Articles printed in The Eye are written by a staff of contributors and edited by the multi-award profitable former BBC information and present affairs reporter, Phil Parry.
Enormous criticism on the web of Wales’ solely nationwide English-language radio station, has centered on the most recent record-breaking low viewers charges highlighted by The Eye, and the way they emerged on the day a brand new Editor took up her tough submit, displaying the large process forward of her, we can disclose.
Aside from underlining the truth that the horrible figures got here out as Carolyn Hitt assumed her unenviable place as Editor, outraged listeners on the Digital Spy (DS) on-line discussion board, additionally mentioned that the output on her station, BBC Radio Wales (RW), was “inane” and a “self-parody”.
One other critic made the purpose in regards to the fascinating timing, and mentioned the most recent stunning viewers figures (RAJARs): “coincided precisely with the brand new Radio Wales editor (and ex Western Mail columnist) Carolyn Hitt sitting within the editors seat after taking on…”.
In addition to setting a brand new record-breaking low, the RAJARs additionally revealed that nearly 95 p.c of the accessible viewers in Wales don’t hearken to it in any respect.
Maybe emphasising the latest difficulties, headline-grabbing ‘Director of Content material and Providers’ Rhuanedd Richards, had earlier described the brand new ‘Editor of BBC Radio Wales and Sport’, Ms Hitt, as a “good addition to the staff”.
However within the eulogy to her she failed to say that homosexuality is illegal within the host nation of the soccer World Cup subsequent week, Qatar, with a punishment of as much as three years in jail, in addition to carrying the potential for the loss of life penalty for Muslims below sharia legislation. Additionally conspicuous by its absence in Ms Richards’ praising speech, was that Ms Hitt has additionally mentioned on Twitter that she votes for the Welsh nationalist social gathering Plaid Cymru (PC), and is ready to “decide up the ball” for independence, when the information service she is overseeing is supposed to be impartial.
Ms Hitt is herself homosexual, which can make it tough monitoring protection of matches there, when Wales have certified for a World Cup for the primary time in 64 years.
Certainly there was intense criticism of Qatar’s human rights file typically, in addition to the background to the World Cup within the nation.
Nevertheless it’s tough to talk out about what is occurring, and critics have had their emails hacked.
As Ms Hitt takes up her submit the most recent RAJARs make plain the size of the duty forward of her, as a result of they present that the market share of RW is now barely greater than 5 per cent, but simply over 19 years in the past the statistic was 8.7 per cent, and even in 2019 it was six per cent, with the terrible numbers set in opposition to a backdrop of huge quantities of cash spent on ‘well-known’ identify hosts.
Mike Flynn, one of the primary folks fronting programmes on the station throughout its launch informed The Eye: “The folks in cost have to take duty and resign”.
Previous years have been nearly as dangerous for RW. In 2020 the equal figures revealed a slight improve on the earlier 12 months, however a considerable drop in contrast with two years earlier, a large lower on the 12 months earlier than that, and the way greater than 40,000 listeners had been misplaced in a single three month interval, regardless of the money spent on new schedules. Additionally they confirmed that the entire listening hours have been 2,667,000, down from 3,074,000 in September 2019 (though up from 2,147,000 in December 2018).
We reported how beforehand, a former radio govt on the troubled service, had mentioned: “It’s (the viewers numbers are) peaking at weekdays mid mornings, with Wynne Evans the one spotlight. There’s an over reliance on celebrities who’ve little or no substance, and the breakfast programme is a shame”.
Our personal Editor, Phil Parry, who introduced the lunchtime programme, Wales at One, the drive-time present Good Night Wales, in addition to the weekly debate sequence Folks’s Meeting, for seven years till 2006, mentioned: “I actually don’t see how for much longer this may go on. That is PUBLIC cash we’re speaking about in any case!”.
However the station has typically hit the headlines for unlucky causes. Our journalists have been alone in reporting that Ms Hitt’s predecessor as RW Editor, Colin Paterson, had an unwise affair with the presenter Lucy Owen, and the story about it was included in one other important DS remark regarding RW with the message above the hyperlink saying “…the file low listening figures at Radio Wales below it’s (sic) present administration (have been) amplified this 12 months by criticism from former award profitable reporters and presenters”.
For a lot of employees at BBC CW, Mr Paterson’s romance with the married Mrs Owen represented a significant potential battle of curiosity, as a result of officers had commissioned a RW programme fronted by her, referred to as ‘Sunday morning with Lucy Owen’, and media executives each inside in addition to outdoors the company have informed The Eye that they have been nervous about their partnership’s attainable impression on the method.
Mr Flynn was equally unimpressed by The Eye’s disclosure of this relationship. He informed us: “If Paterson has been having an affair with a Wales At present and Radio Wales presenter he must be suspended instantly”.
In the meantime, when Mr Paterson’s former paramour, Mrs Owen, was newsreading on BBC Wales At present (WT), programme-makers used an image of Brighton Pavilion throughout protection of the beginning of the massively necessary Muslim month of Ramadan as a substitute of a mosque, and the error was then featured within the Brighton Argus.
One Twitter person complained: “BBC Wales displaying an image of the Brighton Pavilion and getting it confused for a mosque when speaking about Ramadan is sort of f****d?”. One other wrote furiously: “Not glad they’ve used a shot of Brighton Pavilion as if it’s a mosque (presumably)”.
Mrs Owen had additionally tweeted over Christmas 2020 about how she had taken a visit to the seaside at Southerndown within the Vale of Glamorgan, when others have been ruled by lockdown rules. She handled us, too, to a video of how she had suffered a “turkey drama” (presumably at her South Wales residence) by leaving plastic on the roast, however it can’t examine with the disaster endured by the households to whom she broadcasted each night time with the most recent lockdown guidelines. She introduced on-line, as she confirmed us what had occurred: “I left a little bit of the plastic on it…”
Up to now, Mrs Owen has referred to as a ‘disaster’, as effectively, carrying odd sneakers into the workplace to broadcast the lunchtime bulletin, and requested whether or not anybody would discover. She even included for us a shocked face emoji after that remark, and following it Mrs Owen printed on Twitter: “Disaster over!”.
But she might, maybe, have centered on the BBC CW web site saying the identical day that coronavirus/Covid-19 was the largest reason for loss of life in Wales that month, which many would possibly see as an actual drama. This was what she would have learn as a substitute of complaining about carrying odd sneakers: “The mortality fee rose “considerably” for a second month, to 260 deaths per 100,000 folks in Wales. It was additionally greater than twice the speed in essentially the most disadvantaged areas in contrast with the least disadvantaged space”.
The senior company govt who she had an affair with, Ms Hitt’s forerunner at RW, Mr Paterson, has been within the information for the fallacious causes too. He posted a video on Fb (FB) about how he additionally went to the seaside–this time at close by Ogmore–over Christmas 2020, which he mentioned was “Balmy”.
Nevertheless the Welsh Authorities (WG) guidelines on the time appeared clear sufficient: “If you’re travelling away from residence, it’s best to journey to fulfill your Christmas bubble and return residence in the midst of 25 December...It’s best to maintain taking steps to scale back the unfold of the virus, and this can assist make sure that you take pleasure in Christmas Day as safely as attainable.” Journey recommendation from South Wales Police (SWP) warned folks then about going to seashores “you shouldn’t be driving to those locations”.
Bizarrely, Mr Paterson had additionally retweeted particulars of the lockdown restrictions from his personal radio station which coated the Christmas interval then.
On November 4 in 2017 we confirmed how new schedules have been about to be printed by the BBC, however the standard Sunday programme of Mr Jones didn’t seem. On the time the BBC informed The Eye, that they did “make modifications to when programmes run”.
However it transpired that the favored presenter wouldn’t be on the airwaves in any respect on the BBC, whereas the broadcaster investigated alleged inappropriate behaviour greater than a decade earlier. The singer and TV host from Anglesey, who discovered fame on the age of 12 along with his high 5 Christmas hit Strolling within the Air, mentioned he was “deeply sorry” for any upset prompted however strongly denied any “inappropriate contact”, and a spokesman for Mr Jones mentioned that whereas the matter didn’t relate to any broadcast work, he had voluntarily agreed to not go on the BBC whereas it was investigated.
In an announcement, the spokesman added: “While he accepts that his (Mr Jones’) behaviour over a decade in the past was sometimes juvenile, as was that of others, he by no means supposed to harass or misery and he strongly denies any inappropriate contact. He’s, nonetheless, deeply sorry for any upset prompted and hopes this matter is resolved quickly.” Mr Jones’ spokesman added that the allegations from a single feminine complainant of inappropriate messages and speak to, reported within the Solar, didn’t relate to any broadcast work, and associated to a matter greater than 10 years earlier than
It has grow to be clear that extra lately there have been issues for the BBC, and the most recent RAJAR figures, come at a tough time, because the company has endured heavy criticism over a brand which was unveiled a 12 months in the past.
Two community tv presenters, Richard Madeley and Susanna Reid, greeted it with derision. “I imply, I can barely take a look at it“, Mr Madeley scoffed. “Oh, it’s like one thing from (the hit tv comedy sequence) W1A, isn’t it?”, Ms Reid added.
“The longer term is so brilliant I’ve to put on shades!” Mr Madeley japed satirically on air. “Effectively, what’s the distinction? Are you able to think about a designer going to the BBC exec and saying, ‘I believe you’ll like this’ and them going, ‘oh my God, that was value half one million’”. He went on to say: “[The BBC] are like Millwall supporters: all people hates them however they don’t care”. “You possibly can’t say that everyone hates the BBC!” a ‘shocked’ Ms Reid laughed.
It’s apparent, although, that the authorities in Qatar HATE the follow of homosexual intercourse, as a result of it’s unlawful, whereas the lady in control of overseeing soccer World Cup protection from there (homosexual Ms Hitt), should additionally face one other problem – that nearly nobody listens to RW…
The recollections of our Editor, Phil Parry’s, astonishing 39 12 months award-winning profession in journalism (together with among the tales he coated throughout his 23 years on the BBC) as he was gripped by the uncommon neurological disabling situation, Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia (HSP), have been launched in a significant guide ‘A GOOD STORY’. Order the guide now!
Regrettably publication of one other guide, nonetheless, was refused, as a result of it was to have included names.
