BBC Gaza Programme Ruled a 'Significant' Infringement of Broadcasting Standards, Says UK Media Regulator
The BBC committed a "significant breach" of broadcasting rules by not revealing that the presenter of a film about the Gaza conflict was the son of a Hamas administrator, according to regulatory body Ofcom.
An probe by Ofcom into Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone has determined that the programme was "materially misleading".
The head of the BBC had previously apologised, stating there had been "a significant failing in relation to truthfulness".
The regulator has directed the corporation to broadcast a evening declaration about its decisions.
"As this represents a major infringement of our regulations, we are ordering the broadcaster to broadcast a message of our determinations against it on BBC2 at nine o'clock in the evening, with a timing to be confirmed," it said.
'Risk to Erode Confidence'
The authority's announcement said: "Our investigation determined that the film's lack of disclosure that the presenter's parent occupied a position in the Hamas-run authority was significantly deceptive.
"It meant that the viewers did not have critical information which may have been extremely pertinent to their assessment of the presenter and the content he shared.
"Confidence is at the core of the bond between a television network and its viewers, especially for a public service broadcaster such as the British Broadcasting Corporation.
"This error had the potential to damage the very considerable degrees of trust that audiences would have placed in a BBC factual programme about the Israel-Gaza war."
The documentary was withdrawn from the BBC's streaming service in the month of February after the narrator's family links emerged, and in the month of July an corporation's own inquiry concluded it violated the broadcaster's content policies on accuracy.
A representative for the broadcaster commented: "The regulator's decision is in line with the results of Peter Johnston's review, that there was a serious error in the programme in relation to the corporation's content standards on truthfulness, which reflects Rule 2.2 of the authority's broadcasting regulations.
"We expressed regret for this and we accept the authority's determination in complete. We will adhere to the directive as soon as the timing and language are determined."
