BBC television’s religious coverage is in the hands of “secular and sceptical” executives, who view religious programmes as a “rather tiresome obligation”, according to one of the corporation’s senior presenters.

Roger Bolton, who presents Radio 4’s Feedback, told an awards ceremony in London that the religious perspective was often “bafflingly absent” both on air and behind the scenes in editorial discussions.

He also said that BBC News should appoint a religion editor – of a similar seniority and prominence to business editor Robert Peston – to appear prominently on its radio and TV bulletins.

Bolton was presenting the Sandford St Martin Trust Television Awards, which honour excellence in religious broadcasting.

“BBC television, unlike BBC Radio, seems to be in the hands of the secular and sceptical, who view religious coverage as a rather tiresome obligation to be minimized rather than a rich and promising area to explore,” said Bolton.

Bolton said that the corporation’s new head of religion, Aaqil Ahmed, had a proven record in his previous job at Channel 4, but that at the BBC, his “playing field” was “more the size of a fives court than a football pitch.”

Full article: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/7764467/BBC-TV-executives-view-religion-as-a-rather-tiresome-obligation.html