Commenting, the DUP MP said, “Licence fee payers in Northern Ireland deserve answers to serious issues that have been raised recently, but unfortunately there has been no substantive response to date. Even the brief apology offered simply raised fresh questions.
I took the opportunity to raise concerns with the Director General and to seek a meeting about how the BBC at a national level is handling issues highlighted recently. This will be followed up by meeting the Director of BBC Nations and the Executive Committee member with responsibility for Northern Ireland, Rhodri Talfan Davies.
I have had meetings with BBC executives in London previously as well as OFCOM, on issues relating to transparency and the commissioning process. It is disturbing that these are issues which have again surfaced in the unfolding saga relating to Stephen Nolan. The public deserve not just for action to be taken, but for it to be seen to be taken.
I look forward to meeting with Mr Talfan Davies and do not wish to pre-empt what he may have to say. It is nearly six years since I led a debate in Westminster on issues relating to the BBC and its use of licence fee payers monies and I will continue to monitor, in Parliament and outside, to examine whether the editorial integrity of the BBC is being upheld and whether the wider public can have confidence in how those monies are being spent.”