Here's something I missed the other day.
Aaqil Ahmed, who became the BBC's (first Muslim) Head of Religion and Ethics in 2009, is leaving the BBC. He sent out a tweet a couple of weeks ago, saying:
He's not going to be directly replaced either. Instead, responsibility for BBC religious broadcasting will pass into the hands of...
...guess who?...
Yes, James Purnell, the former New Labour cabinet minister recently promoted to BBC Head of Radio and Education - an appointment which brought accusations of empire-building even before this latest expansion of his role.
The Guardian reports that Roger Bolton, "a broadcaster and trustee of Sandford St Martin, which aims to promote religious programming", isn't a happy (Easter) bunny:
"If they think that’s the end of the process there will be a great deal of anger,” said Bolton of the decision to make one of Hall’s most senior lieutenants responsible.
Bolton, who also presents the Feedback programme for BBC Radio 4, said the danger was that “the BBC talks the talk but doesn’t appear to do anything else”.
Maybe he should write to Feedback then.
Presumably somebody will eventually reveal how he was ultimately persuaded to leave due to pressure on the BBC from Zionists and racist Islmaophobes (but I repeat myself).
ReplyDeleteAnd isn't Purnell damned for being a 'Friend of Israel' or something? I sense a few Complaints From Both Sides coming on.