Can the BBC publish a story about espionage or not? The public broadcaster argues that the report is of “overriding public interest”. The government warns that this would put lives at risk. A secret hearing is scheduled to take place in the next few days.
(dpa) The British Attorney General wants to prevent the broadcast of a BBC report on foreign espionage, according to a report. The federal prosecutor wants to obtain a court order that prohibits the BBC from publishing, as the “Telegraph” reported at the weekend. The broadcaster declined to give details of the report, which is said to be about espionage activities abroad, but said the broadcast was of “overriding public interest”.
A secret hearing is scheduled to take place in the next few days. According to the report, the government side wants to argue that broadcasting the report would risk people’s lives. The “Telegraph” quotes an unnamed source who is said to have called the publication a “massive threat to our security”.
The relationship between the British government and the public service BBC is particularly strained at the moment. Just a few days ago, Minister of Culture Nadine Dorries announced that she wanted to cut the BBC’s subscription fees and freeze state subsidies. In the long term, the government wants the broadcaster’s financing model to be completely changed. A reduction in programs and job cuts are feared.