BBC accused of 'special deal' to promote Berghaus clothing
The BBC is being accused of having agreed a ‘secret’ advertising deal with Berghaus, with its presenters wearing the outdoor brand’s jacket, having received a 45% discount.
According to the Mail on Sunday, the corporation has spent ‘thousands’ on purchasing jackets and fleeces for its presenters including BBC news anchor George Alagiah and diplomatic editor Peter Hunt, who have both been seen on-screen wearing the brand’s clothing, as have a number of regional presenters.
BBC staff, under editorial guidelines, are prohibited from promoting brands or products.
The newspaper claims that it has learning through an FOI inquiry that the BBC bought 169 jackets from Berghaus over the last financial year having been given a discount of at least 45%.
Staff on location were also apparently given jackets free-of-charge.
The paper also says that the ‘special deal’ has been in existence since 2005, despite the brand claiming in March that no advertising deal was in place through a statement on its website.
In a statement, the BBC said: “Berghaus is one of a number of suppliers of clothing used by the BBC. It would be wrong to suggest the BBC ever agrees to clothing discounts in exchange for on-air promotion.”
Updated:
Berghaus has issued a denial of any 'secret advertising deal' between it and the BBC.