Corporation decides not to close digital radio station, but aims to cut its budget in half The BBC has reversed its decision to close the Asian Network digital radio station – but will look to cut its budget in half. The decision will be warmly welcomed by the station’s staff and listeners but will be seen by the corporation’s critics as a second embarrassing U-turn a year after the BBC Trust rebuffed management plans to close sister digital station, 6 Music . BBC executives are understood to have concluded that a national digital radio station remains the best way of reaching Asian listeners, rather than a collection of medium wave services that was mooted as one possible replacement. The station’s audience has increased by about a third since the closure plan was announced in March 2010 and had an average weekly reach of 477,000 listeners in the final three months of last year . As well as cutting Asian Network’s budget, management is expected to demand a further increase in its audience and awareness of the network among radio listeners. The decision, announced by BBC Radio 1 and Asian Network controller Andy Parfitt in a conference call to staff on Monday, follows a last-ditch effort to save the station launched by its supporters last month . BBC Asian Network’s future will now be rolled into the “Delivering Quality First” review being overseen by director general Mark Thompson of the corporation’s entire services and output aimed at saving more than £400m. The Asian Network’s budget is bigger than any other of the BBC’s digital stations, with £8.9m spent on content out of a total of £12.1m last year. At 8.5p per listener hour, it was more expensive than any other BBC radio station. The next most expensive, BBC Radio 3, cost 6.3p per user hour, while BBC Radio 2, at 0.5p per user hour, was the cheapest. The plan to keep the station will have to be approved by the BBC Trust in the summer. More details soon… •
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There’s been more trouble at Japan’s stricken Fukushima nuclear power plant. With cooling systems down, fuel rods have been exposed at the facility’s Unit 2 reactor, and there was an explosion at Unit 3. (March 14)
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Click here to view this media Looks like Chris Wallace was in the mood to give Breitbart’s buddy James O’Keefe, another plug this week as his “Power Player of the Week.” Wallace’s omissions about O’Keefe’s record were nearly as bad as O’Keefe’s deceptive video editing. Shameful. Media Matters has more — Wallace’s “Power Player” Designation For O’Keefe Ignores His History Of Deception : For the second time, Chris Wallace named James O’Keefe Fox News Sunday’s “Power Player of the Week.” But Wallace ignored O’Keefe’s history of discredited claims and allegations that O’Keefe deceptively edits his videos, including the NPR video that earned him the latest “Power Player” designation. Wallace Touted ACORN Sting, Promoted Upcoming Video Release. Wallace began his “Power Player of the Week” segment by touting O’Keefe’s ability to go after “big targets” and get “stunning results,” regardless of “[w]hether you admire or condemn his tactics.” Wallace went on to tout how O’Keefe’s ACORN videos “pushed Congress to cut off federal funding,” and concluded by noting that a video from “an undercover sting of a public television executive” would be released by O’Keefe in the coming week. From the March 13 edition of Fox News Sunday: Wallace Ignored Deceptive Editing Of O’Keefe’s Videos Beck’s Right-Wing Website Found “Questionable Editing” In O’Keefe’s NPR Video. Citing an examination of the NPR video conducted by Glenn Beck’s website TheBlaze.com, Politico’s Ben Smith and Slate’s David Weigel reported that the video of Schiller released by O’Keefe’s Project Veritas was deceptively edited to portray certain statements by Schiller out of context. Smith described the editing as “some really serious, dishonest lily-gilding.” [Ben Smith, Politico , 3/11/11 ; David Weigel, Slate, 3/11/11 ; The Blaze, 3/10/11 ] In Touting ACORN Video, Wallace Ignored That O’Keefe Deceptively Edited Those As Well. Wallace noted that O’Keefe’s ACORN videos “pushed Congress to cut off federal funding,” but he didn’t mention that the videos were edited to falsely suggest criminal violations by ACORN employees. Then-California Attorney General Jerry Brown’s office conducted an investigation into the ACORN videos that concluded there was no evidence of illegal activity by ACORN, and that the videos were deceptively edited. According to Brown: “[T]hings are not always as partisan zealots portray them through highly selective editing of reality. Sometimes a fuller truth is found on the cutting room floor.” [California Attorney General's Office, 4/1/10 ] Wallace Plucked Schiller’s Statement On NPR’s Federal Funding Out Of Context Read on… Transcript below the fold. WALLACE: Whether you admire or condemn his tactics, there’s no debating that undercover activist James O’Keefe has taken on some big targets and come up with some stunning results. Once again he is our “Power Player of the Week.” (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) JAMES O’KEEFE, UNDERCOVER ACTIVIST: We thought it would be a funny YouTube video and we’d get them to say something silly like, “Oh, you guys, that’s cute.” But never in our wildest dreams did we ever imagine this. WALLACE (voice-over): That was James O’Keefe in 2009, marveling at the impact of his undercover ACORN videos that pushed Congress to cut off federal funding. Now he has struck again, masterminding a sting of NPR executives at what was supposedly a lunch with rich Muslim donors that showed their political bias here against the Tea Party. RON SCHILLER, NPR: I mean, it’s scary. They’re seriously racist, racist people. WALLACE: We wanted to find out what drives the 26-year-old O’Keefe, who describes himself not as a conservative, but a progressive radical. And what we discovered is an outrage with liberal hypocrisy. O’KEEFE: If you use their rules against them, you can really just tease them and mock them and really destroy them. WALLACE: As a student at Rutgers, he says he became fed up with political correctness, especially about race. So, on St. Patrick’s Day, 2004, he met with an administrator to demand they stop serving Lucky Charms cereal with its Irish leprechaun. O’KEEFE: As you can see, we’re not all short, green, but we have our differences of height. And we think this is stereotypical of all Irish Americans. They said yes. And then I realized, OK, now I’m on to something. WALLACE: Four years ago, he called Planned Parenthood offices to say he wanted to donate money to abort black babies so his child wouldn’t be hurt by affirmative action. O’KEEFE: So that’s definitely possible? UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, always. Always. O’KEEFE: Can I put this in the name of my son? UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Absolutely. WALLACE: In 2009, when Hannah Giles called and proposed they sting ACORN, O’Keefe was on board. O’KEEFE: She said, “I can be a prostitute.” And that’s when I said, “What if I’m a pimp?” And then we said, what if there are 13-year-old girls involved? And we just upped the ante and just made it more ridiculous. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I’m not (ph) sure now you can make it legal. WALLACE: O’Keefe has had problems. Last May, he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor for posing as a phone repairman to get in Senator Mary Landrieu’s office. But now he has a new scout. The head of NPR was forced out in the latest scandal. And Congress may oblige what that executive said was his secret hoax (ph). SCHILLER: Well, frankly, it is very clear that we would be better of fin the long run without federal funding. WALLACE: O’Keefe says his friends always tell him the next sting will never work. O’KEEFE: “They’ll never say yes. That’s ridiculous. That’s absurd.” Every time they say yes. So people say, “You’re never going to do it again.” I disagree with them. I think that I’ll come with a new strategy and I’ll get them to say yes. (END VIDEOTAPE) WALLACE: O’Keefe has also engineered an undercover sting of a public television executive. And his groups says it will release that tape this week. And that’s it for today. Have a great week, and we’ll see you next FOX NEWS SUNDAY.
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2011 Sendai Earthquake News Round-Up: Nuclear Crisis: Second hydrogen explosion occurs as predicted at troubled Fukushima Daiichi’s No. 3 reactor (see video below); explosion damages building, injures workers, leaves reactor container intact ; radiation levels within legal limits following blast; Anderson Cooper following second explosion: “ Should I get out of here? ”; fuel rods exposed at No.2 reactor… Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : The Daily What Discovery Date : 14/03/2011 07:14 Number of articles : 3
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‘Battle: Los Angeles’ tops the weekend box office, besting ‘Rango,’ ‘Red Riding Hood.’ (March 14)
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‘The Event’ star Blair Underwood says the NBC show is back with a faster pace, new characters and more intrigue. (March 14)
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March 14, 2011 No Comment
I doubt this is the official video. Katy Perry’s Youtube channel says it’s the “lyrics video” and they aren’t even in the darn thing. A while back, a photo leaked of Katy and Kanye on set. This is kind of like Cee Lo’s joint. Anyway, risk a seizure if you want; aint much to see Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : MissInfo.tv Discovery Date : 14/03/2011 09:11 Number of articles : 4
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In press conference on Labour’s economic vision, Ed Miliband and Ed Balls claim repeating bank bonus tax would bring in £2bn Labour hopes to pressurise the chancellor into shelving the VAT rise on fuel by forcing a vote on the issue on Wednesday, forcing Tory and Lib Dem backbenchers to decide whether to join with the opposition to encourage relief for motorists and hauliers. The opposition want the government to shelve VAT on fuel, as petrol prices have risen to over 130p per litre, the VAT rise adding 3p. In a joint press conference by Ed Miliband and Ed Balls, the shadow chancellor said he had paid £74.50 to fill up his own family’s car over the weekend and that most people were struggling with a rise in the cost of living. MPs on all sides of the political spectrum are concerned. Asked whether the EU would block the UK from cutting VAT on fuel, Balls referred back to the success of then chancellor Ken Clarke who in 1995 cut VAT on fuel and said that had been “perfectly legal”. Though he said the government does have to go through the proper European procedures, the Treasury has already done so to cut VAT in rural areas. Ahead of the budget next week, Miliband and Balls set out how they would fund the hole in finances left by reversing the VAT rise on petrol, and begin stimulating activity for the UK economy – putting forward plans that could create 115,000 jobs. Their tests for next week’s budget, they said, included whether the chancellor took steps to relieve the pinch on living standards, and whether they set out a clear plan for growth. Labour’s central proposal is that the government to repeat last year’s bank bonus tax – which despite expectations, raised £3.5bn. Cautiously estimating the fresh tax could bring in £2m, they suggested: • establishing a £600m youth unemployment fund which they say would help more than 90,000 young people into work. • providing £1.2bn to fund the construction of 25,000 affordable homes which would also serve to shore up the “faltering” construction industry which, they said, had lost 27,000 jobs in the last year. These plans would generate 20,000 jobs, they claimed. • providing a funding stream for regional businesses by boosting regional growth fund by £200m. Miliband said: “We are under no illusions that at this stage the government will abandon their deficit reduction plan – they are too dug in for that. “But at least they should take some steps to deal with faltering growth in our economy – to start to establish a plan to create jobs in the private sector … to deal with the crisis of youth unemployment in our country and build the skills we need for the future. “The tests for next week’s budget are clear – growth and living standards. But the signs aren’t good that they will be met. The government should think again.” The Tories released a dossier totting up Labour’s spending commitments and said they believed the opposition had now made £12bn worth of uncosted commitments. Assertions from the government that Labour’s plans were unfunded were “total utter garbage and claptrap”, Ed Balls said. Though Labour would not raise VAT on any products, in the run up to the budget they are concentrating on getting the government to reverse just the VAT rise on petrol. The shadow chancellor underlined that a Labour government would still be sticking to the former chancellor Alistair Darling’s plan to halve the deficit by the end of the current parliament. He took on suggestions Darling’s plan to have the deficit was only £2bn less than Osborne’s plans. The government claims that Darling’s plans would have meant cuts of £14bn this year which are only £2bn less than George Osborne’s £16bn. Balls said these took no account of the fact that circumstances had changed since Darling produced his forecast and borrowing was £20bn lower than expected. However he stopped short of saying how that would be used, only suggesting it would have insulated a Labour government from having to make the cuts the government is now making. Balls said it was “complete nonsense” to claim that a Labour government would have been cutting spending by almost as much as the coalition. Labour Ed Miliband Ed Balls Economic policy Petrol prices Budget Tax and spending Allegra Stratton guardian.co.uk
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Amateur video captures the force of the tsunami’s arrival in Japan. The waves devastate entire blocks in Miyagi Prefecture, with some residents narrowly escaping, as captured by this photographer. (March 14)
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Nick Jonas helped raise awareness for childhood diabetes — a disease he was diagnosed with at age 13 — at the Carnival for a Cure fundraiser in New York. (March 14)
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