Media North CAMPAIGN FOR PRESS AND BROADCASTING FREEDOM (NORTH) ● Issue 8, September 2020 ● £1 Editorial Covid’s grim legacy Government IT’S a grim picture. In Septem- ber the radio company Bauer will fold almost local stations into a national radio network branded Greatest Hits. Stations failure? like York’s Minster FM will close. To meet licence requirements some regional content will be produced, but will cover large areas such as north-west Eng- land rather than be produced by Just blame individual local stations. In July the BBC confi rmed it was cutting jobs from its regional news operations. This will hit BBC local radio stations someone else and television news bulletins in the regions hard. jobs will go By Granville Williams We also have a gov- from the award-winning current ernment ruled by crony- affairs Inside Out programmes. PRESS coverage of the ism and arrogance. They will be replaced by a new refugees risking their lives Dominic Cummings current affairs strand produced to cross the Channel to the drove through, without from regional hubs in Newcas- UK in small infl atable boats consulting the Ministry tle, Yorkshire, Norwich, Bir- has been deplorable. If we of Defence or other sen- mingham, London and Bristol. need a reminder of what ior recognised scientifi c And the hollowing out of is at stake remember the advisors, a £ million local newspapers continues. young Sudanese man, Ab- deal for the bankrupt Reach, the largest publisher of dulfatah Hamdallah, whose OneWeb satellite busi- local and regional newspapers, body was washed ashore on ness. The UK Space is cutting jobs. The latest August. Agency had warned that ABC fi gures reveal the Reach- The tragedy has also OneWeb would need owned Manchester Evening News revealed the dishonesty of more cash and that the daily print circulation dropped the version of events of this government could lose by % from , to , ‘crisis’ being peddled by all its money on the deal. from January to June. ministers. Their despera- Public First, a com- Newsquest’s York Press fell tion to blame anyone but pany run by long-term % to ,, JPI Media’s Shef- themselves for the present associates of Dominic fi eld Star dropped % to , situation has resulted in an Cummings and Michael and the Yorkshire Evening Post overemphasis on the role of In contrast to most press coverage, this front Gove, worked with Of- fell % to ,. The Lanca- smugglers and alleged fail- page conveys the human tragedy qual on the algorithim shire Post fell % to ,. ings by the French. and were also awarded We are moving into a period A recent poll found that % efforts in this vein won praise an £, contract, without of post-COVID dislocation and of British adults had little or no from Nigel Farage. putting the work out to ten- the run-down or closure of local sympathy for Channel migrants. Patel’s actions are part of a der, to research public opinion and regional media means the This is the result of the deliber- wider pattern. When things go about government policies. A capacity to describe the impact ately infl ammatory politics pur- wrong, whether it’s the response Conservative peer, Dido Hard- of these changes to communi- sued over many years, reinforced to COVID- or the unfair and ing, who has no public heath ties and hold those responsible and amplifi ed by sections of the discriminatory English exam re- experience, will run the new to account disappears. Misinfor- national press, with a view to sults algorithm fi asco, this gov- quango which will replace Pub- mation and chatter fi ll the gap. attracting voters hostile to im- ernment relies on blame, fear lic Health England. migration. Priti Patel’s recent and prejudice. What a government! TABLOIDS WHIP UP MIGRANT SCARE STORIES – PAGES 4-6 2 | MediaNorth SEPTEMBER 2020 Tabloids excited by plan to launch rivals to BBC TV Media moguls Malone and Murdoch want to challenge BBC By Granville Williams tured by the woke-dominated group-think of some of its own THE Mail and Express love to pub- staff’. He added, ‘There is a de- lish polls about how much their fault left-leaning attitude from a readers loathe the BBC. The polls metropolitan workforce mostly are normally linked to the latest drawn from a similar social and manufactured controversy about economic background.’ the broadcaster that they have One of his former col- splashed across their pages. leagues Gavin Barwell, There- Now they have greeted with sa May’s former chief of staff glee the news that two media at No , was among those Another day, groups plan to launch opinion- who voiced concern that the another attack ated Fox-style current affairs sta- new channel could further from BBC-bashing tions in Britain to rival the BBC. polarise British politics. He tabloids One is GB News. Co-founder tweeted, ‘Do you think a po- Andrew Cole sits on the board larised broadcast media to of John Malone’s Liberty Global go with the polarised print and tells his LinkedIn followers media we already have will that the BBC is ‘possibly the most change our politics and biased propaganda machine in country for the better?’ the world’. Theresa May’s former Ofcom granted a television Murdoch, when head of communication, Sir broadcasting licence to GB News not mean that the channel will he had a stake in Sky Robbie Gibb, has emerged as a in January . All Perspectives, defi nitely make it to air. News, was dismissive of it as ‘BBC prominent fi gure with GB News. the limited company granted The rival project is being de- lite’ because it had to operate He worked as head of the BBC’s the licence, was set up last Sep- vised by Rupert Murdoch’s me- under UK broadcasting rules on political programme output until tember, according to Companies dia empire which has already due impartiality. Both projects leaving to work at No in . House listings. launched Times Radio and now come at a diffi cult time for the In a recent opinion piece for Speculation is that it will be has the former Fox News execu- BBC as the government is intent The Telegraph, he claimed the a Freeview channel with a link tive David Rhodes heading up on destabilising the broadcaster BBC had been ‘culturally cap- to Discovery, but a licence does this scheme. fi nancially. BBC Director delivers Broadcaster pulls no punches upbeat farewell speech in powerful Bristol speech OUTGOING BBC Director Gen- ing,’ he said. BROADCASTER, historian and The generation of black and eral Tony Hall gave the keynote He argued, ‘The forces of dis- writer David Olusoga in his brown people who entered this speech opening the Edinburgh information and social media MacTaggart lecture struck a industry fi fteen, twenty, twenty- Television Festival on August. tend to feed on fracture and drive different tone to Tony Hall. In fi ve years ago with high hopes. He was in a strong position to polarisation.’ a powerful speech on race and I’m a survivor of a culture within give his valedictory address, cit- In contrast, he said, ‘What we the television industry he didn’t TV that failed that generation. ing the role of the broadcaster do, as a PSB, is a force in the op- pull any punches. I’m here because a handful of during months of lockdown. posite direction. Impartiality is In the speech broadcast from people used their power and ‘Audiences came to us in the keystone of broadcast jour- Bristol City Hall, Olusuga told his their privilege to help me,’ he their millions – for news and in- nalism in this country.’ (virtual) audience: said. formation they could trust, for The problem, of course, is the ‘I stand here today not as one educational support they could way BBC applies impartiality to of the TV industry success sto- Watch the speech here rely on, for world-class content, its news coverage. It’s an issue ries, but as a survivor. The full speech is at culture and for respite from the which won’t go away after Tony “I am one of the last men https://www.youtube.com/ worries we all were experienc- Hall departs. standing of TV’s lost generation. watch?v=XALfr SEPTEMBER 2020 | MediaNorth 3 Stephen Dorril on the long-delayed report into Russian interference in UK politics UK’s Russia report is a damp squib DURING the Brexit Refer- documents, confi rms that there endum campaign, Russian arms was, indeed, substantial interfer- dealer Alexander Temerkon, who ence through money, hacking ABOVE: Prime Minister Boris Johnson at a dinner with Alexander Temerko. has given more than £.m to and use of agents of infl uence. BELOW: Metro front page when the report was published. the Conservative Party, donated So why the delay and why is £, to a dozen Conservative the UK report, despite reserva- the Russians had compromised pursue this angle, while the Na- MPs. His largest single donation – tions, highly signifi cant? The Trump and ‘indications’ that tional Agency investigation into £, – went to Yorkshire MP, content is not controversial but Moscow had ‘covertly contribut- funding was so narrowly defi ned Nigel Adams, one of the Prime the absence of any sign that the ed funds’ to the Brexit campaign. that it never really took place. Minister’s key supporters. British government did anything On interference in the Brexit The weakness in the law with Boris Johnson, too, has been to counter the perceived threat is. Referendum, the ISC noted that regard to funding of political a recipient of Russian largesse.