BBC Admits: U2 does not equal the BBC

Whoops. Talk about slip ups. The British Broadcasting Corporation, or, the BBC, the largest and oldest broadcaster in the world, recently admitted slipping up for endorsing the band U2's release of No Line On The Horizon last february in an over the top fashion.

Gears are grinded for endorsements that included an interview by Radio 1's Zane Lowe and Bono, links from Radio 1's website to sites of ticket agents for U2's concerts as well as a slogan that read "U2 = BBC".

The BBC's own editorial complaints unit acknowledged that the endorsement breached guidelines. One particular reason that people found this offensive is because the BBC is a publicly owned company, funded principally by an annual television license fee, which U.K households, companies, and organizations that use T.V sets or broadcast must pay- thus crashing through the line between using the peoples' funds for informing them of the bands new work, and straight out promoting for the band.

Nigel Evans, conservative parliamentarian (MP in english), stated that the slogan and the other offenses are "The sort of publicity money can't buy...why should license fee-payers shoulder the cost of U2's publicity?"

Amen, Evans, Amen.

The BBC has since corrected it's mistake by replacing the U2 = BBC slogan with the statement "U2 at the BBC" on its site www.bbc.co.uk/musicevents/u2, but the Zane Lowe interview is still up.

The bands recent surprise show on the rooftop of the BBC Broadcasting House and an interview by Jo Whiley, is not under criticism by the BBC's editorial complaints unit, despite some complaints aroused by what some consider endorsement.