Meridian Falmer Story

[Albion Rob]

Meridian a disgrace - email now

Just seen Meridian, soory for the foul language, but this is a direct quote:

"There is one indisputable fact - the football club made itself homeless by selling their own ground."

That was a direct quote from one of their reporters.

They were presenting a balanced piece where they gave Falmer residents' views - fair enough, but the reporter finished:

"Why should Famler residents clear up the club's mess."

Fuckign wankers.

Email them NOW.

 

[Marc]

already did after mondays 10seconds of crap Wycombe coverage, their Flower covergae was'nt that much better...this just takes the piss, e-maill address?

 

[Eggman]

They really are a f***ing two-bob bunch of c*nts.

Furious email now being typed.

They really are good at research arnt they


http://www.granadatv.com/form_feedback.php?region=Meridian

 

[Marc]

thats for meridian programmes Eggman, we could so with a direct e-mail to meridian news if possible

 

[Yorkie]

Email sent and I didn't fill in the age details and ITV region. What has that got to do with anything

 

[The Wookiee]

Got a Scoop?
If you think you've got a story that we should know then pick up your phone. All you need to do is contact the newsroom which covers your area.

Maidstone:
01622 882 244
Newbury:
01635 522 322
Southampton:
02380 222 555

Or email your tip to news@meridiantv.com

 

[Eggman]

Cheers Wookie

 

[Marc]

well I wrote this on the form and now to e-mail (thanks Wookiee):

I'm am writing in complaint as I am utterly disgraced with a new report on Meridian News (11th Feb) regarding Brighton & Hove Albions fight for a new ground a Falmer. This was said by the reporter: "There is one indisputable fact - the football club made itself homeless by selling their own ground." - Absolute rubbish, the club has since changed hands from the devious ex-chairman who sold the club AGAINST the best wishes of all fans.
The new chairman picked up the pieces and has been trying hard for 6+ years to get us a permanent home.

Whats more the ending of the report went like this: "Why should Famler residents clear up the club's mess." hardly an appropriate 2 sided report when you sticking up for just 1 side. Yes it is a mess but none of it is of the clubs doing, its the EX chairman and his croneys who got us where we are today. I demand an apology on Meridian News as soon as possible as this is absolutely disgusting towards Brighton & Hove Albion to say the least.

 

[Superphil]

Just emailed this

With regards to your coverage of Brighton & Hove Albions bid for a new stadium at Falmer one of your reporters wrote "There is one indisputable fact - the football club made itself homeless by selling their own ground."


This is simply not true, do your research before you listen to just one side of the argument.

A man called Bill Archer, bought the club for less than £100 when the financial situation was dire and promised to sort out the financial mess and save the club.

Instead he took control of the club, changed the clubs constitution, which had previously ensured that no individual could benefit from the sale of the ground, and sold the ground for several million pounds, he was never acting in the interests of the club.

He is, of course, now one of the top 50 richest people in the country, obviously this ruthless businessman has been very hard at work elsewhere as well.

How is that the fault of the club? Especially as that individual is no longer in control of the club.

I can't believe the crap we are getting about this, all we want is a footie ground in a bit of wasteland between a dual carraigeway and an asbestos ridden student squat.

 

[Superphil]

Oh, BTW, I didn't put that last paragraph in the email.

 

[Yorkie]

Oh, BTW, I didn't put that last paragraph in the email.

I wish you had, Phil

 

[Ex Shelton Seagull]

And let us never forget which company was responsible for the horror show that was "Goodbye Goldstone".

 

[Eggman]

Id like to see them apologise on TV for that ameurtureish bit of reporting, which misses out just a few important facts!

But I wont hold my breath

 

[Eggman]

My email has just been read, I await response

 

[Yorkie]

Reply

Your comments regarding the report about the Brighton stadium have been passed to the Regional Editor and our sports reporter for their attention and logged for our complaints procedure.

Kind regards

Duty Office
Meridian Broadcasting

 

[Marc]

ditto Yorkie

 

[Superphil]

Just had this reply, slightly different

"Thank you for your feedback form, it has been fowarded to our webmaster for his attention.

Your comments regarding the report about the Brighton stadium have been passed to the Regional Editor and our sports reporter for their attention and logged for our complaints procedure.

Kind regards

Duty Office
Meridian Broadcasting"

 

[On the Left Wing]

Profesional Fury

This is the email I just fired off:
As a former national and award-winning newspaper journalist I am outraged and professionally embarrassed by the to camera piece you ran today about Brighton and Hove Albion's bid to build a community stadium at Falmer. The piece smacked of poor research and bias which does no credit to your organisation. In particular may I point out one major factual inaccuracy which set the false tone for the rest of the piece: "the football club made itself homeless by selling their own ground."
B&H Albion DID NOT make itself homeless in this fashion. Rather a property developer and a former Tory MP bought an interest in the club in the early 1990s and then sold the ground behind the backs of the club as a whole and its supporters. The community campaign against this which followed has been widely documented. May I suggest your producer reads "Build a Bonfire" as an excellent narrative of these events.
I ask for a full retraction and correction of the errors contained within your news broadcast. I reserve my right to make a formal complaint to the ITC.

 

[Dave the OAP]

who was the former Tory MP?

 

[fataddick]

Hi, through work I have access to the Meridian Duty Logs (ie records of where people phone up or e-mail to make complaints about Meridian programmes - if you ask them to log your call they have to keep a record of it because of ITC policy).

They normally get around 20 calls and 40 e-mails a day, so it shouldn't be difficult to make an impression. Phone calls within office hours are possibly more likely to get a response (answerphone is on until 9.30am) being more personal than e-mails.

Around half of the calls/e-mails are recorded on the log I have access to, and not until the following day. I am not in tomorrow, but can forward anything logged from your e-mails/calls from today to the board on Friday.

The only Falmer related calls logged so far were both received on Monday and both from NIMBYs (I have blanked out their names):

"Mr ***, Lancing
Meridian Tonight
Re the discussion about the proposed new stadium, why is there no mention/support for the other alternative site at Waterhall ,at the junction of the A27 and A23

Mrs ********, 01723 ******
Meridian Tonight
Annoyed at the bias shown towards the Falmer Site. You should be encouraging the people who are not in favour if this site to write to John Prescott as well. No-one one is bothering with the people who don't want the stadium at Falmer
[We promised her comments would be logged for the attention of the news team]"

From the duty office response in brackets it looks like the second call might have had some bearing on the recent anti-Falmer Meridian News report, maybe even initiated it - which shows how influenced by the tiny number of people who call/e-mail the duty log TV channels can be.