<div><p>A BBC editorial watchdog body criticised the British broadcaster Thursday for breaching its own guidelines by appearing to promote the bands U2 and Coldplay in its coverage of them.</p><p>The BBC's Editorial Complaints Unit slammed an on-screen slogan "U2=BBC" used during its coverage of U2's last album as "inappropriate," while a "Radio 1 presents Coldplay" website broke guidelines about links to external sites.</p><p>The findings came after RadioCentre, the trade body for commercial radio firms in Britain, complained about the BBC's coverage of a Coldplay tour and U2's launch of its "No Line On The Horizon."</p><p>The U2 coverage last February included a performance by the band on the rooftop of the BBC's Broadcasting House head office in central London which briefly brought traffic to a standstill.</p><p>Three criticisms of the BBC were upheld. They were that:</p><p>- a "Radio 1 presents Coldplay" website included links to the websites of ticket agents. "This was not in keeping with the BBC's guidelines on links to external websites."</p><p> - the use of the mathematical symbol for identity in the graphic "U2=BBC" "gave an inappropriate impression of endorsement."</p><p>- a pre-recorded interview with U2 frontman Bono was mostly alright, but a reference to Radio 1 being "part of launching this new album" was not.</p><p>Complaints about a radio show and a BBC news report about the rooftop concert were not upheld, said the watchdog.</p><img src="http://admatch-syndication.mochila.com/images/ad.gif?aid=66898864&bid=informcom" /></div><div id="copyright"><div>

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