[SeeRound] A recent symposium hosted by the BBC on the future of religious broadcasting did little to encourage Canon Charles Royden of the Diocese of St Alban's, England.

"The decline in religious broadcasting [in the UK] both on radio and on television in the last ten years is measurable and widely recognised," Canon Royden wrote in a report for his Diocese's monthly magazine. "The increasing marginalisation of religion by the BBC has seen religious programming pushed to the fringes of programme scheduling."

The BBC often points to the "prime time" slot held by Songs of Praise on Sunday evening television, but in recent years this popular programme has been shown earlier in the evening, and the time of broadcast varies week by week.

"It is astonishing how often the same programme is mentioned as proof of a wider BBC policy!" wrote Canon Royden about Songs of Praise. "Religion is not given peak time status, and even Everyman, which is spoken of by the BBC as a major religious commitment, takes place late at night."

When decisions about programme scheduling and production budgets are made, religious broadcasting is losing out to programmes with higher ratings or with more commercial appeal on world markets.

Canon Royden questioned whether religious broadcasting should be seen as a distinctly separate genre.

"There should be a seamless incorporartion, weaving spirituality into general programming," he wrote. "Children's television also should make use of religious vocabulary and portray children involved in their religious faith communities."

The response of various BBC executives to questions posed at the symposium left Canon Charles Royden with a feeling that there was no evidence of real commitment by the BBC to take the concerns of religious communities seriously.

"Is religious broadcasting ignored," asked Canon Royden, "or are we facing a deliberate challenge against our faith and spirituality?"