BBC local radio bias, selling Bayer toxins

[OXFORDBEE]

Hi Brosville

If all of this is too technical .... and your bees use oilseed rape, the biggest single source of imidacloprid for UK bees ... just ask yourself how did they look last May when the rape was out? Confused, disorientated, declining, or building up rapidly and storing a surplus? And the wintering bees that were raised in August/September and which everyone worries about overwinter, what were they raised on?

Gavin,

I do quite well from the rape and as yet have no negative observations to make from it as a field crop. The bees thrived on it and did very well.

My winter losses so far are under 3%.

 

[MuswellMetro]

white wash

Whitewash Response

Dear Geoff
Thanks for your e-mail regarding 'Gardening' broadcast on 21 March.

I understand you felt the programme promoted the use of products partly made of neonicotinoids, which you feel was inappropriate as this is a chemical that can kill bees. I note you also believe the majority of products discussed on the programme were Bayer products which you believe to evidence of a bias towards the firm.

I assure you that we'd never broadcast any material that we believe could be damaging to our listeners or encourage the destruction of valuable natural processes, of which bees are undoubtedly a part, and I apologise of you felt this was the case.

We're fully committed to impartiality and wouldn't favour one product, or company over another. Advertising and product placement are forbidden under the terms our Charter. We issue guidelines to our producers about incidental advertising to make them aware of the need for care when products of any kind are referred to in programmes. On the occasions when products are included, it's always in order to plausibly represent realism and not for commercial gain. In these instances, producers are asked to avoid unnecessary dwelling on such images.

You may be interested in reading our Editorial Guidelines that relate directly to the issue of advertising:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/guidelines/editorialguidelines/onguide/editorial/index.shtml

I'd like to take this opportunity to assure you that I've recorded your comments onto our audience log. This is an internal daily report of audience feedback which is circulated to many BBC staff including senior management, producers and channel controllers.

The audience logs are seen as important documents that can help shape decisions about future programming and content.

Thanks again for contacting us.

Regards

Ciaran McConnell
BBC Complaints

 

[tonybloke]

surprised by the response? (I wasn't)

 

[Somerford]

I wouldn't rest there - take it further to Ofcom. Typical fobbing off 'we are listening but actually filling your comment under W.P.B - Waste paper basket !'

 

[MuswellMetro]

Being a Sad old Sod, what i will do is wait a few weeks so they are back to normal and then record one of his programs and list all the bayer products. i will then complain again, then refer it to ofcom

 

[roche]

Can you use iplayer to get the original programme and count the plugs in that one?