Bias in the BBC - follow up

The BBC has responded to my compaint about bias in the Bottom Line as follows:

Reference CAS-4031583-87CDXY

Thanks for contacting us regarding BBC One’s ‘The Bottom Line’ broadcast on 1 October.
I understand you felt there was not enough union representation and workers during a discussion on Theresa May’s business plans.

While the programme discusses business matters and hears from ‘people at the top’, it’s not always possible or practical to include all viewpoints within a particular programme. Contributors to our programmes are appointed on the basis of their experience and talent, but judgements are often subjective and we would never expect everyone to agree with every choice we make.

We have circulated your complaint to senior management and ‘The Bottom Line’ programme in this overnight report.

These reports are among the most widely read sources of feedback in the BBC and ensures that your complaint has been seen by the right people quickly. This helps inform their decisions about current and future programmes.

Thanks once again for taking the time to contact us.

Kind regards
Neil Salt

BBC Complaints Team


so I have followed up the original complaint with the following:

The response addresses neither the specific nor the general complaint,

you say ", it’s not always possible or practical to include all viewpoints within a particular programme" which is true, but there is never a trade union voice in the bottom line.  This was a progamme specifically about workers, but no ordinary worker was heard.  That it was not deemed necessary to provide such input shown just how ingrained the bias is that it has become normal.

Nor is there an equivalent programme to the Bottom Line where trade union voices are heard.  Therefore there is systematic bias; both within the Bottom Line and generally across, at least, Radio 4 where it is extremely rare for a trade unionist to be heard without a response from management, but very common to hear managers without any response from trade unions.

We need to hear from trade unionists more often, perhaps a new programme? Workers united?