Complaint
Towards the end of this 90-minute documentary the narrator said 鈥淚n the 1980s the Piazza is sold to a private landlord. Under their ownership the space has filled with cafes, restaurants and big brand shops鈥.聽 A viewer complained that this gave the inaccurate impression that such lettings had taken place as a result of commercial ownership, whereas they had occurred while Covent Garden was still owned by the Greater London Council (GLC).聽 The ECU considered the complaint in the light of the 大象传媒鈥檚 editorial standards of accuracy.
Outcome
While such lettings had indeed taken place under GLC ownership, it was under subsequent commercial ownership that 鈥渂ig brand shops鈥 had taken leases and the catering element had expanded to the point where it could be said the space had 鈥渇颈濒濒别诲鈥 with cafes and restaurants.聽 Although the words complained of did not exclude the interpretation the complainant had placed on them, the ECU considered them sufficiently accurate as a brief summary of recent developments in the context of a programme which dealt with several centuries of history.
Not upheld