A Government committee has demanded BBC director-general Tim Davie provide a "personal assessment of what went wrong" with the broadcaster's controversial Glastonbury coverage. The Culture, Media and Sport Committee has written to Davie following widespread criticism over the BBC's decision to livestream performances containing anti-Israel chants.
The BBC faced fierce backlash for continuing to broadcast punk rap duo Bob Vylan's performance on iPlayer, which is now subject to a criminal police investigation. The duo led chants of "Death, death to the IDF (Israel Defence Forces)" during their Saturday set on the West Holts Stage, with the broadcaster providing on-screen warnings about discriminatory language.
BBC apologises for antisemitic content
The corporation later apologised on Monday, acknowledging the chants contained "antisemitic sentiments" that were "unacceptable". Irish rap trio Kneecap, who performed directly after Bob Vylan on the same stage, also led the Glastonbury audience in "Free Palestine" chants and are facing an Avon and Somerset Police investigation.
It has since emerged that Tim Davie was present at Glastonbury when the pro-Palestine chants were broadcast live. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy previously told the Commons that "several" editorial failures "becomes a problem of leadership" during a statement on the BBC's coverage.
Committee demands detailed answers
In Tuesday's letter, committee chairwoman Dame Caroline Dinenage (Conservative) posed 12 questions to the BBC boss after saying the coverage had caused "widespread concern". The Conservative MP asked whether the BBC considered streaming Glastonbury coverage with a time delay "to allow room to respond to events if necessary".
Dame Caroline also questioned how many BBC staff and contractors were working at the festival, whether staff with authority to cut the live stream were present during Bob Vylan's performance, and if ending the broadcast was discussed mid-performance. She asked at what level decisions were made to stream Bob Vylan live with warnings but not stream Kneecap live.
Police launch criminal investigation
The letter demanded details about the BBC's contingency planning and asked if the broadcaster would review its Editorial Guidelines for live output "to ensure they are fit for live streaming". Dame Caroline requested Davie's response within two weeks, seeking his "personal assessment of what went wrong" and key lessons learned from the experience.
Avon and Somerset Police confirmed they had launched a probe into both performances after reviewing video footage and audio recordings, with a senior detective leading the investigation. A force spokesman said the matter had been "recorded as a public order incident" while inquiries remained at an early stage, with the investigation considering "all appropriate legislation, including relating to hate crimes".
Band defends controversial performance
Bob Vylan responded to criticism on Tuesday with an Instagram statement claiming they were being "targeted for speaking up" and that "a good many people would have you believe a punk band is the number one threat to world peace". The band insisted they were "not for the death of Jews, Arabs or any other race or group of people" but supported "the dismantling of a violent military machine".
Their statement added they opposed "a machine whose own soldiers were told to use 'unnecessary lethal force' against innocent civilians waiting for aid" and "a machine that has destroyed much of Gaza".
(PA/London) Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
