Ajit Karn
London: Sunday, the British finance minister stated that “people’s confidence” in the BBC must be restored, while the BBC’s director-general pledged not to resign in the wake of the controversy surrounding Gary Lineker’s dismissal as Match of the Day anchor.
Lineker was compelled to “retreat” from his role as host of the premier Premier League highlights programme after he accused the British government of employing Nazi-era language in announcing its policy to combat illegal immigration.
The BBC announced on Friday that Lineker, England’s all-time fourth-leading goalscorer, had violated impartiality guidelines and that the organisation would seek “an agreed and unambiguous position on his use of social media” prior to his on-screen return.
Former BBC director-general Greg Dyke warned on Saturday that “it appears – the perception out there – that the BBC has caved to government pressure,” escalating an ongoing dispute over the broadcaster’s impartiality.
The minister of finance, Jeremy Hunt, told Sky News on Sunday that he “profoundly” disagrees with Lineker’s remarks, but that the BBC and its director general, Tim Davie, will make the final decision.
“The reason it is such a cherished national institution is because of its reputation for objectivity,” he explained.
We must ensure that the public’s trust in the BBC’s objectivity is restored.
Lineker’s detractors assert that the publicly-funded broadcaster has permitted him to use the platform he enjoys as the host of a popular football programme to influence controversial political issues.
However, his supporters accuse the broadcaster of taking direction from conservative politicians, citing the fact that the current BBC chairman, Richard Sharp, facilitated a loan guarantee for former prime minister Boris Johnson while applying for the position.
The Premier reacts
The decision to remove Lineker caused pandemonium throughout the BBC’s television and radio sports programming schedules.
Former England players Ian Wright and Alan Shearer were among the Match of the Day pundits who declined to perform their customary duties, followed by the show’s commentators.
As a consequence, the longest-running football television programme in the world broadcast for the first time without a host, commentators, or even a 20-minute highlight package of six English Premier League matches.
Despite the format change, BBC entertainment correspondent Lizo Mzimba tweeted on Sunday that 2.58 million viewers tuned in, nearly a half-million more than the previous week.
The weekend preview show Football Focus and the results show Final Score were also removed from the schedule, as was the Sunday wrap-up show Match of the Day 2, and BBC Radio 5Live’s coverage was disrupted.
Davie responded, “Certainly not,” when asked if he should resign over the Lineker matter.
“I believe that my role is to serve license-fee payers and to deliver a BBC that is truly focused on world-class impartial landmark programming, and I look forward to us resolving this situation and delivering that.
He added, “To be explicit, success for me is when Gary is back on air and we are providing world-class sports coverage to the audiences, which I’m regretful we haven’t been able to do today.”
Saturday, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak expressed optimism that the impasse could be “resolved expeditiously.”
Incalculably brutal
Lineker is a freelance BBC broadcaster, not a permanent employee, and is not responsible for news or political content; therefore, he is not required to adhere to the same stringent impartiality standards.
Mark Thompson, a former BBC director, informed the broadcaster on Sunday that the former Leicester, Everton, Barcelona, and Tottenham striker may have technically violated the rules.
He referred to a section that states non-journalists who “have an additional responsibility to the BBC due to their profile at the BBC” should avoid “taking positions on party political issues or political controversies.”
Lineker’s response to a video in which Home Secretary Suella Braverman revealed plans to prevent migrants from crossing the Channel in small vessels ignited the controversy.
According to figures released last year, Lineker, the BBC’s highest-paid star with an annual salary of £1.35 million ($1.65 million, 1.53 million euros), tweeted: “This is just an immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people using language not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 1930s.”
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In an effort to stop the more than 45,000 unlawful border crossings that occurred last year, the Conservative government intends to outlaw asylum claims by all illegal arrivals and deport them to countries such as Rwanda.
Monday’s YouGov poll showed 50 percent support for the measures, with 36 percent opposition. Another of its questionnaires released on Saturday, however, revealed that 53 percent of respondents opposed Lineker’s removal, compared to 27 percent who supported it.
