Censorship At The BBC

Do you know how to spell Pravda?

BBC World News America used to be the best television news program on in the US.

Every night, from 7pm to 8pm we were able to watch a really good news program broadcast (or rather cablecast) on BBC America, The BBC’s attempt to break into the US market.

Now, at first, BBCA , as it’s called, used to broadcast all BBC shows, which was great. That, after all, is why someone would go to BBCA, as opposed to, say, TruTV.

Then, The BBC hired an American, Herb Scannell, formerly from Nickelodeon, to run the network.

This was a big mistake.

One should not hire an American from Nickelodeon to run a BBC product.

The first signs were telling.

Suddenly, old Star Trek reruns started to appear on BBCA every night after the news.

Why?

Why would anyone who was watching BBC America possibly want to see Star Trek reruns?  And, God knows, there are lots of other channels that run old Star Trek reruns.

Then, Top Gear, the Jeremy Clarkson car show started showing up more and more.  And more. And more.

And more

And more.

Then, the presenters on BBC World News America announced that their show was moving to PBS.  Weird.

Then, on Monday, the change took place.  BBC World News America had not, in fact, moved to PBS – at least not in New York.  It has simply disappeared.  A bit of research also showed that where it was appearing, it had been cut to a half hour.

How very un-BBC.

And what took the place of BBC World News America?

Top Gear.

On Monday, BBC America ran no fewer than eight Top Gear re-runs, back to back.

(Do they really pay someone to come up with these kinds of ‘programming’ ideas?)

Now, BBC World News America has a Facebook page. So I went there. They have a ‘wall’ where it says ‘Share your ideas’

So I shared mine.  I asked why they had killed the best news program in America.

They took it down.

I asked where in NY I could see World News America.

They took it down.

I asked if they were planning on replacing their Morning News with Top Gear.

They took it down.

In fact, I posted 18 times.

They took all of them down – often withing minutes.

At least I am keeping someone at BBCA employed.

So now Mr. Scannell has added insult to injury.

Censorship.

Believe me – this is VERY un-BBC.

Very.

Michael Rosenblum

For more than 30 years, Michael Rosenblum has been on the cutting edge of the digital video journalism revolution. During this time, he has lead a drive for video literacy, and the complete rethinking of how television is made and controlled. His work has included: The complete transitioning of The BBC's national network (UK) to a VJ-driven model, starting in 2002. The complete conversion of The Voice of America, the United State's Government's broadcasting agency, (and the largest broadcaster in the world), from short wave radio to television broadcasting and webcasting using the VJ paradigm (1998-present). The construction of NYT Television, a New York Times Company, and the largest producer of non-fiction television in the US. Rosenblum was both the founder and President of NYT TV, (all based on this paradigm (1996-1998). The President and Founder of Video News International, a global VJ-driven newsgathering company, with more than 100 journalists around the world. (1993-1996). Other clients include Spectrum News, Verizon and CBS News.