08/06/2012 Newswatch

Now on BBC News it is time for Welcome to NewsWatch. Later in the

programme, a right royal row over the Royal Pageant. First two of the

Jubilee matters and there were plenty of those to choose from over

the long weekend. The festivities, though, were not confined to the

many special programmes or to BBC One, BBC Two, BBC Three or be busy

for. Most of the live events were also shown on the BBC News channel.

The Queen's visit to the races, the pageant, the concert and the

Thanksgiving Service. As for the news bulletins on BBC One, they had

a distinctly royal tinge, too. Thousands packed St Paul's

Cathedral for a special service to mock the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.

The other headlines and BBC News... So was BBC News right to join in

the Jubilee party audit its output over the weekend lack proportion

and objectivity? Unfortunately, BBC News refused our invitation to come

on the programme an answer that question but they did give us his

I am joined now by two NewsWatch views -- viewers, in our Norwich

studio and here. Chris, what did you make of the BBC news coverage?

Did they mix up the Royal Jubilee with the news? It was really hard

to define between the news cuts -- news programmes covering the

Jubilee as a historic event and the actual coverage of the Jubilee. It

seemed like the news programmes were a continuation of the coverage.

There were not -- it was like a rally for the royal family without

a lot of other voices coming through. Was it wrong to broadcast

the festivities on the News Channel at the 10th -- at the same time as

the same pictures were on BBC One? Absolute Lee. There are showing

exactly the same thing. It was the real loss of it being a news item.

It felt like a pageant programme. A rock, do you agree? I agree. In

effect, we lost the News Channel for four days. It was simply

duplicating things which were being shown elsewhere. It was filming a

spectacle rather than providing news. I think that the News Channel

is there, actually, to provide news. One of the things about news is

that it does not actually have to be new but there was not -- it does

have to be new but there was nothing new about the Jubilee. We

all knew it was going to happen. Given the range of channels that

the BBC has, it should have kept the News Channel functioning as a

normal, reporting on Jubilee events, but reporting news and not

duplicating things which were available elsewhere. The rating

figures do suggest a lot of people were interested. It was probably

the biggest thing happening in the UK the that weekend. I would also

be interested to know what else was happening in the world and what

else was happening in this country. I cannot see the rationale that the

BBC News Channel stops being a News Channel when Motty de Shereen is

available on BBC One. Chris, what about the overall tone of the

coverage? Did the BBC get back right in news terms? There was much

made of how many millions of people were out on the streets but we did

not hear anything about, say, the largest ever Republican protest

that happened in this country. be fair, the BBC News channel did

covers some of those protests. mentioned it from time to time but

they did not reflect, perhaps, the ambivalence people had towards the

event. We saw a rallying cry behind the monarchy but that did not

necessarily reflect the views of the nation.

Thank you. Putting aside the question of whether or not it

constitutes news, but what of the BBC's coverage of the major events

of the weekend? Apart from the fireworks being cut off early on

Monday night, most of it seems to have done pretty well. That could

not be said, though of the reject - - river pageant. The broker shown

on BBC One and the News Channel on Sunday afternoon has faced an

onslaught of criticism this week from editorials in the national

newspapers lambasting it, celebrities treating their

discussed, anonymous BBC insiders a green and 2,500 this -- viewers

boys in their objections. Among hundreds of Commons were those from

What were they complaining about? Well, the sort of thing. I have got

my belt, my Union Jack underwear. Her Royal Highness, Queen Elizabeth

II. We have had some additions to our Jubilee baby board. Santiago is

over here. And the Duchess of Cambridge is wearing... May item

three Dame Test -- I nightie for services working in the rain.

until the last ice age, Europe was one dined landmass and the water

from the Thames flowed into the river Rhine. In the BBC's defence,

the director general, Mark Thompson, pronounced himself very proud of

the weekend's programming, pointing to a substantial audience on Sunday

afternoon of over 10 million and the audience appreciation breaking

up 82 %. After criticism of the corporation's remit of the Royal

Wedding last year, with some accounts calling it to dry and

formal, La to tone -- lighter tone was adopted for the Jubilee. Was

that the right strategy? The BBC were again unable to join us to

discuss this that I am joined by its two more viewers. Diane, what

did you make of the padding coverage? Absolutely appalling.

the pageant coverage. Fortunately we had sky and we were able to

watch a more serious production with serious commentators. I was

appalled by the celebrity culture on the BBC. Where were Andrew Marr

and Peter Snow, people who reported news, not celebrity? A lot of the

news events were missed by the BBC. What about the view that perhaps

they were trying to make it a little lighter, a little bit more

inclusive? Was that an error in judgment? I think it was an

appalling misjudgment because the actual or parchment was the fun. It

was not up to the commentators to make it fun or light-hearted. It

did not need to be treated like a funeral but I think the thing that

angered me most of all is the arrogance and complacency of the

BBC. They say 60% of the people watched it. Everyone I spoke to

said it was appalling and when asked, did you watch it aunt Sky,

they said, no, we do not have sky. So the 60% figure is a farce.

you agree? Generally I agree. I am less worried about the celebrity

issue. For me there were two things. First, technically, and I know it

was a challenging technical event but it is cleverly possible to have

normal broadcasting in those conditions so I think the weather

as an excuse... For the British Broadcasting Corporation not to be

prepared for British weather was one thing but on top of that,

whether they are celebrities or not is not the issue. The issue is

research. There was clearly no research done at all. I am actually

in principle a Republican. You would expect me not to want to

enjoy this event but it would be churlish to think that this was not

an event that could bring the country together and have some

great community spirit. I wanted to learn something. I learnt nothing.

The most ridiculous farcical thing was what they called horrible

histories. That was just laughable. It was puerile. It is a bit like

watching the World Cup final with England in it in the football World

Cup final and having the BBC used a gave -- use a game of so BDO do

explain what was going on. boats were going up and down the

River Thames for four hours. That could be a bit tedious. Could it

have been done a bit better? We got a tedious, exactly right, because

nobody was talking about the background, the context. There were

boats their involved in Dunkirk. I was watching it with my elderly

parents. I will not embarrass them by saying how old they are but

there were few beers. They will not -- for they wanted to know about

the history, and similarly my nephews. -- they were furious. So

1000 boats going down the river could be dull but the colour behind

them would be fascinating. They did not even know who was steering the

royal barge. Lessons for the BBC next time? Obviously not the next

Diamond Jubilee but the next important occasion? It is not the

celebrities themselves but the fact they did not have any historical

knowledge or interest and were not primed. And I would also love to

see an apology from the BBC to say, yes, in B are the audience

complaining, perhaps we will look into it. -- In view of the audience

complaining. Thank you. Let's end animal constructive note. He it is