BBC admits 'unfair' Coldplay promotion
The BBC has admitted that it made mistakes in its coverage of a Coldplay tour in 2009 and the launch of U2’s last album No Line on the Horizon. UK commercial radio body RadioCentre complained to the BBC at the time that its coverage of the Coldplay tour and the U2 album launch amounted to undue prominence for commercial products or organisations, and that several specific items (including the Radio 1 presents Coldplay website and the on-screen graphic "U2 = BBC") breached relevant BBC guidelines.
The Corporation’s complaints department said today that the Radio 1 / Coldplay website included direct links to the websites of ticket agents and was therefore not in keeping with the BBC's guidelines. In addition, it concluded that “the use of the mathematical symbol for identity in the graphic ‘U2 = BBC’ gave an inappropriate impression of endorsement” and “a pre-recorded interview between Zane Lowe and Bono of U2 was for the most part appropriate, but a reference to Radio 1 being 'part of launching this new album' was not”.
However, complaints about an edition of Jo Whiley’s Radio 1 show and an online news report on the U2 concert on the roof of Broadcasting House were not upheld. BBC programme-makers have been reminded about giving 'undue prominence' to stars and the difference between reporting new artistic work and commercial promotion. The blizzard of coverage last February led to accusations that the BBC was behaving like a publicity machine for the band, days ahead of the release of its album, No Line On The Horizon.
More on this at the Coldplay forum here onwards.
Chris Martin attends premiere of Mat Whitecross film 'Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll' (6th January 2010):
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