Elon Musk has sparked a row with the BBC after labeling the broadcaster as a “government-funded media” organisation, however, Britain’s national broadcaster was quick to push back against the categorization, CNN reported.
The label now appears on outlets that receive some government funding, including BBC, PBS, NPR and Voice of America. However, it does not appear on other government-backed outlets, such as Canada’s CBC or Qatar’s Al Jazeera.
The @BBC account – which has 2.2 million followers – is currently branded as government funded. The label has not been given to the BBC’s other accounts, including BBC News (World) and BBC Breaking News, reported CNN.
Twitter has not given a definition for what it considers “government-funded media” to constitute.
In a statement provided to CNN, the BBC said, “We are speaking to Twitter to resolve this issue as soon as possible. The BBC is and always has been, independent. We are funded by the British public through the licence fee.”
BBC is predominantly funded by UK households via a license fee, which is also required to watch non-BBC channels or live services.
