BBC World News sponsorship censure
November 16, 2011
The BBC World News channel has been banned from buying certain programmes and accepting some sponsorship deals, after an investigation found serious breaches of the corporation’s editorial guidelines in shows about subjects including Malaysia and carbon trading.
A full investigation was launched by the BBC Trust into programming on BBC World News after it found conflict of interest and sponsorship issues with a show called Taking the Credit, about carbon trading, originally broadcast in 2009.
The investigation by the trust’s editorial standards committee found a further 15 programmes broadcast on the channel in serious breach of the BBC’s editorial or sponsorship guidelines.
These programmes included eight containing sections about Malaysia made by a company called FBC Media, which had an “apparent financial relationship” with the Malaysian government.
FBC Media’s parent company, FBC Group, confirmed to the BBC investigation that the Malaysian government was a client.