BBC Trust considers non-religious “Thought for the Day”

The BBC Trust is considering a non-religious Thought for the Day on Radio 4’s Today programme, sparking criticism from faith leaders, The Daily Telegraph says.

Lots of listeners previously complaint the two minute slot should give a voice to a wide range of religions and a voice to those from around the UK.

Secularists also claim the slot discriminates against non-believers and have complained to The Trust, the BBC’s governing body, which will deliver its response in Autumn, The Daily Telegraph reports.

Mark Damazer, the channel’s controller, has said that the slot on the flagship programme could “take in a wider range of voices”.

However, faith leaders have criticised the move saying that in an increasingly secular climate, it was “vitally important” that religion retain its voice.

Steve Clifford, General Director of the Evangelical Alliance said in an interview with The Daily Telegraph: “The Today programme has no problem running slots for business and sport, so why shouldn’t it have a slot dedicated to religion? It strikes me that the secularists predominate in the other two hour and 55 minutes, so is it really asking too much for religion to just have a small chunk of dedicated time?

John Newsbury, former editor of BBC religious programmes, writes an opinion article on The Guardian, entitled: Thought for the Day may be doomed.

He is concerned that if the programme opens up to atheists, to achieve a wider audience, it may no longer be able to fulfill its original brief, previously satisfied by the BBC news editors.

He then writes the brief on The Guardian Thought for the Day is “a theological reflection on the sorts of issues, topics and people with which the Today programme normally deals”.

Mr Newsbury says now the BBC Trust is to consider whether non-believers should be invited on to the programme. If they are, then the existing brief will have to be torn up.

Though non-religious people might have valuable insights to offer on matter of moral, social or political importance but they cannot personally reflect theologically on anything. It would be a bit like asking one of the favourite comedians, Sandi Toksvig, to reflect on the meaning of football when she loathes the game, The Guardian reports.

He thinks if non-religious contributors make it on to Thought for the Day, the slot is doomed, and there is no need for a non-theological Thought-style reflection on Today, the show is already stuffed with secular opinion in the form of interviews.

Secular and humanist groups have long campaigned for the slot to be opened up to those outside of religious groups, and in January this year a non-religious version, called Thought for the Afternoon, was broadcast on Radio 4’s Saturday afternoon programme, iPM, The Daily Telegraph says.

One listener told Feedback she found the programme “deeply irritating and quite often quite insulting”.

“I would be quite happy with a Thought for the Day with a secular point, some philosophical dilemma, a little bit of science,” she said. “I think it’s a very good opportunity to do that, I just feel annoyed it’s always the Sikhs or the Muslims or the Jews or the Christians or whatsever.”

However, some of the faith leaders were open to the idea of opening the slot to different voices, according to The Daily Telegraph.

Sir Iqbal Sacranie, former head of the Musliim Council of Britain, said: “I have no problem with secular people or people of no faith appearing on the programme if it fosters a spirit of inclusivity.”

A spokesman from the BBC Trust said: “The Trust's General Appeals Panel is considering this issue in response to a number of complaints. We expect to be able to publish a decision in the Autumn.”