Viewers located in rural England have slammed popular BBC programming for providing an inaccurate representation of country living.
In a recent poll, Countryside Alliance members slammed Countryfile, Springwatch, Autumnwatch and The Archers as they don’t represent residents way of life and tackle “rural issues”.
The shows by Chris Packham – who is not in favour of fox hunting, badger culling and other countryside sports – were judged the worst by viewers.
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As many as 90% of respondents that took part in the survey agreed Springwatch and Autumnwatch were not a realistic representation of real country life.
(Image: BBC)
Meanwhile 89% of respondents felt Countryfile failed to focus on particular issues that mattered to a rural viewing audience.
BBC Radio 4’s drama The Archers came under fire too and was branded a “contemporary drama in a rural setting” by rural listeners.
According to The Telegraph, The Countryside Alliance said two thirds of its members want to see the BBC license fee gone and claimed members longed to see “rural programming for the countryside, not just about the countryside”.
In addition to this, those who were surveyed said they also want to see more programmes dedicated to farming, rural sports and conservation and land management on their screens.
(Image: BBC)
The Countryside Alliance poll was made up of those mostly aged 65 years and older and the findings from the report will be handed over to BBC as part of a “rural impartiality dossier”.
Speaking to The Telegraph about the poll, chief executive of the Countryside Alliance, Tim Bonner said: “The BBC must appreciate that the minority rural audience does not feel fully represented.
“There is a desire for rural programming for the countryside, not just about the countryside.
“In short, rural programming should not only take into account what urban viewers may find of interest and it needs to showcase the value of important rural activities like farming, shooting, hunting and angling’.
(Image: BBC)
Before the new poll came to light, some viewers had already complained that Countryfile was being “biased and unfair” on matters such as Brexit, farming, fox hunting and the environment.
Discussing the issue further, a spokesperson from the BBC told MailOnline: “We always welcome feedback and we’re very proud of the range of programming we provide.
“Programmes such as Countryfile and Farming Today cover a range of topics and views when reporting on farming and rural life across the UK as well as within our news coverage.”
The spokesperson also mentioned “Countryfile is one of many programmes to be reviewed,” however it wasn’t selected due to “impartiality concerns”.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
