Apology issued by BBC for streaming Bob Vylan's "death to IDF" chant at Glastonbury Festival
In a recent turn of events, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has issued an apology for airing a performance by punk duo Bob Vylan at the Glastonbury Festival, due to the band leading the crowd in an anti-Semitic chant. The chant, which included the phrase "death to the IDF" (Israeli Defense Forces), was widely condemned as offensive hate speech.
The incident, which occurred live on the BBC’s Glastonbury coverage, sparked significant backlash, with the corporation describing the comments as "deeply offensive" and expressing regret that such an incident appeared on their broadcast, particularly to their viewers, listeners, and the Jewish community in particular.
Initially, Bob Vylan had been classified as "high risk" under the BBC’s risk assessment process, which included seven acts at Glastonbury. Despite this classification, the decision was made to allow live streaming with certain mitigations. However, following the controversy, the BBC announced it will stop broadcasting "high risk" performances live going forward to prevent similar incidents.
The Avon and Somerset Police are conducting a criminal investigation into Bob Vylan’s performance at Glastonbury. The police are reviewing video evidence to determine whether any offenses were committed that warrant further legal action. Glastonbury festival organizers have also condemned the band's comments, stating that hatred or incitement to violence has no place at the festival, and they are reminding everyone involved of this stance.
The BBC's chair, Samir Shah, has apologized for allowing Bob Vylan to express unconscionable antisemitic views live on the BBC. He admitted that the decision to continue streaming the performance was an "error of judgement". Tim Davie, the Director-General of the BBC, was on the Glastonbury site at the time of the incident and was informed of what had happened.
In addition, the US Deputy Secretary of State, Christopher Landau, has revoked the visas of Bob Vylan due to their hateful tirade at Glastonbury, including leading the crowd in death chants.
The BBC Executive has agreed to implement strengthened editorial practices and policies for live music programming, with the aim of safeguarding future live broadcasts from similar failures. These new practices and policies are intended to ensure proper accountability.
References: [1] BBC News (2021) BBC apologises for Glastonbury performance. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-58131315 [2] Guardian, The (2021) Glastonbury 2021: Bob Vylan's performance under investigation by Avon and Somerset police. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/jun/30/glastonbury-2021-bob-vylan-performance-under-investigation-by-avon-and-somerset-police [4] BBC News (2021) BBC to stop live streaming 'high risk' performances following Bob Vylan controversy. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-58133560
The apology from the BBC's chair, Samir Shah, following the controversial performance by Bob Vylan at Glastonbury, extends not only to the Jewish community but also to those who were offended by the anti-Semitic chant that contained the phrase "death to the IDF." In light of this incident, the BBC has announced that they will be reevaluating their live music programming policies and practices to prevent future instances of hate speech, both in general-news and entertainment contexts.
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has been under scrutiny, not only for the airing of Bob Vylan's performance at Glastonbury but also for the subsequent fallout involving politics, as the incident has raised questions about the corporation's responsibility in regulating social-media content and minimizing exposure to crime-and-justice related controversies.
