The BBC is “coming up short” in religious broadcasting, risking failing to take faith seriously in an era where it is essential the public understand it, a senior broadcaster has warned.
Roger Bolton, a producer and BBC Radio 4 presenter, said he has become “worried” about the output of the corporation and its “whole approach” to religion.
Arguing religion could no longer be seen as a declining influence in the world, he added it is essential for the BBC to promote knowledge and understanding of different faiths.
His words follow the announced departure of Aaqil Ahmed, the BBC’s head of religion and ethics, who is leaving after 20 years at the corporation as departments are shifted.
Aaaaah…..
But, Bolton has argued, assurances are not enough.
Writing in next edition of the Radio Times, Bolton, a member of the Sandford St Martin Trust which aims to promote religion in broadcasting, suggested the decision to put Songs of Praise out to tender has rung alarm bells.
The article is a job application.
“Why should viewers care?” he said. “Isn’t the important thing that the programme is being made, not who makes it?”
He won’t get far at the identity-group worshipping Beeb with that attitude!
Why are they being so mainstream-christocentric? I demand they broadcast a hour of silence at Wednesday lunchtime, otherwise my religious sensibilities are being insulted!
I already have a Holy book which is the literal and perfect word of God, and a total solution to how to live life on earth. I know this because my parents told me it was, and made me read all of it.
It doesn’t need a public broadcaster accountable to the modern equivalent of Caesar to tell people this too. Family and community units have got this covered.
Arguing religion could no longer be seen as a declining influence in the world, he added it is essential for the BBC to promote knowledge and understanding of different faiths.
So that’s even more Islam on the BBC then.
To be fair, Bolton has been shouting about this for years.
He’s repeatedly stated that the Beeb needs to be less multiculti and more CofE. I’ve heard him arguing that the Beeb’s soft left outlook is preaching to a constituency that doesn’t really exist, never mind forming the basis of its listenership.
Which is probably true, as there’s precious few people in the Venn overlap of ‘muslim’, ‘left wing’, ‘LGBTEtc’, ‘Labour’ and ‘actually listening to the BBC’
Wotan is very cross about being ignored and may soon lose his temper.
If someone else can do a better show (and be hard to do worse) then let them. BBC pays for other shows that are produced by companies, whats wrong with tendering SoP?
>I demand they broadcast a hour of silence at Wednesday lunchtime
In this household they now broadcast 168 hours of silence a week.
@Demetrius
What about Thor?
“religion could no longer be seen as a declining influence in the world”
This is true, and not a cause for celebration.
The BBC should be exposing religion for the fiction it is. The only time “faith” is deployed, is when there is absolutely no evidence to support the proposition.