BBC media editor Amol Rajan has questioned director general Lord Hall about fears among colleagues that the corporation is becoming ‘the broadcasting wing of the Black Lives Matter movement’.
Outgoing director general Tony Hall appeared on The Media Show yesterday to discuss the crises and successes of his time in charge of the outlet, covering topics including diversity, TV licenses and controversies over the use of the n-word.
Turning to the subject of race and equality, Mr Rajan told Lord Hall there were worries over the broadcasting giant’s stance on certain issues.
He said: ‘Several Radio 4 listeners and some senior BBC News colleagues have been in touch with me to raise deep concern that in their view the BBC has in effect become the broadcasting wing of the Black Lives Matter movement.
‘One veteran highly respected correspondent here wrote to me: ”Amol, challenging racial prejudice is a noble cause, but should it be the BBC’s cause? Shouldn’t we just be reporting?”
‘What do you say to that?’
Amol Rajan said: ‘Several Radio 4 listeners and some senior BBC News colleagues have been in touch with me to raise deep concern that in their view the BBC has in effect become the broadcasting wing of the Black Lives Matter movement’
Outgoing director-general Tony Hall appeared on The Media Show yesterday to discuss the crises and successes of his time in charge of the outlet, covering topics including diversity, TV licenses and controversies over the use of the n-word
Finnish conductor issues a statement saying she did NOT axe rule Britannia and calling it ‘an important part of the event’ – piling pressure on BBC Proms director who took ‘creative’ decision
BBC sources had reportedly claimed Dalia Stasevska, 35, demanded the patriotic anthem, along with Land of Hope and Glory, be pulled from the performance due to their links to British imperialism
A Finnish conductor caught up in a row over the Last Night of the Proms has issued a statement insisting she is not responsible for axing Rule Britannia and recognises it as an ‘important part of the event’.
BBC sources cited in the Sunday Times claimed Dalia Stasevska, 35, was one of those keen to ‘modernise’ the event and reduce the patriotic elements involved.
Ms Stasevska, who has voiced her support for Black Lives Matter, was swept up in controversy following reports that she had concerns about the words to Rule Britannia and Land of Hope and Glory.
But Ms Stasevska has now spoken out in a statement, issued on her behalf by management company HarrisonParrott, insisting she had no part in the BBC’s decision to not have the patriotic anthems sung.
It piles pressure onto BBC Proms director David Pickard after director general Lord Hall backed his creative decision and confirmed that he and his team had taken Rule Britannia’s links to colonialism into account.
Ms Stasevska said in the statement: ‘I am so honoured to be part of this year’s BBC Proms and its iconic Last Night.
‘I understand its prominence in the UK classical music calendar and wider cultural landscape. It is incredibly exciting to be part of an event with such long-standing tradition.
‘It is testament to the unfailing work and commitment of the organisers that the Proms can proceed at all this year.
Lord Hall, who took up the post of director general in April 2013, responded by saying that ‘diversity matters’, and ‘getting it right in terms of our broadcasting matters too’.
He continued: ‘I think ensuring that we are employing people of diverse background, black, Asian, minority ethnic backgrounds, both front and behind the camera is fantastically important.
‘And in that way I go back to, that’s the way you get that diversity of thinking into your programme areas, into your news bulletins, into the dramas and other things that you’re doing.
‘That’s why it matters and I have to say we’re making a lot of progress on that.
‘Having a fund to commission from existing monies £100million worth of content, of programmes from diverse backgrounds is important – and equally having a 20 per cent target for people behind camera and behind microphone from black and Asian minority ethnic backgrounds is important too.’
Later in the interview he said that he hoped people could feel they could ‘feel safe in the workplace to say what they think’.
The BBC has faced controversy after it was revealed they would drop the singing of Rule Britannia and Land of Hope and Glory from the Last Night of the Proms this year – though they will still be played instrumentally.
Mr Rajan asked Lord Hall if the songs were ever going to be dropped from Last Night of the Proms.
He replied: ‘Look we’ve, I think, my view about the Proms is it’s a miracle that [director] David Pickard and the team have done something which I think’s really important which is to have two weeks of music at the end of the Proms season of live music–‘
Mr Rajan asked again, mentioning a series of newspaper front pages and a ‘huge amount of noise on social media’ about the issue, asking if there was a discussion about dropping those songs because of their association with Britain’s imperial past.
Lord Hall replied: ‘They’ve come to the right conclusion, which is actually–‘
Mr Rajan interrupted: ‘So there was a discussion?’
‘Well the whole thing has been discussed by David and his colleagues, of course it has,’ Lord Hall said.
He added: ‘The point is they’ve come to the right conclusion which is it’s very very hard in an Albert Hall that takes over 5,000 people to have the atmosphere of the Last Night of the Proms and to have things where the whole audience normally sing along, it’s quite hard creatively, artistically to make that work.
‘I think they’ve come to the right conclusion, which is actually to include it instrumentally and who knows what will happen next year, I suspect it will be back.’
Mr Rajan asked if in principle Lord Hall would be happy for the lyrics to be sung, despite any association it might have with Britain’s imperial past.
Lord Hall said: ‘Well look, the fact is we’ve come to the right conclusion which is a creative conclusion, which is an artistic conclusion, which is, you know, it’s there, and it’s there in a medley of playing around sea shanties and all of that, I suspect it will be back next year.’
Mr Rajan also asked Lord Hall if Land of Hope and Glory and Rule Britannia were ever going to be dropped from Last Night of the Proms (pictured in 2013)
Critics say Rule Britannia and Land of Hope and Glory are racist because of their supposed links to slavery and colonialism.
Traditionally, both songs are performed at London’s Royal Albert Hall to a flag-waving crowd at the Last Night of the Proms.
Earlier this week, Songs of Praise producer Cat Lewis blasted the lyrics of Rule Britannia and declared the nation shouldn’t ‘gloat’ about its history as the BBC Proms row intensified.
Ms Lewis tweeted: ‘Do those Brits who believe it’s OK to sing an 18th Century song about never being enslaved, written when the UK was enslaving and killing millions of innocents, also believe it’s appropriate for neo-Nazis to shout, ‘we will never be forced into a gas chamber’.
She later added to her comments and said she would launch a national contest to find new lyrics for the songs if she were producing The Proms.
She tweeted: ‘I believe slavery was Britain’s holocaust.
‘We should apologise for it properly and yet at the moment, we have no memorial to enslaved people in the UK. We should not celebrate slave owners.
‘And we should not sing in a gloating way that Britons will never be enslaved, when we were responsible for enslaving so many.
‘We should have anthems which celebrate what is truly great about the UK, which we can all sing and this will help unite our country.
‘If I was producing the Proms, I’d suggest launching a national competition to find new lyrics for Rule Britannia and Land Of Hope And Glory – words which celebrate and unify our fantastic country, because the music to both is undoubtedly fabulous.’
Bafta-winning producer Ms Lewis began her career as a BBC production trainee in 1988 before working as a reporter and moving on to Granada television.
The TV industry veteran later launched her own company, based in Manchester – which she says has a £3 million turnover.
The continuing row over Ms Lewis’ comments comes amid revelations that BBC bosses discuss diversity in ‘every conversation’ about new programmes and the issue is ‘non-negotiable’, according to the outlet’s head of comedy.
Shane Allen (pictured), who is responsible for the commissioning of all scripted comedy programmes to BBC channels, says director of content Charlotte Moore has been constantly telling staff not to forget to factor in diversity
It comes amid a new race row as Jamaica’s foreign minister Kamina Johnson-Smith criticised a clip from the BBC Three show Famalam (pictured)
The corporation has said it will spend £100million of its content budget on diverse programming over three years, following protests from Black Lives Matter activists this summer.
Shane Allen, who is responsible for the commissioning of all scripted comedy programmes to BBC channels, says director of content Charlotte Moore has been constantly telling staff not to forget to factor in diversity, The Guardian reports.
He said: ‘I’ve been part of regimes where you have to be seen to do something. With Charlotte it’s non-negotiable, it’s a thing that underpins every conversation: what’s the diverse element to this? And can it not be set in London?’
The hiring of June Sarpong and Miranda Wayland to advise the corporation means there are now ‘really powerful voices in the room’ speaking about diversity, Mr Allen told the Edinburgh television festival.
He also defended sketch show Famalam, which has been branded ‘outrageous and offensive’ by Jamaica’s foreign minister.
‘Don’t diss my beloved Famalam,’ he said. ‘To be relevant in comedy at a time when things can feel more anodyne, and in this woke culture where things are getting a little bit more sensitive.
‘If you’re going to do something about tricky topics it’s got to be from those people and from those communities who’ve got that voice. To me, that’s what a sketch show looks like in 2020. I’ll back them to the hilt.’
Jamaica’s foreign minister Kamina Johnson-Smith criticised a clip from the BBC Three show, depicting a Jamaican version of Channel 4 show Countdown, complete with a steel drum version of the show’s theme tune.
Ms Johnson-Smith tweeted: ‘This is outrageous and offensive to the incredible country which I am proud to represent along with every Jamaican at home and within our #Diaspora. I will immediately be writing formally on this! #StopThisShow.’
The BBC defended Famalm, with channel controller Fiona Campbell saying it was not ‘malicious’, adding: ‘We stand by the creator’s brand of humour.’
She told the Edinburgh TV Festival: ‘Famalam is now in its third series and it is very successful.
‘It is not malicious humour and I think if you followed on social, the creators themselves said they are poking fun at all stereotypes.
‘There isn’t malice in the type of content.’
A BBC spokesman said: ‘Famalam… now in its third series, has an established brand of humour in line with audience expectations and is well known for confronting issues.’