J. P. Gilliver (John)
2019-05-11 09:37:56 UTC
On Monday, I happened to have the BBC News channel on, as in fact I
often do, in the background - though in this case I was slightly
wondering if there was anything more about the tragic Russian air crash.
At 14:00, there was the announcement that someone had gone into labour.
Somebody obviously pressed the "Royal Baby" button, and they went into
the usual overdrive mode. Fair enough, one rather expects the BBC to do
that - but this was covered _to the exclusion of all else_ - not even
any bulletins on the hour (about other news, anyway). For what is
nominally the BBC News channel, so after over two hours, I emailed them
and Newswatch, saying "Dear BBC Baby, can I please have some other
news?".
I received an email back inviting me to appear on Newswatch, so I did!
(The eventual total was 4¾ hours before _any_ other subject appeared on
the channel.)
[_Don't_ go anywhere near Tunbridge Wells if you're driving. I set off
expecting to be there 10-15 minutes early; I actually arrived 20 minutes
late (complicated car park didn't help), but they still managed to get
me in.]
By then I had two points:
1. The 4¾ hours of no other subject
2. Their inability to revert once it became obvious that minimal
information on the birth itself was forthcoming.
Sorry, I meant to tell UMRA earlier, but forgot - and I thought the
early morning repeat was Sunday, but in fact it was this morning
(Saturday 11). It is still available though (only 12 minutes):
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000500s/newswatch-10052019
I'll leave it to you to decide whether they'll pay any attention; I
rather got the feeling that Samira Ahmed's assurance that I _had_ been
heard was apologetic, as she realised "but not absorbed".
often do, in the background - though in this case I was slightly
wondering if there was anything more about the tragic Russian air crash.
At 14:00, there was the announcement that someone had gone into labour.
Somebody obviously pressed the "Royal Baby" button, and they went into
the usual overdrive mode. Fair enough, one rather expects the BBC to do
that - but this was covered _to the exclusion of all else_ - not even
any bulletins on the hour (about other news, anyway). For what is
nominally the BBC News channel, so after over two hours, I emailed them
and Newswatch, saying "Dear BBC Baby, can I please have some other
news?".
I received an email back inviting me to appear on Newswatch, so I did!
(The eventual total was 4¾ hours before _any_ other subject appeared on
the channel.)
[_Don't_ go anywhere near Tunbridge Wells if you're driving. I set off
expecting to be there 10-15 minutes early; I actually arrived 20 minutes
late (complicated car park didn't help), but they still managed to get
me in.]
By then I had two points:
1. The 4¾ hours of no other subject
2. Their inability to revert once it became obvious that minimal
information on the birth itself was forthcoming.
Sorry, I meant to tell UMRA earlier, but forgot - and I thought the
early morning repeat was Sunday, but in fact it was this morning
(Saturday 11). It is still available though (only 12 minutes):
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000500s/newswatch-10052019
I'll leave it to you to decide whether they'll pay any attention; I
rather got the feeling that Samira Ahmed's assurance that I _had_ been
heard was apologetic, as she realised "but not absorbed".
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)***@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf
Never. For me, there has to be a meaning. There's not much meaning in eating
bugs. - Darcey Bussell (on whether she'd appear on /I'm a Celebrity/), in RT
2015/11/28-12/4
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)***@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf
Never. For me, there has to be a meaning. There's not much meaning in eating
bugs. - Darcey Bussell (on whether she'd appear on /I'm a Celebrity/), in RT
2015/11/28-12/4