Media News

The BBC was accused of retaining its aggressive anti-African policy towards the African community in Britain after presenter, Robert Beckford, was forced to quit his Sunday morning programme on the Birmingham-based radio station, BBC West Midlands (BBC WM) following a pay dispute.

BBC WM has a single two hour weekly programme hosted by Marverine Cole that caters for the needs of the African community in Birmingham. Beckford criticised the station for being perceived as "aggressive not progressive" towards the concerns of the African community. The BBC has claimed it delivers "10 hours of programming per week for the African-Caribbean population". However this statement was described as "risible" by former BBC WM presenter, Adrian Goldberg, who writes "this figure includes the soul and Motown show, which has a white presenter and showcases the music of, er, black America."

He is not alone in his view. Vernon Graham, a former BBC WM Community Affairs reporter wrote, "It's sad to see Sunday morning presenter Dr Robert Beckford leave the BBC, but it's not as bad as listening to the corporation continue to pretend they have any interest in being fair to black people.” Graham also commented that BBC management deliberately blocked the career progression of the African people it employed whilst promoting non-African staff with less ability.

Speaking on the issue Robert Beckford, a theologian academic at the University of Birmingham, stated; “This is a bigger issue than me... if you ask if the BBC in the Midlands can claim to represent the African Caribbean community, the answer in the last ten years has to be no.” Beckford also comments on the recent promotion by BBC WM of veteran jock, Les Ross, who was given a prime time afternoon slot. "They've promoted a white, middle-class pensioner, but they are happy to see a working-class African-Caribbean man leave."

In response, a BBC Spokesperson said “We utterly refute any suggestion that Robert was ‘pushed’ or that race played any part in this decision… BBC WM has a clear commitment to promoting inclusivity and valuing diversity.”

The removal of Robert from BBC schedules illustrates a historically entrenched policy of discrimination against intelligent, experienced and highly proficient African presenters. The BBC was recently embroiled in a row with viewers and the tabloid media after it fired the distinguished presenter, Moira Stuart, from her regular news reading post.

Moira had come under fierce industry and public attack for her ground breaking investigative work in the BBC documentary 'In Search of Wilberforce' broadcast on BBC 2 in March. Television reviewers criticised her personally for uncovering several truths about the alleged pure humanitarian agenda of the much trumpeted 19th century Hull parliamentarian, William Wilberforce. There is a strong feeling that the BBC abandoned its responsibility to defend and protect one of its long serving employees, choosing instead to willingly capitulate to the hostile views of Middle England.

BBC director general, Mark Thompson, was subsequently questioned by the House of Commons culture, media and sport select committee after rumors were deliberately leaked to the media insinuating that Moira had been asked to leave because she was 'too old'. Moira's age has not been a deterrent to rival broadcaster ITV who are said to be looking to recruit her to their network. Thompson defended the removal of Moira from her regular newsreader role stating that the BBC was involved in on-going talks with her about finding alternative positions in the corporation. He audaciously maintained that Moira had to go because television news was changing and the traditional role of a newsreader had “died out”. Responding to Thompson's remarks, Nigel Evans MP criticised the decision stating: "If this is how you treat someone who's much loved, I'd hate to see how you treat someone you don't like."

In 2004, broadcaster and Head of Talent for the African owned Colourful Radio, Henry Bonsu, was fired from his BBC London radio show after being accused of embodying a style of presenting that was described by BBC executives as 'too intellectual' for African audiences. The Oxford graduate, who hosted a Sunday night discussion show on BBC London, was told he did not fit in with the station's tone. Henry, who has worked as a journalist since 1990, revealed that the BBC did not take issues referring to the African British community seriously.

As with Moira, the BBC's shoddy treatment of an African presenter came to national prominence after he was ruthlessly and abruptly dismissed while the corporation attempted to justify its actions with fabricated excuses emphasising style over content. David Robey, director of BBC Radio London, was strongly criticised for saying: 'I feel Henry's approach has been too intellectual, not quite colloquial enough.'

In March 2004, Colin Prescod who worked in the BBC's African Caribbean TV programmes department from 1989 to 1991 and was Head of the department, briefly, from 1990 to 1991 wrote; "[T]he BBC's 'White perspective' management has never understood or trusted its 'Black perspective' production and programming operations. This translates to… [the] undervaluing and dismissing of their worth".

The BBC has a history of rewarding African presenters who remain loyal to the corporation by consistently taking positions that oppose and trivialise the socio-political interests of the African community. The comedian come talk show presenter, Eddie Nestor, was awarded speech broadcaster of the year at the Sony Radio Academy awards and Sharon Foster, writer of the one-dimensional caricaturing drama, 'f*ck black people' later renamed, 'Shoot the Messenger', was awarded a BAFTA award for Breakthrough talent. Whilst these annual self serving accolades are highly prestigious inside the media industry, neither of them have any credibility with the public or global African community.

Following Henry Bonsu’s departure from BBC London radio, the station has continued to dumb down its weekly two hour tabloid programme dedicated to talking about 'black' issues. This has led to 'The Sunday Special', hosted by Dotun Adebayo and Valley Fontaine, being nicknamed the 'BBC minstrel show' by various sections of the African community. There has been no significant increase in audience ratings despite the tabloid, ‘colloquial’ approach used to belittle serious community issues and deliberately exclude London's vibrant Pan African community. The station restructured itself in an attempt to gain some credibility and recruited the respected ex-Choice FM presenter, Geoff Schumann. The management’s disastrous decision to employ the calamitous presenter, Amina Taylor, backfired and she was abruptly fired after claiming that the African community needed to “move on” and stop looking for justice for the murder of African teenager, Stephen Lawrence who was stabbed and killed by a gang of racist thugs in Eltham, South London in 1993.

In May 2006, Henry alongside Kofi Kusitor, founder of blackbritain.co.uk launched Colourful Radio, a new national digital cross-cultural talk radio station broadcast on Sky Digital 0194 and online. Colourful offers an innovative and honest take on what it means to be part of an ethnically diverse society. Henry says: "What we are doing is truly unique... unlike some stations, we are not slaves to the Westminster agenda, instead we produce stories that really matter to people and are not too scared to appear intellectual."