Posted by Peter Ceresole on October 18, 2003 at 12:09:45 from 80.177.22.49 user PeterC.
In Reply to: Racist, forsooth! (was Blackett English) posted by Andrew Craig-Bennett on October 18, 2003 at 11:35:06:
Racist! You don't know what the word means.
Sorry, but you have really annoyed this reader.
Sorry about that but I don't retract a word of what I said. Nowadays the overwhelming bulk of what the BBC transmits is to the UK, on good to reasonable quality links. In that case RP is a real obstacle to communication and understanding and the acceptance of regional accents is an unalloyed improvement.
Presenting radio on World Service (a completely different animal, separately funded, on which I never worked) and distorted links requires different qualities. I agree that in that case absolute clarity of speech is most important. But for the main BBC output, and all TV output, it doesn't apply, and there, RP is a real social obstacle and a malign influence.