Daily breakfast televisual docu-feast GMTV came into the news today after one of its presenters blurted out that in the name of political correctness, Britain’s capital should be referred to in as passing-a way as possible in morning broadcasts so that the programme doesn’t give the impression that they’re preoccupied with the place.
GMTV presenter Clare Nasir has revealed that bosses have issued a diktat telling her and colleagues not to focus too much on London in case viewers from other parts of the country complain about favouritism.
She said: “Almost all the weather programmes are broadcast out of London, but you will rarely find weather presenters saying the word ‘London’.”
Presumably from now on – in order to protect the delicate sensibilities of people living on farms and not make anyone feel like their town is any less important – the big city in the southeast which is home to approximately 7 million people will only be insinuated about, at best. As to quite why there’s this much ruck about weather forecasts, which are typically wrong anyway, is anyone’s guess.
[thelondonpaper]
“Diktat” was dictionary.com’s word of the day from not long back – and that was the first time I’d heard it. I’m not sure whether to be impressed that the London Paper’s writers are trying to expand their repertoire like that, or worried that they need to.