Greg dumbs down the BBC and Alastair rubs his hands
STEPHEN GLOVER
Is the BBC still interested in serious political coverage? Sian Kevill, a former editor of BBC 2's Newsnight, has been undertaking a review of the Corporation's political programmes. It seems that Greg Dyke, the director-general, has been making much of the running. Greg passionately believes that the BBC must connect with the millions of young Britons who appear to be turned off by politics. Political coverage, he thinks, should be more accessible. Or, we might say, more dumbed down.
On 17 July BBC governors will hear Greg's proposals. BBC l's Sunday lunchtime On the Record is due for the chop. It will be merged with an existing regional political programme which goes out at roughly the same time on BBC 2. The revamped show, which will be on BBC 1, is unpromisingly described by one executive as being 'about real people, for real people'. The governors will also be told that BBC 2's late-night political programme Despatch Box, at present broadcast four nights a week, and very ably anchored by our old friend Andrew Neil, should be reduced to a single slot. They may also learn about a proposal for a new weekly half-hour political programme aimed at 'yoof and described as 'irreverent', To some people these may not seem very momentous changes. But remember that Greg has already shunted Panorama into the so-called 'graveyard slot' on Sunday evenings. And, if you think about it, there are precious few serious television programmes about domestic politics other than the ones I have mentioned. You might cite BBC 2's Newsnight, but that spreads its net much wider. It is also dumbing itself down in order to appeal to Greg. Last week Newsnight devoted a huge chunk of time to an idiotic discussion about a George Michael pop video lampooning George Bush.
So I would submit that the changes which Greg will put to the governors next week are significant, and that they are part of a continuing assault by the director-general on serious political coverage. His main motive is as stated. He wants easy watching. But there are political ramifications which we should also consider. Heavyweight programmes such as On the Record and Despatch Box offer opposition parties a chance to stake out alternative political positions to New Labour's. Greg is, of course, a former Labour party donor, and Blairite fellow traveller. It would be grossly unfair — nay, an unspeakable calumny — to suggest that he had set these changes in train to please his political friends. But it cannot be denied that Alastair Campbell, the Prime Minister's director of communications, will be very happy with Greg's plans.
There is also a sub-plot involving John Humphrys, one of the presenters of Radio Four's Today, and anchor of the threatened On the Record. Mr Campbell and New Labour dislike Mr Humphrys, who is one of the few interviewers prepared to give Tony Blair a hard time. (That he also metes out the same punishment to the Tories is, for Mr Campbell, beside the point.) It was Mr Humphrys who grilled Mr Blair about the Bernie Ecclestone affair on On the Record way back in 1997. During the last election on Today he turned over the Prime Minister for claiming to be 'whiter than white', for which he has not been forgiven. At a BBC seminar last autumn, Charles Clarke, New Labour's pugnacious chairman, questioned whether it was right that Mr Humphrys should be writing an opinionated column for the Sunday Times, though he did not mention any of the other BBC journalists who write for the press.
I am sure Mr Humphrys can look after himself, but we will watch his back just in case. Meanwhile the governors must consider whether they want to assist Greg Dyke in his dumbing down of the BBC's political coverage. In fact, On the Record and even Despatch Box have perfectly respectable viewing figures. If the great British public do not at present watch serious political programmes in their millions, that may not be the fault of these programmes. Greg reminds me of those trendy bishops 40 years ago who argued that modern liturgy would bring back the congregations. If anything, the decline in church attendance quickened. Serious politics are not always a laugh, but it is vital in a democracy to have proper coverage of the issues. The governors will find that if they continue down Greg's chosen path they will further weaken the point of the BBC as a public-service broadcaster. Remember that New Labour will not be in power for ever.
This magazine's story last week about Euan Blair's private tuition did not achieve full media breakout. Thursday's London Evening Standard splashed with it, as did the next day's Daily Telegraph. The Daily Mail rolled out the barrel, but did not put the story on its front page, perhaps feeling that Euan and Nicky Blair should be spared the full treatment on account of their youth. BBC bulletins, which tend to take their lead from the press, made relatively little of the story. Neither the Guardian nor the Independent — required reading in most BBC newsrooms — was greatly exercised. Perhaps more interestingly, the Murdoch-owned Times and the Sun rode to the Prime Minister's rescue.
I recently wrote about New Labour tendencies at the Times, and the paper's verdict that charges of hypocrisy against the Blairs were 'ridiculous' was what one would expect. But the Sun these days is outdoing even its more respectable sibling in its fawning towards New Labour. Somewhat absurdly, it suggested (the idea possibly having been implanted by a New Labour spin doctor) that 'Blair must have known he'd get murdered for hiring these tutors. He decided to take it on the chin in the interests of his children.' Believe that and you will believe anything. So slavishly Blairite has the Sun become that its columnist Richard Littlejohn (who wrote critically of the Blairs last week) is said to be getting restive. Ditto the paper's political editor, Trevor Kavanagh, who is widely rumoured to be contemplating a move to Associated Newspapers, publishers of the Daily Mail.
One can understand why enlightened commentators might not get worked up about the Euan story. But perhaps they should have noticed that on the same day the Independent Television Commission announced a digital carve-up between the BBC and the Murdoch-controlled BSkyll This gives Rupert Murdoch a foothold in digital terrestrial television from which he was previously excluded. It represents a prize to him almost as enticing as Channel 5, which he is also stalking. Murdoch is getting a lot in return for his support.
Meanwhile at the Daily Mirror Piers Morgan has reopened hostilities against New Labour. His paper was furious about Euan's tuition, and he has blown a couple of gaskets since on other issues. I met Mr Morgan for the first time last week, and he seemed to accept the suggestion in this column last week that Alastair Campbell has been leaning on him. He indicated that he is not of a mind to cave in. Mr Morgan could become an unlikely hero of this column.
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