BBC leaders pledge to keep Christian output

Aaqil Ahmed

The BBC’s Head of Religion and Ethics, Aaqil Ahmed, has moved to quash rumours that Songs of Praise will become a multi-faith programme. Speaking at the Church and Media Forum last week he said that Songs of Praise would remain the BBC’s flagship Christian music programme for as long as he was in post. Interviewed by Methodist minister and media chaplain Rev Tony Miles, Ahmed said that reports that it would be extended to cover other faiths should not be taken seriously.

At the Forum, Ahmed was presented with a commemorative plaque on behalf of the UK’s churches, celebrating 50 years of Songs of Praise.

At the same meeting Gwyneth Williams, the recently-appointed controller of BBC Radio 4, announced that current arrangements for broadcasting The Daily Service would last for “at least ten years.” The BBC had previously announced as part of its Delivering Quality First economies that its long wave transmission would end shortly because the Droitwich transmitter had become obsolete. Longwave is the main home for The Daily Service, Test Match Special and Yesterday in Parliament.

Williams was asked by Andrew Graystone, Director of the Church and Media Network, what would happen to The Daily Service when longwave transmissions end. She said that, contrary to earlier reports, longwave transmissions would continue for at least ten years, and it was too early to say what would happen to The Daily Service after that. BBC Director-General Mark Thompson has previously made a commitment that The Daily Service will continue to be broadcast “as long as I am at the BBC.” The 15-minute daily act of Christian worship, which was first broadcast in January 1928, is the longest-running broadcast series anywhere in the world.

Gwyneth Williams said that she prized the high quality of religious programmes on Radio 4, including the religious news programme Sunday and the weekly Sunday Worship. She said that she would not be making significant changes to those programmes. Pressed about the controversial Thought for the Day slot in Radio 4’s flagship news programme Today, Williams said that she personally valued it as “a moment of spiritual reflection” in the hectic news agenda. The debates about whether it should exist, and whether the roster of presenters should include humanists had been “settled” under her predecessor and she had no intention of re-opening them.

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