TUV vice-chairman complains to the BBC over 'uncritical' coverage of rap trio Kneecap

Councillor Allister Kyle said that the radio and online reporting on the republican group was “uncritical”, and that he wants IRA victims to meet with the BBC's Northern Ireland director to air their concerns.

Kneecap – whose DJ wears a tricolour-coloured balaclava and goes by the name DJ Provai (pronounced ‘Provie’) – have been in the headlines of late because their self-titled film is due to go on general release soon. It premiered in Belfast on Tuesday night.

Produced with the help of public funding, it has also been entered for an Oscar.

Mr Kyle said: “This morning on BBC Radio Ulster the news bulletins and BBC Northern Ireland online news provided uncritical coverage of the 'Kneecap' film.

“They even provide a character calling himself DJ Provai of all things with a platform to tell us how Irish is a language not just for one side of the community.”

He added that “for a public service broadcaster to present [the group] as cross-community advocates for Irish and report them without so much as a hint of criticism is intolerable”.

He concluded: “I will be writing to the director of BBC Northern Ireland to raise these points with him.

“I plan to request a meeting at which innocent victims of the Provos can express their concerns to him in person.”

A BBC spokesperson said: “BBC News NI was reporting on the Belfast premiere of a locally made film which has received international attention.”

Meanwhile, Kneecap manager Dan Lambert said: “There’s journalism and then there’s the News Letter Belfast. Nobody from Kneecap will be providing comment to your ‘paper’, ever. Free Palestine!”

The segment yesterday morning on Good Morning Ulster featured interviews with band members and clips from the film.

The BBC narrator mentioned Kneecap's “controversial” image, “nationalist politics” and “provocative approach”.

But there was no mention of why they are “provocative” or “controversial”.

​There are many examples (and the News Letter gave a detailed breakdown earlier in the year) but they include:

Referring to the PSNI as the RUC, despite the RUC having disbanded in 2001 when they were children;

Chanting ‘get the Brits out’ from the stage;

Unveiling a mural of a burning police jeep;

The promo material for one of the group's songs, ‘HOOD’, features a group member holding a hurling stick studded with nails next to a policeman who has been tied to a chair;

Its lyrics include: "Nois cúpla ceist (now a couple of questions): Do ya want it in your chest?/ Or your knees or your head?/ DJ Provai has the lead/ You can beg, you can plead, you can tell us what we need/ You can change your name/ But you’re all the f**kin’ same.”

During yesterday's broadcast DJ Provai declared that Irish “is not just a language for one side of the community”.

At another point in the broadcast, actress Jess Reynolds said of the group “they were just the sweetest people ever – they're so vocal in what they believe in but they’re softies as well, they're so open to everyone and so lovely”.

On Tuesday, ‘Good Morning Ulster’ had also featured an interview with Rich Peppiatt, the director of the ‘Kneecap’ movie.

Friendly and light-hearted in tone, afterwards the host said: “Pleasure to have you on the programme, massive best of luck with all of it.” “I'll get my tickets!” her colleague chimed in.