Channel 4 bosses to explain BB row to board

London, Jan 22: Channel 4 bosses will be asked to explain their handling of the row over alleged racism and bullying on ''Celebrity Big Brother'' at a meeting of the company's board today.

Channel 4 Chief Executive Andy Duncan has been criticised for his failure to intervene, while the chairman of the Commission for Equality and Human Rights chairman Trevor Phillips has called for chairman Luke Johnson to be censured.

But the board is not expected to make a decision over the show's future before British media watchdog Ofcom concludes its own investigation into the racism row.

''The meeting is not exclusively about 'Celebrity Big Brother, but it will be discussed,'' said a Channel 4 spokesman.

The programme has dominated headlines in Britain and India after former dental nurse Jade Goody and other contestants ganged up on Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty.

Evicted from the show after a public vote on Friday, Goody admitted over the weekend her comments were racist.

''I'm not a racist, but I accept I made racist comments,'' she said.

Britain's media watchdog Ofcom received around 40,000 complaints from viewers while top politicians weighed into the row and a major sponsor of the programme withdrew its backing.

Duncan and director of programmes Kevin Lygo will be at today's meeting along with eight non-executive directors, including Johnson, Labour peer Lord Puttnam, Internet millionaire Martha Lane Fox and ex-BBC News head Tony Hall.

REUTERS

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