Tuesday, April 03, 2007

Richard Sambrook on 18 Doughty Street

Tonight at 9pm on 18 Doughty Street I will be interviewing Richard Sambrook, Director of the BBC World Service & Global News. In June and July 2003, he defended the BBC's story that the British Government had knowingly exaggerated claims over Iraq's weapons of mass destruction in the September Dossier. If you have any questions from Richard, please leave them in the comments or email them to studio@18doughtystreet.com

UPDATE: You can see the interview HERE.

At 9pm on Wednesday we have another episode of COUNTERFACTUAL. I'll be joined by Robert Waller to discuss 'what if the 1903 Gladstone-MacDonald' pact had never happened and looking at Lib-Labbery down the years. Liberal historians Mark Pack and Duncan Brack will also be on the panel.

On Thursday from 9-11pm we'll be broadcasting a special Live Local Elections Preview programme, which will also look at the Scottish and Welsh elections. Among the guests are Welsh elections expert Joe Allen from Morgan Allen Moore (Cardiff) and the editor of Wales Elects 2007, Labour psephologist David Boothroyd from Indigo Public Affairs and former Conservative Director of Campaigns David Canzini.

And finally, last night I recorded an interview with the Secretary General of the Patriotic Democratic Front, Nigeria's governing party. We talk about the upcoming presidential election, corruption and the failure of African countries to do anything about Zimbabwe. You can see the interview HERE.



21 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Iain,

just a minor point.

The Nigerian political party you mention is not the Patriotic Democratic Front.

Nigeria's governing party is the People's Democratic Party, the PDP.

Anonymous said...

Ask Sambrook why the BBC continues to pretend that it is 'impartial' when it is clearly biased against the Tories?

Anonymous said...

Biased against the Tories???? With their Cameron love-in?? You must be mad.

Ralph said...

Iain,

Could you ask him why the BBC is spending so much money trying to block the release of the Balen Report which we (under threat of legal action and fines) paid for?

Anonymous said...

I hope you remember to give Father Tim his tranquilisers before Richard arrives.

It won't be safe to have a BBC exec so close without adequate medication for your co-presenter.

Anonymous said...

I would also like Iain to ask him about the BBC's blocking of the Balen report, which I've covered
here

I just can't see their justification for spending £200,000 blocking this report.

Unknown said...

Re yr final sentence: 'the failure of African countries to do anything about Nigeria.' Do you mean 'Zimbabwe'?

Anonymous said...

Re yr final sentence: 'the failure of African countries to do anything about Nigeria.' Do you mean 'Zimbabwe'?

Christopher at 1.54pm, I did wonder at that sentence too. True, Nigeria has done a lot of bad stuff, (I should know, I lived there for a bit), but I rather think Zimbabwe is more pressing just now.

Anonymous said...

For God's sake Iain!

Brown and Balls are on the rack and you're wittering on about Doughty St and London cabbies.

Are you a serious member of the opposition or just a semi-interested amateur?

Iain Dale said...

Am I a serious member of the opposition, you ask. I'm just a blogger who writes about whatever comes into his head. If I have something original to say about Brown and Balls then I'll say it. I'm not a news service and I am not here to be "the opposition". I actually wrote about this a couple of days ago. I haven't really got anything to add to what the newspapers have already written. I don't reallylike just repeating what has already been written elsewhere!

Anonymous said...

Iain,

I would like to ask Mr Sambrook the following. If the BBC is seen to be institutionally biased (which is a non-argument for most non-aligned observers)what long term argument does it have for retaining the license fee?

Anonymous said...

So you want to be a Conservative MP but you don't really regard yourself as part of the "opposition" but "just a blogger". Priceless!!

It's hardly any wonder that increasing numbers of voters are disillusioned with the Tories and turning to the wilder fringes of UKIP and the BNP.

Iain Dale said...

I think you'll find that you actually have to be an MP to be a member of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition.

Anonymous said...

l'labours on the run' clearly understands that the electorate needs more volume and confrontation on the Balls / Brown issue. The electorate (specifically Iain Dale readers)cannot possibly disseminate the facts that are all over the media. 'LOTR's' comment effectively assumes that the politically naive read this blog - Shurely Not!!

Anonymous said...

Can you ask him why the BBC is ignoring Robin Aitken's "Can we trust the BBC" , rather than publicly, on air, addressing his assertion that the BBC is institutionally biased.

Anonymous said...

The taxpayer funds The World Service,not the licence fee.
So could you ask Sambrook why the government does'nt put this out to contract to achieve the best possible value for taxpayers.
Or is it only the state broadcaster that can be relied upon to toe the NuLabor government line.

Anonymous said...

Ggrrrrrrr, I fecking hate the BBC. I must destroy them. Gnash. Gnash.

Anonymous said...

I'd like you to ask Richard when he started spelling his name, as per your post, 'Rochard'?

Anonymous said...

Ask him how many dead Jews, in the BBC's opinion, would have rendered Israel's invasion of Lebanon in response to aggression 'proportionate.'

Anonymous said...

And whether he thinks the sailors on 'Ark Royal' were justified in asking for the BBC news to be turned off before Gulf War II.

Anonymous said...

Just seen the interview clip posted on Conservative Home.

Would it be possible for Doughty Street to make a FOI request for details of this editorial meeting to deny Robin Aitken a platform on the BBC?

(super work btw :-) )