The Taming of the BEEB - World in Action Thames TV 29 February 1988

TV documentary on Margaret Thatcher's Conservative government in Britain in the 1980s, constraining BBC independence. Coverage of Ireland was a major factor. It details packing the BBC Board of Governors with right-wing Thatcher supporters. Later, after ITV and BBC documentaries undermined official explanations for shooting dead, in March 1988, three unarmed IRA members in Gibraltar, direct state censorship was imposed on all British broadcasters.
(Apologies for quality of video-audio in places.)

[@cuddlybear4108]

Great to see this episode of WIA. Thanks for this. ❤❤❤

[@MePeterNicholls]

BBC should be a cooperative of license fee payers. They should be on the board. And the board should be accountable to license fee payers.

[@johnking5174]

That is a great idea, but will never happen. Every government, right wing or left wing want to control the BBC for their own ideals. Just look at how Tony Blair hated the BBC, with the Hutton report in 2003 pouring crap all over the BBC. So it shows just how every government has problems with BBC

[@Ballinalower]

World In Action was a Granada TV production.

[@dominewimbury2039]

Yeah? Networked nationally and shown in the Thames region which is why Thames is on it and not Granada.

[@ianmcclavin]

​@@dominewimbury2039That is correct, World in Action was a Granada production. In early 1988, ITV stations stopped showing the programme makers' idents at the start of the programmes, and showed their own ident instead.😊

[@ianpuddick]

Fantastic ….thanks for posting 👍👍

[@LuciThomasHardylover-qx6ts]

It's so easy to criticise the BBC. If course an organisation that huge has some very public disasters. But, what would you have as the alternative? More commercial stations? God forbid..I like Peter Nichols idea about a cooperative, but can't see how we'd ever make it happen. Be careful what you wish for... because once the BBC is gone we'll never ever get it back!

[@GeoNeilUK]

This is one the few cases where 240p looks better than higher resolutions. Also, William Rees-Mogg, Jacob's pater. Since then, BBC News has been ran by Chris Patten.

[@aalexjohna]

William Rees-Mogg was a suspected paedophile.

[@kdlofty]

It's always been a government mouthpiece.

[@wirebrushofenlightenment1545]

All those great BBC programmes you remember? - Humour me, and google them. More than half of them are going to be ITV programmes. BBC has always been very 'small c' conservative. Establishment broadcasting - it has usually been the independent broadcasters who have made the real groundbreaking programmes.

[@johnking5174]

Fawlty Towers - Monty Python - Morecambe and Wise - Two Ronnies - Duchess of Duke Street - Colitz - Secret Army - Ghostwatch - Dad's Army - Steptoe and Son - Hancock's Half Hour - Generation Game - Bread - Only Fools and Horses - Noel's House Party - Panorama - Horizon - Fry and Laurie - Not the Nine O'Clock News - Smith and Jones - Kumars at No. 42. - Have I Got News For You - you want me to go on?

[@remoobko8440]

Wait, which one's supposed to be worse thatcher telling the beeb what to do, or David Frost ranting in a Halloween costume? I think I know!

[@888ssss]

its time it was closed down

[@johnking5174]

That has been said since 1926 and it has never happened, and never will happen. Close down the BBC, and ITV, Channel 4 etc will all cave in, as they don't want to do the public service broadcasting the BBC does. You really think ITV wants to air more regional news, more current affairs, bringing back religious programming. If you do, you are mad.