THE AGE
The BBC faced an escalating crisis on Saturday over its suspension of former soccer star and program host Gary Lineker for comments criticising the language used in relation to the British government’s proposed asylum laws.
As a growing number of players and presenters rallied to support Lineker, Britain’s national broadcaster faced allegations of political bias and suppressing free speech, as well as praise from some Conservative politicians.:
Presenters of the BBC’s lunchtime Football Focus and early evening Final Score said they would not appear on the programs in solidarity with Lineker, who was suspended from hosting popular late-night highlights show Match of the Day over a Twitter post that compared lawmakers’ language about migrants to that used in Nazi Germany.
The BBC pulled Football Focus from its schedule on Saturday, replacing it with an episode of antiques show Bargain Hunt. One of the network’s radio stations, 5 Live, did not air one of its lunchtime shows after a presenter withdrew from hosting. It was replaced with pre-recorded content.
After a slew of Lineker’s colleagues announced they wouldn’t appear on the show without him, the BBC said Match of the Day would be aired Saturday without presenters or pundits.
There will not be any post-match player interviews, either. The Professional Footballers’ Association said some players wanted to boycott the show as a gesture of support, and as a result “players involved in today’s games will not be asked to participate in interviews with Match of The Day.”
The union said it was a “common sense solution” to avoid players facing sanctions for breaching their broadcast commitments.
Some clubs, such as Bristol Rovers, went one step further, saying their players would not speak to the BBC until Lineker was reinstated.
