The DUP MP said “The BBC’s coverage of the recent parade celebrating the centenary of Northern Ireland was little short of pitiful. They managed to provide lower output than GB News with one full-time employee in Northern Ireland. The BBC has a multitude of outlets and huge resources at its disposal, so the only obvious reason for this was a lack of will to cover a significant event.
A decision to axe live coverage of the 12th July parade coming so soon after that is more than just unfortunate. It is a clear signal from BBC Northern Ireland of how much it cares about reflecting a hugely important event for a very significant section of our population.
The BBC appear to be presenting the live coverage in the early part of the day and the highlights programme at night as an either/or option. There is no real explanation as to why live coverage cannot happen alongside a later programme which always provided coverage from across Northern Ireland. The ultimate measure is that there will be fewer minutes of programming this year dedicated to the single largest cultural event which takes place in Northern Ireland each year.
The BBC nationally is in a period of transition with huge questions being asked about its future. Ultimately, it is decisions taken by the BBC itself however which create the greatest damage to what used to be one of our most important national institutions.”