UK1RPO
01-25-2009, 07:37 AM
More than 50 MPs are backing a parliamentary motion urging the BBC to air an aid appeal for the thousands without food and medicine in Gaza.
Protests in London over BBC's refusal to broadcast Gaza aid appeal
The early day motion - to be tabled tomorrow by Labour's Richard Burden - has so far received the support of 51 MPs from across the Commons.
The BBC is still standing firm on its decision not to show the advert for the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC).
But rival broadcasters ITV, Channel 4 and Five have now agreed to air it. Sky is still considering its position.
The Archbishop of York is the latest figure to add his voice to the string of politicians, including senior government ministers, urging the corporation to change its mind.
Dr John Sentamu added: "This is not a row about impartiality but rather about humanity.
"This situation is akin to that of British military hospitals who treat prisoners of war as a result of their duty under the Geneva convention. They do so because they identify need rather than cause.
"This is not an appeal by Hamas asking for arms but by the Disasters Emergency Committee asking for relief. By declining their request, the BBC has already taken sides and forsaken impartiality."
Yesterday, thousands of people demonstrated outside the BBC's Broadcasting House in London.
Burnham On The BBC Row
The DEC - an umbrella group for several major aid charities including the British Red Cross, Save the Children and Oxfam - wants the appeal to be broadcast on TV and radio from tomorrow.
It aims to raise millions of pounds for Gazans in need of food, medicines and shelter following Israel's three-week assault on the Palestinian territory.
The Charity Commission has repeated its call on the BBC to show the appeal, and also urged Sky to lend support.
BBC director general Mark Thompson says broadcasting the advert could compromise the impartiality of the BBC's reporting from Gaza.
He wrote in a BBC blog: "Inevitably an appeal would use pictures which are the same or similar to those we would be using in our news programmes.
"But would do so with the objective of encouraging public donations.
"The danger for the BBC is that this could be interpreted as taking a political stance on an ongoing story."
He also cited another reason for the decision as "concern about whether aid raised by the appeal could actually be delivered on the ground".
But his argument was dismissed as "completely feeble" by health minister Ben Bradshaw, while Communities Secretary Hazel Blears called on the BBC to review its decision.
Calls for the broadcast to be shown also came from Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and Scottish National Party leader Alex Salmond.
BBC Trust chairman Sir Michael Lyons voiced concern that comments made by politicians were coming close to "undue interference" in the BBC's editorial independence.
Source - SKY NEWS (http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/BBC-Resists-Pressure-Over-Gaza-Charity-Appeal-As-Archbishop-of-York-Adds-Voice-To-Critics/Article/200901415209883?lpos=UK_News_Carousel_Region_0&lid=ARTICLE_15209883_BBC_Resists_Pressure_Over_Gaza_Charity_Appeal_As_Archbishop_of_York_Adds_Voice_To_Critics)
Protests in London over BBC's refusal to broadcast Gaza aid appeal
The early day motion - to be tabled tomorrow by Labour's Richard Burden - has so far received the support of 51 MPs from across the Commons.
The BBC is still standing firm on its decision not to show the advert for the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC).
But rival broadcasters ITV, Channel 4 and Five have now agreed to air it. Sky is still considering its position.
The Archbishop of York is the latest figure to add his voice to the string of politicians, including senior government ministers, urging the corporation to change its mind.
Dr John Sentamu added: "This is not a row about impartiality but rather about humanity.
"This situation is akin to that of British military hospitals who treat prisoners of war as a result of their duty under the Geneva convention. They do so because they identify need rather than cause.
"This is not an appeal by Hamas asking for arms but by the Disasters Emergency Committee asking for relief. By declining their request, the BBC has already taken sides and forsaken impartiality."
Yesterday, thousands of people demonstrated outside the BBC's Broadcasting House in London.
Burnham On The BBC Row
The DEC - an umbrella group for several major aid charities including the British Red Cross, Save the Children and Oxfam - wants the appeal to be broadcast on TV and radio from tomorrow.
It aims to raise millions of pounds for Gazans in need of food, medicines and shelter following Israel's three-week assault on the Palestinian territory.
The Charity Commission has repeated its call on the BBC to show the appeal, and also urged Sky to lend support.
BBC director general Mark Thompson says broadcasting the advert could compromise the impartiality of the BBC's reporting from Gaza.
He wrote in a BBC blog: "Inevitably an appeal would use pictures which are the same or similar to those we would be using in our news programmes.
"But would do so with the objective of encouraging public donations.
"The danger for the BBC is that this could be interpreted as taking a political stance on an ongoing story."
He also cited another reason for the decision as "concern about whether aid raised by the appeal could actually be delivered on the ground".
But his argument was dismissed as "completely feeble" by health minister Ben Bradshaw, while Communities Secretary Hazel Blears called on the BBC to review its decision.
Calls for the broadcast to be shown also came from Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and Scottish National Party leader Alex Salmond.
BBC Trust chairman Sir Michael Lyons voiced concern that comments made by politicians were coming close to "undue interference" in the BBC's editorial independence.
Source - SKY NEWS (http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/BBC-Resists-Pressure-Over-Gaza-Charity-Appeal-As-Archbishop-of-York-Adds-Voice-To-Critics/Article/200901415209883?lpos=UK_News_Carousel_Region_0&lid=ARTICLE_15209883_BBC_Resists_Pressure_Over_Gaza_Charity_Appeal_As_Archbishop_of_York_Adds_Voice_To_Critics)