How are you doing in the current economic climate?

Fair play to you Rod.

By the commercial independence of the BBC I meant that they have no advertisers or sponsors to please. For example if the BBC has a news item about Nike using child labour, it doesn't have to worry that Nike will pull its adverts when the story transmits.

However the BBC isn't independent by any measure; editorially it becomes a uk.gov.con mouthpiece when required, as we have seen in both Gulf wars.
Financially too, as uk.gov.con ultimately pulls all the BBCs money strings.

Of course you are right the economies of the States & UK aren't technically in recession, but that's the semantics of statistics. I agree exchange rates are of great concern, but what about the economic impact of rocketing oil prices along with other commodities?

I can't agree it's possible for the media to talk up recession to the point of it becoming a self fulfilling prophecy, but media spin can make things much worse. A good example is the Grangemeouth oil refinery strike. If it hadn't been presented in the news the way it has there would be no panic buying of fuel now.
Still I would choose freedom over control of the media any day.

Last night I had to 'make do' with The Wine Society's Exhibition Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2005.

I think I need some Jean-Marc Boillot 2003 Puligny-Montrachet!

quote:

Last night I had to 'make do' with The Wine Society's Exhibition Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2005.

Fantastic! Thread starts "How are you doing in the current economic climate?" and gets - in a mere two pages - to wine. Excellent

If I remember correctly the Wine Society Coonawarra Cab is/was made by Wynns and rather a nice drop.

In recessions, alcohol consumption tends to go up. Which is mainly bad, but also largely understandable. The world is in wine over-supply so a good time to be a discerning drinker.

I think the three words "Andrew, "Lloyd" and "Webber" go some way to scotching the BBC commercial independence thing, but fortunately we are free to switch off, put a record on and reach for the corkscrew...

I'll drink to that Rod!

The WS Coonawarra Cab is lovely,
but it's not in the same league as J-M B 2003 Puligny-Montrachet ...

quote:

However the BBC isn't independent by any measure; editorially it becomes a uk.gov.con mouthpiece when required, as we have seen in both Gulf wars.

Maybe for the first but not the second. Hutton? David Kelly? The sexed up dossier? I grant you though that since Hutton they have been severely emasculated. And the facts that have emerged since then have broadly vindicated what was said in the first place.

My observation was completely for the first gulf war & largely for the second.

The Kelly/Hutton debacle illustrates the lack of independence the BBC now has from uk.gov.con. The actual revelation was an aberration, rather than the BBC asserting its independence. As we all know auntie told the truth about sexed up dossiers & Dr. Kelly.

The results were so much more than severe emasculation; this has proved to be a disaster for the BBC & every citizen who wants an independent public service broadcaster. Greg Dyke lost his job as Director General as a direct result of the BBC telling the truth & embarrassing Bush as well as uk.gov.con. Greg did a brilliant job motivating the staff & focusing the BBC back on audiences & programming after the dreadful Birt years. Famously he promised to "cut the crap" Birt had saddled auntie with, & to his credit he did just that.

Greg was a staunch supporter of a strong independent BBC. After the BBC made it's revelations & exposed them for the liars they are uk.gov.con went ballistic, & I have no doubt if they thought they could pull it off they would have shut down the BBC. Of course that would have been unacceptable to the public & probably political suicide, so they appointed Mark Thompson as the new D.G. & their hatchet man. Known as “Mad Mark” or “Chopper Thompson” to BBC Staff, he has been doing an excellent job of shutting down auntie piecemeal since his appointment.

A coincidence? IMHO he's doing the dirty work of Blair/Brown from inside the BBC.

555,we are in violent agreement!