The British Broadcasting Corporation said on Saturday it had received complaints about the amount of coverage it dedicated to the death of Prince Philip after some viewers were upset that normal programming was cancelled.
The BBC interrupted normal programming on radio and television a few minutes after Buckingham Palace announced at midday on Friday that Philip had died, and many scheduled programmes were scrapped for the rest of the day to make way for coverage of his death.
“We’re receiving complaints about too much TV coverage of the death of HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh,” the BBC’s complaints web page said.
Some Twitter users criticised the BBC for acting as a Soviet-style state broadcaster pumping out propaganda while others said it was being unfairly attacked for covering a major news story.
Philip, Queen Elizabeth’s husband, died aged 99 after more than seven decades at her side at the heart of the British monarchy.
A spokesman for the BBC declined to comment.
Viewing figures show the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 all lost audience on Friday after clearing programmes to run obituaries and reviews of Philip’s life, Deadline reported.
British newspapers were dominated by the news.
The Daily Mail published a 144-page issue, complete with a “magical souvenir magazine” entitled “A VERY dashing Duke”, while The Sun’s headline led with “We’re all weeping with you, Ma’am.”