BBC refuses to air DEC Gaza appeal

11 Responses to BBC refuses to air DEC Gaza appeal

1. Paul Currion | January 24, 2009 at 13:02 |

   It’s fascinating stuff, isn’t it? One wonders what “question marks about the delivery of aid in a volatile situation” they were thinking of. Further doublespeak came from the other broadcasters:

   An ITV spokesman said the broadcasters, after assessing the DEC’s needs, had been unable “to reach a consensus necessary for an appeal”.

   Wouldn’t ITV be better off leaving the decision about when to launch a DEC appeal to… well, the DEC?

   Sky said: “By convention, if all broadcasters do not carry the appeal, then none do. The decision was effectively made for us.”

   Because the competing broadcasting corporations are a hive entity who never – I repeat NEVER – do anything without ensuring that everybody else is doing exactly the same thing.

   This is shameful, shameful stuff which makes me embarrassed to be British.

2. Tom Longley | January 24, 2009 at 13:12 |

   I heard a weak-as-piss defence of this shameful decision from BBC’s Chief Operating Officer, Caroline Thompson on BBC Radio 4′s Today Programme. She was given short shrift by both the presenter and Douglas Alexander, the UK Secretary for International Development. It seems unusual that the government actually wants the BBC not to self-censor, where usually it’s calling for more censorship (Gilligan on the dodgey dossier, Brand and Ross, etc).

3. Paul Currion | January 24, 2009 at 16:18 |

   This just in – ITV, Channel 4 and Five are to air a charity appeal for Gaza which the BBC has declined to broadcast. Protests outside Broadcasting House. City in flames.

4. Tom Longley | January 25, 2009 at 8:43 |

   Oops! The BBC has handed commercial broadcasters like Sky and ITV an opportunity to run a cut-throat defence and come out looking like good Samaritans, riding to the rescue of the people of Gaza. I’m sure that the DEC’s appeal will look rather underwhelming after all this palavar.

5. Simon | January 26, 2009 at 11:19 |

   i think they should of all shown the appeal but its wrong to just blame the BBC as it wasnt the only one with concerns.

   Anyway in the long term their choice NOT to air the appeal has helped more people. Instead of a couple of upsetting video appeals being made a few times over the next few days we have non stop media coverage of the failure to show the appeal.

   So instead of 10 minutes of air time for the appeal they effectively have hours and hours, and everyone will take a look at ITV , C4/C5 to see the actual appeal.

6. Tom Longley | January 26, 2009 at 11:56 |

   @Simon:

   “Anyway in the long term their choice NOT to air the appeal has helped more people.”

   Good thought, Simon. I don’t know how media controversy like this would affect public donations to the actual appeal. The fundraising geeks at the agencies could (but probably won’t) tell us the size of bump they anticipated from DEC mechanism on this issue, in comparison with solo efforts during the same period. Perhaps shifting the public’s focus to the ins and outs of fundraising mechanisms, and away from the humanitarian situation, could also have a very negative effect on donations as well.

7. loveson | January 27, 2009 at 13:02 |

   Please refer to the link below to unravel the reason for BBC Director Mark Thompson’s decision of not allowing Gaza Charity Appeal.

   http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/pandora/bbc-chief-holds-peace-talks-in-jerusalem-with-ariel-sharon-517400.html

   Please make complaint to BBC for this decision at

   http://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/complaints_stage1.shtml

8. Tom Longley | January 27, 2009 at 16:05 |

   @Loveson: So, your argument is that because he met with Ariel Sharon, he is a Zionist? I once met Prince Charles, but that doesn’t make me a Monarchist.

9. Paul Currion | January 27, 2009 at 16:08 |

   The Independent article makes it clear that Thompson also met with Mahmoud Abbas during that trip, so the logic of your argument falls apart a bit there. Thanks for the link to the BBC complaints process though!

10. trouthead | January 31, 2009 at 15:35 |

    Under the umbrella of the need for “impartiality”, the BBC has demonstrated the exact opposite.

    The BBC has sacrificed the fundamental values of humanity, decency and integrity.

    Mohamed ElBaradei expressed my view succinctly, describing the BBC decision not to air the DEC Gaza appeal for victims of the conflict “violates the rules of basic human decency which are there to help vulnerable people, irrespective of who is right or wrong”.

11. Tom Longley | February 6, 2009 at 14:11 |

    Comments closed on this thread.

    I’d like to refer any future commentators thinking about leaving bigotted remarks directly to spEak You’re bRanes, where suitable degrees of ridicule will be poured on them.

    Thanks.