Wednesday 14 November 2012

NEW BBC OUTRAGE!

As a veteran writer and broadcaster for the BBC for 37 years I was shocked and dismayed to find the on-line edition of Radio Times offering a gallery of 160 images which, by the sample given, appear – like others proliferating on the net – to have been scanned from my book!


Though not at my request, the images have now been removed, but is that enough? To my mind, someone should be sacked or asked to resign–––

Oh, yes, sorry, I forgot: there's no one left!

Before you add a comment: Yes, I know the BBC sold Radio Times to an independent publisher last year, but, as Newsnight might say, 'Why let facts get in the way of a good story?'!

9 comments:

Roger O B... said...

Shocking!
I see it is currently 47th in Amazon's Film category best sellers and 14th in its Drama category.
Roger

Brian Sibley said...

I know – from bitterly-learned past experience – that such statistics may not actually mean much! And, since Amazon are selling the book for just over half the RRP, I can't see it bringing in any royalties this side of the Second Coming! But, yes, nice to be ranked (however notionally) in the top 50. You probably get a truer perspective from the other stat given by Amazon: the book's position in the ranking of ALL BOOKS, which is––– Ta-da! 1,198!! :)

Chris Sobieniak said...

It is a shame when stuff like this happens at all.

Brian Sibley said...

Thanks, Christopher, but do you know what? I really wouldn't care if they just acknowledged where the stuff had come from...

Boll Weavil said...

Yes Brian, I can see the credit now "Images feloniously removed from Movie Book"

Doh !

SharonM said...

Hopefully you'll be in demand on the radio etc when the film comes out.

Unknown said...

"You pay peanuts you get monkeys" and these days most journalism seems to involve hiring spotty youths to surf the internet all day to steal tweets, pictures and blog posts. Or maybe it's just that we're all getting old (not!) Get off my lawn.

As an outsider I don't understand how book publishing works. The Visual Companion is nowhere near as thorough a book as yours but it's hardback, where your book appears only to be available as paperback. Who decides these things?

Pastor Samwise Praetorius (Samuel Schuldheisz) said...

For the record, I have ordered your book the legitimate way and look forward to reading it. Your past work on Tolkien continues to be useful in my ongoing appreciation and study of the same.

Brian Sibley said...

Ian – Who decides these things? Maybe public demand, I'm not sure. It would have been nice if the book had a hardback existence, but I guess the Visual Companion is considered the kind of book people will want to keep going back to for the images... But basically, I dunno!

Pastor Samwise – Thank you! I've just spent an interesting time reading your blog...