[ad_1]
Tim Davie, CEO of the BBC, has been criticized by a Conservative MP for not including images of the Union Jack in the corporation’s annual report.
Following last week’s dispute between the Conservatives and the BBC over national symbols, James Wild, the MP from North West Norfolk, told the head of the corporation that his constituents “would expect to see more than one flag” in the report of 268 pages.
Davie insisted that the lack of a flag in a report was “a strange metric” for measuring patriotism within the corporation, noting that a Union Jack flew over Broadcasting House in central London.
The criticism came last week after BBC Breakfast host Charlie Stayt mocked Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick at the end of a morning interview.
“I think your flag is not up to standard measurements for government interviews,” Stayt told the cabinet minister about the red, white and blue cloth hanging from a pole in the far corner of the office. Jenrick.
Referring to the dispute over Stayt’s comments at a public accounts committee meeting, Wild asked Davie: “In your own 268-page report last year, do you know how many union flags were depicted on any of the charts?”
Davie responded, “In all the reports I received for this meeting, that was not one of them.”
“Zero,” Wild said.
Wild, a former special adviser who is married to the leader of the House of Lords, Baroness Evans, continued: “Maybe in this year’s annual report maybe I can include some images around the union flag. Some of my constituents might welcome it. “
Davie, a former Conservative party councilor, said the corporation was tremendously proud of being British and of the flag.
“We have been selling British creative industries overseas and the UK and UK for many years and generating strong exports as a result.
“I am tremendously proud of it, and we have the Union Jack on top of the building flying with pride.”
“It’s not just about the flag, let’s face it, it’s about the UK and us going out and building business for the country,” he said.
Critics of the corporation, including several Conservative MPs, have claimed that the Stayt incident shows that the BBC is ashamed of its British ties.
Stayt co-host Naga Munchetty apologized Friday for “liking” tweets that mocked the use of flags by government ministers. Another BBC presenter, Huw Edwards, said he was forced to delete a tweet from the Welsh flag that made fun of a row about the Union Jack.
Davie has been trying to curb social media excesses by his staff since he took over the station last year.
In October, new strict guidelines were introduced prohibiting staff from posting “controversial” opinions online or engaging in “virtue signaling.”
During the committee session, the BBC’s chief operating officer, Glyn Isherwood, revealed that the broadcaster’s revenues from those over 75 will be more than 400 million pounds sterling this year.
The universal right to a free television license ended last year for the age group and only those who receive pension credit do not have to pay.
Davie said last week that those 75 and older will not be threatened with legal action for failing to pay the license fee.
