Reverend Giles Fraser, the vicar of Putney, has weighed into the debate about Radio 4's Thought for the Day.

The short slot on the Today programme has traditionally been devoted to religion and ethics but the BBC Trust is currently investigating whether it should be opened up to secular and humanist contributors.

Giles Fraser, who is a regular contributor to the show, was quoted in the national press as saying, "What is at threat here is whether this is a distinctive slot. Would you have secularists doing Songs of Praise? It just seems madness. This could be a way of destroying it through the back door, through political correctness. I think it is very easy for people to read the BBC as backing away from religious broadcasting.'

The BBC Trust are expected to publish a decision on the matter in the Autumn.

July 17, 2009