UK: MPs blast BBC’s ‘arrogance’
Sep 23
British politicians have condemned what they describe as the “arrogance” of the BBC in a strongly worded report from the House of Commons’ culture select committee, released today.
The MPs’ investigation focused primarily on the BBC’s commercial activities through its commercial arm BBC Worldwide, with the “egregious” acquisition of Lonely Planet coming under significant scrutiny. The 2007 purchase of the travel guide company has been an ongoing source of controversy, with critics arguing that the business is irrelevant to the BBC’s programming and broadcasting services.
The report claims that the BBC Trust, the broadcaster’s governing body, has systematically ignored concerns expressed by MPs over the BBC’s reach, including a series of formal recommendations made in April.
“We are disappointed that the BBC Trust has failed to respond in full to our recommendations, most particularly as the BBC receives such a substantial amount of public funding.
“We were especially concerned about the apparent arrogance of the BBC Trust who appeared to believe that they had no case to answer. We consider that the BBC has a duty and responsibility to properly account for exactly how its commercial activities benefit the licence fee payer.”
The Guardian says that the release of a report directly rebuking the BBC’s response to the committee’s recommendations is “unusual”.
The condemnation by the culture select committee highlights the difficulty that the BBC faces in the UK’s current political and industry climate. While public support for the institution remains strong, the public broadcaster has come under attack from media rivals and parliamentarians on both sides of politics.
Cyril Washbrook September 23rd 2009