[James2001]

I have no doubt that this is correct, but I could just as easily say that the vast majority of people who are most ardently sticking up for Lineker are people who agree with his anti-government sentiments.

Look at the users defending Lineker's right to give his opinion on this site over the past few days for example. Do we really believe that these same people would have all rushed to his defence had he been pulled for breaching impartiality rules by SUPPORTING the government's strong views on immigration? Somehow I think not.

It's not a one-way street. Clearly there are biases on both sides here, which, ultimately, is going to be inevitable in any story with a political element.

If he'd supported the policy, he would never have been suspended. If he'd supported the policy, why would he have posted? 

By the time you've imagined the alternative universe where it could happen, you may as well just admit that you're trying to defend the indefensible.

Yep, you only have to look at the aformentioned cases of Alan Sugar and Andrew Neil- the latter of which was the presenter of the BBC's main political programmes while editing a hard right magazine and regularly tweeting pro-government and pro-brexit views. People can bleat hypotheticals about Gary Lineker, but when we actually have an example someone being much more overtly political on social media than Gary is actually presenting political coverage on the BBC, not just sport, and never being warned or taken off air, it's hardly suprising people come to the conclusions they do about the government leaning on the BBC.

[eyeTV]

twitter.com 

The most talked about programme on the BBC in years gets a big audience, shocker.

It wasn't particularly big.

[James2001]

I'm very sure that if the BBC just aired that without any of the hype in the news around, there would be a very loud ruckus as to what in the hell that was and where MOTD is.

Yep, I can't see any of the people who were raving last night about how much better and "refreshing" last night's MOTD was would have been doing so if it had gone out like that with no publicity and seemingly no story around it. Hard to feel any other way than praise for last night's debacle is politically motivated.

---

The most talked about programme on the BBC in years gets a big audience, shocker.

It wasn't particularly big.

That's what she said.

[oscillon]

Fall-out continues into today on radio as well :

Radio 5Live drops its Premier League Sunday podcast

The 12 to 2pm slot is usually reserved for 5Live Premier League Sunday - a sports commentary show.

Instead, podcast Sports Strangest Crime will fill the airwaves today.

www.bbc.co.uk 

Gary Lineker row: BBC sport coverage hit by presenter boycott for second day - B…
The Women's Super League airs without presenters, as staff stand in solidari…
  Source: www.bbc.co.uk

[denton]

From Dan Roan:
At this stage BBC expecting the planned Women's Super League match between Chelsea and Manchester United this afternoon to be on BBC2, but with no pre-match presentation.

"Expecting Match of the Day 2 to follow similar much-reduced format to Match of the Day last night."
mobile.twitter.com 

Terrible sound mix on this international commentary.

[RhysJR]

Women's Super League coverage on BBC Two using the usual titles WITH MOTD theme.

BBC graphics used but just world feed solo commentary from Nigel Adderley.

[Juicy Joe]

Very poor sound on MotD Women's Super League, unable to hear the commentary well at all. Poor introduction to the show also, with crowd noise from the venue drowning out the theme tune. Aren't there any sound engineers present either?

[ConorW2000]

I cannot see how this ends well for anyone, if Lineker ends up being sacked then surely thats the end of Tim Davie and Richard Sharp and many talented presenters and producers as well as others will end up walking from the BBC, but at the same time if Lineker ends up being reinstated then that would mean the BBC is accused of left-wing bias as well, what a mess.


What it highlights is the fact that the BBC is clearly failing in its duty to be impartial, a key part of the whole BBCs remit.


I think what should be happening is that the BBC needs to be reformed, so that the whole BBC board including the chairperson should be directly elected via licence fee payers themselves, I feel its the best way to ensure the BBC can return to being a directly accountable organisation as it should be.

[James2001]

Maybe not elected by licence payers, but certainly their appointments should be independent, free of the government.

[IanJRedman]

I'm genuinely not sure what the off-ramp is from all this. I can guarantee that Gary Lineker will not make any concessions, because he doesn't need to. So, he's either going to walk away, or the BBC will need to do a 180° climbdown which surely leaves Davie in a terminal situation. I'm pretty sure at least one of them won't survive this. A total, self-inflicted, mess.