Jerome Ousted?

[Ulick]

Before everyone jumps on the O'Neill bandwagon, let's not forget that this great championship coverage he talks about was given to the BBC, giftwrapped, free of charge by RTE and TV3. The argument about the BBC chasing viewing figures is also spurious. The BBCs public service broadcasting remit is supposed to take priority over any commercial concerns - although I would like to know why the BBC are so protective of the amount of money they spend on GAA in comparison to other sports. I have had a number of FOI requests on the issue refused and I know others on this Board have as well. As for people trying to play up the 'professionalism' of Sidebottom and Kane - don't make me laugh! O'Callaghan granted has a bit of talent but when did this become a contest between him and Jerome and who has decided there can only be one prominent taig on BBCNI?

[haranguerer]

The BBC has to account for every penny and if the viewing figures don't add up, then it won't be shown.

Yes, we can give credit for much of the enhanced GAA coverage on the BBC to Jerome Quinn, but much of his behaviour can be considered at best ill-advised, at worst idiotic. For example, the venture to Windsor in his Tyrone top and his posts here.

If Jerome does win his case, excellent. It proves a bias we already know is there. But it is also telling that few (I mean none) of his former colleagues will raise their heads above the parapet to support him.

Personally I think he has very little chance of winning the case. I also think he probably knows this (hence the self representation to save legal fees), but feels the publicity surrounding it will result in some good. Fair play to him for that.

I disagree with the two points above though. Firstly with regard to the viewing figures: await the blanket coverage of the NW200 - I seriously doubt though, it gets higher viewing figures than championship football. Its more its treatment in sports bulletins which reflect the bias better however. How many play/watch hockey, for eg in NI? Or even rugby? Yet both get better news coverage than GAA matches. This is important too, for the promotion of the sport, and in encouraging kids to play it: anyone watching the sport who sees it listed after the AIL hockey results is perfectly entitled to assume its a pretty insignificant sport not worth bothering with.

With regard to former colleagues supporting him: are turkeys going to vote for christmas?

[seafoid]

I always thought Jackie fullerton was the ultimate blazer. Red face, beer belly, club ties, the works.
I am very surprised to hear that news about Jerome Quinn. Why would he be caught out on something as basic as internet posts? It sounds crazy.

Interesting that Orlando Figes, a leading historian was also caught out recently posting damning criticisms of his rivals'  work on amazon.co.uk

  Description by "Historian" of Molotov's Magic Lantern, by Rachel Polonsky:
"This is the sort of book that makes you wonder why it was ever published ... Her writing is so dense and pretentious, itself so tangled in literary allusions, that it is hard to follow or enjoy."
"Historian" described Robert Service's 2008 work Comrades, a world history of communism, as 'rubbish':
"This is an awful book. It is very poorly written and dull to read ... it has no insights to make it worth the bother of ploughing through its dreadful prose."
The same reviewer found one writer's work rather more to their liking. Orlando Figes's 2008 The Whisperers was "beautiful and necessary":
"A fascinating book about the interior lives of ordinary Russians ... it tells us more about the Soviet system than any other book I know. Beautifully written, it is a rich and deeply moving history, which leaves the reader awed, humbled, yet uplifted ... Figes visits their ordeals with enormous compassion, and he brings their history to life with his superb story-telling skills. I hope he writes for ever."

[A Quinn Martin Production]

I always thought Jackie fullerton was the ultimate blazer. Red face, beer belly, club ties, the works.
I am very surprised to hear that news about Jerome Quinn. Why would he be caught out on something as basic as internet posts? It sounds crazy.

Interesting that Orlando Figes, a leading historian was also caught out recently posting damning criticisms of his rivals'  work on amazon.co.uk

  Description by "Historian" of Molotov's Magic Lantern, by Rachel Polonsky:
"This is the sort of book that makes you wonder why it was ever published ... Her writing is so dense and pretentious, itself so tangled in literary allusions, that it is hard to follow or enjoy."
"Historian" described Robert Service's 2008 work Comrades, a world history of communism, as 'rubbish':
"This is an awful book. It is very poorly written and dull to read ... it has no insights to make it worth the bother of ploughing through its dreadful prose."
The same reviewer found one writer's work rather more to their liking. Orlando Figes's 2008 The Whisperers was "beautiful and necessary":
"A fascinating book about the interior lives of ordinary Russians ... it tells us more about the Soviet system than any other book I know. Beautifully written, it is a rich and deeply moving history, which leaves the reader awed, humbled, yet uplifted ... Figes visits their ordeals with enormous compassion, and he brings their history to life with his superb story-telling skills. I hope he writes for ever."

Thinnk that might have been Figes' wife who posted the reviews (or was that a smokescreen).  Anyway back to the point.  Jerome is representing himself either 'cause he cannot afford legal representation, or he knows he's going to lose and just wants to rattle a few cages or no one will represent him since he certain to lose.  Jerome has admitted using BBC computers during work time to criticise the BBC (not too) anonymously on internet forums.  That will not elicit much sympathy from a tribunal.  The rest, while interesting is incidental.

Though I will concede that the BBC and UTV's fascination with and unjustified coverage of motor cycling is hard to explain.  I note there is a programme of highlights of the "Cookstown 100" on soon.  What's that all about then??

PS being very slightly dyslexic every time I look at the title of this thread I see "Jerome Outed".  You can imagine my disappointment....

[BerfArmagh]

Lads start showing your support

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=575969953#!/group.php?gid=122143851132685

[brokencrossbar1]

I actually don't know whether or not Jerome will lose the case because at the end of the day when it comes to a tribunal like this one of the main factors is whether or not due process was followed in sacking him.  He admits that he posted the criticism but is that a sackable offence and if it was was he provided with the proper redress procedure.  Irrespective of the rights and wrongs of what he may have done the biggest factor here is that he is getting air time and has a fair bit of popular GAA support.  I wish him all the best as he obviously believes in what he is doing, enough so to risk losing his job.

[illdecide]

Lads start showing your support

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=575969953#!/group.php?gid=122143851132685

Berf that links not working chief

[Overthebar!]

Lads start showing your support

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=575969953#!/group.php?gid=122143851132685

to barry kelly?

[seafoid]

Think that might have been Figes' wife who posted the reviews (or was that a smokescreen).  [/quote]

Figes admitted it was him. What a moron. He cited "stress".

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/libertycentral/2010/apr/23/figes-shameful-admission

Which internet forum did JQ post on ? I know that sometimes the thread might feel more important than anything else but how could it be worth a livelihood? He must have been in a very strange state of mind. How was it found out that he was the culprit? 

[Ulick]

Why would he be caught out on something as basic as internet posts? It sounds crazy.

I'm curious about these posts as well. As I remember his contributions 99% of them were promoting the BBC coverage. I  think the real issue here is freedom of expression - are the BBC really saying that their employees aren't allowed to use Internet forums?

Also I don't know about this using the Internet on 'the bosses time' argument. I doubt very much he was on a 9-5 contract, but more likely had to work until the job was done, so it is for him to decide when he was working on 'the bosses time'.

[Bensars]

JQ claimed Mr Fullerton had liaised with his BBC boss to ensure a judging panel for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards in 2008 would not favour a GAA winner.

In his role as organiser of the judging panel for the awards, Mr Quinn said he had a meeting with Mr Fullerton in which he "made it very clear that GAA should not have a chance of winning against someone who had won a medal at the Olympics or a Ryder Cup tournament." Mr Quinn alleged that he received an email soon after from his sports editor to enquire about the judging panel and make a change to the panel that would "lessen the chances of the GAA person winning the award".

This puts a completely different slant on proceedings. If such an e mail  (or copy) still exists it proves institutional bias.  In regard of his own position, the BBC will have a multitude of potential get out of jail free cards, however if there is evidence brought to light of active coverage bias and individuals being coerced to deliberatley not cover GAA items it will leave the BBC with a lot of egg on its face.

[Feckitt]

Who won the BBC NI sportsperson of the year in 2008?

I would have assumed Sean Cavanagh, but it mustn't have been or Jerome would not be raising the issue.

[A Quinn Martin Production]

Who won the BBC NI sportsperson of the year in 2008?

I would have assumed Sean Cavanagh, but it mustn't have been or Jerome would not be raising the issue.

Valerie Orr, captain of Pegasus over 40's third XI

[seafoid]

2004  Margaret Johnston Lawn bowls 
2005  David Healy Association football 
2006  Darren Clarke Golf 
2007  David Healy Association football

I think he had a point but then Sean Cavanagh won in 2008

[Ulick]

It was Cavanagh:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/northern_ireland/7780207.stm

The judges were:

"They included BBC representatives Shane Glynn (Editor Sport), Mike Edgar (Head of Entertainment), Jerome Quinn, Margaret O'Hare and Jim Stokes, plus Dr Aiden Hamill, former member of NI Sports Council and Trish McFarland, Senior Lecturer in Sports Studies at the UUJ."