I've just had an interesting exchnage with Julia Hartley-Brewer on LBC radio in London.
I listened whilst she sang the praises of tomorrow's right wing march in London in favour of cuts in government spending. She let the organiser say it was not party political as it was supported by the Taxpayers' Alliance. She agreed with that person that it was terrible that the government had supported people in the north of the country during the recession and what a waste of money that was. And she agreed that cutting the debt - which she said was £5 trillion (when according to the ONS it's £1.1 trillion) - was a moral issue. Finally she stated Labour spent £4 for very £3 it taxed as a fact.
So I began by challenging these numbers quoting this data from the ONS:
As that shows, debt was about 22% of what she said, whilst spending only rose when the banks crashed the economy: in 2007 the deficit was under 3% of GDP, the agreed cautious limit permitted by the EU. And that was used very largely to pay for investment - a completely reasonable cause.
But she literally shouted at me that I was wrong.
And had my line cut off when I said if she had invited me on I should be allowed to speak.
When I pointed out that if cuts of the scale proposed by those supporting tomorrow's march took place then we'd be eliminating large tranches of the health, education, police, force. judicial and defence services she said I was being completely stupid. Except, it's a fact.
And then - I suspect because she was ordered to do so - she let me point out that the only solution to our crisis was a Keynesian one. We must spend now.
But for the second time in a week I have come across a fundamentalist DJ.
The right wing control of our media is very worrying.
But there again, I won't be going back on LBC again - at my own request, made immediately after the interview.
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Richard – what an unpleasant experience with an unpleasant person.
It is very difficult to explain the appeal of these ‘shock-jocks’.
I had hoped that their form of bigoted ignorance would not happen in the UK but I fear a right wing government brings out the worst in some people.
LBC’s prime time morning show is hosted by Nick Ferrari, and its evening show by James Whale. Not much semblence of balance there.
Mr Whale is then followed by Tory Iain Dale.
Although it’ll point out that it does have Ken Livingstone on, albeit “balanced” by David Mellor.
For that reason it often reminds me of Fox News. Famously no liberal commentator gets an airing without a rightwing blowhard to “balance” them on that station, even though said rightwing blowhards get acres of unchallenged airtime.
Why don’t you guys just set up a left wing radio station then? If there is a demand for it then people will listen.
You don’t know how markets work do you to exclude competition?
I don’t know how you can seriously make that statement without referring to the BBC.
And it is different from this blog how? Not sure Julia has treated you any worse than you have treated me here.
Your place, your rules etc, but not sure you can take the high ground on this one. Sauce for goose…
Hang on – radio is regulated, for good reason
The cost of market entry is very high
We expect even handedness as a result
Sorry, am confused. You tell Roy that it is markets that exclude competition. Now you tell me it is regulation that provides the barrier to entry. Which is it? I am not sure it is markets that would exclude competition if the regulatory barriers to entry were removed. Can the Telegraph exclude the Guardian? Can the Sun exclude the Mirror?
FWIW, I agree with at least your general premise of this post that regulatory barriers to entry do distort debate, and therefore democracy. This includes the elephant in the room – the BBC, which barely gives lipservice to its impartiality obligation. Unlike LBC, they can send you to jail if you refuse to pay.
Hopefully if internet radio takes off (and I hope it does), the barriers to entry should plummet.
Bit easier to start your own blog than start your own radio station though, isn’t it Adrian?
In its defence LBC has had Mehdi Hasan of the New Statesman on as a replacement for Iain Dale sometimes when Dale is on holiday – Mehdi’s excellent. They should give him a regular slot. But in general the programming is biased right of centre, yes.
I think the thing with these ‘shock jocks’ like Whale and Ferrari – Jon Gaunt is another – is that they are good at being obnoxious, recycling a few arguments from the Daily Telegraph, and shouting people down. And for some reason the radio programmers think this is good radio. I haven’t met a single person yet who actually enjoys listening to it – but there you go. Thank goodness for the BBC. Although it’s far from perfect, something like the Jeremy Vine show on Radio 2 is so much better than LBC…
When I’ve listened to her, hers has been the only female voice heard.
And yes I was trying to speak – about the very things that you abuse me for Richard, making reference to how we ae being signed up to open cheap labour migration in trade agreements.
I wasnt let onto the program.
This is the true right wing, as I have pointed out to you, that keeps such trickery of the public secret. Not people who are trying to reveal it.