BBC Scotland has been warned its decision to cut back television coverage of coronavirus briefings will “compound the feeling of neglect” among elderly people.
The SNP's Westminster media spokesperson, John Nicolson, has raised his concerns with the corporation’s director in a stinging rebuke.
It comes after the BBC announced it will only air broadcasts of the First Minister’s briefings if they are deemed to have “editorial merit”.
The move has been condemned by health experts, academics, charities and politicians.
Nicolson, a former ITV broadcaster, said it's evident there is “widespread public opposition” to the decision and highlighted concerns raised by Age Scotland.
READ MORE: Age Scotland calls on BBC to continue broadcasting regular Covid briefings
In a letter to corporation chief Donalda Mackinnon, the SNP MP wrote: “The events of recent weeks and months have served to underline the importance of television for older people in the midst of the pandemic. The decision to move the briefings online will only compound the feeling of neglect among the over-75s, who, only last month, were also stripped of their right to a free TV licence.”
Very sorry to hear the BBC has buckled in the face of pressure and cancelled broadcasts of the FM’s daily covid briefings. These briefings are vital for old people in particular who don’t have access to the internet. I've written to the BBC Scotland boss urging her to rethink. pic.twitter.com/3NmbpRFIEp
— JOHN NICOLSON M.P. (@MrJohnNicolson) September 14, 2020
The BBC’s decision came after Scottish Labour and Tory politicians complained the briefings had become “party political broadcasts.
Nicolson continued: “It's evident that the BBC has been under sustained pressure from opposition politicians to cancel the First Minister's briefings with some now crowing about your decision.
“However, it seems to me that the BBC has a public service obligation to ignore this pressure and focus on the public health benefits of the daily briefings, not least since we are now seeing a rise in infections. If you considered daily briefings editorially justifiable in July and August, how can the BBC argue that they are less vital now as we head towards winter?
“These briefings are not party political, no matter how much some angry voices protest that they are. The First Minister has studiously avoided making partisan points even when encouraged to do so by journalists, including your own. I urge you to reconsider this decision.”
READ MORE: BBC Scotland executive explains why Nicola Sturgeon's briefings will be cut
BBC Scotland has said it will continue to provide “extensive” coverage of the First Minister’s briefings on all of its new platforms.
A spokesperson commented previously: "We will of course consider showing press conferences live when any major developments or updates are anticipated."
The corporation's head of corporate affairs, Ian Small, also rejected suggestions BBC Scotland had caved in to pressure from Unionist parties.
He commented: “There’s been treaties made to us by political parties, that’s not unusual, that’s an everyday event for the BBC. But what I can clearly say is that all the decisions around this have been made by our editorial teams, by our news teams by our editorial stance team basically.
“We have determined that the best way forward would be not necessarily to be there every single day but to be there when important messages are being imparted.”
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