Update on BBC’s view on Party Election Broadcasts

Earlier this week, Mebyon Kernow received the latest letter from the BBC. It related to our complaint that the BBC Trust had refused MK’s call for a Party Election Broadcast (PEB).

When I received the ruling of the Trust, I was informed that to challenge the decision, I needed to write to the BBC’s Chief Advisor on Politics (Editorial Policy and Standards) and make a formal complaint.

This is an extract from the reply:

“I do not wish to add to your frustration, but my view is that your complaint, technically, is not against the allocation of PEBs, which is the responsibility of the BBC Executive, but against the criteria for allocating broadcasts. These were approved by the BBC Trust’s Editorial Standards Committee at its meeting last month, following the public consultation to which you contributed your views …

“In these circumstances, therefore, it would not be appropriate for me to make any change to the BBC’s proposed allocation of PEBs, which in our view comply with the approved criteria. As such, we consider that any complaint you have regarding the criteria ought to be taken up directly with the Trust.”

The letter has added to my frustration with the unfair attitude of the BBC to television broadcasts.