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BBC 'only in interested in Glastonbury' says Chime For Change organiser after broadcaster only shows highlights of women's charity concert featuring Beyoncé

 

Liam Obrien
Sunday 02 June 2013 18:12 BST
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Singer Beyoncé performs on stage at the 'Chime For Change: The Sound Of Change Live' Concert at Twickenham Stadium
Singer Beyoncé performs on stage at the 'Chime For Change: The Sound Of Change Live' Concert at Twickenham Stadium (Getty)

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One of the promoters behind Saturday’s Chime For Change concert at Twickenham Stadium has slammed the BBC’s refusal to broadcast the event live.

Despite performances from Beyoncé, J Lo and Rita Ora, viewers could only watch an hour of highlights on BBC One at 10.50pm.

Harvey Goldsmith, who helped put the line-up together, said the BBC was far more interested in enjoying its annual “jolly” to Glastonbury.

“The idea behind the concert is to launch a charity which will help millions of women and young girls around the world. In a lot of countries it went out live. In fact in most of them,” he told the Mail on Sunday.

“I am disappointed that the BBC did not broadcast the event live. I think all the BBC is interested is in Glastonbury.”

This year, some 296 BBC staff will be sent to cover Glastonbury, and the music festival will feature on both Songs of Praise and The One Show.

“They have got about five million people working on it. It’s their jolly and everything else gets short shrift,” Mr Goldsmith added.

Chime for Change, which was founded by Beyoncé, Salma Hayek and Frida Giannini, the creative director of Gucci, is a charity aiming to promote female empowerment worldwide through education, health and justice.

The BBC said it decided to broadcast highlights rather than air the full show because the event had commercial sponsors.

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