There`s a fifteen minute programme which comes on as a little light relief from BBC Breakfast on Saturday mornings.  I`m not sure how many viewers are around at 7.45 on a Saturday morning which might be a reason for the BBC to televise it at that obscure time.

Anyway, it`s called `Newswatch`and its alleged purpose is to allow comment and criticism from viewers about various aspects of the BBC`s news coverage in the week gone by.  All very laudable and its presenter. one Samira Ahmed, is as one would expect, presentable, calm, measured and assured.

What with Dudley our retriever getting up a bit early these days I have been up in time to see a number of editions of Newswatch and there`s little doubt that a pattern has emerged.  Viewers write in on a number of newsworthy items and, in response, the BBC put up a producer, a head of one of their many sections, a spokesperson to give the Corporation`s response to the points raised by their audience. 

Trouble is, whatever the criticism might have been from the viewers, the BBC never seem to admit to being wrong.  It doesn`t matter who they put up before the cameras or whatever the subject of criticism or comment might be, the standard response is always to defend their corner, never to admit to error, never to apologise.

Reminded me of my time in a former life in the past century when I had to produce reports about things I was responsible for.  Now and again, very rarely in fact, a human error would creep in, a mistake would be made.  Rather than try to defend it or make excuses, I found the best remedy was to confess, admit to the mistake, explain how it happened, put it right and make sure it didn`t happen again.  I guess times have changed - people seem terrified of criticism these days and it really does seem to be the case that sorry seems to be the hardest word.

This morning`s edition of Newswatch went on about the alleged `mistreatment` of Diane Abbott in a recent edition of Question Time.  There had been some uproar about her being corrected over certain statements she had made in the programme, about her being interrupted by other panellists and this all led to accusations of discrimination because Diane is a black labour politician and that the BBC had not issued the apology which she had demanded.  

Newswatch this morning predictably wheeled out a self confessed labour supporter in order to say how dreadfully Diane had been treated but there was no counter argument from the BBC apart from some wishy washy `statement` that they thought everything in their garden was fantastic.   

As the song also says, it`s a sad, sad situation.  And it`s getting more and more absurd.