Post by thales on Mar 7, 2007 10:04:02 GMT -1
Feck off BCI 
trocaire.org/
A MAJOR row erupted last night after the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI) banned commercial radio and TV stations from airing an advertisement for Trocaire's annual Lenten fundraising campaign.
The BCI decision has halted the aid agency's money drive in its tracks and will cost it millions in vital lost revenue.
Yesterday, the BCI emailed all broadcasting stations - except RTE, which is self regulating and is showing the advertisement - to inform them that the ad, which has been running for the past two weeks, was in breach of the Radio and Television Act prohibiting advertising "directed towards a political end".
Decision
Despite ordering the advertisements to be withdrawn, the BCI says it has still to make a final decision.
The controversial campaign, which cost the charity close to €1m to mount and raised €12m last year, centres on an online petition which Trocaire asks people to sign to urge the Irish government to implement UN resolution 1325. This relates to gender inequality, specifying that women should be protected in times of conflict.
"The BCI appears to believe that because our website address is in the ad, we are directing people to take political action," said a spokesperson for the organisation. The address was included so people could donate online or order a Trocaire box.
Trocaire's director Justin Kilcullen slammed the BCI for taking "an outrageously narrow interpretation of the law".
"I can't believe those who enacted the legislation would have wanted it aimed at charities," he told the Irish Independent.
"We are only two weeks into our Lenten Campaign, our major annual fundraiser, and the advertising is a key factor in its success.
"This ruling is extremely damaging and we will be making the strongest representation possible to the BCI."
In the Seanad, David Norris joined in the criticism, describing the ad "as the best I have heard". He said it was being removed for reasons of political correctness that were "absurd".
The regulating body was alerted to the Trocaire advertisement by Today FM, which contacted the BCI to check if it could be broadcast. Yesterday, the campaign also featured on Joe Duffy's RTE 'Liveline' programme, with a clash of opinions on the wording used.
It emerged the Trocaire advertisement is not the first from a charity organisation that the BCI has deemed "political".
Last year, Barnardos and the Irish Cancer Society had advertisements pulled up.
On the Duffy show yesterday Barnardos chief executive Fergus Finlay hit out at the BCI for failing to give reasons for deeming an ad "political" and the lack of an appeals process.
trocaire.org/
A MAJOR row erupted last night after the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI) banned commercial radio and TV stations from airing an advertisement for Trocaire's annual Lenten fundraising campaign.
The BCI decision has halted the aid agency's money drive in its tracks and will cost it millions in vital lost revenue.
Yesterday, the BCI emailed all broadcasting stations - except RTE, which is self regulating and is showing the advertisement - to inform them that the ad, which has been running for the past two weeks, was in breach of the Radio and Television Act prohibiting advertising "directed towards a political end".
Decision
Despite ordering the advertisements to be withdrawn, the BCI says it has still to make a final decision.
The controversial campaign, which cost the charity close to €1m to mount and raised €12m last year, centres on an online petition which Trocaire asks people to sign to urge the Irish government to implement UN resolution 1325. This relates to gender inequality, specifying that women should be protected in times of conflict.
"The BCI appears to believe that because our website address is in the ad, we are directing people to take political action," said a spokesperson for the organisation. The address was included so people could donate online or order a Trocaire box.
Trocaire's director Justin Kilcullen slammed the BCI for taking "an outrageously narrow interpretation of the law".
"I can't believe those who enacted the legislation would have wanted it aimed at charities," he told the Irish Independent.
"We are only two weeks into our Lenten Campaign, our major annual fundraiser, and the advertising is a key factor in its success.
"This ruling is extremely damaging and we will be making the strongest representation possible to the BCI."
In the Seanad, David Norris joined in the criticism, describing the ad "as the best I have heard". He said it was being removed for reasons of political correctness that were "absurd".
The regulating body was alerted to the Trocaire advertisement by Today FM, which contacted the BCI to check if it could be broadcast. Yesterday, the campaign also featured on Joe Duffy's RTE 'Liveline' programme, with a clash of opinions on the wording used.
It emerged the Trocaire advertisement is not the first from a charity organisation that the BCI has deemed "political".
Last year, Barnardos and the Irish Cancer Society had advertisements pulled up.
On the Duffy show yesterday Barnardos chief executive Fergus Finlay hit out at the BCI for failing to give reasons for deeming an ad "political" and the lack of an appeals process.
