BBC under fire for giving Gary Barlow “undue prominence”

The BBC are under fire from UK commercial radio industry group RadioCentre for a supposed breach of their editorial guidelines.

BBC plan to promote current X Factor judge Gary Barlow’s new album Since I Saw You Last with a planned ’Gary Barlow Day’, in which three interviews, and a concert stream from BBC Radio Theatre will be broadcast on Radio 2, alongside an Ask Gary session hosted online. RadioCentre are arguing this blanket coverage is similar to times the broadcaster “overstepped the mark previously with its promotion of acts like Coldplay and U2” – the latter of which BBC admitted was a guideline breach.

BBC’s editorial guidelines state the broadcaster must not “unfairly promote any commercial organisations […] particularly around the time of a new release”.

In addition to ’Gary Barlow Day’, the singer has also recently appeared on the BBC-programmed Children In Need, The One Show, Breakfast as well as popular radio shows hosted by Chris Evans and Simon Mayo.

The BBC has defended the coverage, stating, “it is not unusual for an artist of Gary Barlow’s stature and broad appeal to appear on a range of programmes that reach different audiences.”