Corcaigh_the_Cat
Well-known member
BBC reined in.
Gary Lineker being reined in
- Thread starter Norman_Conquest
- Start date
Norman_Conquest
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The following is taken from the article you've posted: It is understood the corporation will apologise to the Match Of The Day presenter.
Gary Lineker tweets about refugees again as BBC bosses say he'll be back on air this weekend
The BBC apologises for the episode and announces an independent review into its social media guidelines, while Lineker thanks director general Tim Davie "for his understanding during this difficult period", adding that he has "an almost impossible job keeping everybody happy".news.sky.com
Why does the BBC feel the need to apologise to Gary Lineker, are they admitting they have over reacted and pandered to their Tory paymaster or are they in fear of not being able to show the FA Cup quarter finals.
I would rather have seen one or two step down but I don't think the Beeb apologising will be the last we hear of it.
TheYorkshireTerrier
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MolteniArcore
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It'll be some dodgy Tory doing the review I imagine.
ThatFragranceGuy
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They've probably realised that contractually they didn't have a leg to stand on and that it wasn't going down well with staff and the public
Norman_Conquest
Well-known member
I would have rather he'd told them to shove their job up their backsides and released a statement saying so. 
ForssAwakens
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Be class if linekar resigned in a couple of days time
Bbc surely have had legal guidance telling them they are ducked
Bbc surely have had legal guidance telling them they are ducked
ILOVEJUNINHO!
Well-known member
The one thing that has annoyed me the most out of this situation is just how many people cannot spell Lineker! 
Jonny Ingbar
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I have mixed feeling about the news, it's great that he's returning and even better that the BBC will apologise to him, but I suspect the review will see free speech curtailed and we could be back here with Lineker again, but with a different outcome.
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HarryVegas
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That statement from him is pure dignity in the face of Tory thuggery.
Andy_W
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I don't think they'll try and curtail free speech, in fact I think it might go the other way and put them back in their box. There's probably also issues with actually how legal these restrictions they impose are.
The main problem people have is that the BBC (influenced by Tories) tried to shut someone down who:
1) The people like
2) The people agree with his general stance
3) The people think was right on this topic
4) The people also don't think the tweet was that bad (it wasn't)
Yet, they allow others their free speech with pro-Tory views.
It's best to just let them all talk, on their own channels, and let the public judge on these channels.
The BBC won't want to give up all their best presenters etc, for a government who isn't going to be in power in a year and a half time. People might just stop paying the licence fee and do a mass boycott. The BBC will just try and wade through, and hope things stay tame for a year and a half, and then their presenters will have less to complain about as the Tories will be gone.
The BBC can't afford to lose presenters, as anyone coming in would be coming in against common sense, and almost certainly guaranteed to be pro-right, which has a declining audience, so the result of this is those new presenters would end up out the door in a year and a half, who would take those jobs? They would end up having to get nut cases like Le Tissier doing it!
Sure, there are some influential Tories in the BBC, but we know Tories are selfish, and they will want to look after themselves and their jobs first, so they will end up going defensive for the next year and a half I think.
Muttley
Well-known member
Not sure. I suspect that the "review" will tell them that they have little option but to suck it up. Fair enough that they should expect "neutrality" from News and Current Affairs Staff I suppose. Wonder when someone will tell Fiona Bruce and Laura K...
Andy_W
Well-known member
I loved how he put in another comment about the migrants too, basically as a "**** you, I'll say what I want, and me saying something like this in my statement tweet is just proving I can and will do that".
Jonny Ingbar
Well-known member
I hope you're right, but given the government's successful strategy of infiltrating the BBC with right leaning executives, I have little confidence in the organisation as a whole to do anything fair, ethical or proper.
Andy_W
Well-known member
I think this might be a good example of how putting that sort of influence in there isn't going to work, not when the tide is flowing one way (against the Tories). It is also a good example which will have made people realise this far more. They've tried to sneak Tories in, which largely went un-noticed, but it's been noticed now, and the hornets nest is in full view.
The presenters have to appeal to the people, and the people have made their minds up on who is good and who is bad.
I can't imagine any of the other actors or presenters with contracts would have been all that keen on the BBC shutting Gary down, and allowing a far-right government to run free, with no accountability. All this would do is weaken the BBC's position, weaken their viewer numbers, weaken their reason for funding, and all of this ultimately weakens what all their staff are paid, and how long they would be employed. Ultimately it's still a business, and a business doesn't work without staff and customers.
Sure MOTD had higher numbers this week (which the right are trying to play on, and treat like good press), but that was 100% down to people looking to see what was going on, it's bad press, rather than good press.
Jonny Ingbar
Well-known member
Agree with some of that.
I think the insurmountable issue in this was the solidarity shown by Linekers colleagues, which took them by surprise and put them in a place they couldn't win from.
The active and influential Conservative's in the senior bbc positions will still be so and will still push the right wing agenda, regardless of who is in government.
It's an issue that reaches far beyond the bbc, its about the establishment looking after themselves and runs through nearly all corporations and big businesses.
They haven’t apologised to him directly, they have apologised to the public. If I was him I’d carry on until they change the guidelines ,as they obviously don’t have a leg to stand on at the moment.