management. In between the BBC employing sex pests and paedophiles. A truly awful organisation where an overhaul is long overdue.
I believe that when Heather Brooke sent her original FOIA in, she couldn’t have imagined several MPs and Lords going to jail and that festering institution at Westminster having to try and clean up it’s act.
Stuart, my point is that BBC Scotland should start accounting for the money they extract via terrorising vulnerable people with their disgusting obligatory TV Tax.
So, if nobody watches it then, is the media really the reason people voted no?
Or should we be concentrating on the print media? But it is dying is it not?
I’m confused and worried.
What terrestrial broadcaster, proud of its broadcasting integrity, mindful of the sensitivities involved in a major national referendum on self-governance, appoints as key presenter of their flagship nightly political programme the daughter of a Labour leader, and ship in non-Scots for segments, and trust viewers not to cry foul?
DeilTakTheHindmaist says:
15 November, 2015 at 12:10 pm
“Also, the folk who are commenting proudly ‘I literally never watch/read/listen to any news source other than Wings and NewsNet’ are utter fuds. Where are you going to get information about world affairs?
The pro-Indy online media is excellent there’s stuff it just doesn’t cover. Reading Wings should give you the critical reading skills to read other news sources (like the Graun) and extract what’s true from the spin. Ignorance should never, ever be a source of pride.”
I honestly don’t feel like ploughing through the waterlogged bog that is the Brit Nat Press and Media to extract questionable grains of truth from it.
Nor am I willing to waste a single bawbee on buying any tawdry Brit Nat rag or even clicking on their net sites to give them any more succour.
In other words Deil tak them all and the sooner the better!
And don’t get me started on the BBC weather map, where Devon and Cornwall are made to look larger than the whole of Scotland.
@Proud Cybernat: What a great compilation, excellent stuff, glad that the list has been useful! Hope you get MILLIONS of hits. It should be of most use when the next indyref comes around, maybe we should crowdfund getting CDs made to send to every household in Scotland!
A life-long news and current affairs junkie/nerd, I’ve given up completely on Good Morning Scotland, Reporting Scotland and, especially, Scotland 2015 in favour of The Today Programme (Radio Four), Channel Four News and Newsnight. If I must listen to rabidly pro-unionist propaganda, I may as well listen to the real thing that isn’t pretending to be something else.
Besides, that fecking Jackie Bird doesn’t half ghie me the boak. Kaye Adams an’ all after she bare-faced denied live on air that Gordon Brown had promised Scotland “near-federalism” on Channel Four News the night before and shouted down anyone who dared to disagree. I STILL can’t believe that. Didn’t realise I lived in North Korea till the referendum. Talk about a real eye-opener!
Generally don’t bother with any of them (and am politically active). It’s a forum for bullshitters with the most important issues filtered by ‘popular opinion’, a.k.a. London media.
I watched most of them up to the UK Election but an occasional glance at The two after the main news but quickly switched off due to the somewhat biased views expressed therein.
I started subscribing to the National specifically to keep up with international news. I think there is a real need for an equivalent to Wings or an extension to Wings that focuses on the international scene from a Scottish perspective. As with domestic issues, the Brits are happy to swallow the lines put out by the media. That was how we got into the Iraq disaster. Security is a key issue for everyone and we in the independence movement somehow have to play a full part in influencing British Government policy through influencing public opinion.
The refugee/migrant situation in Europe is a disaster that threatens to get very much worse. People are going to suffer terribly this winter and I see a huge risk that Europe is going to become a war zone. The British Government has chosen to adopt a siege mentality and that needs to be challenged by our SNP MP’s. In my opinion, the EU needs to be working as one unit and the British Government needs to commit a hundred percent to that approach.
I cashed in my BBC license the day after the referendum result and have been enlightened ever since, having to actually look for news has been a revelation. I now only see EBC unwittingly when in a pub or visiting a friend and have to say the programs now seem completely alien, as if they are in another dimension or something.
I did read somewhere that 1.6ml licenses were handed back, you do the math, that’s got to hurt 🙂
More worrying for the “establishment” is that if no one is actually watching their torrid mouthpieces how will they ever managed to get us to believe their lies. Ho dear!!
For entertainment I listen to Radio North Angus, and for news (apart from WoS and the like) I watch Aljazeera, working and living in a suitcase as I do, it always seems to give a more balanced view of things.
Keep on keeping on!!
@Iain More
““Also, the folk who are commenting proudly ‘I literally never watch/read/listen to any news source other than Wings and NewsNet’ are utter fuds. Where are you going to get information about world affairs?”
Why should I get my eyes/ears soiled. Isn’t that what we pay the Rev for? 🙂 🙂
You could also have asked how many listen to Radio Scotland’s blanket football output.
Friday evening: 18:30 – 22:00 Sportsound
Saturday afternoon: 12:00 – 18:30 Sportsound, Off the Ball
Sunday afternoon: 12:00 – 17:00 Sportsound
So if you thought the weekend might be a good time for some in-depth analysis of important issues of the week, or a good play or story from our marvellous writers and dramatists, forget it.
Not much bread but plenty circuses.
caz-m wrote:
“Scotland gets around £150 Million pounds spent on programmes, out of an overall BBC budget of around £5 Billion pounds.”
I thought it was a lot less than that. The figures i have in my head are a Scottish contribution of circa £300m per annum, from which Scotland receives circa £80m or £120m (the 2 figures i have). Don’t know how accurate my figures are but i don’t think i’m that far out.
__________
Iain More wrote:
“I honestly don’t feel like ploughing through the waterlogged bog that is the Brit Nat Press and Media to extract questionable grains of truth from it.”
“Nor am I willing to waste a single bawbee on buying any tawdry Brit Nat rag or even clicking on their net sites to give them any more succour.”
“In other words Deil tak them all and the sooner the better!”
Perfectly put, amen to that!
Words failed me when he/she referred to others as “fuds” and then goes on to promote the unionist establishment Guardian rag. As well as being educated on WOS we certainly get a good laugh, eh!
Jim McIntosh wrote:
“Why should I get my eyes/ears soiled. Isn’t that what we pay the Rev for?”
AYE, indeed we do!
____________________
“Currently the BBC exists in Scotland as an appendage to the UK BBC. Despite its name, there is no official body called BBC Scotland.”
“The organisation we know as BBC Scotland is not answerable to the Scottish Parliament. It is not subject to Scottish Freedom of Information laws and cannot be summoned to answer questions in front of Holyrood MSPs.”
“The BBC in Scotland is, in effect, controlled by London and is ultimately answerable to the westminster government.”
“Broadcasting in Scotland must come under the jurisdiction of the Scottish Parliament, Scots Law and ultimately the Scottish people.”
“The proposals for further devolution of power to Scotland must include broadcasting.”
By Lynda Williamson
Put Scotland in control of Scottish Broadcasting.
Only time will tell if the great efforts from Lynda, and many other Smith Commission submissions, will produce the required fruit. Dinny haud yer breth folks!
Proud Cybernat, that is fantastic. I think that should be a stand alone post on Wings. Get that out to all the undecideds and Nos.
Thanks for the data, once again, Stu. The results actually make you wonder how many Scots are actually interested in politics at all. It might help to establish that criteria as a baseline to work from.
It also makes you wonder where they get their information from, if they do at all, that ultimately influences their vote … family custom, friends views, allegiance to Westminster, driven by religion, front page of rags like the Daily Record, 6PM News, online?! or whatever. More than anything how easy / difficult it will be to ‘convert’ some of the no voters, depending on the source of indoctrination, to voting yes next time round.
Fortunately we have you to watch all this rubbish for us Rev. I just check Wings each day, roll my eye and tut, then get on with real life. Who in their right mind would watch question time for pleasure – S&M perhaps?
I have no problem getting international news. There are news agencies and foreign papers with English language sites. If anything the fact I have to actively seek out foreign news is an advantage.
The MOT spins everything. There are more bad things abroad too, and we are taught how bad all of them are by the same people who preach to the world how bad the SNP is. From reading comments on web sites I learned that there was a bombing in Beirut the same day as Paris. Same Sunni sponsored perps apparently. But from UK posters it would appear that’s not common knowledge.
Broadcasting derives its influence from our lazy acceptance of anything they say as truth. Yet if you have been involved in a story you will know that what is reported is not what happened. So why would you accept all other stories as a fair representation.
This Internet allows us to do our own research. And that is why they want to spy on us all. News they don’t control is a threat to their management of how we think.
‘Readers can put whatever interpretation they want onto all that.’
Playing devil’s advocate, doesn’t it mean that the BBC (inter alia) has scunnered the populace away from an interest in politics? Mission accomplished?
Hmm, well, I must confess,I stopped listening to Call Kaye years ago. It was just the same judgemental curtain twitchers that you get on every other daytime call show. #Indyref, of course, gave it extra bile.
I watched all the political shows until 18th September, then, (with real relief in the case of Scotland 2014/5) I stopped watching any of them, and cancelled my tv licence.
I have chanced on Reporting Scotland recently, and I see it’s still the same old stuff #SNPbad, SNHSBad, Police Scotland bad.
Now, in the case of Police Scotland, I actually believe there are issues that need to be discussed and resolved. However, I would not trust our national broadcaster to do so, and wouldn’t trust anything they said anyway.
There is a real hunger for current affairs to be dealt with on an impartial basis, but the bias of the MSM has now driven us into our trenches, and it’s going to take a lot to overcome that, even if there were tv journalists capable of it.
And that’s the problem. We need a national broadcaster, not a state broadcaster. But we all need to have faith in their output.
BTW, where is Sarah Smith these days?
@ Proud Cybernat.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQ0qTiNPWno&feature=youtu.be
Getting info like that onto national tv would get us independence.
It would also help to destroy the lying unionist mouthpieces.
Sheer brilliance, now bookmarked.
C’mon folks, lets get this spread far and wide.
Bugger (the Panda) says:
15 November, 2015 at 12:41 pm
I wonder if this could be behind the support for a Scottish 6 News?
Get the anti SNP propaganda out when more people are watching for real news?
http://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/nov/13/bbc-scotland-bosses-lobby-for-scottish-six-news-programme
“Options include a direct replacement for the BBC1 Six O’Clock news or a standalone programme which could air on BBC2 Scotland in the early evening. The BBC’s current regional news programme Reporting Scotland on BBC1 would be heavily cut back.”
——–
It looks like discussions are ongoing regarding a Scottish Six news show with an international perspective.
But there is NO WAY the SNP should let it get bumped onto BBC2 with some cut price offering.
We already have the UK news at noon and in the evening, and on the 24 hour channels.
And now there is finally a proposal to have a Scottish Six, but one of the options is to relegate it to BBC2, enhancing the impression that Scotland is inferior and can’t be trusted with one main news show on the main channel ???
It’s the same thinking as to why BBC Alba isn’t available in high definition, but only as a limited bandwidth freeview channel with poor picture quality.
This is why part control of broadcasting is essential, and why the current Scotland bill is pathetic.
A devolution referendum is needed to accept it as it stands, or show the demand is there to upgrade it.
Proud Cybernat – that video was fantastic – I’ve posted it to my Facebook page and hope others will post the link on Twitter etc.
Just pure lovin’ your work. 🙂
I must admit I do watch the bbc but only because of that old saying know your enemy ,
Yes brilliant work Proud Cybernat and thanks to Clan Donald for compiling the list of ‘before and after’ the Referendum.
I reckon this is the way to go forward. Constructing clear, concise lists and using them to disseminate information online, easily accessible from Wings (if Stu agreed), on leaflets or to be memorised to help impart information at meetings, face to face and so on.
Many people voted no because they thought that we were too poor to go it alone. They don’t seem to have any idea that Scotland exports more than it imports unlike rUK … a major factor in relation to them accruing so much debt, 1.5 trillion and rising, which we Scots have then to help to pay off.
I posted a list of Scotland’s assets recently. If anyone is interested I could post it again and we could add to it such as Food and Drink … Whisky 25% of ALL UK food and drink export, Scottish salmon top UK food export, gin, Scott’s porage oats, Irn Bru, etc etc etc.
Some helpful links:
http://www.businessforscotland.co.uk/13-billion-food-and-drink-sector-is-key-to-scotlands-wealth/
http://www.scotlandfoodanddrink.org/news.aspx
And couple of programmes well worth watching … one on last week and the other on yesterday. Yes I know the BBC!!!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b05t253h/how-scotland-works-1-scotland-at-work
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b05tv23w/how-scotland-works-2-brand-scotland
I’ve also put together a list, which could be appended, of some other areas that I’ve been working on but could do with some help, again if anyone is interested.
Listing:
Powers that Scotland will have / not have when the Scotland Bill clears the House of Lords.
What Labour (Tory, Libdem) politician have said versus the truth (long list I would imagine). Jackie Baillie is a good example.
Countries that are ‘more powerfully devolved’ than Scotland will be and list of their powers.
The MANY companies who have been given licenses to Frack in Scotland, who authorised them (individuals in HoLs with vested interests), where they want to Frack, how much money THEY will make from this and the negative impact of Fracking.
The MANY major oil companies that hold licenses to drill for oil / have applied for oil (and gas) licenses in the last few months and new oil field finds.
Scotland’s MANY assets in particular in comparison to rUK (Scotland exports more than imports and vice versa) and the amount of money they generate.
Names of individuals (Independence supporters ) who have held prestigious posts in relation to the EU, Nato, NHS, Military and so on.
Key issues that Labour have voted on in agreement with the Tories or abstained on such as austerity / working tax credits
Labour politicians expense claims, itemised / amount such as Jim Murphy claiming for his electricity bills.
Number of individuals in the House of Lords, how much they claim, what they can claim for, what is subsidised and how much it costs the tax-payer overall.
Labour policies / Acts that have had a negative impact on Scotland / UK.
Benefits of renewable energy versus nuclear and fossil fuel.
Proof that Scotland has been subsidising England.
Labour politicians with links to private companies .. pushing for privatisation.
Number of shipping companies in Norway. Ships etc built year by year.
Countries that UK residents have relocated to whereby they still receive their State Pensions. Webbs statement that Scottish pensions will not be affected if we get our Independence.
Number / names of countries in Nato that don’t have nuclear weapons. Number of countries Worldwide that don’t have Nuclear weapons.
Companies (number of employees) in England that benefit from Trident versus those in Scotland. Numbers of Scots who could lose their jobs at Faslane … Labour Party figures versus Ministry of Defence.
Accidents / potential for accidents / risks relating to Faslane / Coulport.
Energy companies: how much profit they make and how much they pay out to shareholders.
English ‘projects’ (and cost) that Scots have / are paying for built in South of England / outwith Scotland.
Postal vote fraud / potential for scamming in the UK. Backed with data from individuals such as Richard Mawrey QC.
Number / names of countries that Westminster has invaded versus for example Iran and Syria.
Data from the McCrone Report, stolen seas / oil fields, only country in the world to have found oil (other than Iraq) and have no oil fund (quoting amount of Norwegian oil fund and how it has been spent).
Rev Stu – you are a genius!
Best stuff I have seen on the decline of BBC PQ. It is ironic that all the unionist propaganda programmes are being ignored not only by pro-Indy folk but the whole population.
I am all for commercial TV / radio and the scrapped of the licence fee. I wonder if commercial TV and radio would put up with these viewing/listening figures. All these presenters would have been sacked long ago.
As for comments on FOIs, complaints, etc – a complete waste of time as the BBC will never publish any details that would be pro-Indy or admit to the slightest bit of bias.
So just stop paying the licence fee and stop watching the BBC.
We are winning!
Nice touch of irony when the BBC bastards can’t have Scottish Six news or any real broadcasting services but are diverting funds for TV to Russia and wait for it……..
North Korea.
Piss taking shower of cunts.
Scotland-the only country in the world where their TV is produced and ‘edited’ by another country
Ffs
Stoker says
“Scotland receives circa £80m or £120m (the 2 figures i have). Don’t know how accurate my figures are but i don’t think i’m that far out.”
I thought it was £80 million as well.
A 1967 Birmingham copy of the Radio Times showed that there were four programs musical/drama with a Scottish content and made in Scotland networked across the UK, now there are practically none.
Our licence fee now goes to support and promote English television to the exclusion of rUK.
Re the EBC and their programmes, like so many others I have watched none since last year, not even this Scotland series they are running just now. Can’t junk the license because of Mrs. Keelie.
But, a couple of weeks ago, I switched on to see what Sunday Politics (Jockland) was doing and watched Angela Constance get a verbal doing from But But Brewer. Switched off. Next night, Monday, I watched STV Scotland Tonight as I quite often do and its John McK and,,,, Angela Constance. John asks a question, Angela answers. John asks a question, Angela answers. and so on.
I was so struck by the difference, I know , seen it all before, but I was. Went ben the room, and sent off an email to STV commenting on just that and their neighbours over the way. And thanks.
Got one back the next day saying thanks for the feedback and it was being passed upstairs to management.
On another note, but in the same vein, I got onto Aldi asking if they could stock the National. Again, email back saying they would look into it. I also buttonholed the manager of our local branch. He was telling me they, and I assume none of the other chains have, a dedicated Scottish buying unit, so, Please, get onto Aldi’s and ask.
@ Glesca Keelie says at 6:37 pm ”On another note, but in the same vein, I got onto Aldi asking if they could stock the National. Again, email back saying they would look into it. I also buttonholed the manager of our local branch. He was telling me they, and I assume none of the other chains have, a dedicated Scottish buying unit, so, Please, get onto Aldi’s and ask.”
I had to email Morrison’s to get the National delivered to their stores which they did eventually (probably inundated with emails). Now trying to get Lidls to do likewise. So yeah please unite to keep up the pressure on these stores.
@Petra 8.01. This simple effective idea could help swing the next referendum. Well done, well done, well done and keep it up with Aldi. Think I will send an email to circulation manager at National asking what they are doing about this.
@ Rev. Really excellent. ASK THE BBC publicly to confirm or deny their failing programming.
In a catalogue of news and current affairs programmes, cough, from BritBC, Reporting Scotland is, quite simply, beyond parody- primus inter pares. Banality and unionist propaganda and chauvinism made flesh, so to speak.
An echo chamber for the southern metropolitan elite each and every night. Big Eleanor’s nightly NHS whinge is always the star turn….when it comes to shroud waving and throwing balance and objectivity oot the windae…..naebody does it better.
And for the corporation’s capo di capo in North Britain, McQuarrie, to appear before a select committee @ WM and spout the crap he did is beyond contempt. But, dinnae despair: their tactics and ‘strategy’ have resulted with an SNP majority at Holyrood and 56 MPs.
My only surprise is that the viewing and listening figures for the corporation’s catalogue of crap is so high. ????
Revd Campbell- great work you are doing: many thanks!
@Grouse Beater – seriously? I’ve read your comments on here before and seen you make sense. Is Rev Stu a ‘Professor of Linguistic Skills’? Is Derek Bateman? Are you honestly saying you’re unable to read a biased news report and not read between the lines?
@Ian More and @Stoker – I really do despair. Where do you get your information on what is happening in Syria, in Palestine, in pretty much anywhere not in these islands?
I think Wings, Scot Goes Pop, Newsnet et al. are excellent but they have limited resources and scope. We have, to some extent, to rely on traditional media for some things. Has an alternative online media source ever put a news helicopter in the air? (Although I’d happily pay a bit more at the next fundraiser if Rev Stu thought it important to his work.) When have online pro-Indy news sources ever had to opportunity to cross-examine SLab liars on their calumnies the way Gordon Brewer does?
Someone said further up that they get their world affairs news from foreign outlets – fine, but always bear in mind that they too have their agendas to push. At least with the Guardian the BBC we’re familiar enough with them to be able to see through their angle.
Not every journalist is dishonest but they are all biased.
@ DeilTakTheHindmaist.
I get my daily news fix from a variety of FREE sources such as the internet and radio stations.
I also read and study WOS articles several times per day, every day. And i constantly check Newsnet Scotland for BBC articles.
I read other pro independence blogs such as Grouse Beater, Carlton Jock and The Ponsonby Post when they have BBC articles to read and study.
The one thing i NEVER do is contribute any form of support for unionist propaganda outlets, whether it be posting direct links to their sites, paying them to lie to me OR encouraging others to do any of the aforementioned.
News from varied and international sources is freely available. There is absolutely no need for anyone in this day and age to be contributing to the unionist propaganda machine.
What’s more important, reading habits or your countries future?
The sooner we starve the beast the sooner it dies!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQ0qTiNPWno&feature=youtu.be
PS: And by killing the beast we take away its ability to negatively influence the Scottish electorate. Advance Scotland!
Tonight after Mrs Brown’s Boys there was an advert on BBC for people to take part in an online consultation on their news and current affairs. It is on the BBC Trust website, http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust under Have Your Say, and is open till 17th January. Fill your boots!
One of the interesting, or day I say it, worrying things about these statistics is the ‘lack’ of interest in political programming.
Getting people to engage (re-engage as I have) politically, Yes or No, is important. Sadly I suspect that most ‘viewers’ of TV are not interested, picking up their hit of politics via the 6pm/9pm slots – which as I tend to note, are biased painfully away from Scotland, and independence.
It all leads to the well understood difficulty of changing peoples mindsets. That brick wall you meet might just have mortar that was set 30 years ago when even ‘SNP Bad’ was more ‘SNP Joke’.
As I said in an earlier comment I am surprised that the evening news bulletins were not included in the survey.
It did not surprise me that the purely political programs had tiny viewing figures.
However, the really dangerous programs are these same evening news bulletins as they reach far more viewers and wil include many of the people, in particular the gullible ones, who we hope to convert to YES.
The worst of the lot is the 6.30 Reporting SNPbad with its relentless attacks on the SNP Govt. in particular the reports fronted by Eleanor Bradford. They seem to work hand in glove with both the print media and Labour often teeing up Labour’s agenda for FMQs.
I can’t comment on STV’s teatime offering as I never watch it.
With Twitter and Facebook you are released from shouting “at the telly”, you can respond with your opinion and debate. Simples, why watch/listen to biased TV without the means to respond. Maybe that’s the way forward Stu, a live interactive visual station? A version of Call Kaye on Facebook – I no longer have a TV license, and don’t listen to the radio anymore so it would have to be via Facebook for me. Pad out with Tom and Jerry, Laurel and Hardy, and the Marx brothers, and music, hey I’ll subscribe!
Silly or viable concept?
Truly shocking viewing figures for these programmes, especally the funds being wasted on the programmes. £Million of taxpayers money. Truly shocking, especially because the truth is not being shown. These programmes should be binned. Total rubbish. No wonder viewing figures are so low, as low as They could go. A shocking waste. Total incompetence.
There is a simple reason why I don’t listen to GMS every morning – unlike all the other BBC stations, the digital reception is terrible. I investigated once a long time ago – the BBC said they had contracted out the broadcasting, and the contractor said it was a problem with my Roberts radio. I followed the contractor’s instructions to fix the problem but it’s never really got any better.
Chris Evans, in the morning, is mostly hermless…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLDXna_mIts
I don’t see either Reporting Scotland (BBC1 1830) or STV News at Six mentioned in this. Is it elsewhere, if not, why are they missing?