‘BBC Blackout’: The British media giant is under pressure after outcry over the suspension of star presenter and former soccer player Gary Lineker. The case revives both the debate on the group’s impartiality and criticism of its leadership.
No way out of the crisis seemed in sight on Sunday, two days after the storm triggered by the announcement of the suspension of the host of the very popular show Game of the Day.
BBC sports programming has been disrupted for the second day in a row after the defection of many consultants and commentators, “in solidarity” with Mr. Lineker. On Saturday, several soccer shows were canceled at the last minute, forcing the BBC to apologize to viewers.
Gary Lineker, 62, was sacked on Friday after criticizing the Conservative government’s bill to prevent migrants arriving through the English Channel from seeking asylum in the UK, a plan denounced as far as the UN .
“Black-out at BBC Sport”, headlined Sunday the Sunday Expressthe case still making the headlines, in a context of very tense debate on immigration and recurring criticism from the British right on an alleged bias of the BBC.
Impartiality
On Sunday morning, UK Finance Minister Jeremy Hunt said he wanted “the BBC to maintain its reputation for independence and impartiality”.
“When you interview me, people need to know that you are doing it on behalf of the public, not for political reasons,” he said.
The BBC is regularly attacked by the conservatives, who accuse it in particular of having covered Brexit in a biased way and of being interested in the urban elites more than the working classes. The government froze the license fee last year for two years.
The opposition, for its part, criticizes the BBC for having bowed to the pressure of power by suspending Mr. Lineker. Critics are also mounting against the appointment in 2021, on the advice of the government, of Richard Sharp to the presidency of the BBC.
This former banker, known financial supporter of the Conservative Party, would have played the matchmaker shortly before taking office to help his friend and former Prime Minister Boris Johnson obtain a loan of 800,000 pounds (1.3 million dollars).
“I think BBC chairman Richard Sharp should resign,” said Lib-Dem leader Ed Davey. “The Conservative government has been undermining the BBC for several years, including through its appointments. »
Lineker assumes
Under pressure, the group’s general manager, Tim Davie, “absolutely” refused to resign. He said he wanted to “settle the situation calmly” and “get Gary back on the air.”
Gary Lineker “loves Game of the Day but he will never go back on his words, ”said in the Sunday Mirror the footballer’s son, George Lineker.
On Twitter, where he has 8.8 million subscribers, Gary Lineker had denounced “a cruel policy aimed at the most vulnerable, in a language that is reminiscent of that used by Germany in the years 1930”.
The government text, which according to the government aims to put an end to the illegal arrival of migrants through the Channel, was denounced by the UN, which accused London of wanting to “end the right of asylum”.
Gary Lineker, nicknamed “Mr. Nice” for his impeccable behavior throughout his career – he has never received a single yellow card – is used to expressing his progressive political positions, in particular for the reception of refugees.
The former striker with 48 goals in the jersey of England had not reacted publicly to his suspension, but had repeated this week that he fully assumed his words. On Saturday, he traveled to Leicester, his hometown where he started his professional career, for the Foxes’ game against Chelsea in the Premier League.
In the meantime, the hearings exploded on Saturday for the essential Game of the Day, which aired in a reduced format, without a presenter or consultants. More than 2.5 million viewers watched, almost 500,000 more than the previous week, according to the BBC.