Earpiece Complaints from the Other Side...

Rob (an old ITBB pic Guido didn't pilfer)

Fans of the BBC's new Editor of BBC Live Political Programmes - one Rob Burley - will be delighted to know that his new much-wider-than-just-The Andrew Marr Show remit means that Our Rob is now active throughout the week as well as at the weekends.

Here he is, a couple of days back, engaging in conversation with some very nice, entirely reasonable Corbynistas over an episode of The Daily Politics where one of Mr. Corbyn's allies fell foul of a dodgy BBC earpiece:

Tony Man: Bloody hell ..#BBCDP interviewing Chris Williamson MP,  he starts talking about Saudi humanitarian (public Executions, Beheading etc) crimes gets cut off by the BBC..

Rob Burley: There was a technical problem. Why would we invite him on in the first place if we were seeking to suppress his views?

Tony Man: Of course there was Rob..You weren't expecting him to start talking about Saudi's public executions and the embarrassment of having our PM negotiating with these people!

Rob Burley: Despite the fact that we raised Saudi executions ourselves yesterday (before Corbyn did)? We also asked a Minister about whether the Govt should be talking to Saudi. So, 2 days in a row we raised Saudi and you are suggesting we faked technical problems to sabotage ourselves.

Tony Man: I never said, or suggested, you "faked it" - I never said you were "suppressing his views". It is only YOU that introduced those things in to the post .. I know what I saw, your viewers know what they saw.  simple as that!

Rob Burley: What are you saying then Tony?

Tony Man: Rob - see my original tweet mate. I think you giving the your self away by bringing the words "suppression",  " faked technical problems", "sabotage" and "Corbyn" into the conversation.

Rob Burley: I have no idea what your insinuation was then. None. Anyway, for clarity: there was a simple technical problem and that's the only reason the interview ended.

Tony Man: .. For clarity, when I posted this tweet I was correct. Can we look forward to a complete interview with CW -without technical issues?

Rob Burley: Well he's almost certain to be on again but no special return. Again, you sort of imply it was on purpose but then again the courage of your convictions also melting away.

Tony Man: Great I'll look forward to hearing more. No Rob.. My conviction remains strong. MP Chris Williamson was talking about Saudi Humanitarian Crimes and got cut off by the BBC. Anything beyond that is a torsion in your  pants of your own making. Have a good day.

Rob Burley: Oh Tony. . . . You have a lovely afternoon too!

******** 

Jean: #bbcdp Typical BBC, Charlotte Leslie didn't show up, so cut Chris Williamson off.
Rob Burley: You think we cut him off? Wow! His earpiece failed it seems.
Jean: His BBC earpiece!
Rob Burley: Why would we invite him on if we were seeking to find an excuse to cut him off?
Jean: Why indeed!
Rob Burley: Jean, you are seeing things that aren't there. Why would we go to the trouble of inviting him only to fake a technical issue? "Why indeed" isn't an answer, it just repeats the insinuation.
Jean: Are all BBC lost connections purely accidental?
Rob Burley: Sometimes we run out of time or maybe someone is being abusive but even then we'd say goodbye and explain to viewers. This was a technical failure, Anything else makes zero sense.

#Earpiecegate.