Jonathan Oliver, Political Editor
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THE BBC last night faced accusations of pro-Brussels bias as it was revealed that the corporation had taken out £141m in “soft” loans from the European Union.
The broadcaster has taken out three separate low interest loans from the EU-backed European Investment Bank (EIB) to fund the expansion of its growing commercial empire.
It also emerged that the BBC has received grants from the EU worth £1.4m over the past five years.
The Brussels deals raise awkward questions for the corporation about its coverage of European affairs and its burgeoning profit-making arm whose interests extend to property, publishing and the internet.
The details of the loans and grants stretching back six years emerged in a letter written by Zarin Patel, the BBC’s finance director, to Bob Spink, a Conservative MP.
The first £66m loan in 2003 was used to fund “the fit-out” of a new building in the BBC’s Media Village development in west London, which was later sold for a profit. The second loan for £25m and the third for £50m were made to BBC Worldwide, the corporation’s profit-making arm, to pay for the acquisition of overseas rights to programmes made by the BBC in the UK.
The EIB has described itself as “an autonomous body set up to finance capital investment furthering European integration by promoting EU policies”.
It specialises in providing low interest loans below the normal commercial rates. However, the BBC refused to disclose exactly what rates the EIB was charging.
The BBC letter, written in response to a parliamentary question, also discloses a series of grants to help to fund online educational programmes and preserve the BBC archive.
Spink said yesterday that he would be putting down a Commons motion condemning the BBC for accepting the cash: “I am concerned that the independence and objectivity of the BBC may have been improperly influenced by funding from the EU.”
A BBC spokesman denied any pro-Brussels bias: “There were no editorial obligations whatsoever attached to the three EIB loans. The BBC’s commercial businesses go to the European Investment Bank as opposed to any other commercial bank for purely commercial reasons.”
He added: “The BBC occasionally receives some EU funding in relation to specific educational or research and development projects.”
However, the size of the EU loans highlights the rapid growth in the BBC’s commercial activities, which are kept separate from the core programme-making funded by the £3.5 billion a year licence fee.
Critics question how commercial contracts fit into the BBC’s “public services” remit.
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like the three main party's the bbc are totaly out of touch with reality and they believe people will continue to fall for their bius broadcasting..an example of this recently was 'question time' with mayoral candidates from the three main party's slandering the british national party and yet..no suprise! the bbc failed to invite richard barnbrook to defend his corner..."fair" meaning ' free from bias, dishonesty, or injustice: a fair decision; a fair judge'.
kevin mcguchan, warwickshire, uk
more insidious is the BBC's pro Microsoft bias since they signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Microsoft on 27/09/2006
How the BBC has been allowed to report on Microsoft and their main competitors such as Apple and Sony without being legally bound to state their contractual commitment to working with MS is beyond me
but hey, we live in a democracy so I'm sure that nothing underhand is going on in any way ... heh - yeah right
Niall, London, UK
the bbc has a guaranteed license fee and still they want
more money putting more pressure on smaller independent
companies in the television field and lets face it, the bbc is
not very sympathetic to it's competitors or allies.
a complete disgrace and they still show rubbish like east enders with our money.
tim, kent, uk
Well its all starting to make sense now why the bias bbc is so bias to the far left ,it happened in the election and its still the same attacking the opposition and promoting the new con the greedy greens who of course are raising the funds for the un the other corrupt part of the scam ,this is wrong and a full inquiry should be held ,they are supposed to be a public entity,not controlled by unions and far left governments with the view of undermining the wealth and industry of countries like it is with the rediculous climate rubbish ,on top of that no wonder they support the terroists in stories ,mabey there is a lot more to this than meets the eye .
melanie, sydney, aust
Not only is this corruption and treachery at a very high level, but we actually pay for the privilege. Why on Earth do we put up with this?
There has to be people of influence who can see what is going on in this country today. I only hope they are able to do something about it. It seems to me that we have a dim chance and a bright hope, but I personally choose to cling on to the bright hope that the Great British spirit will wake up some time soon.
Vincent, Conwy, Wales
Ask how many people working at the BBC have close ties with 'Common Purpose' - a charity dedicated to preparing Britain to accept a European Superstate?
Justin Walker, Dent, Cumbria
The "independence and objectivity" of the BBC was always a myth. By the very act of reporting any news story, editorial bias occurs. The BBC is part of the establishment and reflects that in all it's coverage. It has always depended on the government of the day for it's charter renewal and has diligently conformed with concerted cover up of the take over of this country by the EU, with our establishment's blessing. The BBC is an affront to liberal politics and economics in the way it so dominates our broadcast media. It's continued existence showed how utterly enfeebled the people of this country are, willingly paying for the propaganda the BBC pours out in the form of the licence fee tax. The BBC is as biased as any commercial media company yet most people seem blind to this, meekly accepting the "objectivity" mantra at face value.
Thankfully, the internet is making the possibility of the licence fee impossible to sustain much longer.
Harlan Leyside, Basildon,
The EU is a political movement. Funding of the BBC by an UK polical group would be considered unacceptable. The BBC's action stinks.
Duncan, Stroud
Duncan J Richardson, Stroud, Glos
It is hard to imagine that these loans could make the BBC anymore outrageously pro-EU (as opposed to pro European, which most British people are) than it already is. The level of grovelling and simpering to Brussels and the rabid EUrophiles is already sickening.
George Edwards, Rawcliffe, East Ridinng UK