The Church of England has appealed to the BBC not to reduce its religious content. The church issued its appeal to coincide with the timing of the BBC’s consultation over the corporation’s future priorities.
Bishop of Manchester the Rt Rev Nigel McCulloch, put forward his submission saying: “The Church of England is particularly concerned with ensuring that appropriate resources are allocated toward ensuring high-quality provision of contents that reflects and explores religion.
“We are concerned that religious broadcasting is one such area where output could not sustain further cuts without serious deterioration of the BBC’s proud record of providing engaging content.
“We emphasise the point that religion is just too present in the ‘public ether’ that the BBC seeks to reflect for it to be sidelined.”
Bishop McCulloch also put forward a recommentation that BBC journalists should be made more aware of religious affairs to ensure stories are reported and broadcast in context, saying that “more resources should be devoted to extending the College of Journalism activity for BBC staff, which we believe should include religion as a compulsory module.”
The Bishop’s comments were criticised by secular groups who already feel that the BBC gives too much air time to religious broadcasting. The National Secular Society rejected the suggestions, highlighting a recent Ofcom survey showing only nine per cent of people thought there should be more religion on television. Its President Terry Sanderson said: “The BBC should aim its diminishing resources where they will be most appreciated – and that isn't at religion. There is already widespread resentment of the amount of religion on Radio 4 particularly – sometimes it is like tuning in to a broadcast version of the Church Times."
Earlier this year, the BBC’s head of religion and ethics Aaqil Ahmed, made a robust defence of its religious output saying: "The Charter says that we should be doing 110 hours. We're doing 164 this year." The BBC maintains that its level of religious programming far exceeds its charter obligations and has in fact increased in recent years. BBC supporters also claimed it is broadening its religious programming citing its decision to broadcast The Nativity this Christmas, retelling the nativity story.