The BBC will be back under the spotlight today when corporation chiefs face a grilling from MPs.

Chairman Gavyn Davies and director general Greg Dyke will take questions from the Commons culture select committee on the broadcaster's annual report.

Gerald Kaufman, chairman of the culture committee, has accused the BBC of distorting news coverage to pursue its own political agenda.

"The trouble with the BBC is it tailors reports to suit its own agenda. If the government complains about coverage of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction or the Tories complain about their treatment on local election night, the BBC just defends itself - it defends everything," he said.