Humphrys bites hand that fed him (Grauniad + dm)

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Cyril Haearn
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Humphrys bites hand that fed him (Grauniad + dm)

Post by Cyril Haearn »

The Grauniad reports that John Humphrys turned on the bbc as soon as he was free to do so, he worked there 32+ years and 'earned' 600k. Not much at all, I thought, under 20k p.a!?
No, stupid boy, 600k a year :?
Did he pay staff from that, or did he keep it all?

I wondered whether Mr Humphrys could have been a good ambassador for Wales but now I dinnae know what to think
Can anyone help?
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pwa
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Re: Humphrys bites hand that fed him (Grauniad + dm)

Post by pwa »

His pay went down to more like 240k (from memory) in the final year. I think the big "stars" at the Beeb basically accept what the Beeb thinks they need to pay to stop them being poached by the likes of Sky, who pay more.

By and large Humphrys was the sort of journalist we need in the media. He wasn't unique in that, and there will be adequate replacements in the wings. How much should we pay them? Well, they are at the top of their profession and they will be paid less by the BBC than they would doing a similar job with Sky, so how much less can the Beeb pay without ending up with a second rate team?
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661-Pete
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Re: Humphrys bites hand that fed him (Grauniad + dm)

Post by 661-Pete »

I think he lost his appeal for me once it was pointed out that there's no "E" in his name. I mean - huh? Brought back memories of a teacher I had to put up with in primary school, whose surname was "Humphris" (sic) - and I loathed her.

But that's beside the point. Calling the Beeb "too left wing"? Well I suppose that depends on your standpoint. I think of the Beeb as too right-wing, but then I'm a leftie at heart (though no longer a Labour supporter...).

To my mind there hasn't been a decent Today presenter since the late and sadly missed Jack de Manio (remember him?). I could even forgive him his total inability to tell the time (of course it was all analogue clocks back then). I believe that on his retirement he was presented with the very studio clock he'd failed to read all those years, presumably with an injunction to "get it right". A real lovable bloke...

Following him we had one Brian Redhead (also deceased) who kept rabbiting on about "Sir" Geoffrey Boycott. Perhaps just as well he didn't live to see the bloke actually (and highly controversially) ennobled.

I stopped listening to Today years ago, anyway. Now, with news galore on 'tweb, I hardly turn on the radio at all (though I still have one by my bed, for the alarm if needed).
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Oldjohnw
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Re: Humphrys bites hand that fed him (Grauniad + dm)

Post by Oldjohnw »

And people also say that the BBC is so concerned about securing its funding that it panders to the right.

Ps the pedant in me says that Boycott was knighted not ennobled. Ennobled he would become part of our legislature.
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Re: Humphrys bites hand that fed him (Grauniad + dm)

Post by PH »

When the storyteller becomes more important than the story, it's all gone wrong.
Bread and Circuses.

I stopped listening to the Today program at least a decade ago, by all accounts it's continued it's downward journey well after I'd assumed it'd hit the bottom.
reohn2
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Re: Humphrys bites hand that fed him (Grauniad + dm)

Post by reohn2 »

Cyril Haearn wrote:The Grauniad reports that John Humphrys turned on the bbc as soon as he was free to do so, he worked there 32+ years and 'earned' 600k. Not much at all, I thought, under 20k p.a!?
No, stupid boy, 600k a year :?
Did he pay staff from that, or did he keep it all?

I wondered whether Mr Humphrys could have been a good ambassador for Wales but now I dinnae know what to think
Can anyone help?

How did he turn on them?
Does an ex employee have keep quiet about the company s/he once worked for :?

Question:- if someone offered you £600k pa for your talents would you turn them down in favour of say an alternative offer of £60k pa?

Don't get me wrong IMO I think a lot of people in entertainment at the higher level aren't worth anywhere near what they're being paid,but you can't blame them for taking what's on offer.
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Psamathe
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Re: Humphrys bites hand that fed him (Grauniad + dm)

Post by Psamathe »

I felt he did a good neutral job properly examining those he interviewed. I dislike these ludicrous salaries anywhere but if there is justification for such payments then he had a stronger case than many.

I see nothing wrong with criticising ones employer after leaving, particularly as, given his role, his criticisms whilst still employed would highlight his bias/opinion and he'd been seen as "having a side".

But I don't agree with his criticisms. I think the BBC is rather biased to the right. I'm unsure if it is the organisation or just a few prominent reporters (e.g. Nick Robinson, Laura Kuenssberg) - difficult to tell when you are just listening.

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Re: Humphrys bites hand that fed him (Grauniad + dm)

Post by Oldjohnw »

In defence of Today, whilst acknowledging the problems, it is one of the few places where politicians are actually held to some sort of account and where they don't get away entirely with their usual nonsense.
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Re: Humphrys bites hand that fed him (Grauniad + dm)

Post by irc »

Cyril Haearn wrote:The Grauniad reports that John Humphrys turned on the bbc as soon as he was free to do so,


What's the issue here? Surely working for any organisation means to some extent accepting the party line and not criticising them. Restrictions that no longer applied after he left. Maybe truth hurts?

He was quite prepared to do a tough interview with a BBC boss following a Newsnight scandal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_cont ... E4L8C8ql3E
reohn2
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Re: Humphrys bites hand that fed him (Grauniad + dm)

Post by reohn2 »

Oldjohnw wrote:In defence of Today, whilst acknowledging the problems, it is one of the few places where politicians are actually held to some sort of account and where they don't get away entirely with their usual nonsense.

+1 I'm not a regular listener but but Humphrys alway grilled them and rightly so IMO,it's a shame more interviewers don't,but leave questions unanswered and avenues of public interest not persued.
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reohn2
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Re: Humphrys bites hand that fed him (Grauniad + dm)

Post by reohn2 »

irc wrote:
Cyril Haearn wrote:The Grauniad reports that John Humphrys turned on the bbc as soon as he was free to do so,


What's the issue here? Surely working for any organisation means to some extent accepting the party line and not criticising them. Restrictions that no longer applied after he left. Maybe truth hurts?

He was quite prepared to do a tough interview with a BBC boss following a Newsnight scandal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_cont ... E4L8C8ql3E

Quite!
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Psamathe
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Re: Humphrys bites hand that fed him (Grauniad + dm)

Post by Psamathe »

Maybe another example of BBC questionable programming?
http://www.newsbiscuit.com/2019/09/22/bbc-launches-pornography-channel-376/ wrote:BBC LAUNCHES PORNOGRAPHY CHANNEL
The BBC entered a new era this weekend with the launch of ‘BBC Hardcore’ – a free to air pornography channel intended to compete with the fastest growing area of digital broadcasting. ‘BBC 69’ as it will also be known will cater for those who are currently being attracted away from the corporation’s mainstream channels by programmes featuring large breasted women having sex with unlikely strangers at very little prompting.
...
The first programme on ‘BBC 69’ as it will also known, was a fly-on-the-wall type documentary about a muscle-bound pizza delivery man who received an order from a lone blonde woman specifying that she wanted ‘extra large sausage’. The programme was followed by a public service announcement, stating ‘If you were affected by any of the issues raised in ‘We Promise Not to Come Within 30 Minutes’ then please phone the BBC 24 hour Helpline for interactive live chat with these girls.


Ian
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Re: Humphrys bites hand that fed him (Grauniad + dm)

Post by Bonefishblues »

Very good :D
Cyril Haearn
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Re: Humphrys bites hand that fed him (Grauniad + dm)

Post by Cyril Haearn »

reohn2 wrote:
Cyril Haearn wrote:The Grauniad reports that John Humphrys turned on the bbc as soon as he was free to do so, he worked there 32+ years and 'earned' 600k. Not much at all, I thought, under 20k p.a!?
No, stupid boy, 600k a year :?
Did he pay staff from that, or did he keep it all?

I wondered whether Mr Humphrys could have been a good ambassador for Wales but now I dinnae know what to think
Can anyone help?

How did he turn on them?
Does an ex employee have keep quiet about the company s/he once worked for :?

Question:- if someone offered you £600k pa for your talents would you turn them down in favour of say an alternative offer of £60k pa?
..

I should take the 600k, buy a Tiny Home for my retirement and make a will leaving anything left to a good cause
How much do presenters 'earn' at ski?
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pwa
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Re: Humphrys bites hand that fed him (Grauniad + dm)

Post by pwa »

Cyril Haearn wrote:
reohn2 wrote:
Cyril Haearn wrote:The Grauniad reports that John Humphrys turned on the bbc as soon as he was free to do so, he worked there 32+ years and 'earned' 600k. Not much at all, I thought, under 20k p.a!?
No, stupid boy, 600k a year :?
Did he pay staff from that, or did he keep it all?

I wondered whether Mr Humphrys could have been a good ambassador for Wales but now I dinnae know what to think
Can anyone help?

How did he turn on them?
Does an ex employee have keep quiet about the company s/he once worked for :?

Question:- if someone offered you £600k pa for your talents would you turn them down in favour of say an alternative offer of £60k pa?
..

I should take the 600k, buy a Tiny Home for my retirement and make a will leaving anything left to a good cause
How much do presenters 'earn' at ski?

Humphrys has a nice country house in West Wales. Someone I know worked on the electrics in the house.
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