The BBC has announced that it will no longer be broadcasting “high-risk” performances, following Bob Vylan’s controversial Glastonbury show.
The rap duo were criticised for leading a chant of “death to the IDF [Israel Defence Forces]”, which was broadcast on the BBC. It led to an onslaught of criticism, including calls for Tim Davie, the BBC’s director-general, to resign.
Bob Vylan are being investigated by police after allegedly calling for “death to every single IDF soldier out there” at a concert one month before Glastonbury.
The BBC has since apologised and said that it was “clear that errors were made.”
However, the question of what will be deemed appropriate to broadcast on the BBC moving forward remains murky. What is a “high-risk” performer and who decides if an act fits this category?
What has sparked this?
Bob Vylan’s performance at Glastonbury brought renewed attention to the BBC’s broadcasting protocols.
Following the incident, the corporation issued a statement, expressing “regret that such offensive and deplorable behaviour appeared on the BBC”.
It apologised to viewers, particularly the Jewish community, emphasizing that “there can be no place for antisemitism at, or on, the BBC”.
The statement explained that Bob Vylan were deemed “high-risk” before their performance.
It said: “a decision was taken that compliance risks could be mitigated in real time on the live stream - through the use of language or content warnings - without the need for a delay. This was clearly not the case.
During the performance, the live stream was monitored in line with the agreed compliance protocols and a number of issues were escalated. Warnings appeared on the stream on two occasions and the editorial team took the decision not to cut the feed. This was an error."
The statement went on: "The Director-General was subsequently made aware of what had happened and instructed the team that none of the performance should feature in further coverage.
The team prioritised stopping the performance from featuring on demand. This meant that no downloads of Bob Vylan's set were available on iPlayer or Sounds. However, the live feed, which was showing subsequent performances from other acts on the same Glastonbury stage, remained up until it was amended shortly after 8pm while teams worked on a technical solution.”
What is a high-risk performer?
According to the BBC, seven acts including Bob Vylan were classed as “high-risk” before Glastonbury and “they were all deemed suitable for livestreaming with appropriate mitigations.” However, it does not explain what a high-risk performance is or who makes this decision.
The BBC defines “High Risk” as “work that carries a significantly higher than normal risk of death or serious injury as a consequence of operating in, or being part of”.
Following the incident, the BBC has said that editorial policy will be available on site at major events, alongside more "detailed, practical" guidance on when to take down a live feed.
The Standard has reached out to the BBC for clarification about what a high-risk performer is and who makes this decision.
