Forum for former BBC staff

Forum for former BBC staff
http://www.ex-bbc.net/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl >> News and Comment >> Murdoch malevolence http://www.ex-bbc.net/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1310036489 Message started by david en france on Jul 7^th, 2011, 11:02am

Title: Murdoch malevolence
Post by david en france on Jul 7^th, 2011, 11:02am

In 1993, many will recall, The Sun revealed the contents of the Queen's Christmas Message ahead of transmission. As Senior Events Producer it was my job to promulgate the sound recording to all BBC outlets (World Service , networks, etc) as well as external users such as ITV , IRNand SKY. It was all done under strict secrecy and embargo. As a result of the leak I was interviewed by senior Met detectives and was "under a cloud" and the same "cloud" flew over the SMs etc involved. I told them and my bosses that I believed SKY were the perpetrators, allowing fellow Murdoch employees access to it. Nothing was ever proved but it left a damaging scar on my record. What's the betting, in view of the current shenanigins, that it was Murdoch's dirty tricks? Does anyone have any light to throw on it? I'd be glad to clear my name.

Title: Re: Murdoch malevolence
Post by JohnW on Jul 19^th, 2011, 3:34pm

David F, I believe at least one (maybe two) ex-BDMs may read this forum.

I clearly remember Mike Todd "commenting" about that "content leak" ahead of the transmission: throughout my operational time in LCR (with the Continuities) I clearly remember the strictest of security measures being in force regards those tapes, but by '93 (having spent 11 months acting for one of the BDMs in '92) I was back managing in LCR. But 'tis my memory that we (within the good ship) all believed it to have been a leak through Sky at that time.

Even to this day, I find it very strange that some of the content gets a 'preview' in News bulletins prior to the Tx itself. but that seems to be the case with almost every item of News: it all seems to be "pre" announced these days! I'm thoroughly fed up of hearing what the PM (or some other dignitary) "will say" when they're due to make that big announcement "later". Why can't we just wait until they've said it!
But I guess the News reporters are not considered to be properly "on the ball" unless they know in advance these days.

I wonder if they knew just what the News Corp "trio" were going to say/not say in the HoC this afternoon!!

Title: Re: Murdoch malevolence
Post by david en france on Jul 19^th, 2011, 7:59pm

Thanks John. I've tried to interest a couple of corres in News in re-opening the story but can't find any takers. It's history, of course, but when I had to face "early retirement" in '94 I would far rather have hung onto my job. You are so right, we did maintain extremely strict security and I always chose the most senior SMs to do the dubbing and topping and tailing and never let the accompanying script out of my sight. As you say, it's now descended into farce and you wonder why we ever bothered.

Title: Re: Murdoch malevolence
Post by TomT on Jul 20^th, 2011, 7:25am

Way back when the Transcription Recording Unit multi copied the Speech it was done backwards in case anyone heard the content!

Title: Re: Murdoch malevolence
Post by david en france on Jul 20^th, 2011, 1:33pm

That doesn't surprise me in the least! Although I suspect some of the older SMs would be so good at hearing sound played backwards they'd dnatsrednu yreve drow ! LoL