The BBC on Saturday is dealing with a deepening row as it emerged that it decided not to broadcast an episode narrated by world-famous conservationist Sir David Attenborough for a new wildlife series over fears of a right-wing backlash, amid an ongoing controversy over affecting its sports programming involving football legend Gary Lineker. Several of the broadcaster's regular sports presenters have stepped back in solidarity with former England captain and TV pundit Lineker after he was suspended over a controversial tweet related to the government바카라s migration policy.
It has now been forced to strongly deny a report in 'The Guardian바카라 newspaper that said a sixth episode of the Attenborough-narrated 바카라Wild Isles바카라 series will not be broadcast over political concerns. While the newspaper claims that senior sources at the BBC have said that the decision not to show the sixth episode was made to fend off potential criticism from the political right, the BBC claims it was never intended for broadcast in the first place.
바카라This is totally inaccurate, there is no 바카라sixth episode바카라. 바카라Wild Isles바카라 is 바카라 and always was 바카라 a five-part series and does not shy away from environmental content,바카라 the BBC statement said. 바카라We have acquired a separate film for iPlayer [online service] from the RSPB [Royal Society for the Protection of Birds] and WWF [World Wide Fund for Nature] and Silverback Films about people working to preserve and restore the biodiversity of the British Isles,바카라 it said. The documentary series was part-funded by nature charities the WWF and RSPB and all the episodes are narrated by 96-year-old Attenborough.
The newspaper claims some insiders at the BBC fear the corporation has bowed to pressure from lobbying groups with 바카라dinosaurian ways바카라. The so-called sixth episode is understood to be a stark look at the losses of nature in the UK and what has caused the decline. It is also understood to include some examples of rewilding, a concept that has been controversial in some right-wing circles. Laura Howard, who produced the program and used to work at the BBC바카라s Natural History Unit, told the 'Guardian': 바카라I think the facts speak for themselves. You know, we바카라ve worked closely with the RSPB in particular who are able to fact-check all of our scripts and provide us with detailed scientific data and information about the loss of wildlife in this country.
바카라And it is undeniable, we are incredibly nature-depleted. And I don바카라t think that that is political, I think it바카라s just facts.바카라 The controversy comes as the corporation apologized for its 바카라limited sports programming바카라 this weekend and said it is 바카라working hard to resolve the situation바카라 after several of its regular presenters went off the air. In a post on Tuesday on his Twitter account which has 8.7 million followers, 62-year-old Lineker 바카라 one of England's greatest soccer players and now among the UK's most influential media figures 바카라 compared lawmakers' language about migrants to that used in Nazi Germany.
The BBC, which operates through a taxpayer-funded licence fee, considers Lineker posting such views on social media as a breach of its impartiality guidelines. The network said it held discussions with Lineker over his involvement in 바카라Match of the Day바카라, which is broadcast on Saturday nights and shows highlights of English Premier League games that day.
바카라The BBC has decided that he will step back from presenting 'Match of the Day' until we've got an agreed and clear position on his use of social media,바카라 the broadcaster said. "We have never said that Gary should be an opinion-free zone, or that he can't have a view on issues that matter to him, but we have said that he should keep well away from taking sides on party political issues or political controversies,바카라 it added.
