BBC takes the tilt out of Britain after weather map outcry

0 Comments | AFP, May, 2005

LONDON (AFP) — The BBC has been forced to redraw its map of Britain after a public outcry over new TV weather graphics which left Scotland fading into the distance, it was announced.

The public broadcaster was bombarded with more than 4,000 e-mails when the 3D map made its debut because its tilted, Britain-as-seen-from-the-south perspective gave far more prominence to England.

Prominent among the critics were Scottish nationalists and the BBC's former chief forecaster, John Teather, who said it was time to "get back to basics" and abandon trendy graphics.

BBC weather manager Andrew Lane conceded: "The global look of the map naturally makes the bottom of the map appear slightly larger, but we now recognise that the perspective needs changing -- and are...