The government of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson often under-performs but never under-sells. Mr Johnson frequently describes his achievements as “world leading,” although the facts frequently say otherwise. And so when the British Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries promises a “golden age” of British broadcasting to compete with streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon, there is considerable scepticism, especially since the BBC remains the world’s most famous, and by staff numbers, the world’s largest broadcaster. It has 22,000 employees including 2,000 journalists. It is unclear what Ms Dorries’ new “golden age” will look like, but some detect a vendetta against existing broadcasters, including the BBC and the independent TV Channel 4.
The BBC began exactly a century ago. Since 1922 there has often been a love-hate relationship between British governments and the broadcaster, which is funded by the licence fee, a tax on all those who watch television. The amount is set by the government. That means the BBC is editorially independent yet financially often a political football. Ms Dorries is kicking the football now. Originally called the British Broadcasting Company, the BBC was first funded by big business, the high-tech media barons of the 1920s, the makers of "the wireless," that new-fangled invention we now call radio.
The funders lost money, so the British government stepped in, renamed it the British Broadcasting Corporation and most recently set the licence fee at £159 a year. That’s just 43p a day. It allows British people access to numerous national and local TV and radio channels, programmes, podcasts, films, dramas, international news and catch-up services. Buying just one quality British newspaper, The Times or The Guardian, costs more than £2 a day. But now the licence fee, and therefore the BBC itself, is under threat.
Ms Dorries has already frozen the licence fee for two years and says it should be scrapped completely. She is unclear how the BBC will subsequently be funded. Ms Dorries is a colourful character. She is the author of some novels, but has endured mixed reviews both for her fiction and her politics. Her 2014 novel The Four Streets was described as “the worst novel I have read in 10 years,” by The Daily Telegraph. The New Statesman offered the worst criticism possible of fiction, writing that “Dorries is just not very good at making things up”.
Every significant British prime minister in living memory, whether on the political left or right, has had rows with the BBC
As Culture Secretary she has repeatedly been accused of being clueless about the job, suggesting, for example, that the independent Channel 4 TV costs the British taxpayer money. It does not. One critic sarcastically suggested Ms Dorries has “written more books than she has read”. Then, in a bizarre interview, she explained that her job included ensuring access to “tennis pitches” instead of tennis courts, that viewers could “downstream” TV programmes (perhaps she meant downloading streaming services?), and that the internet in Britain would be made the safest in the world. The meaning again was unclear.
Ms Dorries responds that she mixes up words because she has dyslexia, but her critics worry that she is pursuing her political vendetta to neutralise the BBC, Channel 4 and other critics because she – and her Conservative colleagues – view journalists as left wing or liberal or biased against her party.
In this Ms Dorries is at least treading in the footsteps of giants. Every significant British prime minister in living memory, whether on the political left or right, has had rows with the BBC. Many tried to clip its wings. The BBC coverage of the 1956 Suez crisis was disliked by those in power. In the 1980s Margaret Thatcher tried to silence – literally – BBC coverage of Republican paramilitary groups during the Troubles in Northern Ireland. Mrs Thatcher also wanted to scrap the BBC licence fee and force it to take advertising. Labour prime minister Tony Blair demanded an inquiry into critical BBC coverage of the Iraq war of 2003. That led to the resignation of the BBC’s chairman and director general.
In the past century the BBC has also had countless inquiries into its editorial standards, its future, its impartiality (or lack of) and its funding. Left wing commentators, such as Owen Jones, claim the BBC is a nest of right wing establishment characters. Perhaps the decades of criticism simply signpost the BBC’s importance in British public life and culture. But Ms Dorries may change that. The funding row, and uncertainty about the future, risks destroying one of the greatest British institutions and among the most trusted news sources in the world.
I am biased, because I worked for the BBC for years. I therefore politely suggest that someone in Ms Dorries’ Culture department should dig out the 1980s Peacock inquiry, which was a review into the BBC's financing, ordered by Margaret Thatcher. Professor Peacock – to Mrs Thatcher’s surprise – concluded that rather than advertising or subscription, the BBC licence fee was the “least worst option” for ensuring the continuation of a national treasure. Sadly, even if Ms Dorries is eventually persuaded, it is a mistake to undermine the one British institution which for a century has truly been “world leading,” the uncertainty she has created means some of the damage already done will be difficult to repair.
Company name: Play:Date
Launched: March 2017 on UAE Mother’s Day
Founder: Shamim Kassibawi
Based: Dubai with operations in the UAE and US
Sector: Tech
Size: 20 employees
Stage of funding: Seed
Investors: Three founders (two silent co-founders) and one venture capital fund
Healthy tips to remember
Here, Dr Mohamed El Abiary, paediatric consultant at Al Zahra Hospital Dubai, shares some advice for parents whose children are fasting during the holy month of Ramadan:
Gradual fasting and golden points - For children under the age of 10, follow a step-by-step approach to fasting and don't push them beyond their limits. Start with a few hours fasting a day and increase it to a half fast and full fast when the child is ready. Every individual's ability varies as per the age and personal readiness. You could introduce a points system that awards the child and offers them encouragement when they make progress with the amount of hours they fast
Why fast? - Explain to your child why they are fasting. By shedding light on the importance of abstaining from food and drink, children may feel more encouraged to give it there all during the observance period. It is also a good opportunity to teach children about controlling urges, doing good for others and instilling healthy food habits
Sleep and suhoor - A child needs adequate sleep every night - at least eight hours. Make sure to set a routine early bedtime so he/she has sufficient time to wake up for suhoor, which is an essential meal at the beginning of the day
Good diet - Nutritious food is crucial to ensuring a healthy Ramadan for children. They must refrain from eating too much junk food as well as canned goods and snacks and drinks high in sugar. Foods that are rich in nutrients, vitamins and proteins, like fruits, fresh meats and vegetables, make for a good balanced diet
Naga
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Company Profile
Company name: NutriCal
Started: 2019
Founder: Soniya Ashar
Based: Dubai
Industry: Food Technology
Initial investment: Self-funded undisclosed amount
Future plan: Looking to raise fresh capital and expand in Saudi Arabia
Total Clients: Over 50
HOW DO SIM CARD SCAMS WORK?
Sim swap frauds are a form of identity theft.
They involve criminals conning mobile phone operators into issuing them with replacement Sim cards, often by claiming their phone has been lost or stolen
They use the victim's personal details - obtained through criminal methods - to convince such companies of their identity.
The criminal can then access any online service that requires security codes to be sent to a user's mobile phone, such as banking services.
How to increase your savings
- Have a plan for your savings.
- Decide on your emergency fund target and once that's achieved, assign your savings to another financial goal such as saving for a house or investing for retirement.
- Decide on a financial goal that is important to you and put your savings to work for you.
- It's important to have a purpose for your savings as it helps to keep you motivated to continue while also reducing the temptation to spend your savings.
- Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Things Heard & Seen
Directed by: Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini
Starring: Amanda Seyfried, James Norton
2/5
MEYDAN CARD
6.30pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 Group One (PA) US$65,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.05pm Handicap (TB) $175,000 (Turf) 1,200m
7.40pm UAE 2000 Guineas Trial Conditions (TB) $100,000 (D) 1,600m
8.15pm Singspiel Stakes Group Two (TB) $250,000 (T) 1,800m
8.50pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,600m
9.25pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 Group Two (TB) $350,000 (D) 1,600m
10pm Dubai Trophy Conditions (TB) $100,000 (T) 1,200m
10.35pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,600m
The National selections:
6.30pm AF Alwajel
7.05pm Ekhtiyaar
7.40pm First View
8.15pm Benbatl
8.50pm Zakouski
9.25pm: Kimbear
10pm: Chasing Dreams
10.35pm: Good Fortune
How to report a beggar
Abu Dhabi – Call 999 or 8002626 (Aman Service)
Dubai – Call 800243
Sharjah – Call 065632222
Ras Al Khaimah - Call 072053372
Ajman – Call 067401616
Umm Al Quwain – Call 999
Fujairah - Call 092051100 or 092224411
What is cyberbullying?
Cyberbullying or online bullying could take many forms such as sending unkind or rude messages to someone, socially isolating people from groups, sharing embarrassing pictures of them, or spreading rumors about them.
Cyberbullying can take place on various platforms such as messages, on social media, on group chats, or games.
Parents should watch out for behavioural changes in their children.
When children are being bullied they they may be feel embarrassed and isolated, so parents should watch out for signs of signs of depression and anxiety
Zayed Sustainability Prize
The specs: Lamborghini Aventador SVJ
Price, base: Dh1,731,672
Engine: 6.5-litre V12
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 770hp @ 8,500rpm
Torque: 720Nm @ 6,750rpm
Fuel economy: 19.6L / 100km
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
Ain Dubai in numbers
126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure
1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch
16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.
9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.
5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place
192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.
