Music industry figures have accused the BBC of making “arbitrary and disproportionate” changes to its live music coverage following the controversy surrounding Bob Vylan’s Glastonbury performance. The broadcaster has decided that any performances deemed “high risk” will no longer be broadcast or streamed live.
The backlash stems from a Glastonbury livestream on BBC iPlayer, which showed rapper Bob Vylan (real name Pascal Robinson-Foster) leading chants of “death, death to the IDF”. The performance was not shown on terrestrial television but was available on-demand for five hours. BBC director general Tim Davie and chair Samir Shah have apologised, and disciplinary action is expected.
David Martin of the Featured Artists Coalition (FAC) criticised the new policy as “a dangerous step towards censorship”, arguing that preemptively grading artists by risk could “curtail artistic freedom”. He called for “cool heads and an even-handed approach”, stressing the BBC’s vital role in British music and emerging artists.
Naomi Pohl, general secretary of the Musicians’ Union, voiced concern that the BBC might now broadcast fewer live events due to risk aversion, which would harm the entire music industry. She urged direct talks with the BBC, noting that Glastonbury coverage had achieved high viewing figures this year.
The BBC’s decision followed political pressure, including from Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, who suggested the incident indicated “a problem of leadership”. A BBC spokesperson defended the changes, stating: “Bob Vylan’s offensive and deplorable behaviour… was completely unacceptable. We have made immediate changes to livestreaming music events.”
