Only a week late in reporting this - but work gets in the way!
Still worth noting I think, for those who missed it.
Newsnight presenter Jeremy Paxman ("Paxo") used his MacTaggart lecture at the MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival to launch a scathing attack on the BBC, saying it's lost its sense of purpose in a welter of Stalinist 5-year plans, initiatives and missions, not to mention 'salami slicing' of programme budgets to accommodate the burgeoning non-broadcast spend (podcasts, web sites, phone in competitions, red buttons, email newsletters, blah blah blah).
He echoes what a lot of us feel - with some vehemence and force. I say well done - about time someone who will be listened to told it how it is. We pay our licence fee to watch 90% populist drivel; the remaining 10% would cost pennies of a cable subscription, not £135.50 per annum.
That's why I am going to cancel my TV licence when they turn off the analogue signal, and listen to radio and watch DVDs instead.
More reading:
Read a summary of his speech here:
http://media.guardian.co.uk/broadcast/story/0,,2155874,00.html
and the full text (contains adult language - aka swearing) here (PDF):
http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-files/Media/documents/2007/08/24/MacTaggartLecture.pdf
And a bit more about the man here:
http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/571500/
Mmmmmmm, Paxo stuffing:
http://www.rhmfoodservice.co.uk/brands/paxo/
03/09/07 @ 11:38