BBC coverage of 125,000 strong Northern Ireland Centenary Parade organised by Orange Order was disgraceful - DUP and...

The long planned parade in Belfast - to celebrate 100 years since the creation of Northern Ireland - took over three hours to pass any given point and attracted over 100,000 spectators. The application to the Parades Commission stated that 131 bands and 25,000 participants were also due to take part in the parade itself. The parade passed off without incident and was hailed a a major success by organisers, the Orange Order.

However the DUP and TUV claimed the BBC coverage in no way reflected the importance of the event - claiming that a segment on its teatime television bulletin on Saturday compared very unfavourably to GB News - or even RTE - coverage of the same event.

DUP Fermanagh & South Tyrone MLA Deborah Erskine has written to the BBC NI Controller asking what further plans the broadcaster has to cover the Northern Ireland centennial parade in Belfast.

The PSNI estimate 125,000 people participated in the centennial parade yet there appeared to be little coverage from our national broadcaster for those who were unable to make it to the parade due to age or ill-health, she said. Indeed, GB News seemed to be the only broadcaster offering live coverage from the event despite their entire presence in Northern Ireland amounting to just one person.

It even seems that the Irish State broadcaster RTE, gave as much, if not more, coverage to the celebration of the creation of Northern Ireland.

I cant think of another parade in Belfast where 125,000 people were on the streets celebrating. If the news coverage from the BBC is the sum of its coverage of this event, then it reflects poorly on the foresight with the BBC planning department. I hope the broadcaster had a team of reporters and cameras on the ground and in due course there will be a fuller report about the sights and sounds of that day.