The BBC responded to UKMA Chair Peter Burke’s complaint about their cover-up of the outcome to the Government’s imperial units consultation. The response to the Government’s survey was almost unanimously pro-metric. Almost 99% expressed either support for the status quo (mandatory metric with an optional imperial supplementary indication) or to use fully metric pricing (with no imperial) despite the fact that respondents who wanted to express these options were forced to use the free text boxes or reply by email. The BBC reply failed to address the key issues in the UKMA Chair’s complaint.
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BBC covers up overwhelming public rejection of government plans to revive imperial units
Just after midnight on 27 December 2023, the government published the response to its imperial units consultation. On the same day, the BBC initially reported it under the headline “Metric measurement rules to stay after Brexit review”. Later that day, the BBC changed its headline to “Pint-sized bottles of wine to be sold after Brexit review” and buried the main story at the bottom of the rewritten article. The new pint size for wine bottles was not the main news item but a side issue. The BBC news report was changed to cover up the overwhelming public rejection of government plans to revive imperial units. Did the BBC bow to political pressure to cover up bad news for the government?
Continue reading “BBC covers up overwhelming public rejection of government plans to revive imperial units”Mismatch of units in the energy sector has led to thousands of billing errors
Seven years ago, mistakes arose after energy firms mixed up imperial and metric gas meters. At least 8000 customers were affected by these administrative errors. In response to these errors, the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (OFGEM) wrote to all gas suppliers and other interested parties after a large gas supplier informed OFGEM about this issue. This issue should serve as a warning about the serious errors that can arise from the use of two rival systems of measurement.
Continue reading “Mismatch of units in the energy sector has led to thousands of billing errors”Major commercial broadcasters use cm only for snowfall
A few days ago, weather forecasters were warning the public about a period of freezing weather and snow. Major British commercial broadcasters’ websites have expressed the levels of snowfall exclusively in centimetres. There has been no use of inches for snowfall in their online weather reports.
Continue reading “Major commercial broadcasters use cm only for snowfall”Official BBC Measurement Policy
As we become used to metric measures for social distancing, Ronnie Cohen, one our frequent contributors, looks at the measurement policy of our national broadcaster. Apparently, it is the over 50’s who are responsible for the muddle.
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