BBC drops Planet Relief day for fear of being biased

Planet Relief was meant to be an ambitious day of BBC1 programming, featuring stars like Ricky Gervais and Jonathan Ross.

The aim was to raise awareness over environmental issues, with plans to get viewers to take part in a mass "switch-off" to conserve energy.

But just over a week ago the event was condemned by two of the BBC's most senior news and current affairs executives.

Newsnight editor Peter Barron and head of TV news Peter Horrocks, who claimed the project would go beyond its remit and jeopardise the corporation's impartiality.

Now environmental campaigners have hit out at corporation bosses accusing them of 'cowardice' for dropping the project, which was planned for early next year, after it was dreamt up by programme-makers about 18-months ago.

The BBC's decision to ditch Planet Relief comes after the BBC was accused of not being objective on green issues and of handing over the airwaves to people promoting left leaning ideas. It came under fire earlier this summer for devoting a whole day of programming to the Live Earth concerts.

The corporation was stung by criticism in its own impartiality report in June for the unquestioning way it had thrown its weight behind single-issue campaigns.

About ten days ago at the Edinburgh Television Festival Newsnight editor Mr Barron had claimed it was "not the corporation's job to save the planet".

In remarks which embarrassed his bosses, he said: "If the BBC is thinking about campaigning on climate change, then that is wrong and not our job."

Head of TV news at the corporation Peter Horrocks added: "I absolutely don't think we should do that because its not impartial."

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But environmental charity Friends of the Earth hit out at the BBC claiming it had wasted an opportunity to raise awareness on the issue.

Tony Juniper, director of the environmental group said: "This is a very disappointing decision considering the huge potential for the BBC in helping us more quickly make the shift towards a low carbon society.

"The science of climate change is very clear and if approached in the right way taking up this very serious issue would not compromise the BBC's impartiality."

Mr Juniper, who said the BBC had broadcast similar projects on child welfare, international development and wildlife protection, added: "We urge the BBC to press ahead with a major feature on climate change and think through how best it can serve its public interest purpose by encouraging greener behaviour."

Activist Mark Lynas accused the BBC of "cowardice" and accused senior BBC executives of a "poverty of understanding" about the seriousness of the situation.

Yesterday the BBC was claiming its decision had been nothing to do with the row, claiming instead its audiences had been telling it that they were most "receptive" to documentaries and factual style programmes on the issue.

But insiders claim BBC chiefs were deeply concerned that the project could erupt into another humiliating row about impartiality and further claims that it was becoming too deeply involved in campaigning for causes.

The BBC was also given a signal by viewers this summer over the way it was covering the issue when its Live Earth coverage only averaged a measly 900,000 viewers and received dozens of complaints about bad language from performers during pre-watershed hours.

There were was also a sense that the public did not like being lectured to about climate change by celebrities with extravagant lifestyles.

At the recent TV festival there were accusations that the BBC had decided not to commission programmes sceptical about climate change.

Martin Durkin, who produced Channel 4's controversial The Great Climate Change Swindle, which challenged the assertion that global warming is man made, has previously branded the BBC "soft left and soft green" and said it was not their job to spend money on "moral purpose".

People defending the project had said that the event was aimed at "raising consciousness" over the science of the issue rather than being a flag-waving event.

The "switch-off" plan had been the subject of lengthy negotiations with National Grid which are believed to have gone on for over a year. A BBC spokesman said: "BBC1 aims to bring a mass audience to contemporary and relevant issues and this includes the topic of climate change.

"Our audiences tell us they are most receptive documentary or factual style programming as a means of learning about the issues surrounding this subject, and as part of this learning we have made the decision not to go proceed with the Planet Relief event."