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How Microsoft Daemonises the EU Commission and Advertises Vista 7, with the MSBBC's Help

Microsoft BBC



Summary: The BBC practically advertises Vista 7 at the expense of TV licensees; BBC reporter also spins for Microsoft and against the European Commission

THE BBC strikes again. Whilst heavy lobbying against EU regulators is carried out by Microsoft (attempts to charm Neelie Kroes again), the BBC supplies Microsoft with precisely the same lies and spin that Microsoft requires for popular support and ammunition.



To offer the factual story, Opera, Mozilla and the European Commission all denounced what Microsoft did regarding Web browsers in Vista 7, but as a reader of ours put it, the BBC published a "free advert for Windows and a distortion regarding the EU commission." Here is the Windows advert from the BBC, which contains the sentence: "Because of a recent European Commission anti-trust ruling, Windows 7's European version will not be integrated with Windows' Internet Explorer, meaning that a browser will have to be installed separately..."

"NO, NO, NO," says our reader. "The EU never told Microsoft to remove IE, Microsoft arbitrarily decided to remove it, pretending the nasty EU made them. In effect penalizing European users. Like a kid taking his ball home cause the others won't let him score."

“It's promotional. It even speaks about "Discount" and it showers Vista 7 with congratulatory remarks.”What a terrible article from the BBC, which plays right into Microsoft's hands, as usual. Watch the content. It's promotional. It even speaks about "Discount" and it showers Vista 7 with congratulatory remarks. "Where, how, who, got any real data," asks our reader. Here is a quote:

"Analysts IDC predict that some 177 million copies of the operating system will be in place by the end of 2010, 50 million of which will be in Europe. The firm estimates that products and services surrounding Windows 7 will generate $320bn (€£195bn)."

Just two days ago we wrote about how IDC, one of Microsoft's favourite puppets, will probably come out and do some propaganda for Vista 7, just as it did for predecessors. We were right about IDC just a day in advance. It is actually confirmed by surveys that Vista 7 will be poorly adopted, but Microsoft spinners like Ed Bott bend backwards to reverse this scientific message which is based on polls (and other Microsoft bloggers reference Bott). Now the BBC plays along. This is just amazing! On the very same day the BBC is glorifying their business partner Microsoft, calling them (in the headline) "king of UK brands" and showering this convicted monopolist with unrestrained flattery. No disclosures there about the relationship between the two companies (including business ties), but that's just typical.

“No disclosures there about the relationship between the two companies (including business ties), but that's just typical.”And look at this. Another new advert for Vista 7. Has Microsoft borrowed the BBC for a day? It is worth mentioning that some former Microsoft employees are partly running the BBC now [1, 2] and it shows.

Our reader ThistleWeb, who is based in the UK, writes: "I notice the link on the 'Windows flies off the shelves' page......to the Windows 7 pre-order page. I wonder if the BBC are getting kickbacks affiliate style for orders coming from their site. [...] of course it won't be noted on the books as affiliate sales, it'll no doubt be discussed when the BBC need a new round of Microsoft licences, with the more sales they pumped through to Microsoft, the bigger the discount [...] along with the more positive stories.

"I reckon the only evidence you'd likely see if you could obtain it was a minutes of meetings with Microsoft [...] any affiliate stuff would be a strict no no for the BBC officially [...] of course that'd all be hidden behind "commercial sensitivity" excuses."

"We have 17.1 million users of bbc.co.uk in the UK and, as far as our server logs can make out, 5 per cent of those [use Macs] and around 400 to 600 are Linux users."

--Ashley Highfield, BBC (now Microsoft)

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