BBC staff told to 'not focus too heavily' on UK's success at Olympics

London, Aug. 10 (ANI): British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Director General Mark Thompson has asked its staff to not focus too heavily on the UK's success in Olympic Games as other countries were competing too.

Channel controllers responsible for broadcasting London 2012 news footage and results have been told to ensure "other great sporting achievements" are covered equally.

"I am as delighted as our audiences and the whole BBC team about the brilliant performance of Team GB - and it is quite wrong to suggest otherwise," The Telegraph quoted Thompson, as saying.

"The BBC has been right to focus on sporting achievements which the whole country has been celebrating and we will continue to do so with pride," Thompson said.

"We can do that while at the same time making sure that our news programmes fully reflect some of the other great sporting achievements and human stories of the London Games," he added.

According to the report, the instructions, which some had interpreted as criticizing news coverage for being too patriotic, comes after overseas publications have raised questions over the BBC's impartiality.

One media commentator, who wrote an open letter to the BBC, warned American journalists had been 'puzzled' over the coverage as presenters 'struggled, and most often failed, to contain their excitement at Team GB's golden streak'.

Thompson, who gave his instructions during a morning conference call with staff, has already moved to reassure them that he had not intended to criticize their coverage.

While the guidance issued was in relation to the BBC's news coverage only, viewers have already noted the exuberant patriotic support offered by their London 2012 presenters, the report said. (ANI)