BBC admits to ‘bias’ in hock burns programme

THE BBC Programme Complaints Unit has finally published its decision on a complaint made by the British Poultry Council, agreeing that the programme on hock burns contained misleading elements.

BPC’s complaint centres on the Food Police Programme aired last spring investigating the issue of hock burns in broilers. The council complained of bias, inaccuracy and inappropriate use of surreptitious recording.

Commenting on the ruling published last month, BPC chief executive Peter Bradnock said the finding was pleasing in some respects, but disappointing in that it has taken more than a year to be determined. This is despite frequent reminder letters and emails from BPC.

The BBC PCU bulletin said: “The use of surreptitiously filmed material and the reference to CIWF’s campaigning efforts did not of themselves give rise to bias, but, together with other features of the item, they implied criticisms of the poultry-rearing industry which there should have been an opportunity to address.”

One section in the programme described poultry sitting in their own urine. “However, as chickens do not urinate, but excrete urate crystals which are relatively dry, the suggestion of chickens sitting in urine-soaked litter was somewhat misleading.”

The impression given by the use of surreptitiously filmed material and the associated commentary was also misleading (in the absence of a reply on behalf of the industry) as to the extent to which the issue of hock burn had been recognised and was being addressed.