IT may have taken eight months for the complaint to be processed, but the broadcasting watchdog has now launched an investigation into a potential breach of impartiality rules by a flagship BBC radio programme.
John Parker, a reader of The National and listener of the World at One (Wato) on BBC Radio 4, first complained to the corporation about an item on the February 24 edition involving former Scottish Tory leader Baroness Ruth Davidson.
She appeared in a 12-minute segment focusing on the anticipated, but postponed, appearance of former first minister Alex Salmond before the committee investigating he Scottish Government’s handling of harassment allegations against him.
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Parker, who was born in England and is a long-time resident of Wales, said Davidson was given more than five minutes to make allegations of institutional corruption with no serious challenge.
The programme segment included reports from BBC Scotland editor Sarah Smith and political correspondent Nick Eardley, which preceded Davidson’s contribution, in which she said there were questions about whether Scotland’s democratic institutions were corrupt.
Parker described it as: “A very one-sided and tendentious presentation to be making with Holyrood elections just a few weeks away.”
However, the BBC knocked back his complaint at every level and he took it to the regulator, who told him – and us – it would be published after the August bank holiday weekend.
When that did not happen, we were told it was “still being assessed”.
However, in its latest bulletin, the watchdog confirmed that an investigation had been launched.
A spokesperson told The National: “We are investigating whether this programme broke our rules on due impartiality.”
Parker is understandably happy that the regulator has now launched an investigation, and told us: “I wonder how long before they decide?
“I'm assuming it needn't be too long.”
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