Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site qubix.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!decwrl!sun!idi!qubix!msc From: msc@qubix.UUCP (Mark Callow) Newsgroups: net.tv.drwho Subject: Re: Confessions of a former non-Whovian Message-ID: <1310@qubix.UUCP> Date: Sun, 5-Aug-84 15:44:01 EDT Article-I.D.: qubix.1310 Posted: Sun Aug 5 15:44:01 1984 Date-Received: Mon, 6-Aug-84 05:50:38 EDT References: <194@sunybcs.UUCP> Organization: Qubix Graphic Systems, Saratoga, CA Lines: 32 > = Jim Poltrone > ...if it had started on a privately-run network (recall that > the Beeb, a.k.a. the BBC, is government-operated). The Beeb is NOT government operated. It is fiercely proud of its independence. The government does collect (through the Post Office) the money to run it (licence fees from all TV set owners) but it is turned over to the board of governors who have total control over how it is spent. They appoint a controller to actually run the operation. The controller is always a former producer or director or some such. Several former and present Prime Ministers (both Labour and Tory) have complained bitterly about what they saw as bias against them and their parties by the BBC. Most notable of these was Harold Wilson. The BBC almost cancelled Dr. Who back in 1964/65 when the number of viewers fell to around 3 million. Even the Beeb pays some attention to ratings. Luckily the Cybermen were invented and they saved the show. I just visited Timecon-84 here in San Jose specifically to see a presentation of "The Hartnell Years" by John Nathan-Turner. It brought back many special memories and confirmed my belief that Hartnell was the greatest Doctor. Incidentally many in the audience had problems pronouncing the actors names. It's HARTnell not hartNELL and it's Trowton not Troffton (Patrick Troughton). -- From the TARDIS of Mark Callow msc@qubix.UUCP, qubix!msc@decwrl.ARPA ...{decvax,ucbvax}!decwrl!qubix!msc, ...{amd,ihnp4,ittvax}!qubix!msc "Nothing shocks me. I'm an Engineer."