BBC

[martyn668]

Wrote a complaint to the BBC the other day, via their website, and requested a reply. Give 'em their due, I got a holding e-mail today (copy below my e-mail). If enough people complain every time they c**k up the facts, they might have to give a written apology on their website. BTW anyone remember which journalist apologised and when? Probably could have come up with some better comparison emission figures, but I was pushed for time.

Dear Sir/Madam,

I would like complain about sloppy journalistic standards, incorrect facts and the anti-4x4 bias of the BBC.

Recently, I monitored the output of the BBC over two days, and heard or saw the following:

7.25 20/3/07 Radio 4 Tom Fields "Enough biofuel to fill the tank of an average 4x4 to feed a person for a year". Why would a 4x4 fuel tank necessarily be bigger or smaller than any other fuel tank. Why not just say “Car”?

7.00 21/3/07 BBC1 budget "with leaks earlier this week suggesting a doubling of taxes on 4x4s". There was never, to my knowledge, any suggestion of taxing a vehicle based on its transmission configuration. There was a suggestion (which turned out to be true) that taxation levels would rise (and eventually double) on higher polluting vehicles.

7.10 21/3/07 Radio 4 Evan Davis "no leaks about where the (budget) money is coming from, except 4x4s". Again, these tax rises were on higher polluting vehicles, rather than being based on a vehicle's transmission configuration.

18.003 21/3/07 Radio 4 "with drivers of 4x4s seeing their VED rise to £300”. Again, the term was inaccurate for the same reasons as listed above. This, despite balance until then on the PM programme - with one journalist even saying he did not like the term "gas guzzlers", and inventing "HPV" or "highly polluting vehicle."

These are just a few instances of sloppy journalistic standards, incorrect facts and the anti-4x4 bias of the BBC taken over two days. I am sure I missed others.

I understand, although I did not see it, that one BBC journalist has already apologised on air for use of “4x4” as a sloppy shorthand for vehicles with high emissions. Having already issued an apology, why does the BBC continue to accept lower standards from its journalists?

Here are just two examples. A small 4x4 and a mid size, middle of the range family car. A mid size 4x4 and a larger family car. Which pollute the most?

Fiat Panda 4x4 156g/km

Ford Focus 1.6 Duratec Ti-VCT 157g/km

Suzuki Grand Vitara 1.6 210g/km

Ford Mondeo 2.0 Saloon Automatic 218 g/km

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely.

Martyn Lewis

** REPLY **

Dear Mr Lewis

Thank you for contacting the BBC.

This is to let you know that we have received your recent complaint and will respond as soon as possible, however I hope you understand that the time taken to do so can depend on the nature of your complaint and the number of other complaints we are currently dealing with. The BBC issues public responses to issues which prompt large numbers of significant complaints and these can be read on our website at www.bbc.co.uk/complaints.

We would be grateful if you would not reply to this email - in the meantime, we would like to thank you for again for contacting us with your concerns and appreciate your patience in awaiting a response.

Regards

Richard Carey

BBC Information

[Les Henson]

That's a damned-good effort on your part Martyn, shows dedication to our cause that sadly many of us (including me) fail to practice. Think I'll now do a similar thing as you.

Ford Mondeo 2.0 Saloon Automatic 218 g/km

oops!

Les.

[steve_a]

Good on you, I did something very similar and got a reply from an actual person. I try to use the contact us on the bbc website whenever I see any unfair 4x4 nonsense, I thought I'd detected a change as well.

[LS26]

Great letter Martyn... Well reasoned and points argued with obvious passion but in a reasonable manner - something the antis could never do.

Well done! And if you ever decide to form a political party or a pressure group, put me on your mailing list

Roger

p.s. Love the term HPV

[simonr]

Well done Martin - the more the better!

Post budget, I had a chat with a woman who lives along the road from us. She has a new Espace - and asked me what tax band my Land Rover was (pointing at the 200tdi at the time). I Said it had gone up by a fiver (masking the fact that it's too old to be hit by the new emissions based tax). She had a bit of an indignant rant about how wrong it was that her modern, clean Espace, "with a 5 Encap something you know" is in band G while "your dirty gas guzzling 4x4" isn't - "it's just wrong".

It made me smile. I can see she subscribed to the media promoted view that all 4x4's were gas guzzlers and therefore evil and had been wrong footed a bit by Mr Brown pointing out she was more evil!

Si

[DefcoL]

Well done Martin - the more the better!

She has a new Espace -

She had a bit of an indignant rant about how wrong it was that her modern, clean Espace, "with a 5 Encap something you know" is in band G while "your dirty gas guzzling 4x4" isn't - "it's just wrong".

It made me smile.

Si

:hysterical: new Espace , bet we dont Hear of them being targeted by the anti's, they use them to get to their meetings :hysterical:

[nige90]

From the Government sources

Espace 2.2 dCi 140 244g/km Euro class IV

Which puts it in the highest Euro bracket.

A Td5 defender is class III although at 282g, but it is a bigger lump.