BBC says it is 'too Christian' and vows to make more Muslim, Sikh and Hindu programmes
THE BBC should give more airtime to religious programmes for faiths other than Christianity, a report by the corporation's own ethics boss has concluded.
Aaqil Ahmed, BBC head of religion and ethics, wants more diverse religious programming
Schedules could be changed to make room for live broadcasts from mosques, with extended coverage of the Eid celebrations, according to Muslim leaders.
The suggestions come after Aaqil Ahmed, BBC head of religion and ethics, said the broadcaster's current output was "too Christian" in an internal review now being considered by director general Lord Hall.
Mr Ahmed has recommended upping the number of programmes for Muslim, Sikh and Hindu audiences to balance out the "disproportionate" Christian coverage.
The BBC says it is 'too Christian' in its output
Christianity remains the cornerstone of our output and there are more hours dedicated to it than there are to other faiths
However, he later described Christianity as the "cornerstone" of the broadcaster's output amid concerns popular long-running shows like Songs of Praise could be axed.
In a statement, Mr Ahmed said: "Christianity remains the cornerstone of our output and there are more hours dedicated to it than there are to other faiths.
"Our output in this area is not static, though. It has evolved over the years and we regularly assess it."
Songs of Praise recently filmed at The Jungle migrant camp in Calais
A BBC spokesman said there was "absolutely no question of an 'either or'" approach to religious programming.
Last week culture secretary John Whittingdale's BBC white paper called for greater focus on under-served minority audiences, while Sir Lenny Henry described the corporation as "an oppressive institution" and "very, very white" in a damning newspaper interview.
John Whittingdale reveals BBC changes
The BBC religious output currently includes Songs of Praise and Sunday Morning Live on television, plus Thought for the Day and Act of Worship on radio.
Televising Friday prayers from a mosque would be one way to better serve Muslim viewers, suggested Ibrahim Mogra from the Muslim Council of Britain, adding it should not come at the cost of Christian programmes.