h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I notice that here.

I hate it. It's incredible when I think of the utter dross I've seen in so many countries I've visited.

Even though the BBC has been to a degree castrated..especially by this government it is still simply superb..and the only genuine rival on the World stage to Murdoch Empire.

I get more and more disillusioned with this place.

Daily.

Occupy.

I know the situation isn't the same but . . .


Over here the CBC gets a lot of sniping and there are regular rounds of cuts and threats of cuts. Generally the cuts are made or threatened when there is a 'Conservative' government and when the sniping is examined it's found to be something like anti-socialism talk rather than any substantive criticism of what has been in many ways the salvation of our country over the years. If it weren't for the CBC, our various regional communities would never hear from each other and we would all have long ago been overwhelmed by the right-wing echo chamber known as Murdoch. Despite the sniping, I think most Canadians realize what a treasure our CBC is. I hope most people over there see the BBC the same way.

Of course, the CBC was instituted from the beginning as a means for *different sorts* of Canadians to talk to each other. Does the BBC do that as well? I know it has its Welsh service, etc., but do the national BBC services pick up and spread more widely the voices of the regions and communities? f'rinstance, when I'm listening to the CBC radio while driving, I hear stories -- not news stories, real stories of ordinary people -- from the North, from First Nations, from Newfoundland, from French Canada (Quebec, New Brunswick, Manitoba, Alberta), etc. I'm just curious about whether the BBC does that kind of thing routinely. I'm not saying 'The CBC is better!' by any means. I'm just curious about how the BBC deals with the issue of being a national (government owned) broadcaster in what is a quite diverse society.

Good points.

I don't hear sniping about the Beeb in real life like here..but I suppose here it's more about the web site. But still they saved us..and there's lots of politics that people outside the UK won't know about.

IRL the only people sniping at the Beeb are right wing types like my father. Murdoch was forever attacking them.

Of course they are originally to do with Empire..and something complex in our culture.

Yes they don't do it in the way your CBC do it. It's still very much a monolith.

Because drama is such a huge part of British culture..they are a 'guardian' of that. They try to increase number of ethnic minority people and gay characters..but never at the expense of true drama and quality for the best stuff..like eg recently, 'Shadow Line'..also bringing in real quality US stuff like Damages..with principally female leads..also joint productions like The Tudors.

In News which is also the other main area..they've got more ethnic minority and women presenters..but there is much criticism as well because older women tend to be moved on but not the men.

THere is much wrong that I could criticise...but I would say overall in my life the sheer quality of tv and radio has been incredible.

Also they set the standard. So other channels eg for News follow that. C4 News is infinitely better now in my opinion than BBC 1 tv news. (That's when I last watched )

It says everything to me though that Rupert Murdoch is/was forever attacking them.

Yes, the real life sniping at the CBC here is from right wing types as well.

I think hootooers should be bleeding grateful to the BBC: they had no obligation to save h2g2, they had no obligation to bend over backwards to find it a new home, and they had no obligation to promote it or nurture it or whatever while they had it.

h2g2 has been coddled for ten years.

I think it has to do with the frustrating amount of moderation and other barlesque stuff which happened to h2g2 towards the end. For the moment it feels like we are on the other side of the fence at last All in all I would expect anti BBC digs to settle a bit later.

I'm sorry about it too. On the whole, it was excellent of bbc to rescue h2g2, and most of the staff actively involved with h2g2 did an excellent job too.
The latest period was clouded by things that probably were very useful for bbc running the other websites, and spilled over on h2g2 where it wasn't wanted.
It will calm down, I'm sure, and I don't think everyone is totally against everything bbc ever did. Just like no-one probably loves absolutely everything bbc did...

It's not really about loving or hating..it's about people having no comprehension of the politics to do with the BBC..and the forces of the right who are so hostile...and reasons for the BBC going downhill in recent years.

Anyway I'm over that now. If people here want to carry on with that tack, that's up to them.

I'll stick to my analysis.