Can't say that I'm a huge fan of Ryanair, but I agree with most of the posts that Watchdog has gone downhill in recent years. Nicky Campbell seems to prefer a soundbite, Kilroy-esque kind of program to any sort of serious reporting. Some of the closing lines on reports are positively cringe-worthy...
I think that we are in a transition period. People are used to the sort of extras that you get with the big carriers (hotels if your flight is delayed, backup aircraft etc.) and haven't figured out that you cannot expect this for twenty quid. When people realise this some will return to BA and BM while others will take the risk and stick to the lowcosts. It will take time , but I suspect that the two styles of operation can co-exist.