The BBC thinks Christians who disagree with gay marriage are 'throwbacks who are damaging the Church', according to one of its presenters. Roger Bolton also says if the corporation interviews a Christian who objects to abortion on religious grounds they're treated as though they're 'a bit barmy'. He was taking part in an official BBC Trust review of the breadth of opinion in the broadcaster's output on various issues, including religion.
Krish Kandiah is the Executive Director of Churches in Mission for the UK Evangelical Alliance.
He told Premier's News Hour he also has concerns over how little staff working on religious shows actually know about Christianity:
In a statement to Premier a spokeswomen for the BBC said:
"The BBC approaches religious news stories in the same impartial and balanced way it approaches any story. We are pleased that Stuart Prebble has concluded that impartiality clearly runs through the BBC. BBC journalists are incredibly well respected in the UK and abroad for their knowledge and expertise. We already provide extensive training including daily briefings and numerous College of Journalism courses. However we've noted this point in the report relating to the general reporters and if there are any gaps we will address them."