Will BBC Scotland ever learn lessons from their 'source'?

Once again BBC Scotland are being used by to promote the idea that Craig Whyte will soon be the owner of Rangers.

After watching deadline after deadline pass without even a bid being made for Sir David Murray’s shares the BBC are still blindly believing anything and everything that ‘a source close to the deal’ feeds them.

Despite watching their December deadline pass by, the January transfer window deadline pass, their own mid March deadline pass and chairman Alastair Johnston’s 48 hour deadline come and go no one at the BBC seems willing to ask any questions of their trusted source.

Now into his sixth month of free publicity from the state broadcaster Whyte has yet to say a word in public although a ‘source close to the deal told BBC Scotland’ that: “Craig wants as much cash as possible to go into the club- that’s been his goal, and one reason why the deal is taking so long.”

Even the most sensationalist of newspapers, a commercial concern unlike the do-what-we-want BBC, have started to wonder aloud about what is holding the deal up.

Having been let down time and time again by ‘a source close to the deal’ perhaps the BBC should be asking their source some questions rather than hanging on every sound-bite thrown their way.

Maybe a look at how Whyte is financing the deal or how realistic it is for someone to buy a majority shareholding in a company that could be hit with a tax bill exceeding the price paid might be of more value to the licence payer.

Two years ago some Rangers fans set up a group called ‘We Deserve Better’ and that could certainly be applied to the coverage of their club by the BBC.

In 1993 and 1994 when Fergus McCann was attempting to take over Celtic virtually every detail was in the public domain.

McCann’s background, wealth and business success were all common knowledge as were those of the other contenders to buy the club from the White/Kelly dynasty.

Michael Kelly was an equally regular voice on radio and television explaining the plans of the Celtic board and making himself available for questioning.

Now, the best part of 20 years later in an age of instant communications the BBC is unable to get a single word on the record from Whyte but are prepared to accept without questioning anything that they are told from their source.

The standards at BBC Scotland casts the whole of the corporations output into question.

Finishing off their latest update the BBC claim that: “Due to continued financial restrictions imposed upon the present regime, current manager Smith has largely had to make do with loan signings and free agents.”

I suppose that will be overlooking the £4m signing of Nikica Jelavic, the £1.5m signing of James Beattie and signing up Vladimir Weiss in a deal believed to be costing £1.5m for the season.

When it comes to state broadcasting it’s not just the Rangers supporters that deserve better.

Peter Lawwell looks for heroes

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