The last time I published this blog was almost 7 weeks ago.
A week later, I planned to write about Football Telephone shows like
BBC 5 Alive but didn’t have the energy to. I have thought about other topics as
well but lacked the motivation to write for different reasons. I finally found
the strength to publish something on another platform last week and hope I can
pick it up from here going forward.
Six weeks ago, I was on my way back from Dublin where a dear friend
had got married. Travelling back from Heathrow, I was caught in the post
football match traffic from the late kick off at Stamford Bridge and I was
listening to BBC 5 Live hosted by Jason Mohammed & Robbie Savage. I had
never called into a Phone – In program before because I have very low regard
for some of the conversations on those programs. But the stress of near
standstill traffic plus the constant whine of Robbie Savage’s voice was so
upsetting, I decided to call and perhaps give them a bit of my mind.
The producer or whoever it was that picked and screened my call
obviously didn’t put me through as what I wanted to say didn’t suit their
purpose. You get the sense they are only after dim witted and controversial
callers. The type that wants Claudio Ranieri out of Leicester 5 minutes after
winning the league and the type that wants Sam Allardyce to replace Arsene
Wenger at Arsenal.
Yes I could easily have turned the radio off or switched to another station
or play music as I certainly do whenever Adrian Durham, Andy Goldstein or Jason
Cundy are on the airwaves on Talksport. But I understand Talksport, they are
allowed to Talkshite. They are a commercial radio station and can sell filth to
make money.
What I don’t understand is a taxpayer funded radio station indulging
in the same silliness. Whether they make controversial radio programs or not,
their funding is guaranteed by mugs like me forced to cough up for the TV
licence fee. They deprive me of my hard earned £146.50 by way of the TV licence
fee and they make atrociously silly & controversial radio programs.
They not only do this un - educative & mindless programs, they
outsource the programs to independent producers. The 606 program on BBC 5 Live
Sports is outsourced to a company called Short Sharp Production. This company
appears to be owned by an individual
Why the BBC will need an external company to produce a football
phone - in program is something that stumps me. Football is our passion in the
UK, football has a large following in the UK and you need a private company to
script telephone calls from the public to 2 supposedly expert pundits? 2
individuals who are supposed to know a lot about football? 2 well remunerated
people? Befuddling.
Maybe the objective is not to educate. It is not to inform or share
expertise. Rather they have asked a private company to produce it because it is
entertainment. It is about the controversy. It is about the ridiculous
opinions. It is about silly callers making a fool of themselves on national
radio. It is about ratings. Which is all a shame when a national radio, fully
funded by the taxpayer needs to set up a circus to justify their existence.
I think the bosses at the BBC, will do well to read this article by David Walsh of The Sunday Times and rethink their overall football coverage
and choice of pundits. We are constantly compelled to listen to uninformed,
unimaginative and highly opinionated ex - players whose ability to inform &
educate is below par. They often resort to jokes, puns and personal preferences
to mask their shortcomings. Their favourite
line in my opinion is to say something like – “I think that player is very
good. I really do”. The “really do” is the convincing argument. Why is he a
good player? His stats? His vision? How does he compare with peers in this
league? Globally? Just mealy-mouthed opinion.
For an organization wholly reliant on the taxpayer for it’s funding,
the BBC must shape up.
