Cabinet Office Minister Penny Mordaunt wrote to BBC Managing Director Tim Davie urging him to bring back the British theme which would be a way of championing “regional and local diversity”. The British theme, which lasts five minutes, was a company favorite and aired on Radio 4 every morning before shipping forecasts for almost 30 years between 1978 and 2006. This tune was iconic and well known for it. included excerpts from associated music. with the four nations of the UK including Danny Boy, What Shall We Do With the Drunken Sailor ?, Scotland the Brave, Rule Britannia, Men of Harlech, Greensleeves, Londonderry Air and Early One Morning.
The British theme was composed by Fritz Spiegl, a Jewish refugee who visited the country in 1939 when his family was forced to flee persecution from the fascists.
But in 2006, after 28 years on Radio 4, the BBC triggered a backlash by removing the melody on St. George’s Day and replacing it with another newscast.
Now Ms Mordaunt, writing in her capacity as a local MP, has urged in a letter to BBC chief executive Mr Davie to bring back the British theme, arguing it could help restore the trust the company has recently had lost with the British public.
She wrote: “There is a lot to be gained from the BBC reconnecting with its audience and rebuilding that trust, and I know that is your goal.
“An example of the loss of this trust is the removal of the ‘British theme’. I’m sure you are aware of this, but what is not often appreciated is where it comes from.
“The UK theme was not a jingo mix, as is often portrayed. Written by a Jewish refugee, it was a love song for those who took him in.
“There would be no better way for the BBC to show that they listened and learned than to bring him back. I encourage you to think about it.
The BBC has confirmed that it has received Ms Mordaunt’s letter and will respond to it in due course.
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Ms Mordaunt wrote the book Greater – Britain After the Storm – which was published earlier this month, and describes the removal of the British theme “as a move designed by its timing to hurt”.
The Cabinet Minister criticized the BBC and wrote: “This is not the first time this self-centered organization has suffered another self-inflicted scar surpassed only by the ‘Rule Britannia’ line in September 2020.
“If you don’t invest in relationships, can you be surprised if they wither away? The “UK theme” was exactly this type of investment.
“You would think the BBC would understand that. It also has nested identities; he can be Scottish, British and European at the same time. Just like all of us.
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Ms Mordaunt’s campaign to get the British theme back on the air received strong support from Jake Berry, the chairman of the Northern Research Group of Conservative MPs.
He said: “It was a mistake to delete the UK theme in the first place – the sooner the better.
“There can be no better publicity for modern Britain than a mixture of patriotic tunes written by a Hungarian immigrant who made his home in Liverpool.”
In March, Mr Davie was asked by Conservative MP James Wild about why the BBC only included a single image of a Union Jack flag in its own 268-page annual report.
The BBC chief executive appeared on Radio 4’s Today program on Wednesday and was asked whether he understood what the projection of ‘British values’ meant – something Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said urged the company to do more if it is to survive.
Mr Davie said he could ‘not speak for government ministers’ but insisted that the BBC remains an’ important and valuable asset ‘for the UK and still represents’ a journalism of trust and democratic values ”.
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Source: feedproxy.google.com
This notice was published: 2021-05-27 12:08:48
