BBC's SNP conference call leaves viewers distressed

0 Comments | Sunday Herald, The, Sep 25, 2005 | by Jenifer Johnston

TELEVISION viewers expressed their displeasure at the BBC yesterday after tuning in to watch Andrew Murray compete in the Davis Cup tennis tournament - to discover the SNP conference being broadcast instead.

Ironically the only way to watch Scotland's great tennis hope was to tune into the BBC's service for England, Wales or Northern Ireland.

Although Scottish newcomer Murray and veteran player Greg Rusedski were comprehensively beaten by the Swiss team of Roger Federer and Yves Allegro, Scottish viewers hoping to see Britain's attempt to return to the Davis Cup world group were left with the Scottish National Party conference on BBC 2.

One irate caller to the Sunday Herald said he was "very disappointed" about the BBC's decision, "especially when Andrew Murray is going to be a star of the future in tennis and Scotland wants to see him play."

A spokeswoman for the BBC said: "As a public service broadcaster we can't please all of the people all of the time.

"We are contractually obliged to show the SNP conference live and the two events coincided.

We have had a dozen complaints today. Digital viewers would have been able to watch the match on the BBC on another channel."

The British Davis Cup team lost 7-5, 2-6, 7-6 (7-1), 6-2 to the Swiss combination of world number one player Roger Federer and Yves Allegro.

Britain will now spend another season in the EuroAfrican zone of the cup - it has been eight years since the UK has featured in the upper ranking of national teams.

Davis Cup: see Sport