Allegations over BBC pro-England news bias

Nov 17 2007 by Martin Shipton, Western Mail

THE BBC is to launch a major inquiry following allegations that Wales is poorly served by its UK network news operation, the Western Mail can reveal today.

Tomorrow the BBC Trust will announce that two experts specialising in politics and the media will examine the coverage of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland on flagship news programmes such as News at 10 and other bulletins presented by newsreaders like Huw Edwards and Fiona Bruce, right.

BBC chairman Sir Michael Lyons says in a statement on the website of the BBC Trust, which took over governance responsibilities from the former Board of Governors earlier this year, “In all the trust’s work we will uphold the independence and reputation of the BBC.

“Each year we will commission a review of BBC impartiality in its coverage of a specific topic. In response to feedback from our audience councils and audience research we have selected network news and factual coverage of the UK nations for our next review.”

Tomorrow’s announcement will identify Professor Tony King, the highly-respected politics academic from Essex University, and Mike Robinson, former editor of the long-running current affairs series Panorama, as leaders of the review. There has been mounting concern in Wales about the perceived failure of the BBC’s network news operation to come to terms with political devolution. The BBC has been accused of featuring network news stories that are only relevant to England.In July, the recently-appointed Audience Council for Wales criticised the publicly-funded network’s lack of coverage of the National Assembly.The ACW’s annual review said, “The council acknowledged that Torchwood had provided a starting point for the improvement of the representation of Wales on network television. However, it felt that despite BBC Wales’ best efforts, there was still some considerable work to be done before Wales was adequately reflected, rather than perfunctorily represented in network output. “The council was frustrated at network television news’ continued inadequate reflection of the reality of devolution in the UK in its output, and the consequent implications for the reputation of BBC News.”At the time, cultural historian Professor Peter Stead said, “I am very pleased that the audience council has expressed concern about this very important issue. “I remember talking to Dai Smith shortly after he was appointed head of English programmes at BBC Wales in 1992. “He was kept waiting by some senior BBC official in London, who then wouldn’t look up when he spoke to him. “Afterwards Dai, a distinguished academic, bumped into a colleague from BBC Scotland who told him that BBC officials in London were afraid of the operation in Scotland, because of the worry that it might split off, but held Wales in complete contempt. “I still don’t believe we get our fair share of network programmes made in Wales. Doctor Who and Torchwood are all very well, but apart from occasional street scenes of Cardiff they’re not actually about Wales. “It’s absolutely true that network news has largely ignored the Assembly, and I think something should be done about it. “We also need to make sure that Welsh politics gets the coverage it deserves in Wales. Political developments in Wales are momentous, and they deserve top billing, in my view. “We’ve got to advance on two fronts. At the same time as reporting properly on our own developing political agenda in Wales, it’s essential that it’s reported at a British level. “There has to be an understanding across Britain about the Welsh political experiment and what it means. “Gordon Brown is talking about the need to focus on British values, but you can’t understand what Britishness means today without taking account of what is happening in the devolved nations.”In August, Plaid Cymru MP Adam Price advocated a campaign to get people in Wales to withhold their licence fee unless there were improvements to network coverage of Wales. Mr Price, the MP for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr, said he was prepared not to buy a licence unless there were big improvements “in the next year or so”.He argued that BBC network news had given more attention to the fate of Shambo the bullock than it had to last May’s Assembly election and the subsequent coalition negotiations.Mr Price told the Western Mail he had no quarrel with the work of journalists at BBC Wales, but added, “BBC network news simply has not come to terms with the fact that over a whole range of issues, including health and education, what applies in England simply does not apply in the other nations. Yet the so-called UK network news regularly covers education and health stories that are only relevant to England.“I have tried in the past to discuss this with senior BBC executives, including Mark Thompson, the Director General. But nothing has changed. “It is time for a serious dialogue. But, as a last resort, if there is no change in a year or so, I believe we should hit them in their pockets by refusing to pay the licence fee. I am certainly prepared to do so, and there are others who will do so too.” Yesterday, after news of the review emerged, Mr Price said, “I’m glad this is happening. We have been making this point for some years, and it seems that the BBC Trust is now taking our concerns seriously.“There has been some analysis done by academics from a Scottish point of view, although not, so far as I know, from a Welsh perspective. “I am confident that our concerns will be confirmed, and look forward to the results of this inquiry being published.”If there is no change in a year or so, we should hit them in the pocket by refusing to pay the licence feeas leaders of the review. There has been mounting concern in Wales about the perceived failure of the BBC’s network news operation to come to terms with political devolution.

The BBC has been accused of featuring network news stories that are only relevant to England.

In July, the recently-appointed Audience Council for Wales criticised the publicly-funded network’s lack of coverage of the National Assembly.

The ACW’s annual review said, “The council acknowledged that Torchwood had provided a starting point for the improvement of the representation of Wales on network television. However, it felt that despite BBC Wales’ best efforts, there was still some considerable work to be done before Wales was adequately reflected, rather than perfunctorily represented in network output.

“The council was frustrated at network television news’ continued inadequate reflection of the reality of devolution in the UK in its output, and the consequent implications for the reputation of BBC News.”

At the time, cultural historian Professor Peter Stead said, “I am very pleased that the audience council has expressed concern about this very important issue.

“I remember talking to Dai Smith shortly after he was appointed head of English programmes at BBC Wales in 1992.

“He was kept waiting by some senior BBC official in London, who then wouldn’t look up when he spoke to him.

“Afterwards Dai, a distinguished academic, bumped into a colleague from BBC Scotland who told him that BBC officials in London were afraid of the operation in Scotland, because of the worry that it might split off, but held Wales in complete contempt.

“I still don’t believe we get our fair share of network programmes made in Wales. Doctor Who and Torchwood are all very well, but apart from occasional street scenes of Cardiff they’re not actually about Wales.

“It’s absolutely true that network news has largely ignored the Assembly, and I think something should be done about it.

“We also need to make sure that Welsh politics gets the coverage it deserves in Wales. Political developments in Wales are momentous, and they deserve top billing, in my view.

“We’ve got to advance on two fronts. At the same time as reporting properly on our own developing political agenda in Wales, it’s essential that it’s reported at a British level.

“There has to be an understanding across Britain about the Welsh political experiment and what it means.

“Gordon Brown is talking about the need to focus on British values, but you can’t understand what Britishness means today without taking account of what is happening in the devolved nations.”

In August, Plaid Cymru MP Adam Price advocated a campaign to get people in Wales to withhold their licence fee unless there were improvements to network coverage of Wales.

Mr Price, the MP for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr, said he was prepared not to buy a licence unless there were big improvements “in the next year or so”.

He argued that BBC network news had given more attention to the fate of Shambo the bullock than it had to last May’s Assembly election and the subsequent coalition negotiations.

Mr Price told the Western Mail he had no quarrel with the work of journalists at BBC Wales, but added, “BBC network news simply has not come to terms with the fact that over a whole range of issues, including health and education, what applies in England simply does not apply in the other nations. Yet the so-called UK network news regularly covers education and health stories that are only relevant to England.

“I have tried in the past to discuss this with senior BBC executives, including Mark Thompson, the Director General. But nothing has changed.

“It is time for a serious dialogue. But, as a last resort, if there is no change in a year or so, I believe we should hit them in their pockets by refusing to pay the licence fee. I am certainly prepared to do so, and there are others who will do so too.”

Yesterday, after news of the review emerged, Mr Price said, “I’m glad this is happening. We have been making this point for some years, and it seems that the BBC Trust is now taking our concerns seriously.

“There has been some analysis done by academics from a Scottish point of view, although not, so far as I know, from a Welsh perspective.

“I am confident that our concerns will be confirmed, and look forward to the results of this inquiry being published.”

If there is no change in a year or so, we should hit them in the pocket by refusing to pay the licence fee