BBC defends political coverage

BBC election anchorman David Dimbleby: 70% of viewers uninterested

BBC chairman Gavyn Davies has reassured politicians that political coverage will not be "dumbed down" and dismissed speculation about programme changes as "absolute nonsense".

Labour and Conservative politicians made a joint appeal for "urgent clarification" on Wednesday after reports that the BBC was about to scrap some of its flagship political shows.

And in the Commons on Thursday Commons Leader Robin Cook said this was "an unusual point of consensus" between Labour and Tory.

He had "repeatedly expressed" concern about the "declining coverage of parliament within the written media as well as within the broadcast media", he said.

Gavyn Davies: No-one at BBC wants to "dumb down" politics coverage

The corporation is carrying out a wide-reaching review of the way it tackles politics after unprecedented levels of viewer apathy during last year's general election campaign.

"We will not be reducing the volume of political programming or the amount of money we spend on them," Mr Davies said in a reply to a letter from Labour chairman Charles Clarke and his Conservative counterpart David Davis.

"I can reassure you immediately - no-one at the BBC has any desire to reduce or 'dumb down' our political coverage, and this will not happen."

But he did warn them to expect some changes to the style of coverage in order to try to attract viewers who were disillusioned by insular Westminster reporting.

The BBC was still committed to providing "the best political coverage available in UK broadcasting", he wrote after consulting Director General Greg Dyke and Director of News Richard Sambrook.

"However, we want to develop new ideas, formats and approaches, which will broaden the range and reach of our programming and attract new audiences for politics.

On the Record has been reported to be under threat

"These new formats will be in addition to our current approach."

Mr Clarke and Mr Davis had joined forces to ask for clarification after reports that shows including On The Record and Despatch Box would be axed.

'Imaginative'

They told Mr Davies that a "fundamental downgrading" of political coverage would be inconsistent with the BBC's position as a publicly-funded, public service broadcaster.

Concern among politicians was also evident earlier in the week, when Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell said the BBC had a duty to be "imaginative" in attracting viewers back to politics.

A report by the Independent Television Commission showed that 70% of the public had little or no interest in the television coverage during the 2001 general election - compared with 56% in 1997.

Mr Dyke has said programmes have concentrated too much on inward-looking Westminster matters.