BBC Will Keep Faith Programming: Religion as ‘Relevant’ as 100 Years Ago 

Published: May 8, 2024

BBC Will Keep Faith Programming: Religion as ‘Relevant’ as 100 Years Ago 

By Movieguide® Contributor

Despite rising costs and the need for budget cuts, the BBC won’t eliminate religious content from the network.

“Religion was as relevant as it was 100 years ago,” Tim Pemberton, Head of Religion and Ethics for BBC Audio, noted. “Whereas formal religion…may decline over time…that’s different to people’s interest in religion and people’s engagement in spirituality.”

He and Daisy Scalchi, Head of Religion and Ethics for Television, expressed that “senior managers [at the BBC] are ‘enthusiastic about religious programming.’”

Although some studies suggest a decline in religion, Scalchi explained that the so-called “Nones” aren’t necessarily against faith. 

“They’re actually a really complex group of people who often are quite warm towards religion,” she said. 

A similar phenomenon is happening in the United States. Three in four Americans identify with a religion, and 63% of those identify as Christian, Gallup reported. However, attendance of religious services is declining.

Movieguide® reported: 

The poll also found that 45% of Americans say religion is “very important” in their lives. 

However, the Gallup survey reported that church attendance was declining, with just 32% of Americans saying they had attended a religious service in the past seven days. 

“We’re certainly seeing with our viewer figures that there is definitely no diminishing or reduction in interest in our programmes about faith and belief,” Scalchi added.

They’re clarifying the BBC’s position on religious content as the Media Bill goes through the UK’s Parliament. 

“Concerns have been expressed that the Media Bill, which is passing through Parliament, will give broadcasters more freedom to move programmes to digital formats, where the audiences will be smaller (Comment, 19 January). The absence of a reference to religion in the Bill has also provoked disquiet,” Church Times reported.

“I know that there’s been some concern around programmes moving online, and therefore being less accessible. But that’s not the plan with religion content: it’s not going to be moved online at the cost of what’s on television,” Scalchi explained.

Despite the seeming decline in religion, faith-based programs are on the rise, and positive and uplifting content continues to thrive. Movieguide® reported:

The success of faith-based media in recent years has proven that Jesus still has the power to draw large audiences.

Media like THE CHOSEN, JESUS REVOLUTION and THE SOUND OF FREEDOM have drawn larger audiences than mainstream Hollywood would have ever predicted. 

The recent success of faith-based media has baffled experts who expected the popularity of Christian content to decline as Christianity has declined in America. According to the Pew Research Center, the number of adults in America who identify as Christian has dropped from 78% in 2007 to 63% in 2021. Meanwhile, the audience for faith-based movies has only grown.

“There’s a tremendously powerful movement toward Jesus right now that most people aren’t aware of,” Movieguide® founder Dr. Ted Baehr said. “The nature of man is to be hostile to Christianity and salvation. But there’s more and more people in Hollywood moving the in other direction.”