BBC figures up since Kilroy ditched
BBC1 viewing figures went up yesterday when Kilroy was taken off air, it was revealed today.
Robert Kilroy-Silk's daily discussion show was replaced by an extended Breakfast news bulletin for its first half hour, followed by a repeat of lifestyle show Garden Invaders.
An audience of 1.2 million tuned in to watch the extra half hour of Breakfast - compared with 1.05 million for the first half hour of Kilroy last week.
Garden Invaders was watched by 900,000 viewers, the same as last week.
Audience share rose five points from 21% to 26%.
However, last Monday's Kilroy was the weakest of the week. The programmes on Tuesday and Wednesday drew 1.1 million, increasing to 1.3 million by Thursday.
But the figures represented good news for the BBC, which was forced to defend its suspension of the Kilroy programme as the row over the presenter rumbled on.
Critics have accused the Corporation of denying Kilroy-Silk's freedom of speech and the presenter himself claims he is the victim of political correctness.
But the BBC strongly denied that freedom of speech was an issue.
In a statement, the BBC said Kilroy-Silk's newspaper article attacking Arabs had caused "significant and serious offence".
"In view of some newspaper coverage we would like to make it clear that the BBC defends and supports freedom of speech.
"This has never been about freedom of speech. It is about how the job of a BBC presenter carries with it responsibilities about what is written and said publicly and how this may impact on their on-air role," the statement said.
"The BBC needs to be seen to be impartial when dealing with topical and controversial issues.
The key focus for the BBC is, given the views he has stated, whether Robert Kilroy-Silk can be seen as a suitable presenter of a daily discussion programme dealing with a range of current and controversial issues, with an audience from a wide cross-section of the public."
The former Labour MP caused a furore when he referred to Arabs as "suicide bombers, limb-amputators, women repressors" in an article for the Sunday Express.
Fans of the 61-year-old presenter have been up in arms about the BBC's decision to pull his show.
In an interview with today's Daily Express, Kilroy-Silk said: "I am not surprised by the outcry this has caused because I know decent people feel deeply frustrated by the way their political thoughts and views are repressed."
He went on: "They now feel they can't express those views because if they do they will be subject to the politically correct commissars or the race relations commissars.
"They think they have to check with the PC Police before they can express genuinely, honestly held opinions."
And he added: "People are getting sick of debate being stifled while at the same time you have [Islamic] militants on the streets of London shouting, 'Kill the infidel'."
