フィリップ殿下死去、特別番組が多すぎ？　不満の視聴者も　英

【ロンドンＡＦＰ＝時事】英国のエリザベス女王の夫フィリップ殿下が９日に死去したことを受け、英国のテレビ各局は放送内容を変更し、殿下の長い生涯を振り返る特別番組を放送した。王室関係者が死去した場合の番組内容の変更方針については、長らく準備が進められてきた。（写真は資料写真）
　日中の番組は、臨時ニュースによって中断された。英国放送協会（ＢＢＣ）は９日、主要チャンネルのＢＢＣ　ＯｎｅとＢＢＣ　Ｔｗｏに加え、ラジオのＲａｄｉｏ　４とＲａｄｉｏ　５　Ｌｉｖｅの放送予定をすべて変更し、９９歳で死去したフィリップ殿下の生涯を振り返る番組を放送した。
　ほとんどの人にとって英国社会の中心的な存在だった殿下の死には放送内容を変更してしかるべきと感じる人が多くいる一方で、殿下のことばかり放送される状況に不満を漏らす人もいる。中でも、公共放送のＢＢＣに対する批判が強い。
　最近までＢＢＣのニュースキャスターを務め、これまでも放送で王室を取り上げることに否定的だったサイモン・マッコイ氏は、複数のチャンネルで全面的に殿下の死について報じることに疑問を投げかけた。
　マッコイ氏はツイッターに、「ＢＢＣ１とＢＢＣ２では同じ内容が放送されている。（２４時間放送の）ニュースチャンネルも、おそらく同じ内容だろう。なぜだ？ 大きな出来事なのは理解しているが、番組を選ぶ権利があるはずだ」と投稿した。

■王室とＢＢＣの共通点
　主要王族が死去した際の放送の編集方針は、地上波チャンネルが三つしか無かった数十年前から、準備とリハーサルが進められてきた。
　しかし、デジタル化が進んだ上、女王と王室に対して無条件に敬意を持つという意識が薄れている現在、その編集方針は果たしてふさわしいのか問われている。
　英ウエストミンスター大学のジーン・シートン教授（メディア史）はＡＦＰに対し、「（ＢＢＣが今回と）違うことをしていたら、別の人たちから批判されていただろう」と語る。
　実際、公共放送チャンネル４は、殿下の生涯に関する複数のドキュメンタリー番組を放送したものの、放送内容を通常の予定から大きく変更しなかったことで批判された。
　ＢＢＣの歴史について著書があり、ＢＢＣは「英国の国家機関」だと言うシートン氏は、「すべての英市民に対する義務があるという点で、（ＢＢＣは）王室といくつかの共通点がある」と指摘し、「常にすべての視聴者に、彼らが見たがっている内容を提供する必要はないが、英市民を代表するとともに、市民に仕える義務はある」との見解を示した。
　批判を受けてＢＢＣは、殿下の死去にまつわる番組が多すぎるという苦情を受け付けるフォームをホームページに設けた。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2021/04/12-12:38）

The announcement of Prince Philip's death on Friday set in motion a long-rehearsed change to programming across British television, and prepared tributes to mark his long life.
Daytime programmes were interrupted for a special news bulletin, but the wall-to-wall coverage has left some viewers complaining, particularly on the publicly-funded BBC.
This is the BBC from London, a news presenter announced, as she read out a statement from Buckingham Palace about the death of Queen Elizabeth II's husband of 73 years.
The presenter, who had swiftly changed into a black jacket, appeared visibly moved before a photo of the Duke of Edinburgh, in full military uniform was shown, and the national anthem played.
The corporation scrapped its entire schedule on its main BBC One and BBC Two television channels as well as its Radio 4 and Radio 5 Live channels on Friday to broadcast programmes about the life of the royal patriarch.
The final of Masterchef, scheduled to be broadcast at 8:30 p.m., was also cancelled to the despair of fans of the popular cooking show.
- 'Deserve a choice' -
But while many saw the coverage as appropriate for a man of 99, who has been such a central part of British life for most people, the BBC said it had set up an online form for unhappy viewers.
We're receiving complaints about too much TV coverage of the death of HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, the page on the BBC website reads.
Please enter your email address below to register a complaint about this -- we'll then send you the BBC's response as soon as it is available.
Simon McCoy, who recently retired as a BBC News presenter and who has been dismissive of royal coverage in the past, questioned the blanket coverage across different channels.
BBC1 and BBC2 showing the same thing. And presumably the (24-hour) News Channel too. Why? I know this is a huge event. But surely the public deserve a choice of programming? he tweeted.
The editorial plan for major royal deaths has been developed and rehearsed over decades since the time when there were only three terrestrial television channels.
But at the heart of the criticism is whether it is still suitable to a digital era -- and a time of less automatic deference to the monarch and her family.
Jean Seaton, a professor of media history at the University of Westminster, told AFP Britain's public broadcaster was in an invidious position.
If they (the BBC) had done the opposite, another group of people would have criticised them, she said.
The BBC brought us to a halt around something which is genuinely a significant moment in the nation's life.
Commercial Channel 4 has also come under fire for largely keeping to its schedule, with the exception of airing some documentaries about the duke's life.
Executives defended the programming, saying it has a duty to offer an alternative to others.
-'Big institution'-
Seaton, who has written a history of the BBC, said the broadcaster was a national British institution.
It shares some features with the monarchy in a sense that it has a duty to the entire British public, she added.
That doesn't mean it has to give everybody everything they want all of the time, but it has a duty both to represent and serve the British public.
The corporation -- often criticised for being overstaffed and slow to react -- is currently going through a pivotal period as it looks to save millions while modernising.
It has also faced repeated attacks from across the political spectrum over its coverage of Britain's Brexit debate, as well as its licence fee funding model that all television set owners have to pay.
The compulsory annual fee has caused anger among some viewers at a time when audience tastes are changing, and platforms such as Netflix gain popularity.
BBC director-general Tim Davie warned in September 2020 he would not hesitate to take measures, up to and including possible dismissal, against employees that breached impartiality rules.
He also pledged to promote greater diversity within the public broadcasting group.