Thank you for contacting us with your feedback about BBC Radio.
The passing of HRH The Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh was a significant event which generated a lot of interest both nationally and internationally.
We acknowledge your complaint about the level of coverage, particularly in relation to the BBC News Special programme which was broadcast across all networks.
We do not make such changes to billed schedules without careful consideration. The decisions made reflect the role the BBC plays as the national broadcaster, during moments of national significance.
We are grateful for your feedback, and we always listen to the response from our audiences. Your comments have been shared with senior management.
Kind regards,
BBC Complaints Team
Month: April 2021
Media coverage of the death of Duke of Edinburgh
Yesterday at the age of 99, Prince Philip, ‘Phil the Greek’ died. It was not unexpected as he was clearly old, and had recently spent a significant time in hospital.
As expected there has been ‘wall-to-wall’ coverage. It has been excessive and totally in keeping with the traditional obsession with service to royalty. It has driven me made but as the same time, it seems, many others too:
BBC flooded with complaints over Prince Philip death coverage
Corporation opened dedicated complaints form on its website to deal with high volume of comments
Within six hours of Prince Philip’s death being announced the BBC had received so many complaints about its wall-to-wall coverage of the news that it opened a dedicated complaints form on its website, as television viewers turned off and went elsewhere.
The BBC curtailed dozens of broadcasts on Friday, taking the nation’s most popular television and radio channels off air and reducing dozens of other broadcasts on stations across the country, to provide uninterrupted coverage of tributes to the Queen’s husband.
BBC One played a series of pre-recorded shows, including Philip’s children paying tribute to him, while BBC Two scrapped its schedule and simulcast the same shows as its sister channel. Friday night staples such as EastEnders, Gardeners’ World, and the final episode of MasterChef were taken off air to make way for more tributes, an approach also taken by ITV.
So, to keep up the momentum I decided to make my complaint too. What particularly annoyed was the universal broadcast of I think Gyles Brandreth as a royalty history expert or maybe a documentary he made.
All of this has echos of the death of Diana when again we all had to fall into line with national mourning and a group expectation of sadness. Again tv schedules were changed and radio was replaced with nothing or dirge music.
Here is my short complaint:
I am complaining regarding the response of the BBC to the death of the Duke of Edinburgh.
With particular respect to the radio I found it inappropriate that each national radio station that i tried was broadcasting the same programme. As such there was no choice in whether I wanted to participate in the remembrance. I found it unacceptable and I would expect younger people who tuned into Radio 1 would have bemused.
The BBC is not meant to be an organ of the state and blanket coverage of the same programme and then funeral music after , an for how long, is not acceptable.
In conjunction, the over- indulgent coverage of the death on BBC television excessive for me and I am sure a significant proportion of the population who do not feel a sense of obdedience to the idea of royalty.
Wrapping the flag- a lot going on
Brentford in the news…but I think their chance has passed
Brentford’s Thomas Frank: ‘I try to stay calm … then suddenly I explode’
Brentford’s manager, Thomas Frank, celebrates with Mads Roerslev after the win at home against Sheffield Wednesday in February. Photograph: Clive Rose/Getty Images
Head coach discusses promotion ambitions, social media and changing plans to see Ollie Watkins score for England
Fri 2 Apr 2021 11.00 BST
Last Thursday evening Thomas Frank was at home in south-west London, watching Denmark’s Under-21s on his laptop when, a few miles away, Ollie Watkins was brought on for his England debut at Wembley. It was the cue for the Brentford head coach to fetch the remote. “I turned on the telly and saw Ollie score,” says Frank, who worked with the striker for three seasons. “The story of Ollie is remarkable, from League Two to the Championship and now the Premier League and the national team. He is humble but worked very hard. With that you can get very far.”
Frank is hoping to guide Brentford to the top flight after coming within one game of promotion last season. The international break allowed him to recharge the batteries, a little respite from a gruelling campaign that began only 33 days after losing the play-off final. Getting off the hamster wheel, as Frank puts it, is tricky but the change of pace and spending a few hours with family, exploring Netflix or walking through the woods with Torben, a cross between a Shar Pei and an English bulldog from Battersea, was much needed. “I watched After Life. I tried to find something where I can laugh and cry a bit, and I did both.”
With nine games to play Brentford are hoping tears of joy lie ahead. Before visiting Huddersfield on Saturday they are fourth in the Championship, in the midst of what, ostensibly, is a three-way fight with Watford, whom they face in their penultimate game, and Swansea for the second automatic promotion place. “We are definitely getting into the last part of the race, so maybe we are not sprinting yet but we are definitely increasing the tempo, or trying to.
But at same time the matches are slipping:
Huddersfield Town 1-1 Brentford: Mads Sorensen earns point but Bees’ promotion hopes take hit
3 April 20213 April 2021.From the section Championship
Brentford’s automatic promotion hopes were dealt a blow after a draw which edged Huddersfield closer to safety.
Lewis O’Brien took advantage of a mix-up between Bees goalkeeper David Raya and defender Mads Roerslev to put the hosts ahead after seven minutes.
Brentford equalised five minutes into the second half when Mads Sorensen turned in Vitaly Janelt’s cutback, before Ivan Toney hit the post.
Both sides had chances to win it late on but had to settle for a point each.
The point moves Brentford up to third on goal difference but they remain nine points behind Watford in second, albeit with a game in hand, with the draw edging Huddersfield eight points clear of the relegation places.