THE BBC has dismissed allegations of unfairness in its two-month-long boycott of Ibrox in the face of complaints from Rangers fans about lack of coverage of games.
It is understood at least one complaint about the continuing impasse between BBC Scotland and Rangers is being pushed to the independent Editorial Complaints Unit.
BBC Scotland launched the fresh Ibrox boycott in November, after Rangers banned the public service broadcaster's senior sports reporter Chris McLaughlin from the club ground for the second time.
The public broadcaster dropped a nearly month-long boycott of Ibrox in August after Rangers agreed to drop a ban on the reporter following talks.
But the BBC reimposed the boycott after the broadcaster was told in early January that the reporter was again not welcome at Ibrox.
There was no BBC Scotland reporter present on Friday when Rangers beat Morton 3-1 in the Scottish Championship.
Rangers has previously said its concerns with coverage came to a head after a BBC report "unfairly focused" on the arrest of the club's fans after the team's 6-2 win over Hibs in a Scottish Challenge Cup tie at Easter Road in July last year.
The BBC received a complaint about the continuing boycott, and lack of coverage after Rangers's 2-0 win against Raith Rovers on March 1.
Anna Sweeney, of BBC Complaints, responded to one complainer saying that the BBC would respond in "exactly the same way of any institution or body acted in a similar fashion".
She added: "We believe it is unjustifiable and we stand by the integrity and the quality of our journalism.
"We will continue to report on Rangers both on and off the pitch and will feature match action where appropriate but, until this issue is resolved, we will not be sending journalists to Ibrox or attending Rangers’ press conferences."
She said score updates were provided online and on radio and an online match report sourced from press agency copy was posted.
At least one complainer has sought to take the matter further, saying they did not understand why BBC Scotland does not send another reporter.
He calls for a "full investigation" regarding "bias" towards Rangers.
One complainer says: "The BBC are meant to be a national public broadcaster so they should be above taking a childish attitude that would be laughed at in a primary school, never mind a huge public organisation.
"BBC Scotland should be doing there very best to resolve a pathetic situation instead of blindly backing one of their employees..."
Some fans had pointed out that the BBC did not act in the same way as when former BBC Radio Scotland reporter Jim Spence was banned from covering Dundee at Dens Park.
"When one of their reporters was banned by a club a couple of seasons ago they went out of their way to resolve that problem very swiftly, yet they appear determined to ignore Rangers as much as is possible," said a club spokesman.
"All Rangers has asked is that the BBC treat the club fairly, nothing more than that."
Rangers said the ban does not extend to all parts of the BBC.
"Five Live requested and then conducted an interview with assistant manager David Weir, yet the BBC in Scotland has chosen to ignore this club," said the spokesman. "Rangers does not have an issue with the BBC but it is clear the BBC in Scotland has one with us."
Two years ago, Rangers banned BBC journalists McLaughlin and Chick Young from the club's stadium and training ground after the broadcaster revealed a leaked document which indicated a plot to sack manager Ally McCoist.
In July 2011, the Beeb was banned and later issued an apology to McCoist over their reporting of his views on football violence and sectarianism.
A second ban came three months later over their documentary Rangers – The Inside Story about Craig Whyte’s disastrous club takeover.
In September, 2012, the BBC infuriated the club again with a spoof of the American TV drama Mad Men depicting McCoist falling from a building.
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