The British National Party will be granted up to one appearance on Question Time each year if it maintains its current level of public support, the Director-General of the BBC said today.
Giving evidence to the House of Lords communications committee, Mark Thompson was asked about the controversial appearance of Nick Griffin, the BNP leader, on last week’s instalment of the BBC’s flagship political panel programme.
Mr Thompson said that the party’s showing in the European elections earlier this year, when it gained two MEPs, meant that the BBC had no choice but to include it in some editions of Question Time. He said: “The underlying support for the BNP is 2 to 3 per cent. In the European elections they got 6 per cent. This isn’t an absolute, precise science. I think you’re talking about a party, if it continued to get that level of support, [getting] no more than one [appearance] a year and perhaps less.”
Mr Thompson admitted that it was the BBC that approached the BNP to appear, rather than vice-versa, adding that the corporation had been considering the move for “months and years”. He said that it was his decision, as editor-in-chief of the corporation, to extend an invitation to Mr Griffin, and that as Parliament had not banned the party it was not appropriate for him to deny it access.
Under a barrage of questions from Lord Fowler, the chairman of the committee, Mr Thompson said that the BNP was also likely to appear on other political programmes such as Radio 4’s Any Questions.
“He could appear on any of the programmes that deal with UK politics,” he said.
The Director-General said that he could not give a view on whether the show had been a success, as he may have to adjudicate on complaints made by the public, which he said numbered in the low hundreds.
The BBC secured record ratings for Mr Griffin’s appearance on Question Time. More than 8 million people tuned in to watch him receive a mauling from his fellow panellists and the studio audience at Television Centre in West London. That figure was the highest in the 30-year history of the programme — which normally attracts 2 to 3 million viewers — and meant that the show edged out the Saturday night celebrity talent contest Strictly Come Dancing in the week’s ratings.
At least 500 protesters massed outside Television Centre as Mr Griffin arrived for the taping of the show last week. Three officers were injured during clashes with demonstrators and six protesters arrested.
Times Online
Thompson is being disingenuous here as usual. The main factor is how much public pressure there is on the BBC to keep the nazzers off the air.
ReplyDeleteif its griffin i say let them go one every week, it was so funny the when he was on it last week.
ReplyDeleteAnd it will save the Beeb a fortune on new comedy shows
"as Parliament had not banned the party it was not appropriate for him to deny it access"
ReplyDeleteHe didn't exactly allow them access, he INVITED Griffin on to the programme. Outragous.
Well, more Nick Griffin appearances = more belly-luaghs and public thrashings, so I say why bloomin' not?
ReplyDeleteAnyway over at fash HQ (The BNP Website) Griffin has said that he wants to debate with today's issues instead of the past...so we can then ask him of what the BNP has planned to do about the economy, we already know what Griffin has said immigration: "The only measure, sooner or later, which is going to stop immigration and stop large numbers of sub-Saharan Africans dying on the way to get over here is to get very tough with those coming over," "Frankly, they need to sink several of those boats"
I also think we need some top-notch-quick off the mark historians next time Adolph's on, as soon Griffin made that remark about aboriginies I imagined thousands of professors and scientists jumping up in an uproar of laughter...
Boycott boycott boycott! my hard earn cash will not be used for such nazi loving . . no matter how entertaining.
ReplyDeleteI also think we need some top-notch-quick off the mark historians next time Adolph's on, as soon Griffin made that remark about aboriginies I imagined thousands of professors and scientists jumping up in an uproar of laughter...
ReplyDelete8:32 PM, October 28, 2009
Jamie:
Bonnie Greer was wrong about the Roman Empire as anyone who knows their
> history can prove. And the word "aboriginal" means "the first" or
> "earliest known". The word was first used in Italy and Greece to describe
> people who lived there, natives or old inhabitants, not newcomers, or
> invaders.I'm amazed the woman who claimed to be a historian thought
> Neanderthals were living in Britain 17,000 years ago. The last one died
> 30,000 years ago when Britain was still covered in ice.
Many noticed these mistakes. Sorry.
>