BBC director resigns amid criticism over editing of a Trump speech

[davideduardo]

Brendan Carr’s FCC launches probe into BBC’s Trump edit

While Trump is planning to sue.

www.theverge.com

Wait one second the FCC has no jurisdiction to investigate BBC over anything given that it’s a UK Media outlet.

They can investigate anything they want, but they have no jurisdiction to change it.

Long ago one of my Quito, Ecuador, AM stations was on 805 kHz. We got a letter from the U. S. Ggovernment through the American Embassy saying that we were causing a heterodyne with 810 and we “should move to a normalized” frequency. We thoroughly ignored the letter and even had a little giggle withe the head of frequencies at the Communications Ministry.

 

[ted chittenden]

Brendan Carr’s FCC launches probe into BBC’s Trump edit

While Trump is planning to sue.

www.theverge.com

Wait one second the FCC has no jurisdiction to investigate BBC over anything given that it’s a UK Media outlet.

According to the article, the letter was sent to Katherine Maher (forgive me for any misspellings), the head of the NPR network. I wonder if Trump is trying to use this letter to sue that network instead. If poster "miss Tuned" above is right and the program was only seen on British TV, then nothing will come of these shenanigans.

 

[Y2kTheNewOldies]

According to the article, the letter was sent to Katherine Maher (forgive me for any misspellings), the head of the NPR network. I wonder if Trump is trying to use this letter to sue that network instead. If poster "miss Tuned" above is right and the program was only seen on British TV, then nothing will come of these shenanigans.

Also the CEO of PBS was mentioned for some reason over a documentary that aired on BBC News. But wait NPR and PBS don’t have direct contracts to BBC News it’s the local affiliates of NPR and PBS that has an agreement directly to air BBC News segments. That puts WETA-TV, WGBH-TV, WAMU-FM and KQED-FM on the same types of license threats we seen with Comcast owned NBC affiliates and Disney owned ABC affiliates.

 

[Y2kTheNewOldies]

Here is the memo Brendan Carrs response to BBC News documentary.

 

[TheBigA]

According to the article, the letter was sent to Katherine Maher (forgive me for any misspellings), the head of the NPR network.

Also the CEO of PBS was mentioned for some reason over a documentary that aired on BBC News. But wait NPR and PBS don’t have direct contracts to BBC News it’s the local affiliates of NPR and PBS that has an agreement directly to air BBC News segments.

Correct. Once again, the chairman of the FCC shows his total lack of knowledge about public broadcasting. NPR doesn't distribute the BBC. It's US distributor is American Public Media. Yes, some NPR affiliates carry BBC programming. But they get it from APM, not NPR. Once again, Carr is attacking NPR for things it has nothing to do with. Public radio stations get their programming from multiple sources, not just NPR. All of them received funding from CPB. Yet only NPR was investigated and attacked, not any of the other program providers.

BBC Homepage — APM Distribution

APM Distribution homepage for BBC radio programs.

www.apmdistribution.org

I think this warrants a lawsuit by NPR against the FCC for a completely false charge. The documentary wasn't aired in the US. NPR isn't the distributor of the BBC. So NPR is being wrongly attacked for something it didn't do. At the very least, Carr should apologize for his lack of knowledge.

 

[Y2kTheNewOldies]

Correct. Once again, the chairman of the FCC shows his total lack of knowledge about public broadcasting. NPR doesn't distribute the BBC. It's US distributor is American Public Media. Yes, some NPR affiliates carry BBC programming. But they get it from APM, not NPR. Once again, Carr is attacking NPR for things it has nothing to do with. Public radio stations get their programming from multiple sources, not just NPR. All of them received funding from CPB. Yet only NPR was investigated and attacked, not any of the other program providers.

BBC Homepage — APM Distribution

APM Distribution homepage for BBC radio programs.

www.apmdistribution.org

I think this warrants a lawsuit by NPR against the FCC for a completely false charge. The documentary wasn't aired in the US. NPR isn't the distributor of the BBC. So NPR is being wrongly attacked for something it didn't do. At the very least, Carr should apologize for his lack of knowledge.

True but I don't expect Chairman Carr to apologize to NPR or PBS especially when they got White House authority to go after "Networks" even though networks are not covered by the FCC its local affiliates that are affected by the FCC. In this case since NPR and PBS are included in the FCC letter its WETA-TV and WAMU-FM Washington DC that has to watchout for Chairman Carr and consult with their legal team over political interference in the same way Disney and Comcast owned TV stations in New York and Los Angeles given that Comcasts main office is at 30 Rock in New York and Disney's main office is in Burbank over stuff the White House has an ax to grind with those networks.

 

[TheBigA]

True but I don't expect Chairman Carr to apologize to NPR or PBS especially when they got White House authority to go after "Networks" even though networks are not covered by the FCC its local affiliates that are affected by the FCC.

The white house doesn't have that authority. The FCC's mission is laid out by congress in the Communications Act. The FCC reports to congress, not the white house. Neither NPR nor PBS have any authority over their affiliates. Stations can pick and choose the programming they carry from a number of sources. One of them is NPR. As I've said many times, in the case of NPR, the stations run the network, not the other way around. NPR is a membership-based organization. There is no similarity to ABC or the commercial networks. The letter sent by Carr to NPR was completely inappropriate. If he's concerned about BBC programming on US stations, he should either contact American Public Media, or the stations themselves. However the BBC has already said that the documentary aired only in the UK, not US. There also was no radio version of the TV documentary.

 

[Y2kTheNewOldies]

The white house doesn't have that authority. The FCC's mission is laid out by congress in the Communications Act. The FCC reports to congress, not the white house. Neither NPR nor PBS have any authority over their affiliates. Stations can pick and choose the programming they carry from a number of sources. One of them is NPR. As I've said many times, in the case of NPR, the stations run the network, not the other way around. NPR is a membership-based organization. There is no similarity to ABC or the commercial networks. The letter sent by Carr to NPR was completely inappropriate. If he's concerned about BBC programming on US stations, he should either contact American Public Media, or the stations themselves. However the BBC has already said that the documentary aired only in the UK, not US. There also was no radio version of the TV documentary.

True it’s one of these I agree that the FCC reports to Congress but the way things are going now it’s the FCC reports to the White House with the Trump Administration ordering the FCC to investigate networks for speech they don’t like as we seen in other threads.
We said the same thing then as today the FCC does not investigate networks.

 

[ted chittenden]

Correct. Once again, the chairman of the FCC shows his total lack of knowledge about public broadcasting. NPR doesn't distribute the BBC. It's US distributor is American Public Media. Yes, some NPR affiliates carry BBC programming. But they get it from APM, not NPR. Once again, Carr is attacking NPR for things it has nothing to do with. Public radio stations get their programming from multiple sources, not just NPR. All of them received funding from CPB. Yet only NPR was investigated and attacked, not any of the other program providers.

BBC Homepage — APM Distribution

APM Distribution homepage for BBC radio programs.

www.apmdistribution.org

I think this warrants a lawsuit by NPR against the FCC for a completely false charge. The documentary wasn't aired in the US. NPR isn't the distributor of the BBC. So NPR is being wrongly attacked for something it didn't do. At the very least, Carr should apologize for his lack of knowledge.

If possible, I think that NPR should add this threat to the lawsuit it already has with the current Administration.

 

[Y2kTheNewOldies]

Also PBS can make a good case that not all of their affiliates air BBC News. Case and point PBS affiliate KRCB and KPJK Santa Rosa, California airs NHK News, DW News and France 24 news to fulfill their international news content to their audiences. This letter will go nowhere given that its a free speech issue in both the US and UK.

 

[TheBigA]

It's official:

Trump files $10 billion defamation lawsuit against BBC over edited clips of his Jan. 6 speech

The president's attorneys filed the lawsuit in federal court in Miami.

www.nbcnews.com

He says they "put words in my mouth." Factually incorrect. He said all those words.

I don't see how a US court has any jurisdiction. It never aired in the US.

 

[Theater of My Mind]

It's official:
---
I don't see how a US court has any jurisdiction. It never aired in the US.

What did you expect? He's a serial abuser of the courts and equally abusive of his pardon powers.

 

[Y2kTheNewOldies]

It's official:

Trump files $10 billion defamation lawsuit against BBC over edited clips of his Jan. 6 speech

The president's attorneys filed the lawsuit in federal court in Miami.

www.nbcnews.com

He says they "put words in my mouth." Factually incorrect. He said all those words.

I don't see how a US court has any jurisdiction. It never aired in the US.

Ok but we had an entire congressional hearing in 2022 that investigated the very things BBC News was citing in the Panorama episode. The Congressional records from 2022 can vindicate what the Panorama team aired on Trump. Also true there’s no jurisdiction to go after BBC News in this case.

 

[ted chittenden]

It's official:

Trump files $10 billion defamation lawsuit against BBC over edited clips of his Jan. 6 speech

The president's attorneys filed the lawsuit in federal court in Miami.

www.nbcnews.com

He says they "put words in my mouth." Factually incorrect. He said all those words.

I don't see how a US court has any jurisdiction. It never aired in the US.

I sincerely hope that the BBC shows it has more spine than CBS and ABC. Also, U.S. courts can rule all they want against the BBC but Trump is never going to collect. I mean, is he really thinking of sending over a division of ICE to the UK to collect his $10 billion?

Of course, maybe the whole truth here is that Mr. Trump wants to lessen the prestige in the eyes of those of his supporters who still listen to public radio. It's possible he could win there, but given his current poll numbers and the recent stances he has taken on some non-media issues, I don't really think that a strategy like that is really going to help him much, especially in next year's Congressional elections.

 

[TheBigA]

The BBC says they will defend themselves:

BBC vows to defend itself as Trump sues for $10 billion, claiming defamation and unfair trade practice

As Trump seeks a vast sum in damages from the U.K. public broadcaster for alleged defamation and unfair trade practice, BBC indicates it won't settle without a fight.

www.cbsnews.com

The president thinks the BBC is a for-profit company like CBS. It's not.

The suit says the BBC broke a Florida law. Except the documentary wasn't seen in Florida.

The FCC even wrote to the BBC last month:

US broadcast regulator writes to BBC over Panorama edit of Trump speech

The letter is reportedly also sent to the BBC's US partners, and seeks to find out if any US rules were broken.

www.bbc.com

Carr said he wanted to determine if the BBC provided either the video or audio of the spliced speech to any broadcaster "regulated by the FCC for airing in the US".

The BBC has previously stated it did not have the rights to, and did not, distribute the Panorama episode on its US channels.

Carr thought it aired on NPR. But NPR doesn't distribute the BBC in the US. This whole thing is a made up lawsuit based on nothing.

 

[ted chittenden]

The BBC says they will defend themselves:

BBC vows to defend itself as Trump sues for $10 billion, claiming defamation and unfair trade practice

As Trump seeks a vast sum in damages from the U.K. public broadcaster for alleged defamation and unfair trade practice, BBC indicates it won't settle without a fight.

www.cbsnews.com

The president thinks the BBC is a for-profit company like CBS. It's not.

The suit says the BBC broke a Florida law. Except the documentary wasn't seen in Florida.

The FCC even wrote to the BBC last month:

US broadcast regulator writes to BBC over Panorama edit of Trump speech

The letter is reportedly also sent to the BBC's US partners, and seeks to find out if any US rules were broken.

www.bbc.com

Carr thought it aired on NPR. But NPR doesn't distribute the BBC in the US. This whole thing is a made up lawsuit based on nothing.

Actually, the BBC is an entity of the British government, albeit one with a (mostly) free hand when it comes to programming. And this begs the question: which way is current British Prime Minister Kearn Starmer (not sure of spelling) leaning on this. The case has the potential to destroy U.S.-British relations which may be something that President Trump wants to do.

 

[Y2kTheNewOldies]

Actually, the BBC is an entity of the British government, albeit one with a (mostly) free hand when it comes to programming. And this begs the question: which way is current British Prime Minister Kearn Starmer (not sure of spelling) leaning on this. The case has the potential to destroy U.S.-British relations which may be something that President Trump wants to do.

True let’s hope access to the BBC News is not censored here via streaming or via donations to local PBS and NPR affiliates in the US all because the Trump Administration wants to “Improve relations to Russia and Putin Administration” by using the same playbook the Putin Administration uses to censor and control the press. I hope a UK court can throw out the BBC Lawsuit in this case given that both Chairman Carr and Trump has no jurisdiction in the UK.

Captive audience: How Putin shapes Russian opinions

Exiled Russian journalists Andrei Soldatov and Irina Borogan tell Newsweek about Vladimir Putin's crackdown and their book "Our Dear Friends In Moscow."

www.newsweek.com

How Russia’s Press Freedom has Deteriorated Over the Decades Since Putin Came to Power | FRONTLINE | PBS | Official Site | Documentary Series

FRONTLINE takes a closer look at the different tactics that President Vladimir Putin’s government has used to clamp down on journalists in Russia, and the impact it’s had on press freedom.

www.pbs.org

 

[Miss Tuned]

Actually, the BBC is an entity of the British government, albeit one with a (mostly) free hand when it comes to programming. And this begs the question: which way is current British Prime Minister Kearn Starmer (not sure of spelling) leaning on this. The case has the potential to destroy U.S.-British relations which may be something that President Trump wants to do.

The BBC isn't part of the government. It's a corporation by royal charter - a special type of public benefit corporation that has the right to do something that standard companies can't. In this case, it's collecting the TV licence money from the public. Other types of royal charter organisations are things like universities, whose royal charter gives them the right to award degrees; or professional bodies for things like accountants.

However, Trump isn't getting a penny. He may think they'll settle for a few million to make it go away like Paramount, but the BBC's funding comes from the public, and nobody involved is going to send any public funds to Trump. The programming in question never appeared on American airwaves, and there's nobody who will agree that it harmed him electorally, because he won the election. This is a question of whether an independent, sovereign nation is allowed to program what it likes on its own public airwaves.

 

[Y2kTheNewOldies]

BBC asks court to dismiss Trump's $10B lawsuit over Jan. 6 speech

The BBC will ask a judge to dismiss U.S. President Donald Trump's $10 billion lawsuit against the broadcaster.

www.pbs.org

BBC News asks court to dismiss the Trump Administrations lawsuit against them.

 

[Y2kTheNewOldies]

Why is Donald Trump suing the BBC?

The US president has filed a defamation lawsuit over the BBC's edit of his speech in a Panorama documentary.

www.yahoo.com

Trump's lawsuit against the BBC will to go to trial in 2027, U.S. judge says

President Donald Trump filed a lawsuit in December over the way the BBC edited a speech he gave on Jan. 6, 2021. The claim seeks $5 billion in damages for defamation and $5 billion for unfair trade practices.

www.pbs.org

An update the Trump Lawsuit against BBC will take place in 2027.