Ex-boss Grade: BBC is so disrespectful
FORMER BBC chairman Michael Grade has described the Corporation as ‘aggressive’ and ‘disrespectful’ as he confirmed his bid to become the head of broadcast regulator Ofcom.
Lord Grade, who has also headed ITV and Channel 4, criticised the BBC’s ‘macho’ tone when challenging politicians. The Conservative peer, 78, also blasted the ‘regressive’ licence fee and condemned the ‘appalling decision’ to request more money in a bid to stave off cuts. But by far the BBC’s worst crime, he said, was its failure to apologise for mistakes.
In an interview with the Daily Telegraph yesterday he said the BBC’s tone ‘is too aggressive, it’s so gleeful and disrespectful. “Are you lying to the British public?” It makes them sound as if they’ve made up their minds, which I don’t think they have, but it’s, “We’ve got a story – we’re going to nail this b ***** d.” They’re right to hold the Prime Minister to account… But there seems to be a sense at the BBC that if you ask difficult questions politely, your colleagues are going to say, “You let him or her off the hook”. It’s a macho culture.’ He added that calls by the BBC for more money were out of touch and it was wrong that a single mother pays the same licence fee as him.
He also criticised the Corporation’s reluctance to own up to errors. ‘They think it’s a sign of weakness… but you will get things wrong when you cover so much news on so many outlets. Mistakes happen,’ he said.