And so the number of babeshows on TV continues its post-2015 decline. (Ofcom have now been meddling over more years of declining operators than anything else.)
Apparently there were multiple bts redundancies involved in this latest 'streamlining' at 66. Producers, office staff, etc. all thrown out on their ear with next to no time to sort their shit from the premises even. Apparently everyone was told only 2 or 3 days before it happened. Apparently the bosses blamed the energy crisis...
So much for what is being said by people that were there. I now move on to speculation and the questions that remain. First, how far would an extra 15K (the size of the Ofcome fine 66 now have to pay) have taken the studio at that point? And was anything left out of the explanation of its demise given to all concerned?
In comment to these I'd say only this: Who else reading this has been made redundant in the past and thought they were merely being given the most palatable line by their bosses as to why it was occuring? And isn't there USUALLY more than one pressure on finances at the back these things?
The imponderable is then how much were Ofcom culpable here? Indeed, do they even think of this shit when passing down their parcimonious judgements on so called breaches? And has the regulator once again contributed to bringing about RL consequences on people's lives and livelihoods in this? If so I'd call that inflicting RL, very tangible, HARM wouldn't you. You know actual HARM rather the unevidence, totally unverifiable, POTENTIAL type they like to claim they stop.
And for what? A couple of half nipples and a few rude words on TV... Because a couple of women were OTT on a channel barely any non-fans would be likely to be looking at. For transgressions against nebulous and entirely debatable broadcast "standards" (what are these if not moral codes?). And a dubious idea of what is potentially impactful to children and vulnerable people (this is an excuse in any case, it's about the control of adults really, but let's indulge them a mo)...
The idea that kids (and those of childlike mind) could accrue negative impacts from merely being passive witness to such limited expressions of adult sexuality (a sometimes beautiful, but always nothing but entirely natural thing) is positively Victorian in its outlook (and we know how hypocritical that lot were
).
Regardless of any proper scrutiny, OFCOM and their ilk insist a certain portion of the public should be listened to beyond any other. Just because they believe there's a potential for harm there (while bringing forth absolutely no evidence at all to back that belief).* And now the regulator has shown once again that they are willing to facilitate RL harm in order to keep up this preverse pretence.
* One more thing, while we're on the surveys Ofcom use to back their opinions: Ofcom must know some of the public are basing their answers on a judgement of morals, rather the "potential harm" thing, but they conveniently choose to ignore this anomaly. Anyone might think its not the whys and wherefores Ofcom are interested in but simply in getting their stats to read the way they want them to read.