David Dimbleby laments ‘crazy’ BBC events broadcast team decision
Veteran broadcaster David Dimbleby has expressed deep concern over the BBC’s “crazy” decision to massively cut staff from its special events broadcast team; He fears this decision will undermine coverage of important national events.
The company recently announced plans to reduce the unit responsible for royal events, state funerals and the solemn Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph.
Mr Dimbleby, 87, who has personally led more than 30 Cenotaph services during his illustrious career, underlined the critical importance of the BBC’s role in these broadcasts.
he said news night: “What concerns me is that the BBC is closing down its events department, which is a very small unit that covers state events – Uniting the Colours, royal jubilees – that I have worked with for years and is dedicated to doing that, and that is a tough job.”
He added: “Apparently, some bureaucrat suddenly said ‘oh, we don’t need this’ and I think that’s crazy.”
Old Question Time The host highlighted the meticulous work undertaken by the team, detailing the extensive preparations required for such events. “The work that goes on before the thing goes live is done by a special team that has to talk to all the detachments that will pass by the Cenotaph. It takes three months to prepare for that,” he explained.
Giving other examples, he continued: “They go to Westminster Abbey, it takes a month to prepare. You make an agreement with the Houses of Parliament for the state opening. It takes a long time. There needs to be a group that can negotiate these, you don’t come in, hold up the camera and say ‘okay, we’ll make a programme’, it’s not like that. The BBC should know this.”
Mr Dimbleby noted that the current BBC events broadcast team was a “very small, dedicated unit” and that it was planned to be reduced to a single person supported by freelancers.
He disputed the feasibility of this approach, stating: “I went to South Africa to do (Nelson) Mandela’s funeral and inauguration. These were huge operations that took weeks to organise. You can’t do it with just freelancers – freelancers are good, but they don’t have constant involvement, which is what you need to do these things right.”
He concluded by emphasizing the unique value of the BBC’s coverage of national events: “The BBC’s high points are the things that other people don’t do, can’t do or want to do. These are the things you have to protect above all else.”
Mr Dimbleby began his career at the BBC sixty years ago. His father Richard served as the BBC’s first war correspondent before becoming a leading commentator, while his brother Jonathan hosted the political talk show. Do you have questions? 32 years.
