Sat Siri Akal dear highly regarding brothers & sisters.
I'm not much of a Gurmukh or educated as the Sadh Sangat is here is but wanted to add my experiance of this negativness towards Sikhs by the BBC.
I too feel the same & have written to them about an issue with a particular radio presenter who contstanlty mocks Sikhs especially Sikh/Punjabi Singers/Artists.
Below are the emails & responses I have had & feel they havent done much to assure me that they will change their ways. (please read from the bottom first)
Is there something we can collectively do?
Dear Mr Singh
Thank you for your reply to our previous response to your initial complaint.
I can assure you that we forwarded your complaint to Mike Curtis, Network
Manager, BBC Asian Network who replied as follows:
"The Asian Network and Adil Ray would like to assure you that he does not
'constantly mock Sikhs'. He is known for his humorous and somewhat
irreverent presentation style - and the subjects for his humour cover a
wide range of topics, music and people.
His programme editor and our Head of Programmes have daily discussions with
Adil about the content and tone of his programmes. The editor and/or studio
producer are constantly monitoring what he says during the programme to
ensure that, within the humour and overall presentation, he remains within
BBC editorial guidelines and ultimately offers a fair and balanced view of
the world.
Adil does sometimes make comments about individual tracks but his views are
based solely on what he hears - not on the artist's background or religion.
He - and the Asian Network - welcomes the fact that he has listeners of all
faiths who enjoy his humour and presentation."
Nevertheless, I fully appreciate that you feel strongly about this matter.
Therefore I would like to assure you that we have registered your comments
on our audience log. This is the internal report of audience feedback which
we compile daily for all programme makers and commissioning executives
within the BBC, and also their senior management. It ensures that your
points, and all other comments we receive, are circulated and considered
across the BBC.
Thanks again for taking the time to contact us with your views.
Regards
Paul Hunter
BBC Complaints
__________________________________________
www.bbc.co.uk/complaints
Hi Michelle,
Thank you for your email.
Although you state "Adil's show has a large amount of regular listeners who have very clear expectations of his frequently
provocative and cutting comments", this doesn't make it right though does it? Just because a large amount of people in any context expect something, it doesn't mean what they expect is "right".
This "large amount of regular listeners" will clearly be Muslim as that is what makes the bulk of the Asian population in Britain so of course they wouldn't mind the negativeness towards Sikhs!
Such cutting comments about Sikhs aren't "occasional" but frequent & am afraid your email hasn't done much to assure me that something will be done to stop the negativeness towards Sikhs.
What I would like to happen as a licence payer is for Senior Management to address the issue & make it clear to Adil Ray that such negativeness towards a minority community is utterly wrong & will not be tolerated. Unless action of this sort is taken, I will have no alternative but to contact my MP & make the matter very public.
I look forward to hearing from you very soon.
Kind Regards
Mr Singh
> Dear Mr Singh
>
> Thanks for your e-mail regarding 'The Adil Ray Show'.
>
> I understand you're unhappy as you feel Adil makes offensive comments about
> Sikh's on the programme and you think he is biased towards Muslim artists.
>
> Whilst I can appreciate your concerns Adil's show has a large amount of
> regular listeners who have very clear expectations of his frequently
> provocative and cutting comments.
>
> The main difficulties for the programmes broadcasters are that people have
> different personal definitions of acceptable comments and there's no single
> set of standards in this area on which the whole of society can agree.
>
> It's inevitable that statements which are acceptable to some will
> occasionally strike others as inappropriate. I can assure you that
> comments are tongue in cheek and in keeping with the nature of the
> programmes format and Adil would never wish to offend any of his listeners.
> I'm sorry to read you've been disappointed.
>
> Of course you may still be unhappy with these comments so I can assure you
> that I've registered your comments on our audience log. This is the
> internal report of audience feedback which we compile daily for all our
> programme makers including our team BBC Asian Network team. It ensures
> that your complaints are circulated and considered across the BBC.
>
> Thanks again for taking the time to contact us.
>
> Regards
>
> Michelle Wiggins
> BBC Complaints
> ____________________________
> www.bbc.co.uk/complaints
>
> -----Original Message
>
>
>
> Adil Ray is contstantly mocking the Sikhs. Whenever he has to
> play Bhangera music by Sikh artists he always makes degrading comments after
> it.
>
> You will notice in comparison he will always make more favourable remarks to
> Muslim artists.
>
> I am really shocked how a world wide reputable organisation like the BBC is
> allowing this to happen!
