Battle of Britain Celebrations - and the BBC

[Shackman]

Congratulations to the BBC on their stupendous coverage of today's events in and above Whitehall. They have been trailing all day today (and most of yesterday) that they would be covering the re-enactment of Churchill's speeches and then the flypast by the Spitfire and Hurricane starting at 1540 on the dot.

So no surprise then that they missed the first 5 minutes by not going over to the OB until just after 1545, then they left an open mike in the OB vehicle so that Robert Hardy could hardly be heard above the noise from around the 'other' mike.

And then what happened to the fly past? It turned into a Press Conference (and boy did the press go on) regarding a meeting that may or may not happen in the USA. It eventually appeared in a later bulletin as 'something that happened earlier today'. Thank god we know our history - which was more than the commentator did this morning when he was having to resort to reading his script in his hand to remember what aircraft were involved

[FantomZorbin]

Totally agree with you Shackman, the BBC maintains its own lamentable standards!

Where on earth do they get these abysmal operators from? ... there again I daresay 'they' all have degrees in something useful like Meeja Studies so they must know what they are doing?! :*

Harrummph!

[Wander00]

It would have been better that they had not even tried - what a shambles - but then "BBC" left wing" Never!!

[Goprdon]

Copy of my complaint to the BBC. Go on you know you should do it as well.

" To the BBC your coverage of US politics is more important than the history of this country; epitomised today by the ceremony to celebrate Winston Churchill's Battle of Britain Speech of 70 years ago, eulogising the FEW.

Your coverage of Robert Hardy's rendering of Winston Churchill's speech in, 1940, was ruined by an open mic. causing interference. But we hung on waiting for the advertised flypast of the Spitfire and the Hurricane. Then without warning News 24 took us to the USA to watch Hilary Clinton putting the world to rights.
Your failure to show the ' Battle Of Britain ' flypast, as you had promised throughout the day, was a disgrace; a complete disregard of our country's history and typical of the attitude that we have come to expect from the BBC."

[teeteringhead]

One recalls a very senior Airship in 2002 (just before the Second Gulf Unpleasantness) referring to the "Baghdad Broadcasting Corporation". :ok:

[Two's in]

So somewhat ironic then that I just heard Robert Hardy's speech on the NPR radio news here in the US and thought it was nice to hear a bit of topical news from blighty. Clearly the BBC have a tenuous grasp of "home markets'.

[VX275]

I've just watched aghast as Meridan TVs piece on the BoB was illustrated with film of Bostons, Stirlings and a group of RFC pilots :ugh:

[Double Zero]

To be fair, BBC 'South Today' is doing a good programme dedicated to the B of B even as I type, and I was glad to see Dudley from Tangmere Museum; for once they got someone who really knows what he's on about !

[Mike7777777]

It would appear that the mejaa's professionalism is inversely proportional to the level of tech available. Dimbleby's commentary on Churchill's funeral was a masterclass in understaetment and not saying too much, or was he drowned out by the large numbers of Lightnings flying overhead?

[doubledolphins]

Sky's Test Match coverage had some lovely live HD shots of the pair from the Oval. (Better than the cricket.)

[MTOW]

It's as bad out in the colonies. In early September, the History Channel is doing a special on the major role the P-40 Kittyhawk played in the defence of Australia - and about one third of the film clips they play in the promo are of Spitfires.

[dead_pan]

Shouldn't that be commemorations not celebration? I remember some bint on the tannoy at Duxford going on about us celebrating D-Day - had me in mind of a Mel Brooks film.

[Goprdon]

Celebrate or commemorate ?
I think we were celebrating Winston Churchill's speech of the 20th August 1940, a celebration which included a fly-past by aircraft from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. On 15th September we will commemorate the 70th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain. With a bit of luck there will be another fly-past and the BBC can redeem itself with quality coverage----or is that wishful thinking?

[Double Zero]

I suppose we can celebrate the courage of 'The Few' - though I would have liked more mention of the many other services and countries who provided pilots - but otherwise you're right, 'Commemoration'.

As I mentioned, 'BBC South Today' did a very good programme yesterday evening, marred only by the non-Merlin soundtrack for the stock footage.

Now what does every b+++y idiot in any media the world wide think anything with a propellor sounds like ?

Yes, a sodding Harvard again !

For the first time in my life I actually bothered with the BBC feedback system, mentioning this and the otherwise high quality of the programme.

On a lighter note, even for those who've seen it before, try youtube 'spitfire low pass' for a raise of the spirit - you'll need speakers on, and it's certainly a Merlin ! Beware naughty words.

[Gainesy]

the BBC can redeem itself with quality coverage----or is that wishful thinking?

More than likely, the producer that specialised in airshow/military parade OBs was made redundant years ago. His sort of experience just isn't there anymore.

Just before he left and referring to the plethora of make-over programmes then kicking off, he said: "Look, we've actually got the viewers watching paint dry".

[Wander00]

Gainy - not a guy called N*** E****s?

[Piggies]

They managed to have a pic of some WWII fighters at the top of their homepage yesterday. Only they were P-39s!

Big history of this aircraft in the RAF. One squadron launched one raid with them in 1941!

Sad but not surprised. Just hope they put the film on around 15 Sep....

"you can teach monkeys to fly better than that!"

[Gainesy]

Wander, no, Peter Hylton-Cleaver. Also did the Beeb2 Airshow series.

Twas an open plan office and that floor also housed the "painters an decoraters" shows and some cookery shows. The latter had whiteboards up with recipes they were planning for a few months hence. We'd go round after they left in the evening and add our own ideas such as pigeon in porridge and other unlikely combinations.

Being pretentious pratts they actually tried some.:):yuk:

[clunckdriver]

Souds a bit like our D Day program on the CBC, as the Swordfish flew by the comentator wondered out loud if it was a WW One aircraft, gues he never heard of Taranto, Bismark, U Boat sinkings, or even cares for that matter.

[Archimedes]

Wander, no, Peter Hylton-Cleaver. Also did the Beeb2 Airshow series.

Twas an open plan office and that floor also housed the "painters an decoraters" shows and some cookery shows. The latter had whiteboards up with recipes they were planning for a few months hence. We'd go round after they left in the evening and add our own ideas such as pigeon in porridge and other unlikely combinations.

Being pretentious pratts they actually tried some.:):yuk:

They didn't have a youngster by the name of Heston Blumenthal working on the shows, did they? Might explain where he got some of his ideas...

The other thing which 'amuses' me in respect of the TV coverage is the way in which it appears that all Spitfires, Hurricanes, et al were all fitted with gun cameras with sound recording facilities...

[brakedwell]

There is no point in complaining to the BBC. They know better, the uneducated oiks like us who fund them should listen/watch and not be heard. :ugh:

[Molemot]

I know it's impossible, but what the BBC need is a Raymond Baxter equivalent. Surely there must be someone out there who can combine the areas of knowledge required with a screen presence and enough backbone to prevail against the dullards...

[EyesFront]

I can't comment on the TV coverage as I spent last week working in Germany, but I was pleased to see a reasonable amount of coverage on the BBC website, including a nice little piece from one of Radio 4's presenters flying in the back seat of a Spitfire. There's also been a fair bit of coverage in the 'quality' papers. I'm no defender of the media and it's all too easy to pick holes in almost anything they write but, having heard that the Battle of Britain Association was started because even serving airmen were ignorant of the battle and its place in our history, I'm just pleased that at least the context of the battle is getting exposure

[Gainesy]

Argh, gun camera film.

The IWM charges astronomical fees for first usage, I can't remember the sums but it was hundreds for just a few seconds worth. Thats why you see the same old bits over and over--that stuff is free to air, havin'g been doled out in the war by the Air Ministry. The IWM stock has to be paid for. Still, I managed to get them to not show that bloody bell being rung and to bin the lovely gun camera colour footage of Zeros being gunned over the Pacific.

[airborne_artist]

I know it's impossible, but what the BBC need is a Raymond Baxter equivalent. Surely there must be someone out there who can combine the areas of knowledge required with a screen presence and enough backbone to prevail against the dullards...

There might be a retired former BBMF driver who'd have the knowledge? It'd be worth the RAF PR organiation trawling through the names, just so they'd have a good guy to offer the BBC.

[Wander00]

A former RA Manager would be worthwhile looking for, but I'd rather it was not a certain former Tornado nav (nothing against him personally, just don't like his TV style)

[Gainesy]

Why a Reds manager? Why not the DPR RAF or whatever she's called this week. Its their job.

[Wander00]

'Cos a Red Manager has experience of commentating. You need someone both knowlegeable and articulate -as Raymond Baxter clearly was on both counts.

[Gainesy]

There is a very great difference between commentating on the same thing repeatedly and being able to field the oddball questions thrown at one.