LONDON: Great Britain BBC said sports announcer Gary Lineker would return to the air after the company agreed to review his social media guidelines to settle an escalating row over his impartiality.
The BBC had to cut much of its sports coverage this weekend after presenters, commentators and experts declined to cooperate in a show of solidarity with Lineker, who was suspended for criticizing the government’s immigration policy on Twitter.
The BBC said Lineker had breached his impartiality rules by comparing the British Home Secretary’s rhetoric to Suella Braverman to the language used in the 1930s Germany.
But the decision to take it off the air led to allegations that it had caved in to government pressure.
The company said Monday it would now conduct a review of how presenters can use social media, with a particular focus on how it applies to freelancers outside of news and current affairs.
“Gary is a valued part of the BBC and I know how much the BBC means to Gary and I look forward to him presenting our coverage over the weekend,” BBC director-general Tim Davie said in a statement on Monday.
The BBC had to cut much of its sports coverage this weekend after presenters, commentators and experts declined to cooperate in a show of solidarity with Lineker, who was suspended for criticizing the government’s immigration policy on Twitter.
The BBC said Lineker had breached his impartiality rules by comparing the British Home Secretary’s rhetoric to Suella Braverman to the language used in the 1930s Germany.
But the decision to take it off the air led to allegations that it had caved in to government pressure.
The company said Monday it would now conduct a review of how presenters can use social media, with a particular focus on how it applies to freelancers outside of news and current affairs.
“Gary is a valued part of the BBC and I know how much the BBC means to Gary and I look forward to him presenting our coverage over the weekend,” BBC director-general Tim Davie said in a statement on Monday.
