[Swprograms] Re: Incredible Arrogance

[atlsvo@xxxxxxxxx (maryanne kehoe)]

John:

The BBC knows what they are doing has repercussions-----but the bottom
line is that they don't give a d***. The public can go to hell as far as
they are concerned. Look at all the good work Ralph Brandi did---they
just slammed the door in his face and went on their merry way. 

I had such high hopes for Michael Grade. So what if he came from ITV?
But hubby warned me an ITV man at the help was only a harbinger of
things to come at the BBC that would eventually make inroads into the
World Service and we are seeing that now, with a lot of what is
happening with management treating the WS as a business/commericial
enterprise. 

I remember the howls of objection from the purists when the BBC Shop
opened. Now look at the mess WS is in now. 

Can this radio station be saved?  



 
E-mail message   
 
Sender: swprograms-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx From:
jfiglio1@xxxxxxxxxxxx(John Figliozzi) Date: Sat, Mar 26, 2005, 7:29pm
To: swprograms@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Shortwave programming discussion)
Subject: [Swprograms] Re: Incredible Arrogance Reply to:
swprograms@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Shortwave programming discussion) 
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Scott et al: 
It's not an either/or proposition. It's as simple as that. To pretend
that it is (as the BBC is doing) is disingenuous and what they do has
repercussions. And they know it. 
And since when is the BBC is "business"? It's a state-sponsored
enterprise. It's like pretending that dollars are votes. Not everything
can be downconverted to currency. Public service is one of those things.
I cringe every time I hear someone in my government agency (where I
work) refer to our constituents/clents as "customers". It's a gross
distortion and just because everyone is doing it these days because it's
in vogue doesn't make it correct or accurate. 
John 
On Mar 26, 2005, at 4:25 PM, Scott Royall wrote: 
Sandy, 
That was essentially my point. If the BBC is/was a business, one of its
primary drivers is to get the most for the least. We can debate the
chicken 
and egg details, but a transition from AM HF is occurring. We all know
that 
much. That's why the NRD 535 and Drake R8b have been discontinued. (The
latter was like the death of a dear friend to me. I had to sell mine
several 
years ago for financial reasons (and Bill, the buyer is a #swl regular
who 
sorta stayed quiet about its actual resale value, Growl), and had been
nursing a feeble dream that I could afford another one day.), and those
manufacturers clearly had economic reasons. Things are changing
regardless 
of our personal nostalgia. We can piss and moan to the BBC, which you
already said is pointless, or we can focus whatever influence we do have
on 
the same distribution system that the BBC hopes to use anyway. I have
fond 
memories of listening to faraway stations in my youth. Now I can hear a
better selection just by clicking. Sad but true. 
Of course I know broadband is nowhere near everywhere. But,
intentionally or 
not, the BBC is doing its small part to create the demand needed to
drive 
the expansion of broadband. That's just business. It is still true that
5975 
almost melts the front-end of my 706 Mk IIG on most evenings. Yet, even
after that's gone, stations like the BBC are still accessible throughout
my 
house on 802.11g. And folks, I'm sad to say it's much cheaper than that
cherished R8b I've dreamed of. 
Scott 
      _____ 
From: swprograms-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
[mailto:swprograms-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Sandy
Finlayson 
Sent: Saturday, March 26, 2005 11:08 AM
To: Shortwave programming discussion
Subject: [Swprograms] Re: Incredible Arrogance 
We have had lots of discussion on this. None of us can say for sure why
it 
is happening although I found it very interesting to hear the BBC
spokesman 
talk in terms of World Service being a business. I think that is at the 
heart of all this. It is no longer a 'service' but a business. 
The bottom line for them is now what counts. This is understandable in
one 
way, but for them to tell us how we should want to listen is arrogant
and 
our loyalty as listeners clearly does not matter. 
Sandy 
-----Original Message----- 
From: swprograms-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx on behalf of Scott Royall
Sent: Sat 3/26/2005 11:50 AM
To: 'Shortwave programming discussion' 
Cc: 
Subject: [Swprograms] Re: Incredible Arrogance 
Has anyone here asked themselves why this is happening? 
      _____ 
From: swprograms-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
[mailto:swprograms-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Sandy
Finlayson 
Sent: Saturday, March 26, 2005 7:41 AM
To: Shortwave programming discussion
Subject: [Swprograms] Re: Incredible Arrogance 
I too listened to this incredible display of arrogance last night. 
They have decided to phase out short wave, they don't really care what
their 
audience thinks and that is the end of the story. We listeners have been 
naive to think that they really care about us. 
Sandy 
-----Original Message----- 
From: swprograms-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx on behalf of John Figliozzi
Sent: Sat 3/26/2005 12:16 AM
To: Shortwave discussion; dxld@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx; edxp@xxxxxxxxxxx 
Cc: 
Subject: [Swprograms] Incredible Arrogance 
Well, I was surprised somewhat to hear a segment of my letter on Write
On tonight; but I was even more amazed to hear the absolutely incredible
degree of arrogance displayed by the BBC's spokesman in reply to a
series of letters telling him and the BBC that they are just plain
wrong. 
At one point, he (I'm sorry I don't recall his name and neglected to
write it down; but he's apparently the responsible party for determining
or carrying out their distribution strategy) claimed that the BBC's
research shows that they have a listenership in North America of around
5 million now and---now get this--most of them listen late at night! 
Duh. That's the only time they're on in an overwhelming number of local
markets because local FM rebroadcasters will only turn over the
overnight hours to them! 
To the series of correspondents protesting that their shortwave radios
remain perfectly useful and convenient instruments for listening to the
BBC, he simply replied that his research says otherwise. 
One letter pointed out that the BBC was attempting to take its listeners
back to a time when the family had to sit around a large instrument in
the center of the room to hear "radio". He was unphased essentially
saying that the BBC was doing this for the benefit of ALL its listeners
and if some had to be sacrificed along the way, well that was too bad
but necessary. 
"We're right; you're wrong" was the subtext throughout. The clear logic
of the letter writers was deflected with one word: "research". To give
her her due, Ms. Penny Vine did a good job pressing the listeners' case
as forcefully as she could. He was just having none of it. 
At several points, he referred to the BBC as a "business". Maybe that's
all it is to them at this point. And maybe that's the problem. 
John Figliozzi
Halfmoon, NY 
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