Jemblog

Media Select Committee

The DCMS Select Committee on BBC Charter renewal has begun. May 25th saw:
Stuart Cooke, Nokia, David Elstein, (who else?), John Naughton, Professor Richard Tait, Cardiff University and Dr Damian Tambini, IPPR turning up at Westminster to be questioned by Derek Wyatt, Michael Fabricant and Gerald Kaufman.

John Naughton blogged it here and sums it up as:

"a genial conversation between the five 'witnesses' and members of the Select Committee, few of whom appeared to have given much prior thought to the issues under discussion."

That said I enjoyed ploughing my way through the full transcript to discover many mentions of the BBC Radio Player, (the proposed) Creative Archive, and the BBC's role in creating a digital Britain.

Naughton has also posted his full written evidence to the committee. (Essentially a love letter to the Creative Archive).

The best answer this week to the question "What is the BBC for ?" came in the BBC in house mag; Ariel in an article penned by David Aaronovitch who answered it with the simple; 'me'.

Cardiff Here We Come

BBC Sport: 'We've mugged them' - Mark McGhee

Jon Snow on The Streets

The great and the good were asked by the Independent today to review "Fit But you Know it" by The Streets. Ian Jack, Wayne Hemingway, Christina Odone ('not bad'), Simon Armitage, Bill Bailey and in full below; Jon Snow.

Mike Skinner's verse takes this father of adolescent daughters places he's never been but, like, it's informin', it's wicked from top to toe (old concept we used to deploy). I mean I guess that's what's happenin' when I'm lying there in bed waitin' for that text that tells how and when they're returnin'. Quality stuff Mike, yet if I have a criticism it is that often these girls are "fit" enough but don't know it, because of the perfection role models they're bombarded with by Heat and other mags. Great story line and colourful humorous observation; maybe even a nine and a half in four beers' time. A sonnet for our time, beer, smoke, and fit pulling power; but Mike, what happens when you meet the great outdoors, the backlit beech leaves, dappled shades in the lane? Can you cut it then with the Bard?

The word on The Streets: poetry or load of old rap? - The Independent, May 8, 2004.