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.comUPDATE: 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.
Hi Iain,
ReplyDeletejust 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.
Ask Sambrook why the BBC continues to pretend that it is 'impartial' when it is clearly biased against the Tories?
ReplyDeleteBiased against the Tories???? With their Cameron love-in?? You must be mad.
ReplyDeleteIain,
ReplyDeleteCould 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?
I hope you remember to give Father Tim his tranquilisers before Richard arrives.
ReplyDeleteIt won't be safe to have a BBC exec so close without adequate medication for your co-presenter.
I would also like Iain to ask him about the BBC's blocking of the Balen report, which I've covered
ReplyDeletehere
I just can't see their justification for spending £200,000 blocking this report.
Re yr final sentence: 'the failure of African countries to do anything about Nigeria.' Do you mean 'Zimbabwe'?
ReplyDeleteRe yr final sentence: 'the failure of African countries to do anything about Nigeria.' Do you mean 'Zimbabwe'?
ReplyDeleteChristopher 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.
For God's sake Iain!
ReplyDeleteBrown 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?
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!
ReplyDeleteIain,
ReplyDeleteI 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?
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!!
ReplyDeleteIt'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.
I think you'll find that you actually have to be an MP to be a member of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition.
ReplyDeletel'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!!
ReplyDeleteCan 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.
ReplyDeleteThe taxpayer funds The World Service,not the licence fee.
ReplyDeleteSo 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.
Ggrrrrrrr, I fecking hate the BBC. I must destroy them. Gnash. Gnash.
ReplyDeleteI'd like you to ask Richard when he started spelling his name, as per your post, 'Rochard'?
ReplyDeleteAsk him how many dead Jews, in the BBC's opinion, would have rendered Israel's invasion of Lebanon in response to aggression 'proportionate.'
ReplyDeleteAnd whether he thinks the sailors on 'Ark Royal' were justified in asking for the BBC news to be turned off before Gulf War II.
ReplyDeleteJust seen the interview clip posted on Conservative Home.
ReplyDeleteWould 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 :-) )