The British broadcaster BBC is in troubled water over a conflict with football presenter Gary Lineker. It now apologizes for disrupted programming. A reaction to that controversial dismissal.
The BBC is apologizing after being forced to cut some of its Saturday sports coverage. Presenters refused to work in solidarity with sports anchor Gary Lineker. That happened after the broadcaster tried to defend its neutrality by removing Lineker from the tube because of certain comments on social media.
Lineker, former captain of the England football team, the BBC’s highest paid presenter and the face of the ‘Match of the Day’ football programme, was suspended for his criticism of Britain’s migration policy. Critics of Lineker’s suspension say the BBC succumbed to government pressure, sparking fierce debate over the national broadcaster’s neutrality.
BBC Director-General Tim Davie stated on Saturday that he had no intention of resigning over the issue. “Both the BBC and myself are driven by a passion for impartiality. We are neither left nor right and don’t get involved with any particular party,” said Davie.
Davie said he wanted Lineker back on the air and hoped to strike a balance that would allow some presenters to express opinions while still maintaining the BBC’s neutrality.
‘Not a government issue’
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak issued a statement on Saturday defending the migration policy, which prohibits the entry of asylum seekers crossing the English Channel in small boats. He said he hoped Lineker and the BBC could resolve their differences in time. “It’s a matter for them, not for the government,” Sunak said.
The row with Lineker disrupted the BBC’s sports programming on Saturday, as several presenters went on strike. That meant that the broadcaster had to apologize for changes in the broadcasting schedule. Saturday’s episode of “Match of the Day,” a program hosted by Lineker for over 20 years, was scheduled to air despite his absence. But it will be a silent 20-minute highlight-only show, as commentators have refused to participate.
Gary Lineker
Photo: REUTERS
The BBC makes a point of political impartiality, but has drawn criticism from both the Conservatives and Labor over how neutral it actually is, because in the age of social media, well-known presenters can easily voice their personal views.
The opposition Labor Party and media commentators accuse the BBC of silencing Lineker after the Prime Minister’s spokeswoman called Lineker’s comments “inadmissible” and Home Secretary Suella Braverman found them “insulting”.
“The BBC is not acting impartially by giving in to MPs who complain about Gary Lineker,” Labor leader Keir Starmer said on Saturday. Lineker himself declined to comment on Saturday.
‘Cruel policies targeting the most vulnerable’
The fuss comes after Sunak announced a new migration law earlier this week. Lineker took to Twitter to describe the legislation as a “cruel policy targeting the most vulnerable, in a language not unlike that used by Germany in the 1930s.”
To resolve the dispute, the BBC said it would first need to take a position on Lineker’s use of social media before he can return as a presenter. But critics of Lineker’s suspension say he is entitled to his personal opinion because he is not a newsreader.
Greg Dyke, who was director-general of the BBC between 2000 and 2004, said on Saturday morning on BBC Radio that the broadcaster had made a mistake. “The perception will be that Gary Lineker has been taken off the screen following government pressure on a specific issue,” Dyke said.
