Room 101: Richard Higson

Richard Higson, BBC filmmaker:

I'll bet you anything the Beeb lasts longer than your silly campaign

— Richard Higson (@RichardHigson) August 28, 2018

Will he be proved wrong?  We'll have to see...

But for now, some more of Richard Higson's greatest hits:

The 'locking people up' bit? Actually, I do think it should be enforced, or the whole system become a mockery. Personally, I believe in the BBC for it's value, social cohesion and independence. I suspect you don't for reasons that aren't linked to broadcasting

— Richard Higson (@RichardHigson) August 28, 2018

Anyway, I actually have to go now as I have a meeting at the BBC in half an hour about making more programmes for them. Tra! Good luck with your campaign and your 97 followers

— Richard Higson (@RichardHigson) August 28, 2018

Shame no one cares then. Good luck with your campaign

— Richard Higson (@RichardHigson) August 28, 2018

Sure will! It's your money I'll be spending, thank you!

— Richard Higson (@RichardHigson) August 28, 2018

We extend the The #AbolishTheBBC Challenge to Richard Higson, and also to Gary Philipson of BBC Tees who contacted us via Twitter.  So far, neither has accepted.

Nor has Jim Hawkins, who demands to know who we are and where we are from:

Oh, stop it. You offered to come on a local radio programme. Therefore, knowing where you’re from is quite key. As is, having a name for the person I’d be talking to.

— Jim Hawkins (@jimallthetime) August 28, 2018

Our response to that:

Stop what?
(i). YOU contacted us.
(ii). We have offered to put someone forward to be interviewed.
(iii). You can ask them what you like.
(iv). Our campaign is pertinent to Shropshire, just like anywhere else.
(v). Local radio can and does interview people outside its region.

— Campaign To Abolish The BBC (@AbolishTheBBC) August 28, 2018 

The #AbolishTheBBC Challenge

Our challenge to the BBC:

1. Mention, just once, our campaign hashtag, #AbolishTheBBC, live on one of your shows, so that the BBC's own viewers and listeners can seek us out and decide for themselves about the BBC.

2. In addition, or in the alternative, we are happy to put forward one of our number for an interview on a live broadcast of yours - radio or television.  On the simple condition that we can speak freely and mention our campaign, you can ask us whatever you like.  All you need to do is e-mail us to make the necessary arrangements.

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Further Comment

To the best of our knowledge, nobody at the BBC has taken us up on 1 above, and certainly the BBC has not taken us up on 2 above.  This is puzzling - what could the BBC possibly have to fear by informing its own loyal viewers and listeners of our campaign?  Ipso facto, viewers and listeners should be dutiful supporters of the BBC rather than us.

The Reithian Principles and the BBC’s own notional commitment to 'impartiality' require that all viewpoints are heard.  Replying to us on social media (which several BBC personalities have done) is not enough, the BBC is a broadcaster.  So we await contact from somebody at the BBC - either they mention our campaign hashtag or they invite us on air.  They can contact us at any time.

We expect to be issuing this challenge to everybody we encounter from the BBC.

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How You Can Help

If you support our campaign:

1. Send the BBC a link to this page and ask them why they haven't taken us up on The #AbolishTheBBC Challenge.

2. Issue the BBC with your own #AbolishTheBBC Challenge along the same lines - and if you make it onto the air, or the BBC mention you, let us know!

THANK YOU!

Room 101: Jim Hawkins From The BBC

Jim Hawkins is a mid-morning presenter on BBC Radio Shropshire.  As such, he is a rather obscure figure, and a quick perusal over his biography suggests a fairly humdrum, though successful, career in the lower rungs of journalism, broadcasting and media.  We'd never heard of him, though he may be recognised in Shropshire for all we know.

Mr Hawkins has found us on Twitter, and an exchange ensued.  The tweets are below, with our narration.

First, Mr Hawkins obliquely suggests that the BBC solves problems rather than causing them.  In response, we ask Mr Hawkins why he has to rely on the taxpayer for a living and we point out that the BBC has helped the Establishment conceal Britain's politically-incorrect problems.  We refer him to one of our pieces here on this site.

Why do you need to rely on the taxpayer for a living, Mr Hawkins? As for the BBC solving problems, the BBC has spent the last 60 years covering up problems & censoring & bullying away dissenting voices. Probably our best piece so far and explains it: https://t.co/XOs6L1p6or

— Campaign To Abolish The BBC (@AbolishTheBBC) August 26, 2018

He doesn't reply but instead complains about the length of the piece.  We accept the complaint.

1/2. There is nothing wrong with the English in the linked piece. We surmise from your response that you haven't bothered with it and just assume we're 'thick Northerners' or something similar. We will bring down the BBC - and we will also publish this exchange on our site.

— Campaign To Abolish The BBC (@AbolishTheBBC) August 26, 2018

It's perfectly true that is a long piece and it is not for everybody.

— Campaign To Abolish The BBC (@AbolishTheBBC) August 26, 2018

So we send him a link to a shorter article that we think he might like:

Here's a shorter one: https://t.co/gfYmHEYKb6

— Campaign To Abolish The BBC (@AbolishTheBBC) August 27, 2018

We then issue Mr Hawkins with a challenge:

Will you meet the #AbolishTheBBC challenge, Mr Hawkins? Just mention us on your BBC show, directing your listeners to our campaign hashtag: #AbolishTheBBC. That way, BBC listeners can consider our case and decide for themselves. #BBCImpartiality #ReithianPrinciples Thanks!

— Campaign To Abolish The BBC (@AbolishTheBBC) August 26, 2018

We're several people from the north of England. We're happy to put forward one of our number who can appear on your show.

— Campaign To Abolish The BBC (@AbolishTheBBC) August 26, 2018

2/2. Why don't you mention us and the current petition on your BBC show? We assume you will have nothing to fear, since the BBC is so wonderful; and, after all, your listeners must be loyal to the BBC ipso facto.

— Campaign To Abolish The BBC (@AbolishTheBBC) August 26, 2018

Mr Hawkins has not responded. So this is our attempt at an amusing dig:

Hey everybody! The BBC's secret police are on to us! "Who are you, and where are you from?" Very Nineteen Eighty-Four-ish.#AbolishTheBBC https://t.co/WFK6Uny9XT

— Campaign To Abolish The BBC (@AbolishTheBBC) August 27, 2018