His Grace is delighted to say that he has received a very prompt response from the BBC to his complaint concerning the outrageous remarks made by David Baddiel and Alan Davies on The Freedom Association and the late great Norris McWhirter CBE. It reads:Dear Dr CranmerIt was very kind of them to take the trouble. His Grace is indebted to some of his communicants who also wrote to the BBC about this matter. They, too, have received a response:
Thank you for contacting us regarding remarks made by David Baddiel about Norris McWhirter and the Freedom Association on The Alan Davies Show on BBC Radio 5 Live broadcast on Saturday 18 December.
On the show David Baddiel was discussing a television film he has recently made entitled 'The Norris McWhirter Chronicles'. The film centres around a speech that Mr McWhirter made at David Baddiel's school in the 1970s. The young Baddiel had expected a talk about the then popular TV programme 'Record Breakers' and was disappointed that Mr McWhirter's speech was of a political nature. The comments made by David Baddiel were quite clearly his personal description of Mr McWhirter's political allegiances.
The Alan Davies Show is a live, light hearted, entertainment programme and in this context we are satisfied that no broadcasting guidelines were broken.
Thanks again for taking the time to contact us.
Kind Regards
BBC Audience Services
Dear Mr A-DAnd another:
Thank you for contacting us regarding remarks made by David Baddiel about Norris McWhirter and the Freedom Association on The Alan Davies Show on BBC Radio 5 Live broadcast on Saturday 18 December.
On the show David Baddiel was discussing a television film he has recently made entitled 'The Norris McWhirter Chronicles'. The film centres around a speech that Mr McWhirter made at David Baddiel's school in the 1970s. The young Baddiel had expected a talk about the then popular TV programme 'Record Breakers' and was disappointed that Mr McWhirter's speech was of a political nature. The comments made by David Baddiel were quite clearly his personal description of Mr McWhirter's political allegiances.
The Alan Davies Show is a live, light hearted, entertainment programme and in this context we are satisfied that no broadcasting guidelines were broken.
Thanks again for taking the time to contact us.
Kind Regards
BBC Audience Services
Dear Mr NIn their emails to His Grace, these communicants ask:
Thank you for contacting us regarding remarks made by David Baddiel about Norris McWhirter and the Freedom Association on The Alan Davies Show on BBC Radio 5 Live broadcast on Saturday 18 December.
On the show David Baddiel was discussing a television film he has recently made entitled 'The Norris McWhirter Chronicles'. The film centres around a speech that Mr McWhirter made at David Baddiel's school in the 1970s. The young Baddiel had expected a talk about the then popular TV programme 'Record Breakers' and was disappointed that Mr McWhirter's speech was of a political nature. The comments made by David Baddiel were quite clearly his personal description of Mr McWhirter's political allegiances.
The Alan Davies Show is a live, light hearted, entertainment programme and in this context we are satisfied that no broadcasting guidelines were broken.
Thanks again for taking the time to contact us.
Kind Regards
BBC Audience Services
Mr A-D: 'I don't know what else to do at this point, except sigh at the entrenched bias in the BBC. What does a "personal description of Mr McWhirter's political allegiances" even mean? Baddiel is entitled to his own opinions, but not his own facts.'
Mr N: 'I'm not surprised. Appalled, but not surprised.'
If the BBC thinks it can get away with simply cutting and pasting the same crass response to those who have complained on this matter, they show themselves to be quite contemptible in their attitide to those who fund the corporation. A monkey can cut 'n' paste; and this response is so lacking in adequate content that a monkey could have written it. What they are essentially saying is that any BBC employee or interviewee can give a 'personal description' of 'political allegiances' irrespective of the facts, and they may do so with impunity.
This being the case, why did the BBC apologise to the Muslim Council of Britain and pay them £30,000 of taxpayers' money in compensation for remarks made by Charles Moore on Question Time? Why was Mr Moore not permitted to articulate a 'personal description' of the behaviour of the MCB? Why does the BBC readily acknowledge 'injury to feelings' when it comes to some minority groups or organisations of 'the Left', but is evidently of the view that the family and friends of Norris McWhirter and members of The Freedom Association do not live with bread like them; do not feel want, taste grief, or need friends.
Truthfully, His Grace finds it difficult to understand why The Freedom Association has not received an immediate apology and £30,000 in compensation.
The is the British Broadcasting Corporation; a national institution with a Royal Charter. Surely one does not have to conspire in terrorism against the state; or treason against Her Majesty's Armed Forces; or threaten physical violence or criminal damage, in order to obtain justice from its hallowed chambers.
