The BBC has publicly apologized after allowing a “high risk” act, Bob Vylan, to perform live at the prestigious Glastonbury Festival. This decision came despite internal warnings regarding the artist’s potential for controversial content. The live performance, which aired on the broadcaster’s platforms, was later described by the BBC as containing “offensive and deplorable behavior” connected to antisemitism.
In an internal memo addressed to BBC staff on Thursday, Director-General Tim Davie expressed his regret, stating, “I deeply regret that such offensive and deplorable behavior appeared on the BBC and want to say sorry – to our audience and to all of you, but in particular to Jewish colleagues and the Jewish community. We are unequivocal that there can be no place for antisemitism at the BBC.” This incident has ignited a significant backlash and led to critical changes in the BBC’s live streaming protocols for music events.
Bob Vylan was classified as “high risk” following a rigorous risk assessment process that categorized all acts appearing at Glastonbury. Of the performers assessed, seven were marked as high risk. Despite this classification, the BBC deemed all acts suitable for live streaming, provided that there were “appropriate mitigations” in place. However, the broadcaster has since acknowledged severe lapses in their compliance processes.
The BBC stated, “Prior to Glastonbury, 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 according to established protocols, and warnings were displayed twice to viewers. Despite these escalated concerns regarding the content, the editorial team decided not to cut the feed; a decision now recognized by the BBC as a significant error.
Tim Davie, who was present at Glastonbury visiting BBC staff, was informed of the incident shortly after it occurred. He immediately instructed teams to ensure that the performance would not be included in any further coverage. Although the performance was quickly removed from both BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds, the live feed remained active until shortly after 8 p.m. as teams scrambled to implement technical solutions.
Additionally, BBC Chair Samir Shah issued a statement apologizing to all viewers and listeners, particularly the Jewish community, for allowing Bob Vylan to express what he termed “unconscionable antisemitic views” live on the BBC. Shah commended Davie for his swift action and confirmed that the BBC board convened to address the incident.
The fallout from this controversy has prompted immediate policy changes regarding the broadcasting of live music performances. Moving forward, high-risk musical acts will no longer be broadcast or streamed live. Furthermore, editorial policy support will be mandatory on-site at major music festivals to ensure compliance with content regulations. The BBC has also committed to providing more detailed guidance regarding circumstances under which live streams should be withdrawn.
In conclusion, the BBC is taking definitive actions “to ensure proper accountability for those found to be responsible for those failings in the live broadcast.” The organization is under significant scrutiny as it seeks to restore trust with its audience and uphold its commitment to fighting antisemitism and other forms of hate speech.
