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Marr: Sky only 'frequently right'

22/11/2007

BBC presenter Andrew Marr has attacked the corporation's main news competitor, saying Sky's coverage is just "frequently right".

Addressing the House of Lord communication committee, Mr Marr stressed that while the 24-hour news culture encourages broadcasters to break stories before rivals, accuracy must remain the primary motivation of the BBC's news coverage, the Telegraph reports.

And though Sky News was praised at the Royal Television Society Awards in February for the "immediacy, impact and the variety of its coverage", Mr Marr argued that the speed at which Sky delivers news compromises its journalistic integrity.

"I do think [the BBC is] different and we have to stay different," he told the committee.

"This is most acute in the age of 24-hour news because the desperate journalistic desire to be first is felt so intensely.

"Our main competitor, Sky News, always trumpets that it is first with this, first with that.

"Well, we are the BBC and we have to be sure that we are right. We must not, therefore, get into the culture of first with this, first with everything - first and frequently right."

Sky News have reacted angrily to the attack from the Start The Week presenter, saying: "Sky News takes accuracy just as seriously as the BBC."

A spokesman added: "We come from the same broadcasting culture. It just so happens that we are faster at bringing that accurate information to the viewer."

Sky News was named best news channel at the Broadcast Digital Awards in June, with the judges commenting: "Sky is generally about two minutes ahead of BBC News 24.

"It is an excellent channel - first to the spot every time a story breaks... it engages a wider audience than the BBC."