Episode 14 Points of View

Good afternoon and welcome to Points of View

at the end of a week of big announcements here at the BBC.

On Tuesday, the new Director-General, Tony Hall,

outlined his ambitious plans for change at the Corporation,

among them some new additions

that you have been calling for for some time.

The headlines include 30 days instead of seven to view programmes

on the iPlayer, a brand-new catch-up channel, BBC One +1,

a BBC store online, where a selection of programmes

can be bought, and the launch of Playlister,

which will allow music-lovers to pick and tag tunes

they hear on the BBC. Here's what you told us about the ideas.

So, plenty to talk about here with lots of change to come.

But that's the future, back to the present

and what you have been watching this week.

Don't forget this year, you will also be able

to vote online for free!

Saturday evening saw the first eviction from the sparkly,

sequins world of Strictly.

Golfer Tony Jacklin struck a bogey

and became the first celebrity dancer to leave the series.

But all was not "American smooth" with the new online voting system.

So, what happened? Did the online service just get all tangoed...

..sorry, tangled up? We asked the powers that be

at Strictly's vote headquarters.

So, the system should have been fixed for last night's vote.

Now, celebrities have given ballroom dancing a new lease of life,

but do they belong on one of our longest-running Sunday series?

And next, it's celebrity vocal coach, television presenter

and all-round amazing woman... I can say that, I am married to her,

it's Carrie Grant!

Songs of Praise last Sunday launched the first of two weeks

of competition to find the UK Gospel Choir of the Year.

Not for the first time, the series has changed its format

for a different take on Christian worship,

but for some loyal viewers, this time they have gone too far.

Trying to sex up Songs of Praise?

Have the producers anything to confess?

We sent them your comments, they sent us this reply.

Songs of Praise returning to normal service next week.

Next up, the return of the Natural World series

which has so far brought us wonderful stories

of meerkats and orangutans and the remarkable journey

back to the wild of one ape in particular.

Meet Leonora.

She doesn't know it, but she is a pioneer.

With a handful of old friends,

Leonora is on an adventure into the unknown.

Orangutans and meerkats proving to be a huge success.

But it is a different sort of cat altogether now

whose love for another natural history series

led to her owners getting in touch.

Rosie the cat is enamoured with the time-lapse seasons

in Great British Year, say her owners Dave and Sue Jones,

but Rosie might be interested in more than the wonderful film work.

I think we have just demonstrated that, here at the BBC,

our aim is to serve everyone.

But, are we failing to best represent the views of some?

This 19-year-old thinks so when it comes to his generation.

Hello there. My name is Lewis MacDonald, I am 19 years old

and from a young age, I've always been interested

in history and politics.

If I need to know anything about this, I know I can look to the BBC,

but I do think they fall down in one vital aspect

and that is the inclusion of young people, like myself,

in political debate.

Everyone under 25 earning or learning, not doing nothing.

In a recent Question Time, October 3, there was the question,

should unemployment benefits for the under-25s be cut?

My question is, where were the under-25s on the panel

giving their opinion on the issue affecting them?

It's not just Question Time either.

That will affect under-25s who are claiming housing benefit

who have children. It will affect all under-25s. Right.

To me, it seems ridiculous that young people are being talked about,

but not consulted on issues that affect them.

This would be unthinkable if it were to do with race or religion.

There are plenty of people out there, students, Youth Parliament,

anyone with an informed opinion who could participate in debates.

So is there anywhere that they can be heard?

This brings me on to Free Speech.

If you're on a zero hours contract, you get two hours a week, it's pointless, really.

Everyone under 25 earning or learning.

Half the people probably just sit there watching telly,

getting their money, whereas now they can actually do something.

I like the idea, but I think it is more of a token gesture.

At the beginning of each programme, Rick Edward tells us

this is the only place where young people can have their say

on issues that affect them. This is the ONLY show.

I strongly believe that mainstream political debate

should be inclusive to all, young and old.

Otherwise you get an age apartheid.

BBC, it is often said that young people like myself

are disinterested in politics, but I think

there is a vicious circle at play here.

Without inclusion, we are BECOMING disinterested,

and considering the fact that we are the decision-makers of the future,

this can only lead to a future scripted more like a Shakespearean tragedy.

Lewis MacDonald putting the case to have younger people

represent THEMSELVES on TV.

We would love to hear what you think about that.

In the opposite corner is 71-year-old Maurice Wilby.

Well, it is not quite a black-and-white programme,

but there is a much-loved series in your mind this week.

A huge number of people have contacted our production team

about the future of The Sky At Night.

Rumours abound that the series, which has been on air since 1957,

is about to be decommissioned, and we have been bombarded with praise

for the astronomy programme and urgings to make sure it stays.

Viewer Gordon sums up the sentiments of many who contacted us.

So, we went to the decision-makers at the BBC

and it seems the decision hasn't been made yet.

While the discussions continue, we are sending

all of your correspondence straight to the Commissioner's office.

Still looking skywards, and the great British fascination with weather is next.

But is what is good weather for some good weather for all?

Should the BBC's forecasters avoid trying to make judgments

and simply stick to facts? Hugh Smith thinks so.

Still very pleasant. Lovely afternoon.

It looks really lovely to start the day. Bit of a slow start.

A miserable Monday. It's not a pretty picture.

It will feel pretty grim, I think, this afternoon.

Temperatures in London struggling.

Please, BBC, could you stop moralising the weather?

It is going to be a lovely one. Carol has just described the weather

as lovely, sunny and warm. Not everybody thinks that way.

I think it would be better if the BBC presented the weather more factually.

I am one of those people who actually likes the weather

when it is snowing and raining

and excitingly thundering all over the place.

It is quite a wet, miserable day.

Disappointing! It tends to be presented in a very negative way,

using terms like "miserable", "disappointing"

and those sorts of terms. I do not think that should happen.

Audience feedback is that they expected the presenters

to bring some personality to the forecast,

so that they bring some colour to it.

We do not always describe rain and wet weather in a negative fashion.

Last year after the droughts, for example,

we knew that the rain would be very welcome

and after a long period of dry weather, we know that gardeners,

for example, and allotment holders, really want some wet weather.

Please, BBC, can you be more factual and balanced

in the presentation of your weather forecasts?

I think on many of our broadcasts,

we actually DO just give the facts and we only editorialise it

when we think it is relevant.

It is worth remembering that people in our audience

who just want the facts can go to the BBC weather website

or they can now download the BBC weather app.

Rageh Omaar's new series, The Ottomans: Europe's Muslim Emperors,

started on Sunday on BBC Two.

Across the continents, down the centuries, I'll be getting to grips

with what we all need to know today about Europe's Muslim emperors.

Across three episodes, Rageh tells this epic history,

which stretches over six centuries and an empire

covering a MILLION square miles.

And while Rageh Omaar has several calendars of history dates

to contend with, it seems the BBC is wrestling

with finding ONE to broadcast A Question of Sport.

A new series of the popular sports quiz was scheduled to have started

on 30 September, but got cancelled, making way for a Panorama programme.

But two weeks on, the series STILL hasn't appeared,

so what is going on?

Good news for Question of Sport fans, that long-awaited series

will start next Monday evening, the 21st of October,

in its usual timeslot.

Do get in touch by post...

..by phone, and the number is charged

as a local rate call from any landline.

Or join the message boarders...

Or by e-mail...

Don't forget we are on Twitter now, too.

That is it for this week, thanks to all of you

who've taken the time to give us your views,

we will do it all again next week at the slightly earlier time of 3:45pm.

So, until then, goodbye.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd