Age key to views on BBC bias, says chairman
ONLY the over-50s believe the BBC is too Left-wing, the corporation’s chairman has suggested, as he insisted perceptions of political impartiality were age-related.
Sir David Clementi said younger people tended to believe that the BBC was too Right-wing and part of the establishment.
“We do a lot of impartiality surveys and they show about a quarter of our audience think we lean to the Left, and slightly less – but nevertheless a very substantial number – think we lean to the Right. But the interesting thing about it is that it’s very age-related,” Sir David said.
“Once you get over 50, there are a significant number of people who are convinced that we all live in Islington and we all ..., you know, whatever. They’re convinced of it.
“But i f you speak to a younger generation, they occasionally think we’re part of the establishment and we lean to the Right.”
Speaking to the Voice of the Listener and Viewer autumn conference, Sir David added: “There is a very big, age-related issue around the matter of impartiality; we take it seriously.
“For the great majority of our output we are very good, but [director-general] Tim Davie has made this his priority and we are doubling down on impartiality.”
In one of his last appearances before he steps down in February, Sir David hit back at politicians who criticised the BBC.
“I find that too many of the people I talk to with very strong views about the BBC don’t spend too much time with the BBC. They get up with Today, they go to bed with Newsnight and they d o n’ t wat c h much in between,” he said.
Of critics who want to see the licence fee scrapped in favour of a Netflix-style subscription, he said: “I have no doubt that the BBC could thrive as a subscription model, but it would not be the BBC that the nation knows and values.”