The British broadcaster BBC has decided not to livestream performances with “a high risk” anymore. Previously, there was an uproar about the show of punk rap duo Bob Vylan at the Glastonbury festival. Singer Bobby Vylan shouted, among other things: “Death to the Israeli army.”
BBC boss Tim Davie says in a statement that he “deeply regrets that such offensive and reprehensible behavior” was seen.
He also offers his apologies. “To our audience and to all of you, but especially to Jewish colleagues and the Jewish community. We are very clear that there can be no place for anti-Semitism at the BBC,” he says. “We must ensure that the BBC is a role model for inclusion and tolerance, and we all have a role to play.”
According to the BBC, mistakes were made both in the run-up to and during Bob Vylan’s performance. The duo had been labeled as “high risk” due to the possible use of profanity. But the broadcaster still considered the group suitable for the livestream. When the band made the controversial remarks, the BBC did not intervene directly.
Vylan has already announced that he will not retract the statements. “I said what I wanted to say,” the singer writes on Instagram.
The Glastonbury festival organization had previously condemned Bob Vylan’s statements. On Monday, it was announced that the British police have launched a criminal investigation into the punk rap duo.