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27/01/2009
Millions Watch 'Banned' Gaza Aid Appeal
It has emerged that more than 4.5 million people watched an emergency appeal for aid in Gazza last night, even though neither the BBC nor Sky News showed the charity plea.
The BBC and Sky chose not to air the three-minute appeal because they feared it would cloud their impartiality, but ITV, Channel 4 and Five all decided to screen it.
Media sources revealed that ITV1 was the first to air it at 6.25pm, when 3.7m watched it just before the channel's early evening news bulletin. It then went out at 7.26pm on Five, when 334,000 watched it, and at 7.50pm on C4, when 527,000 saw the appeal.
Locally, the BBC's decision to 'ban' the appeal for victims of the Gaza conflict was slammed as "unjustified". Sinn Féin MLA Carál Ní Chuilín (pictured) said yesterday that the BBC should have reversed its decision not to broadcast the 'Disasters Emergency Appeal' which called for aid to help redress the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Ms Ní Chuilín, who represents the party in the Oldpark electoral area on Belfast City Council, said: "After 18 months of a blockade and closure, followed by a three-week intense military campaign by Israel, which resulted in over 1,300 dead and thousands injured and made homeless, humanitarian, aid is urgently needed
"The Disasters Emergency Committee, an umbrella organisation for 13 aid charities including the Red Cross, Save the Children, Concern and Oxfam, has launched an appeal for such aid," she continued.
"The decision by the BBC to refuse to broadcast this appeal is completely unacceptable and cannot be justified," she said, noting that similar appeals have recently been broadcast on the BBC raising £10m for the Congo and £18m for Burma.
"What then is different about the humanitarian crisis affecting Palestinians in Gaza?" she said, underlining that other stations including ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 will air this appeal.
Sky News announced yesterday that it was joining the BBC in banning the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) appeal. John Ryley, Head of Sky News said: "The conflict in Gaza forms part of one of the most challenging and contentious stories for any news organisation to cover.
"Our commitment as journalists is to cover all sides of that story with uncompromising objectivity."
See: Sky News Joins BBC In Gaza Appeal Ban
(BMcC/JM)
The BBC and Sky chose not to air the three-minute appeal because they feared it would cloud their impartiality, but ITV, Channel 4 and Five all decided to screen it.
Media sources revealed that ITV1 was the first to air it at 6.25pm, when 3.7m watched it just before the channel's early evening news bulletin. It then went out at 7.26pm on Five, when 334,000 watched it, and at 7.50pm on C4, when 527,000 saw the appeal.
Locally, the BBC's decision to 'ban' the appeal for victims of the Gaza conflict was slammed as "unjustified". Sinn Féin MLA Carál Ní Chuilín (pictured) said yesterday that the BBC should have reversed its decision not to broadcast the 'Disasters Emergency Appeal' which called for aid to help redress the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Ms Ní Chuilín, who represents the party in the Oldpark electoral area on Belfast City Council, said: "After 18 months of a blockade and closure, followed by a three-week intense military campaign by Israel, which resulted in over 1,300 dead and thousands injured and made homeless, humanitarian, aid is urgently needed
"The Disasters Emergency Committee, an umbrella organisation for 13 aid charities including the Red Cross, Save the Children, Concern and Oxfam, has launched an appeal for such aid," she continued.
"The decision by the BBC to refuse to broadcast this appeal is completely unacceptable and cannot be justified," she said, noting that similar appeals have recently been broadcast on the BBC raising £10m for the Congo and £18m for Burma.
"What then is different about the humanitarian crisis affecting Palestinians in Gaza?" she said, underlining that other stations including ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 will air this appeal.
Sky News announced yesterday that it was joining the BBC in banning the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) appeal. John Ryley, Head of Sky News said: "The conflict in Gaza forms part of one of the most challenging and contentious stories for any news organisation to cover.
"Our commitment as journalists is to cover all sides of that story with uncompromising objectivity."
See: Sky News Joins BBC In Gaza Appeal Ban
(BMcC/JM)
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