[Atlantic Dawn]

Can't see Hook going on the show again, nearly a bust up but that's what makes Vinnie B's show so good.

[hotmail.com]

Sky News' Polticial Editor, Adam Boulton, doesn't vote at all to show he's unbiased.

[hotmail.com]

Originally Posted by Atlantic Dawn

Can't see Hook going on the show again, nearly a bust up but that's what makes Vinnie B's show so good.

All pantomime.

[take everything]

Vincent looks a good 10 years younger.
I'd say he's just oblivious of his own appearance.
The wife probably made him get that haircut.

Then again, the unruly hair was an important part of the whole "mad as hell" image.

[STB]

Jeez, the elephants in the room.

Denis O Brien must be delighted with Hook's impression of him. Light entertainment, my backside. Newstalk is not a light entertainment station George. Its bad enough that one man has been allowed buy up so much of the media ie 2 national stations in Newstalk and Today FM and a rake of so called "independent local" radio stations. Independent of whom ?

Declaration of other interests shouldnt be an issue for broadcasters, but it is and they are all running scared. We shouldnt have a situation whereby broadcasters have any direct conflict of interest.

The one who is being singled out is Anton Savage as he is the MD of the Communications Clinic who count Enda Kenny among their clients in the pr coaching etc. Anton of course is also known for his on air capabilities on Today FM a national independent station. Doesn't take a conspiracy theorist to work out possible personal conflicts that could arise not that Anton would be that unprofessional. Still an awful position to be put in.

[pixelburp]

The funny thing, I don't see either Browne or Hook as occupying either ends of the political spectrum, despite what one is claiming of the other: to me they're both a pair of similarly mouthy journos with their own brand of Iknowbest'isms, rather than being spokesmen for the left/right. It's no wonder they're sparking off each other & look ready to commit murder - they're way too alike, and far more than they'd ever care to admit. Although, at least Hook has the decency to admit he's a blustering, biased eejit; Browne's too pious for that.

[Lapin]

Originally Posted by hotmail.com

Sky News' Polticial Editor, Adam Boulton, doesn't vote at all to show he's unbiased.

Not unbiased enough to have an affair with one of Tony Blair's spin doctors and divorce his wife to marry her.

[hotmail.com]

Originally Posted by Lapin

Not unbiased enough to have an affair with one of Tony Blair's spin doctors and divorce his wife to marry her.

I hope they're very happy together.

[Skid]

Originally Posted by Lapin

Not unbiased enough to have an affair with one of Tony Blair's spin doctors and divorce his wife to marry her.

If I was to guess, I would say he was biased the other way

[Kirby]

Originally Posted by Lapin

Not unbiased enough to have an affair with one of Tony Blair's spin doctors and divorce his wife to marry her.

How is this a demonstration of bias? It might be a demonstration of morals but it hardly speaks to his political affiliation.

Thats just mud slinging.

[hotmail.com]

Originally Posted by Skid

If I was to guess, I would say he was biased the other way

Some say Boulton showed his bias the day Prescott punched a protestor during the 2001 election campaign. Boulton immediately said Prescott would have to resign when it all turned out to be a storm in a tea cup.

Prescott has refused to do an interview with Boulton since that.

[Havermeyer]

Originally Posted by hotmail.com

Sky News' Polticial Editor, Adam Boulton, doesn't vote at all to show he's unbiased.

But it could be argued that he is in a position to influence a lot more than one vote.

[Elmo]

It is only fair that a TV or Radio show provides balance. NewsTalk would be the first to start being bias if such regulations* where removed. E.g. It's licence IMO is for a News and Current Affairs Talk radio service.

Sometimes things do become bias on both Radio and TV and it is only proper that Viewers and Listeners have the right to have their point of view heard, or even an opposing point of view.

Newspapers are different often we levitate towards a certain newspaper due to its bias. However I expect reporters to report with little bias and columnist to give their view.

I don't think it should matter who a presenter votes for, but if they interview a person from the party they vote for they should be able to clearly argue against them. I personally think VB does this, I have seen shows with a panel of Pinko Lefties with VB giving a better arguments against such views then the best Rumbled Righty .

*The BAI view itself as a soft self regulator the head of the organisation was put into that position back in the early 1990s by a FF/PD government, I can't imagine he understands the word regulation.

[Lapin]

Originally Posted by Kirby

How is this a demonstration of bias? It might be a demonstration of morals but it hardly speaks to his political affiliation.

Thats just mud slinging.

I wasn't trying to sling any mud. I quite like Adam Boulton and I also hope both he and Anji Hunter are happy together.

Perhaps my point wasn't very well put.

When the affair became public knowledge, there were suggestions that he was open to the influence of Hunter. However unfounded this might be, the fact that he was romantically involved with a Labour Party hack left him vulnerable to such claims.

[jimaneejeebus]

Tonights' show was in equal measures fascinating and disconcerting....did anyone else get an uncomfortable feeling listening to the matter-of-fact way in which Eamon Ryan was proposing to alter the way the media work?



Firstly
Vincent rightly made the point that the law-if passed-would push editorial biases further underground. He called them 'covert biases'. And he also rightly argued that whilst overt biases aren't perfect, they are infinitely more perfect than covert biases......At least we know where we stand yes?

Secondly
If no-one is allowed to be biased, how will we ever be able to ask any politician anything????? How will we be able to disagree with them??? How will we be able to voice our complaints or make any grievances known to our politicians without it potentially being construed as being biased against someone or other???

Even Playing devils advocate could be construed as bias [even though it is an essential tool in trying to remain objective]

Thirdly-
Who decides what is biased and what is not? Surely they will be affected by their own personal biases?

Fourthly-
The whole system will rely on complaints from the general public, who-by definition- are biased! I can see perceived biases in favor of Sinn Fein being disproportionately singled out. I can see biases against Fine Gael being disproportionately singled out...[well that's changing also!]

Fifthly
And particularly if u agree with 4 above....I can also see a maintaining of the status quo. The middle ground will be favored in lieu of the grievances of the left and right. In other words there will potentially exist a bias in favor of the norm. One could argue that this may a good thing, without the polarizing effects of the far right and far left ideals.... but it is still a bias nonetheless.

Sixth(ly!)
Politicians have an agenda. Like all human beings they are biased. We need people like Vincent Brown to uncover these biases, to question the validity of these biases and to ensure poeple are aware of the pros and cons of any individual or collective agenda. As someone rightly mentioned above, we all know Vincent is slightly left leaning, but that does not prevent him from doing his job. He tears into everyone.


So there's a whole heap of stuff that I've thought about in just the last few minutes [there will probably be more] that I don't think Eamon Ryan has even contemplated. If he did, he did not mention them tonight.

Is anyone else feeling uncomfortable about the blase manner of Ryan tonight?