BBC News Defends Mandela Coverage

The director of BBC News has defended coverage of the death of Nelson Mandela, following complaints from 850 viewers that too much of the 10 o'clock bulletin on Thursday night was devoted to the former South African leader and not enough to the severe storms that battered the east coast of England.

James Harding apologised on the BBC's Newsnight programme on Friday.

"Firstly I'm sorry if there are people who felt we didn't inform them of what was happening in the weather," he said.

"The decision-making is one around the significance of Nelson Mandela. Nobody needs a lecture on his importance but we are probably talking about the most important statesman, the most significant statesman, of the last 100 years, a man who defined freedom, justice, reconciliation, forgiveness. The importance of his life and marking his death seems extremely clear to us."

Mr Harding said he understood the nature of the complaints, but added that the BBC had many other services devoted to weather reporting.

"In this particular moment I thought on BBC1 we were telling people as they switched on the news as they came home that president Mandela a man of singular significance had died," he said.

"In addition to that there is a lot of news that is rolling, you are seeing president Obama come out and make comments, David Cameron make comments. The BBC and only the BBC managed to get former [South African] president FW De Klerk."

But he added: "What's happening in people's communities, what's happening closest to where they live matters enormously. We had been rolling weather coverage from early in the day, particularly when the storms were at the strongest."

(IT/CD)