Latest news with #BBCStudiosProductions
The National
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The National
BBC accused of 'North Korean-style censorship' in royal coverage
Trooping the Colour – the King's annual birthday parade – was covered live by the BBC at the weekend. But Graham Smith, CEO of Republic, has written to the boss of the events team at BBC Studios Productions accusing the broadcaster of 'censoring and erasing' the presence of 'highly visible' protests against the monarchy. It is the first time Republic has approached the factual entertainment and events team about its coverage and has threatened to go to people 'higher up in the BBC' if there is no response. READ MORE: Pete Wishart calls for Labour Government not to remove whip from MPs Smith – who says he has had several meetings with the BBC about their news coverage – told The National the broadcaster was being 'dishonest' in painting a picture of a 'devoted nation fawning over the royals'. 'Generally our focus has been on their news coverage [so far], but these big events are not done by their news teams, it's done by a separate events team,' he said. 'It's only been the last couple of years that we've been at those events, and we've started to notice […] how they are deliberately editing things out. 'Some of the commentary from people like Clare Balding at the weekend just presents this picture of a devoted nation fawning over the royals. It's not just about them cutting us out, it's about them misrepresenting the crowds, suggesting it's much larger than it is and suggesting it's royalists.' He went on: 'There's a bit where they are showing the carriages coming down the Mall and you can see the crowds at the barriers, and then we can see – because we know what we're looking for – we can see where we are and they zoom in and you can just about see some feet and a bit of yellow [the colour Republic uses]. (Image: Aaron Chown) 'They should be covering it as it is, not doing the royals' job as a press office. 'This is why we say it's like North Korea, it's such a dishonest representation of what is going on and how people feel about it.' At the start of last year, a Savanta poll showed support for the monarchy had fallen to just 48%. A YouGov poll that followed a few months later showed support for the monarchy in Scotland at 50% compared to 34% backing a republic. Smith cited how a few years ago, David Dimbleby revealed the level of control exerted by the royal family over broadcasters' rights for the Queen's funeral. He told the Henley Book Festival that as he broadcast from St George's Chapel in Windsor the BBC was receiving emails 'almost simultaneously' from palace officials, dictating which clips of footage could not be shown in any subsequent broadcast. 'There was this complete list of things that no broadcaster could show because the copyright belongs to Buckingham Palace. I think that's wrong, just wrong,' he said. READ MORE: BBC chief responds to landmark report exposing bias on Gaza The letter to Hannah Wyatt, managing director of factual entertainment and events at BBC Studios, claims the BBC's coverage of Trooping the Colour 'completely ignored' the protests held by Republic, even when they could be heard in the background. 'It is not going too far to suggest that you have chosen a North Korean style of coverage which censors and erases the presence of noisy, growing and highly visible protests against the monarchy,' the letter says. 'Aerial shots of the crowd showed numbers are falling, with huge swathes of empty space outside the palace and along the Mall. 'Yet still you convey a misleading image of a packed Mall full of fawning royalists, while your commentary included no input from critics of the institution. 'These protests will get bigger and louder, and they will not stop. So, I'm asking that we meet to discuss these concerns and hopefully convey to you the seriousness of this issue.' Smith said there has been a 'consistent pattern' at the BBC of editing out signs of opposition to the monarchy, as he claimed similar incidents had occurred the coronation and Commonwealth Day. The BBC has been approached for comment.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
BBC Studios Acquires Unscripted Production Company Mothership TV
BBC Studios Productions, a unit of BBC Studios, has boosted its investment in Mothership TV, the unscripted production firm founded by former Channel 4 deputy director of programs Kelly Webb-Lamb, to take full ownership of the company. In late 2022, BBC Studios Productions had taken a 25 percent stake in the company. More from The Hollywood Reporter Andrew Tate and Brother Tristan Charged With 21 U.K. Crimes, Including Rape and Human Trafficking Susie Wolff Is Putting the F(emale) in F1 Guillermo del Toro to Host Canadian Horror Film Festival (Exclusive) The transaction unveiled on Thursday marks the second deal for an unscripted indie by the unit of the commercial arm of the BBC following its acquisition of Voltage TV (Amanda and Alan, Tempting Fortune) in 2022. Mothership will be part of BBC Studios' newly announced Unscripted Productions, led by Kate Ward, managing director, Unscripted Productions. Financial details weren't disclosed. Under the terms of the deal. BBC Studios will have first-look global distribution and format rights to Mothership's output. Mothership launched in 2022 to make 'entertaining, warm and witty unscripted formats of scale.' Currently in production by it is Secret Genius, a new competition format for Channel 4 in which 'Alan Carr and Susie Dent will test Britain's brainpower like never before to uncover the country's most gifted and unsung minds.' Mothership has also produced Around The World in 80 Weighs and Sandi's Great British Woodland Restoration for Channel 4, with 'a raft of new programs in development.' Said Webb-Lamb: 'What matters most to me is being able to make great telly with great people and I've really enjoyed and valued Mothership's relationship with BBC Studios over the past three years. I'm looking forward to deepening this relationship going forward.' Added Ward: 'As demand for unscripted formats continues to grow both in the U.K. and around the world, we are thrilled to be strengthening our successful partnership with Kelly and Mothership and look forward to a very exciting future.' BBC Studios Productions also houses six scripted labels, namely Lookout Point (Gentleman Jack, Happy Valley 3), Baby Cow Productions (Brian and Margaret, Changing Ends), House Productions (Conclave, Sherwood), Clerkenwell Films (Baby Reindeer, The End of the F**king World) Sid Gentle Films (Killing Eve, Rain Dog) and Firebird (Wild Cherry, Outrageous). It also holds minority investments in a five others, namely Various Artists Limited, Expectation Entertainment, Turbine and Boffola Pictures. Best of The Hollywood Reporter How the Warner Brothers Got Their Film Business Started Meet the World Builders: Hollywood's Top Physical Production Executives of 2023 Men in Blazers, Hollywood's Favorite Soccer Podcast, Aims for a Global Empire
