‘Ridiculously over the top’: BBC creates special complaint form as viewers decry ‘too much coverage’ of Prince Philip's death
The BBC has been inundated with a wave of complaints over its marathon coverage of the death of Prince Philip, even setting up a special page for viewers to voice their gripes about the outlet’s “excessive” reporting.
With the Duke of Edinburgh passing at the age of 99 on Friday, the British broadcaster kicked into overdrive, devoting ‘round-the-clock, wall-to-wall coverage to the late royal. But apparently finding the programming too much, viewers flooded the outlet with protests – so many that it created a new public complaint form specifically for that purpose.
“We're receiving complaints about too much TV coverage of the death of HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh,” the page says, inviting viewers to fill out the form and vowing to send a “response as soon as it becomes available.”
The BBC has 12 hours of Prince Philip coverage across its two main channels pic.twitter.com/oMsqYBxIUj
— Phil Miller (@pmillerinfo) April 9, 2021
Amazing, the BBC have actually managed to squeeze in a weather report into the Prince Philip coverage...don’t know how they found the time 😳🙄
— YES Brechin (@BrechinYes2) April 9, 2021
Joined by other outlets such as ITV and Sky News, the BBC scrapped its programming on several of its channels for most of Friday to cover the prince's death. An army of netizens took to Twitter to ridicule the media for what one said was “utterly, ridiculously, ludicrously, disproportionately over the top” coverage.
Am I being insensitive in being a little baffled as to why BBC 1 BBC 2, BBC 4 and BBC News are all doing the same thing ? And ITV and Channel 5 and Sky News.Is this THAT important?
— Steve Scott (@scott_steve) April 9, 2021
It's terribly sad news for his friends and family. But blanket coverage by the BBC on all channels for a story that has a single line?Utterly, ridiculously, ludicrously, disproportionately over the top.
— Alan McWhan (@Alan_McWhan) April 9, 2021
I understand if there was a 1 or 2 hour show about Phillip on BBC and ITV but for 10 hours is a bit excessive. It would be best to do most of the coverage on the news channels.
— jackvicos (@jackvicos) April 9, 2021
Even a BBC radio channel devoted to dance music was overtaken by the royal’s death, making for a somewhat jarring transition from pounding rave beats to ‘God Save the Queen’.
The transition into the Prince Philip News on BBC R1 Dance was something else 👇🏼 pic.twitter.com/HoYseQMcYa
— Mark Holt (@MarkHolt4) April 9, 2021
Though some viewers gave the outlet “full marks” for its extended coverage, saying it showed “the BBC at its best,” others were up in arms over missing their favorite TV shows. “No music or comedy for you plebs while we remember this man who was better than all of you,” one commenter joked.
It seems the @BBC have been getting a tonne of complaints about their wall to wall coverage of Prince Philip's death wiping out the schedules. I am adding my voice to this outrage on @BBCFour. I've been looking forward to TOTP all week! #TOTPhttps://t.co/GEAAkM6VHV#TOTPpic.twitter.com/tVAPzBOd45
— Dariusz Ski (@dskiuk2) April 9, 2021
The BBC was not the only news agency roasted for its programming on Friday, as many took umbrage with the UK’s Channel 4 for precisely the opposite reason – being one of the few outlets that did not overhaul its entire schedule for the day.
BBC One: Prince Philip.BBC Two: Prince Philip.ITV1: Prince Philip.Channel 4: pic.twitter.com/TBQAtCQYpr#Gogglebox
— Bradley Cates (@Bradley_Cates_) April 9, 2021
So Prince Philip has died. There is coverage on BBC and ITV but Channel 4 has 'Come Dine With Me.'This reminds me of when Diana died. It was on every channel...apart from Channel 4 which had double editions of 'Saved By the Bell!'Ah...C4, don't go changin'
— Philippa (@PippaPRocket) April 9, 2021
For some, however, that was a feature rather than a bug, finding respite from the Philip frenzy in the channel’s business-as-usual programming.
The BBC and ITV broadcasting anything and everything Prince Philip related, but Channel 4 out here broadcasting The Simpsons, Channel 4 know where it’s at.
— Tom (@thomharrod) April 9, 2021
Fair play to Channel 4, even with the death of Prince Philip it's still airing Come Dine with Me pic.twitter.com/taVjnkKoNp
— Jono (@jonoread) April 9, 2021
Wall to wall #PrincePhilip news across the BBC channels & ITV. Whereas Channel 4 are showing Countdown, which is both insensitive & inaccurate. He wasn't a Count, he was a Duke!
— JamesAithie 🏴 (@JamesAithie) April 9, 2021
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