*Bob*

We live in a part of the world where people earn what other people are prepared to pay them. It's not the same as 'worth', or 'deserve' but nonetheless that's how it is. Whether it's 'ok' or 'not ok' depends on how you feel about what they do. Musicians, Film Stars, Bankers, Television presenters, Sportsmen.. it's all the same. My Grandad delivered bread for half of his life and and died in his council house, more or less penniless. But he loved Fred Astaire and thought him entitled to every million he got. Just for dancing about and stuff. I don't know what you do, Atila, but if someone was prepared to offer you six million quid a year to do it, I reckon you'd be inclined to say yes.

If you agree, why are are you getting all hot all bothered? I don't like football, consider their wages obscene and their 'talent' hugely overrated. You don't like Ross, consider his wages obscene and his talent hugely overrated. If you're a poor sod on the street who earns ?4.50 / hour who doesn't like football or Jonathan Ross, where's the difference?

Isn't it obscene that pricks like footballers get paid for what they do? What value do they actually bring to society? Do they save lives, then the sick, course they don't. They're very lucky me to get what they have for so long.

You got in there before me, Keef. But it's a useful contribution from Atila, if only to (unwittingly) underline the point that what people are 'worth' is entirely subjective - and thus comparisons are futile.

In many ways, any sort of debate regarding 'good value' and 'the BBC' is a non-starter anyway. Jonathan Ross, who I like, is (was) paid a sum which many consider to be a gigantic waste of cash. BBC4, which I like and watch a fair bit of, is considered by many to be a gigantic waste of cash. Add your own examples to the list..! I like the fact that the Beeb tries to participate, compete and provide at every level. It's prepared to pay big for 'top stars' (subjective again of course, but..) and also prepared to stand-up for a programme about obscure German electro-pop which will only be seen by four people. Chip away at either end of this spectrum and all we'll be left with is Adrian Chiles interviewing Myleene Klass.. followed by local news.

Not all news is good news. The Beeb has always been bulging with pseudo-journalists and magazine-style television journalists, paid pointlessly to make a half hour programmes for ?200,000 about someone slipping on a currant bun in the Croydon branch of Halifax.

Shaggy Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > *Bob* - I think Wossy himself put his own salary > into context at the British Comedy Awards in 2007 > when news of his ?18 million pay package came out > close to the time that the BBC said it was cutting > hundreds of jobs in its newsroom. Wossy said he > was ``worth a thousand BBC journalists.'' There will be plenty of people who would gladly have Ross instead of their local news programme. Come to think of it, I'd swap 'local news' for a Curly-Wurly most of the time.

Poor transport links has helped make ED what it is today: a hotbed of freelance loafers who can sit around posting on here all day long.

I liked the chat show too, but I did have the feeling that it had run its course during the last series. The guest roll-call was tired and repetitive (I'm sure some of them had been on less than a year prior?) and Wossy sometimes struggled to keep things moving - but that's down to a decline in and tiredness of the format itself as much as anything. I thought that one of the most interesting interviews was (look away now, those easily offended) was Ross and Chris Evans, which was notably sparky and genuinely interesting in comparison to many others. Of course it was simply wonderful when Parky 'did' Ali and blah blah blah, but television is (thankfully) an evolving medium and nothing stays the same. I enjoy seeing archive stuff but PLEASE no more wheeling Tony Curtis out AGAIN to hear the same stuff over and over and over and over.

Steve, You need to put the likes JR's salary (6 million / year) in the context of the BBCs annual budget (in excess of 4+ Billions / year). It's meaningless.. and getting shot of him solely to pander to some crowd-pleasing notion of cost-cutting is equally meaningless. All it means in the long run is that more people will have to suck Rupert Murdoch off in order to watch people they want to see. It wasn't so long ago that the BBC 'did sport' and now we just accept that they don't. Instead, nowadays half the population simply bend over like lambs to be shafted up the butt by Murdoch every time they want to see a ball kicked. What do you consider as current 'telvision talent' anyway? Give us a list. Be sure that for every 'worthless' programmes you'd like to be shot of, there will be a dozen that you consider 'favourites' that I would like to see blasted out of existence.

Cangle Upperton Newton Grange Thaine Figgy Wood Anglepod Chiggleford East Dulwich

He was telling the truth. But he's lying about the period features, easy parking and the spacious garden which isn't overlooked.

Egmunter Wraggledon Kipton Village Dingle-on-Sea Borechester Porthton Slammer Blennister East Dulwich

This marks the beginning of a big shake-up for the BBCs current crop of talent! I have some gossip, through my television connections: Adrian Chiles to fill Ross's Friday night slot. Titchmarsh to do Crimewatch. Vernon Kaye and Tess Daly to chair Question Time.

Couldn't we have some sort of centralised global authority to advise on whether things are offensive or not? I suggest a panel consisting of Jeremy Clarkson, Darcus Howe, Dido and Eddie 'The Eagle' Edwards.

It doesn't matter how many people like or don't like fried chicken. I do. It doesn't matter how much people aren't offended by it. I'm not. All that matters is that some people were guaranteed to be offended by it, and when those people also happen to be the ones who buy 'a lot' of your product, you've made a boo-boo.

That's all by-the-by, Loz. 'Coon Cheese' is not sold in America, nor is it ever likely to be. Most Australians are not offended by it, so there's no need (in terms of selling more ropey cheese) to change the name. But KFC is KFC the world over. Moreover, it's an American brand and America is one of its largest markets. If you work in marketing and advertising, surely priority number one is sales. Selling fifty more Bargain Buckets (I mean, er, Family Feasts) in Australia is no good if you risk offending half the population in one of your largest markets in the process.

If 'throwing a banana at John Barnes' is in the premiership, then 'placating back people with fried chicken' is probably somewhere in the second league. 'Ill-judged' is a good description.

Who's for some 'Coon Chicken'?! Delicious. Strewth, mate.. just a harmless bit of fun..

Causing potential offence to the French with an advert for, say, John Smith's bitter - no problem. The French don't drink it. However.. KFC branches in USA - over 5000 KFC outlets in Australia - less than 500 It's a simple matter of marketing economics.. and somebody got their sums wrong. On the upside, this must be the first time that more than four people in America have ever shown any interest in cricket.

Racist / Not racist isn't really the issue at hand here. If you're in the business of marketing KFC, a global brand - and yet you've somehow managed to stay blissfully unaware of both 'how stuff gets around on the internet' and the pejorative linkage of fried chicken, black people and slavery in the USA, then perhaps it's time to find a new job? Perhaps you can work in Japanese car manufacturing and help launch the new Nissan "Minge" into the UK market?

Looking forward to KFC's follow-up advert.. The Ozzie guy hands-out Watermelons. Hilarious! "Whaddayamean.. racist? Ah, look mate, don't spit the dummy"

Indeed. Likewise, it's not about having the body of cross-channel swimmer, it's about having healthy body. Stop eating twenty-seven packets of crisps and a sack of doughnuts every day, lose the XXXXL pastel-coloured shapeless t-shirts which cling to your 'moobs' - and why not try walking the fifty yards to the shop instead of driving there in an enormous truck sitting on pumped-up suspension.. whilst listening to music featuring slide guitar?

"Comes with remote control" Oh dear god, you might be right..

I'm old enough to remember the heyday of the sold/offered section. These days it's just a useful place for people to sell and buy stuff.