The BBC has announced it will no longer broadcast or stream live any musical performances deemed 'high risk' following an incident at Glastonbury where punk duo Bob Vylan led chants of 'death to the IDF'. The broadcaster admitted it was wrong to believe the band were suitable for live streaming with appropriate mitigations.
The corporation said that oversight of such events would be strengthened and that more detailed guidance would be provided on when to withdraw a live stream. The BBC director general, Tim Davie, who was at the festival, ordered the performance removed from iPlayer, but technical issues meant it remained available for several hours.
In a statement, the BBC said Bob Vylan were one of seven acts assessed as 'high risk' before Glastonbury but were deemed suitable for live streaming with warnings. During the performance, warnings appeared on screen, but the editorial team decided not to cut the feed, which the BBC now acknowledges was an error.
Davie wrote to staff apologising for the incident, calling it 'offensive and deplorable behaviour' and saying there was no place for antisemitism at the BBC. The BBC's chair, Samir Shah, supported Davie's actions but called the incident 'unquestionably an error of judgment'.
The BBC is lining up disciplinary action against those directly involved, though it declined to comment further on the processes. The band have since said they are 'not for the death of Jews, Arabs or any other race or group of people', but maintained they are being targeted for speaking up about Gaza.
