THAT BBC programme last night
 

I see that there is a thread on this in the American forum. If any American readers of this forum have been hearing about this programme please be aware that there is widescale outrage in this country about it. In no way does it represent us. We are all grieving for the victims and their relatives.

fiona, what program?

I don't know what program either, but I heard an interview on NPT\R last night during which a senior programming offical (from CBS?) was asked what she thought about the "much more grisly footage" being shown on BBC and CBC (Canada). The CBS official didn't know anything about it. <BR> <BR>Is this what you mean? <BR>

I think she is referring to the thread on the US board called "American Ambassador Attacked On British TV." <BR> <BR>The first post reads, "The US ambassador to London was visibly upset on a national TV programme when many of the audience turned hostile and made anti-american comments about the events at the WTC. <BR> <BR>Official TV and government policy has been pro American but many of the comments made by this open audience were unsympathetic to his point of view." <BR>

it was a discussion programme with an invited audience who were mostly anti-American. The former US Ambassador of London was treated in a disgraceful manner. It made me (and the thousands who flooded the BBC with complaints) embarrassed to be British for a short while. How could the BBC allow a programme like that to go out? To make matters worse they are even defending it. <BR>I hope that Americans see the true side of Britain and know that we share their sorrow. After all, we also grieve for so many of our own.

It was Question Time; a political discussion prgramme which runs weekly. The normal format is to invite formal groups of people-political parties-ginger groups etc to sned half a dozen people each. They then write down questions they'd like to ask the panel- 6 people some pollitical some not- and the producer selects some. Once the original question has been asked and answered they go onto an open forum on the issue the question was about. <BR> <BR>I didn't see it on Thursday night, but I understand from theis morning's BBC Radio News that there were a number of Muslim groups represented and anti American feeling was expressed. The BBC was apologising for any offense. <BR> <BR>You may know that the programme for the Last Night of the Proms tomorrow (Tonight?) has been altered to lose the jingoistic and celebratory stuff; to take in Barber's Adagio; Tippet's spirituals and, I think, the Stars and Stripes. The Proms series is run by the BBC. They didn't get it wrong deliberately on Thursday, you know

the producers certainly got it wrong.You would really have needed to see it to understand that pro Americans in the audience were seriously outnumbered by anti American views. Our society believes in freedom of speech ( unless it is the West talking against other cultures) but it was far too soon and was therefore insensitive and brutal. You must also remember that people abroad see the BBC as a spokesperson for our views and the United States needs to know that it certainly did not represent our views. <BR>Sheila, I believe that one of the daily papers has printed a transcript of the programme- if you can find it, it would be worth reading. By the way, were you as moved as I was with the way Aberdeen came to a standstill for 3 minutes on Friday?

BBC News 24 did report that the audience members who voiced anti-American opinions were Muslims....this is not meant to be racist... just the facts.

You can get more info about the program on the web site www.bbc.co.uk/questiontime including comments from viewers after the show. If you have Real Player you can also watch the show, I think (I saw it, so didn't try the video link posted on the Question Time site). No doubt about it, the audience was anti-American as a whole. The Guardian, Independent or the Oberserver (I forget which) ran an article about it and the show's producers claimed they hand picked the audience "to get a wide range of perspectives." <BR>

Fiona, most of us understand far-left and far-right rhetoric; we see it in our own country. <BR>It's very nice of you, however, to take the time to post your message. <BR>We were all so moved by the memorials your country held and the expressions of sympathy by so many, many people. <BR>Our sorrow for all the citizens of other countries who lost their lives in the USA is deep and profound. <BR>