Some speech is freer than others

To ban Chris Moyles from saying 'gay' can only add to his fizz

I often wonder whether the listeners are as a consequence of the talent, or the celebrity (and all its rewards) is spawned from the listeners.

Clearly there is an element of each.

Can it be that there is not more than one person in the UK able to occupy the prime slot of a national broadcast entity and do a pretty darn decent job of DJ'ing, playing music, chatting, entertaining and not seeing themselves as more important than all the rest, and possibly see access to audiences in the millions as worth doing a decent job over?

It might well help out Aunty's inflation-busting unique funding model by adding a smidge of competitiveness to the 'market rate' deals out there, and also cutting out the hordes of execs who 'negotiate' them, who subsequently have a vested interest in keeping the clubby gravy train going.

Personally, as I am 'out of demographic', Mr. Moyles can do and say what he likes to offend my dainty sensibilities as I am happy to judge him on his deeds and words and move on, but when it comes to how what he might say or do impacts on my almost teenage sons and how they treat others... I take an interest. Especially when it seems some suggest the solution is that I may be invited to switch off if I am not keen, yet oddly still have to co-fund it all.

There's also the matter of the consistency when the PC brigade break out in force, especially in certain quarters. If we are all going to get collective knickers in twists over perceived offences (look hard enough and one will come and find you) and unacceptable memberships, attitudes, statements, etc, it seems to me it should be all or nothing.

Once you get selective with your cause, and what's 'in' and 'out' based on narrow prejudice, agenda and cosy group-think, from Daily Mail to Guardian, it all rather falls apart. I'm still laughing at Gorgeous George's hypocritical bluster on why he shouldn't be persona non grata in other countries, but requires the power to deem others as unfit to grace our shores.

The BBC, and some supporters, have rather shown themselves to operate rather 'selectively' of late, based on an interesting collection of defensive, and often contradictory, parameters.