Does Bafta still rate current affairs?
In response to criticism of Bafta’s decision to drop the current affairs category from this year’s television awards, Peter Salmon, chair of the academy’s TV committee, gave a message of reassurance. Not to worry he said, potential entrants would still be eligible for other factual categories. This year’s nominations have just been published, so does his claim stack up? C4’s Dispatches gets a mention in the interactive category but that’s it. Don’t get me wrong, the nominated shows in the factual categories are all worthy contenders but current affairs simply hasn’t got a look-in. And here, Bafta does itself no favours. It is to the organisation’s credit that its awards are still so highly prized by programme-makers, and that’s why the academy can claim to promote excellence and high standards in television. But it’s because its awards are valued that Bafta should be exerting its influence in a field of programming that is so close to the heart of public service broadcasting and about
