BBC says some services may go dark as coronavirus crisis develops

British MPs have been told by the BBC Director General, Tony Hall, that some services could be “out of action” if the corporation’s newsrooms are hit by large-scale outbreaks of the coronavirus. However, Lord Hall said that the BBC is “intent on keeping absolutely everything open”. 

Plans on how to copy with a service being out of action are under review, but the BBC is “gaming out” what would happen if large numbers of staff go sick or have to self-isolate. Hall said “you could imagine a local station or some other part of our news operation being out of action for a period.” 

The BBC’s local radio and TV services have far fewer staff than its national and international services and so have less capacity to cope with widespread sickness. Lord Hall told the MPs that  “at the moment we are intent on keeping absolutely everything open, all our networks going, because we know that globally, nationally and locally, people turn to us for information, as they did during the floods [that hit many parts of the UK in February and early March].”

Lord Hall’s remarks come as many broadcasters are tackling multiple issues, from what to do about cancelled sports events to how to keep operational areas clean and safe. One international broadcaster has reported that a member of staff has been identified as having coronavirus — but only after coming into contact with a number of staff and having used shared studio facilities. As the AIB noted in its coronavirus briefing to Members [https://aib.org.uk/Resources/Members/COVID-19/Coronavirus-AIB-briefing-020320.pdf] it is vital that shared equipment is kept rigorously clean with the use of anti-bacterial wipes on every piece of kit, from edit suite keyboards to headphones. The AIB will be updating its coronavirus briefing from time to time to reflect experiences of many AIB Members, and updated advice from governments around the world.