It has been plagued by accusations of bias and depicting ‘traumatising’ violence in its programmes since Ofcom became its external regulator in April.
But rather than look into some of the more pressing issues surrounding the BBC’ s coverage over the last eight months, the watchdog has chosen to investigate comments about climate change as its first probe into the broadcaster.
Ofcom announced yesterday its first broadcasting standards investigation into the BBC will be over comments made by Lord Lawson on the Radio 4 Today programme in August.
Ofcom is to investigate the BBC for the first time over comments made by Lord Lawson about climate change
In the interview, the former Chancellor of the Exchequer claimed that ‘official figures’ revealed that ‘during this past 10 years, if anything… average world temperature has slightly declined’.
This view, which was not challenged on air, was then denounced by the Met Office who claimed it was ‘simply not true’.
The broadcaster initially hit back at listener complaints by pointing out that Lord Lawson was simply offering an alternative opinion – an essential aspect of impartiality.
Lord Lawson said during an interview that average world temperature had ‘slightly declined’, a view that was now challenged
But it later upheld complaints it received about the interview and the claims ‘were, at the least, contestable and should have been challenged’.
Yesterday Ofcom announced it was investigating the issue after becoming the first external regulator for the BBC in April, meaning it can impose fines of up to £250,000, ban repeats of coverage and require broadcasting corrections.
In March, more than 70 MPs wrote to the corporation warning that its ‘perverse and skewed’ coverage risked undermining Brexit.
But an investigation by The Sun revealed that following this letter 1.5 out of 10 guests on The Andrew Marr Show backed Brexit compared to 8.5 Remainers – a disparity Jacob Rees-Mogg claimed revealed a ‘deep-seated bias’.
And in October, Gunpowder, a BBC One dramatisation of the Guy Fawkes plot, was branded ‘disgusting’ and ‘traumatising’ by viewers due to graphic torture scenes.
A harrowing sequence lasting almost 10 minutes in the first episode included a Jesuit priest being hung, drawn and quartered and a naked elderly woman crushed under a metal door in front of a baying crowd.
Responding to the violent programme, MP Andrew Bridgen said at the time: ‘The BBC are a law unto themselves. If the BBC intended to shock, they certainly have done.’
Ofcom took over as the external regulator of the BBC back in April and this is its first probe into the organisation
The current Ofcom investigation follows an incident in 2014, when the BBC found the programme in breach for another interview with Lord Lawson about climate change.
A spokeswoman for Ofcom said: ‘We are investigating whether this interview, which followed a similar interview in 2014, breached our rules on due accuracy and due impartiality.