Thank you for your e-mail and petition regarding the BBC’s coverage of recent events in Israel.
It is a principle of the Government’s approach to broadcasting that it does not seek to intervene or comment on detailed issues of programming, content or scheduling on the grounds that these are properly a matter for broadcasters’ editorial judgement, subject to independent regulation. The BBC’s governing instruments, the Royal Charter and Agreement, place broad obligations on the Corporation in respect of the number of its television and radio services, objectives, programme content and standards. Within this framework detailed decisions on programme content are a matter for the BBC, reflecting its editorial independence.
The BBC Charter and Agreement contains specific and detailed provisions on impartiality. A requirement has been placed on the BBC to treat controversial subjects with due accuracy and impartiality, both in the Corporation’s news services and in the more general field of programmes dealing with matters of public policy or industrial controversy.
However it is the responsibility of the BBC Board of Governors to ensure that the obligations set out in the BBC Charter and Agreement are met. Therefore, dissatisfied viewers should write to
Mr Gavyn Davies
Chairman of the Board of Governors
BBC at Broadcasting House
Portland Place
London W1A 1AA
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