Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ

Sitting in mumbai have been reading up lot of stuff about bbc in Economist and in Guardian.
My verdict, it is not a junket.
But, why do we not get to see all the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ programs here in india? probably that can solve your problem of license.

How extraordinarily pompous this post is.

"The Standard presumably believes a successful global business can be run without ever leaving the country"

I doubt the Standard thinks quite that. Perhaps the Standard thinks that Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World thinking it is vital for its "global business" interests to hobnob with a bunch of major corporate leaders and world politicians is displaying, well, more than a little hubris. I wonder how many representatives from the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ are in Nairobi right now?

Ben - you are right, that part did sound a bit pompous. Apologies! I just don't think it's a sensible criticism by the Standard. To be fair, I don't think I quite said it was "vital to hob nob" either. We are reporting the Social Forum in Nairobi. We don't have to fly people there from London as we have a bureaux in the city. Best, Richard

Children i want you to stop this right now! No more point scoreing, you are all as good and as bad as one another.

Same old problem.Ofcourse there should be a Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ presence,it's an
important event.But how many programmes being represented individually by how many staff.
I thought with the centalisation
of news gathering some time ago we'd
got over this silliness.Especially
against a background of below inflation funding

Please,
Do the public have rights over the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ or not. Does the fact that the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ make money ensure that the organisation is now out of the public interest. Seperating the budgets into two accounts gives you license to do as you like. The Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ needs to be 100% accountable to the public that built it up from nothing and have supported it over the years. This appears from what you say to be a valuable trip. Although I'm sure that you are aware of the need for the public to be checking on what the public purse is being worked on.

Ben,
The Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service (Monitoring) has an 'East Africa Unit' based in Nairobi.

Richard - this annual meeting is very important. It is where the biggest ideas get discussed by people with the power to take action (whatever we think of them). I'm glad the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ is there reporting. I don't want to see the World through only a US media lens. Cheap shot by the Standard; ignore it.

Richard - I think you have "a bureau" in Nairobi, not "a bureaux". Tut tut.

Travelling in Economy? I shudder at the thought. Perhaps, like Prince Charles, you can put it down to the loss of the Empire. What's a 2-star hotel like though? Do you have to take your own soap? Have you got your own bathroom?

In all seriousness, I am all for projecting a positive, powerful image of Britain abroad and I don't think the representatives of what is, after all, one of the most visible expressions of Britishness are exempt from that. Personally I'd support you if you'd stayed somewhere a little more comfortable, even at my expense as a licence fee payer. You represent me as a Brit, I want you to look presentable in the morning, not like you had to queue for the showers with a load of sweaty Australian backpackers.

Don't worry about the Evening Standard; it's just another organ of the Daily Mail and we all know what that organisation thinks about the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ. They are hardly impartial. Besides, as hacks on what is, after all, only London's local rag, they're probably just jealous that they don't get to go to international events like this. Would you be in a tizz if the Evening Chronicle in Newcastle, or the Evening Times in Glasgow, decided to have a go? Of course not. Don't sweat it.

Considering the massive propaganda campaign against low cost flights that the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ is currently leading, should you be flying to Switzerland at all?

There is a concerted and sustained attack on cheap flights in all Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ output (Radio, TV and Website). Why don't you practice what you preach? Or much better still, stop pushing your own left-wing, interventionist, elitist agenda and let the rest of Britain enjoy our city breaks and foreign holidays?

I hope people remember this hypocrisy the next time they see some of your blatant propaganda.

Mike, Richard (Heath) -- just to let you know that the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ does in fact have several different parts of its international business operating in Nairobi -- Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ News, Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Monitoring, Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service and, from time-to-time, the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service Trust (our international charity), out of more than one office in the city, but sharing where possible.

Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Monitoring and Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service are separate parts of Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Global News division. Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ News is a different division, but does share one of the offices with others.

I think this will be why Richard (Sambrook) used the term 'bureaux'.

Hope that clarifies.

It would be nice for the anti-Daily Mail brigade who have posted here to explain their support for this 'junket' when the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ is supposed to be fronting environmentally friendly policies!.

Ipersonally, I think that this is typical left wing attitudes coming through, if the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ is queried about anything then you (PC brigade) rush to the defence of the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ, however, I remember last week you were all complaining about Prince Charles and David Cameron, yet you forgot to raise issue with Millband going to Delhi with 4 aides for a 1 day meeting!.

Double standards at the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ seem to be normal policy and as for the PC brigade, why don't you all try and understand that the majority of British people don't like you and are sick to death of your left views being rammed down our throats.

Forget the cheap air-fare. Why are you in India every eight weeks (and presumably elsewhere every other week), when we seem to have at least five other Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ reporters there who could do the job.

If the World Economic Forum is important enough for Tony Blair, Angela Merkel, Kofi Annan, Jack Straw, Gordon Brown etc etc to go to, then it's important that the event is covered properly - by reputable organisations such as the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ.

Dear Richard,
Hope you don't mind if I correct you. Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World has a hidden public funding: I have to pay Β£13.- per month to the cable TV service provider in Hungary to have access to Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World. I guess the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ gets a chunk of it in this or that way. But I do not mind you and the whole Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ-team being out there as long as I have up-to-date news and analisys on TV, on air and online.
Best regards to all, Mary

I'm somewhat split on this.

I understand the need for a corporate trip away - often vital for boosting team morale, and a neutral venue does usually allow people a more relaxed place to put forward ideas or opinions they may not feel like saying in the office. I also understand the meeting of colleagues from other companies and maintaining contacts and making new ones.

But why take the plane? The Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ has, quite rightly in my opinion, been at the forefront of warning people about the effects of global warming and how cheap flights are not helping the environmental struggle. Surely there's a train you can get to Switzerland? I seem to remember Top Gear showing that it could be done - even though it was slower than a car.

Richard, I'm afraid you haven't really got to grips with the level of ignorance here.

So, to make it crystal clear, when Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ staff attend something called the 'World Economic Forum', they are covering a news event, not engaging in an internal corporate jamboree, as some here seem to think.

Dear Richard, what a sneaky man you are, nowhere in your blog do you make it clear how many of your colleagues are going with you, well fear not I can oblige...the number is 71, 71 Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ staff going to cover this conference!. ITV are sending 3, SKY are sending 4 and Channel 4 well they are sending 0, so Richard please explain to me again what on earth requires 71 Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ people to go en-masse?.
Also perhaps you could explain why we the payer of your 'junket' have to fork up 50,000 pounds from our collective tax to accommodate your jolly?.

The question really boils down to what did you obtain or could reasonably have expected to obtain on your trip which was of genuine value to your audience which could not have been obtained by staying home in London. How much it cost or which source of the Corporation's revenues took the accounting hit for it is besides the point. People on business trips have a right to expect a reasonable level of personal comfort comparable to what they are accostomed to at home but not extravagance. Only you and your managers can answer these questions to those ratepayers and sponsors who are ultimately forced to foot the bill. I hope you do.

"The Standard presumably believes a successful global business can be run without ever leaving the country. It can't."

Yes it can. Ask any rich American. Also, the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ is not a business. It is funded by a compulsory licence fee instead of voluntary payments.

ITN sends 3 people, Sky sends 5 and the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ sends 37!!! Spending Β£50,000, and you are defending this? Shakes head.

The Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ should definitely be there, no question. In that respect it is not a junket but a part of the day job.

That said, good points have been raised about how manty arms of the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ have to be there. Can't the same folks do pieces to camera and pieces to radio. And the perhaps, somewhat radically, write something for the web. Multi-tasking. Too much to ask?

The Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ is everywhere - it is simply the best news feed in the world. I am one of the few that don't have a television so I am not in a position to complain but Economic Summits need to be covered and it is refreshing to learn that journalists have access. Now if they should ski as well as taking party drinks then that is good.
I don't suppose for one moment that work life balance gets a look in. I would like to say thank you.

It is amusing to read this as the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ reports complaints about Prince Charles flying to America. Perhaps no one should ever leave their own country - those explorers have a lot to answer for!

Maybe the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ should consider having fewer parts to their business, thereby reducing the need to send so many around the world.

Junket is an irrelevant word for Journalists.

Andrew asks whether multi-tasking is too much to ask of Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ reporters. No, it isn't - I've spent days doing TV, radio and online pieces on a story, with no time for meals. No complaints: that's what the job sometimes demands. What's far more serious is the reduction - or removal, sometimes - of the chance to check a story properly, or even to think about it.