Thoughts on the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation)

I might be invited to speak soon at Middlesex University. This is what I might say. Oh, my haven't the BBC been biased lately, or so say Green Party supporters. About 200,000 of us. But as the Vegan Society recommended the Green Party policy on advertising aimed at children be improved to ban the display of animal products, my proposal to adopt this was rejected at the first hurdle because it would be too controversial. I think there are serious problems inherent to the medium of television and I personally don't buy it. I like radio but TV is such a passive and undemocratic force in the world. It is used to promote crazy consumerism. TV makes us less caring, less organised, less relaxed, a weaker society, and unfair economy. The BBC say their decision to exclude the Green Party is based on parliamentary byelections (which cost serious money) and number of votes nationwide (which costs serious money) and their mistaken belief that UKIP make better viewing figures. As if viewing figures is all that mattered to the corporation, which is funded by the TV-Tax payer not advertising. The BBC say they found the TV debates engaged with first-time voters. The Green Party needs to engage with first time voters. Polls show that we're the second or third most popular with young voters after Labour (which is indoctrinated from a young age). I don't believe first-time voters who voted Lib Dem and got Tories are the slightest bit interested in voting this time round, or not for that bunch. Maybe they've woken up to politics but not bedevilled party politics. If TV and media is telling people how to vote, the news is not the product, the people are being manufactured into the machine. You are the product.