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One of the BBC's most senior executives has defended the corporation against accusations that it is "crammed full of soft liberals" obsessed with pushing a politically correct agenda.
In an exclusive interview, Mark Byford, the deputy director-general, has hit back at suggestions that the broadcaster is too sensitive to the feelings of Muslim viewers and that it has an inbuilt anti-Christian bias.

Mr Byford, 48, who has overall responsibility for the corporation's news division, refused, however, to rule out the possibility that a Muslim woman could read the news wearing a veil.
He also said he was "proud" of the BBC's decision to include an interview with the Taliban in an item about the conflict in Afghanistan.
"Our job in journalism is to communicate to the audience effectively the information we are delivering to them," he said. "As far as the issue of dress is concerned, it must not get in the way of the audience being able to receive the information in a clear and effective manner."
Asked specifically about the issue of a Muslim newsreader wearing a veil, he said: "The key is, if it does not hamper our primary obligation to deliver the news and information to our viewers and listeners then we would be respectful of that.
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"The key is that we would look at every single case and see it under that criterion. If the face is covered completely by the veil, then that is a different issue to something else. That's why we can't be that clear on it."
He added: "Do I believe that the BBC favours Islam compared to Christianity? Absolutely not. We absolutely recognise that the BBC has to reflect all faiths which are relevant within the UK."
Mr Byford, who joined the BBC as a researcher in 1979, spoke out after a week of turmoil in the organisation, which was sparked by revelations that some of its staff believe it has gone too far in the pursuit of multiculturalism.
Andrew Marr, the presenter, told an audience at an internal seminar that the organisation had an abnormally large number of young employees, ethnic minorities and gay people.
At the same event, executives including Alan Yentob agreed that while kosher food, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bible could be consigned to Room 101 – the BBC's fictitious depository of pet hates – the Koran could not.
Subsequent claims that the presenter Fiona Bruce would not be allowed to wear a small silver cross while reading the news provoked further concerns.
"I do not accept that the BBC is crammed full of soft liberals," said Mr Byford.
He said that the BBC drew on the talents of people from all faiths and backgrounds but insisted that it was not over-represented with people from the black and ethnic minority communities. "It is simply not true to say we are," he said.
Mr Byford also defended the BBC's decision to interview the Taliban spokesman in a recent piece about Afghanistan.
"I thought it was an outstanding piece of work and I back it 100 per cent. It was very responsibly done. It does the audience a disservice if we say that there are British troops fighting under a great deal of pressure but then we don't explain why the other side is fighting them."

Is the BBC still the British Broadcasting Corporation in 2006, or is it a subsidiary of Aljazeera.