Gaza appeal to air on BBC and Sky
Broadcasters’ backing for DEC film follows their refusal to air a similar film during 2009 crisis over impartiality concerns
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The BBC and Sky are to broadcast an appeal to help people affected by the Gaza conflict, after having refused to air a similar film four years ago.
In 2009, the BBC and Sky declined to broadcast the Disasters Emergency Committee’s appeal to tackle the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, claiming it would compromise their impartiality in reporting the conflict. The BBC’s decision, made by then director general Mark Thompson, sparked protests and 40,000 complaints to the corporation.
But both networks as well as ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5, which broadcast the 2009 appeal, have accepted the latest film meets the DEC’s “appeal criteria”, the charity body said.
The DEC organised the appeal, which will air on Friday, to help the hundreds of thousands of people who have fled their homes in Gaza.
Brendan Paddy, head of communications at the DEC, said: “We’ve made the case to all broadcasters that our appeal criteria had been met and all have agreed and have said they will carry the appeal.”
The BBC’s refusal, along with other broadcasters, to air a DEC appeal for Gaza on 22 January 2009 atttracted criticism from government ministers, religious leaders and senior members of its own staff.
The corporation said that by screening the humanitarian appeal it “could be interpreted as taking a political stance”.
But the then Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, said the BBC should broadcast the appeal, while the Archbishop of York, John Sentamu, accused the corporation of “taking sides”, adding “this is not a row about impartiality but rather about humanity.”
The government asked the broadcasters to reconsider their position, with the then health minister, Ben Bradshaw, saying the BBC’s decision was “inexplicable” and its reasons were “completely feeble”.
Nick Clegg also attacked the BBC’s decision, saying it was “an insult to the viewing public to suggest they can’t distinguish between the humanitarian needs of thousands of children and families in Gaza and the political sensitivities of the Middle East”.
The BBC Trust backed Thompson’s decision not to broadcast the appeal, saying broadcasting it “would have implied a significant level of endorsement by the BBC of the appeal itself”.
ITV and other TV channels initially also declined to air the appeal, saying no consensus could be reached, but ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 eventually broadcast it on 26 January. It was never aired on Sky.
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