SPUC accuses BBC of misleading reporting and bias

Fiorella Sultana de Maria, 24, an SPUC employee who wrote Bias and the BBC, taking a copy of the document to BBC headquarters in central London on 9 March 2004.

London, 27 February 2004--The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) has accused the BBC of misleading reporting, hidden agendas, vested interests and an anti-life bias.

The accusations are in "Bias and the BBC", SPUC's 30-page critique of "Sex and the Holy City", a Panorama programme which was broadcast on 12 October and subsequently repeated on BBC World television.

Soon after the broadcast, John Smeaton, SPUC's national director, complained about the programme to Mr Greg Dyke, the then BBC director general. Mr Fraser Steel, the BBC's head of programme complaints, replied this month and a response to that letter is in preparation.

"Bias and the BBC" is available on the web as a PDF file.

SPUC plans to deliver a copy of "Bias and the BBC" to BBC headquarters in central London next week. We shall provide details as they become available.

We shall also send the media copies of our response to Mr Steel.