Criticism of the Flarlandian Broadcasting Corporation

The Flarlandian Broadcasting Corporation has long since been criticized as far back as the days when it was just a radio broadcaster. Since the FBC Act was passed, impartiality and objectivity were the essence of professionalism in broadcasting.

Allegations that the corporation lacks impartial and objective journalism are regularly made by observers on both the left and the right of the political spectrum.

Another key area of criticism is the censorship of key news stories, local and international, as well as forced censorship of footage and a crackdown on violent content.

Also, accusations of waste or over-staffing occasionally prompt comments from politicians and the other media.

20th century

The FBC was viewed in favorable eyes for many years, the earliest known criticism came from a 1933 self-censor of reports critical of Ashtalaia's dictatorship. While the competing broadcasters

21st century

Censorship of violence

2019 Canterbury and Kotaro shootings

The twin shootings in Canterbury and Kotaro, especially the latter, have cost the FBC's standards quite a lot. While the former chose not to screen footage of the carnage, the latter showed about ten seconds of Peter Joro's killings, prompting regulations from the authorities. The following day, the FBC cut the appropriate footage and stopped making further mentions of either shooting.

Only Times Television broadcast uncut footage of both and hasn't faced any massive blockade from the authorities, likely due to a loophole.

Political/diplomatical censorship

Porowon

As a result of the April 29, 2019 decision made by the Flarlandian government to cut ties with Porowon, the FBC decided to self-censor reports of Porowon as it is the state broadcaster.

Criticism was made after FBC NC broadcast the "unfinished" Arte documentary I Tried to Go to Porowon in April 2020.

Kaizhung

The Kaizhungese government has criticized the FBC numerous times since 2019, with a particular incidence after the coronavirus pandemic, known by the FBC and many other Flarlandian media outlets as the "Kaizhungese Virus/Pandemic", with strains being known as "Eurectipherian strain of the Kaizhung Virus". The Kaizhungese government has demanding the FBC to adopt the official name (COVID-19), but the FBC denies these allegations. The official name is only heard in passing in news stories.

As of November 2021, the term "Kaizhungese Virus" is still in use by the FBC.

After receiving intimidations from Twitter bots, the FBC newsreaders started using use the term "the current pandemic" to prevent bias, even though Flarland has cut diplomatical ties with the PRK.

Political correctness in non-news programming

Censorship of swearing in local productions during the watershed

The FBC has gotten a more stricter set of standards and practices comparable to commercial broadcasters operating in Flarland. In recent years scripted sketch comedies had to censor swears even though the shows were not intended to run before 9pm. The likely cause was a shadow audience of under-12s watching selected programming (mostly from FBC 3) and reciting lines that were age-inappropriate. Producers complained against the FBC's S&P and decided to leave the FBC.

The World Keeps Turning

After The World Keeps Turning became more of an anti-Ashtalaian satire, its comedy became more nationalist and toxic.

Specific allegations

Anti-Ashtalaian bias

Perceived between November 2016 and October 2017, and partly a result of the ban of Flarlandian TV channel relays in Ashtalaia a few years earlier, Parker Scott and by extension the Flarlandian government of the time had unfavorable views of Ashtalaia's government.

During the 2017 Eurectivision Song Contest, the FBC didn't provide detailed information about the Ashtalaian contestant during the country's postcard.

Miscensorship of content

In recent years, the FBC has annoyed content creators over "non-existent censorship", to the point where banal words are "treated like swears".

Wembley-centrism

White Castle centrism

Parallel to the Wembley centrism, regional divisions of the FBC have believed that "Flarland according to the FBC is just Wembley and White Castle". Since 1990 FBC North, known regionally as FBC White Castle, has been the second-largest producer of FBC content for both national radio and television, but other large cities like Madison, Birmingham, Mount Pleasant, Cromartie, Darwin and Waverly Hills have cried fowl over these objections.