BBC faces court over its refusal to detail complaints

THE BBC is facing a court battle over its ‘lack of transparency’ after it defied orders to publish figures on complaints about its shows.

ITV, Channel 4, Five, Sky and other broadcasters already disclose the numbers, and the broadcasting watchdog Ofcom releases detailed information about objections to their programmes every two weeks.

But the BBC – the only broadcaster that is publicly funded – keeps much of that information a secret.

That means that the public know exactly how many people take issue with Amanda Holden’s plunging dresses on ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent, for example, but the BBC is able to stifle more important rows over alleged Left-wing bias on its programmes.

Now Ofcom has waded in and told the BBC it has no choice but to become more transparent.

Watchdog insiders have also made it clear that they are prepared to go to court over the matter if the BBC digs its heels in. In a strongly worded letter, seen by the Mail, Kevin Bakhurst, one of the watchdog’s directors, said: ‘The greater transparency we propose is necessary to build and maintain public confidence in the operation of the BBC... and to provide public accountability.’

It has given the BBC until the November 19 to change its ways, and publish fortnightly complaints bulletins that go into the same level of detail as Ofcom’s reports about other broadcasters.

The corporation has so far defied the order, claiming that it would be too expensive and time-consuming to deal with the information. Insiders are also wary of bad press coverage.

But the BBC insisted yesterday that it is more transparent than other broadcasters because it routinely publishes some information itself instead of relying on Ofcom to do so.

SO strapped for cash are the Armed Forces that the Royal Navy – which once ruled the world – faces being stripped of its two amphibious assault ships, leaving Britain unable to land troops on enemy beaches.

Meanwhile, the overseas aid department sits on an annual budget of some £13billion, while scratching around desperately for ideas about how to spend it.

So can anyone explain the madness by which the defence ministry has to pay the £50million bill for rebuilding lives in British territories devastated by Hurricane Irma, while the aid budget can’t be touched? If these are indeed the OECD’s rules, why in sanity’s name should we obey them?

FIRST the BBC fought tooth and nail to keep its inflated salaries secret from the licence-fee payers who fund them. Now it faces a court battle for refusing to disclose the number of complaints it receives about its shows. Channel 4, ITV and mainstream newspapers are obliged to reveal complaint numbers. Why should the breathtakingly arrogant BBC be a law unto itself?