Reality check: has the BBC dropped the terms BC/AD?

There were reports on Sunday that the BBC is replacing AD and BC - Anno Domini (the year of Our Lord) and Before Christ - with "Common Era" and "Before Common Era". University Challenge, presented by Jeremy Paxman, and Radio 4's In Our Time, hosted by Melvyn Bragg, are said to be among the converts.

The claim

The Mail on Sunday reports in a story headlined "BBC turns its back on year of Our Lord: 2,000 years of Christianity jettisoned for politically correct 'Common Era'":

The BBC has been accused of 'absurd political correctness' after dropping the terms BC and AD in case they offend non-Christians. The Corporation has replaced the familiar Anno Domini (the year of Our Lord) and Before Christ with the obscure terms Common Era and Before Common Era.

The facts

I asked the BBC whether it is true that the terms AD and BC had been dropped. They categorically denied it. A spokesperson said:

Whilst the BBC uses BC and AD like most people as standard terminology it is also possible for individuals to use different terminology if they wish to, particularly as it is now commonly used in historical research.

The story originated from the BBC's religion website, http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/. In the frequently asked questions section of its website, it says:

Why does bbc.co.uk/religion use BCE and CE instead of BC and AD? In line with modern practice bbc.co.uk/religion uses BCE/CE (Before Common Era/Common Era) as a religiously neutral alternative to BC/AD. As the BBC is committed to impartiality it is appropriate that we use terms that do not offend or alienate non-Christians.

I'm told that individual programme and website editors are free to make such decisions but that this decision would have been with regards to a tiny minority of the BBC's output and is certainly not a cross-organisation policy.

The verdict

No, the BBC hasn't dropped the use of BC and AD, but one website editor decided that BCE/CE was more appropriate. But that hasn't stopped columnists pitching on the wider accusation. Boris Johnson writes" BC or BCE? The BBC's edict on how we date events is AD (absolute drivel). Melanie Phillips in the Mail argues that "Our language is being hijacked by the left". Christian Today says the BBC has been accused of "political correctness".