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BBC don refuse di 'goment funded media' tag wey Twitter give dem

Di BBC dey object to di new name wey Twitter give dia main account

Mon, 10 Apr 2023 Source: BBC

Di BBC dey object to di new name wey Twitter give dia main account say na "goment funded media".

Di coporation don call di social media giant ova di tag for dia @BBC account to solve di issue "as soon as possible".

E say, "Di BBC na, and always go dey independent, na di British public dey give us money through di licence fee".

Elon Musk don tok say e believe di BBC na one of di "least biased" outlets.

Wen BBC News tell di Twitter oga say di corporation bin dey licence fee-funded, oga Musk ask for email say, "Di Twitter label dey correct?"

E bin dey look like e bin suggest say e dey consider to give label wey go link to "di exact funding sources".

E neva clear weda dis kain label go dey for oda media outlets too.

For anoda email, to clear wetin im bin tok before, Oga Musk write say, "we dey aim for maximum transparency and accuracy. Linking to ownership and source of funds na wetin be like e make sense. I tink media organizations suppose dey self-aware and make dem no claim di complete absence of bias, cos na lie.

"All organization get some kain bias, some wey obviously pass odas. Make I tok am, I dey follow BBC News for Twitter, becos I tink e dey among di least biased."

Di £159 ($197) annual licence fee wey di law require to watch live TV broadcasts or live streaming for di UK dey set by di goment but na individual UK households dey pay for am.

While di @BBC account wey get 2.2 million followers na im get di label, di more bigger accounts wey dey associated with di BBC news and sport no get di same label.

Dat particular account mostly dey share updates about di TV programmes, radio shows, podcasts and oda non-news material wey BBC dey produce.

Di label dey link through to a page on Twitter help website wey say "state-affiliated media accounts" dey defined as "outlets wia di state get control ova editorial content wit financial resources, direct or indirect political pressures, and/or control ova production and distribution".

As di UK national broadcaster, di BBC dey work through Royal Charter agreed wit di goment.

Di BBC Charter states di corporation "must dey independent", particularly ova "editorial and creative decisions, di times and di way wia dia output and services dey supplied, and for how dem dey manage dia affairs".

Twitter new label for BBC account dey come afta dem do di same tin for di US public broadcaster NPR, handle.

Bifor di social media company call NPR say na "state-affiliated media", wey be label dem give outlets like Russia RT and China Xinhua News.

Dem later change di label to di same "goment funded media" tag dem now dey give di @BBC account. NPR say dem go stop to dey tweet from dat account until dem correct am.

Di licence fee gada £3.8bn ($4.7bn) for 2022 for di BBC wey make up about 71% of all BBC income, as di rest come from commercial activities and odas like grant, royalties and rental income.

Di BBC dey also collect pass £90m per year from goment to support di BBC World Service wey dey serve mostly non-UK audience.

Di national broadcaster output dey also paid for through work form dia commercial side hustle like BBC Studios and oda advertising on services to audience outside UK.

By law, each household for di UK gatz pay di licence fee (wit some exemptions) if dem:

- watch or record any program as dem dey show am for any TV station

- watch or stream programmes live on any online TV service like All 4, YouTube or Amazon Prime Video

- download or watch any BBC programmes for BBC iPlayer

Na private companies wey di corporation give contract dey handle licence fee collection and enforcement, no be di UK goment.

TV licence evasion no be imprisonable offence on im own. But non payment of fine afta criminal conviction fit carry pesin go jail as "last resort" afta oda method to get di money don fail.

Source: BBC