"Fight the Power" - Public Enemy, 1989

There's a 24-hour strike at the BBC today, which began at midnight. Radio 5 had only a couple of "live" voices on air and other than brief news items and weather were playing pre-recorded sports feature stories. When I turned on the TV to BBC 1, rather than the usual breakfast show, they were simply transmitting the same thing that was on the BBC 24 channel (BBC's 24-hour TV news channel). I didn't sample BBC Radio 2, 3 or 4, but I'm sure it was the same situation with them. And on the way into Oxford on the bus this morning, there were 4 fairly relaxed looking protestors in front of BBC Oxford's offices next to a sign indicating that they were on strike.

Unions have staged the strike because of proposed job cuts and possible privatization of parts of the BBC.

When I moved to Britain, I was under the mistaken impression that the BBC was essentially the mouthpiece for whatever political party was in power at the time. Boy was I wrong!

It will be an interesting day. And I understand this could happen again in a week or so...perhaps for 48 hours next time.


Janet

Listening to: Sarah Harmer, "You Were Here"