Friday, December 5, 2008

Quote of the day

More of a rant rather than a quote really, from George Foulkes, the Labour MSA, during a debate on broadcasting in Scotland:
Just take a few examples. Listen in the morning. Switch from Good Morning Scotland – and that awful parochial, kailyard stuff – to the Today programme, with erudite people incidentally, who went to Keith Academy, like James Naughtie, appearing."

He went on: "Look also in the evening at drivetime, with Abeer McIntyre whining away, or turn on your radio, switch it over to Radio 4 and you hear the mellifluous wit and wisdom of Scotsman Eddie Mair."

He claimed the most "astonishing example" was on Wednesday's Reporting Scotland, when the newsreader Jackie Bird presented a story about BBC presenters – including herself – who were warned their medical records may have been misused by a Fife doctor.

"We almost had Jackie Bird interviewing Jackie Bird about this astonishingly parochial thing,"

Parochial broadcasting it may well be in Scotland, but he should thank his lucky stars that he doesn’t live this side of the North Channel where we have to suffer stories about missing Mayo donkeys or nicked cans of deoderant on a daily basis.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

having worked in BBC scotland i find L foulkes comments offensive in the extreme. Its his self hatred that is so pitiful. He thinks scottish broacasting itself is the joke, regardless of the constitutional arrangment within which it takes place. He is a disgrace.

Life gives you lemons etc.

George sees himself as parochial, therefore the news from where he eminates is therefore parochial. But what do you expect from someone who sees London at the centre of thier world. really tuly sad.

Anonymous said...

I agree with anonymous. Foulksey (who lives near me I might add!) is considered a bit of a joke since he left the British State dodgily elected assembly and joined the Scottish Parliament. Of course he still has an interest in London as a member of the undemocratic part of the British State assembly.

(Although I might add that I did find the Jackie Bird story bizarre!)