Five pulls BNP broadcast
Five has announced that they are cancelling a scheduled election broadcast from the British National Party (BNP).
A spokesman for the channel said: “Having viewed the European Parliamentary Election Broadcast submitted by the BNP, Five has taken the decision not to transmit it as we feel it is likely to stir up racial hatred, as prohibited by the existing Programme Code.”
The cancelled broadcast featured a mother who claimed her teenage daughter was drugged and gang raped by Asian men in West Yorkshire.
The broadcast was based on claims made in a Channel Four documentary that gangs of Asian men in Bradford were grooming under age white girls for sex.
However Channel Four decided not to screen the documentary before the June 10th elections following a request from the police.
West Yorkshire Police said they felt there was a real possibility of community disorder if the film was shown, and said both white and Asian men had been arrested in the course of related investigations.
The editor of Asians in Media, Sunny Hundal, said he welcomed Five’s decision.
Mr Hundal said: “It was outrageous that it was cleared in the first place. All the broadcasters have a responsibility not to inflame race relations across the UK.
“I am not for excessive censorship. The BNP should have rights regarding freedom of speech in the same way that fanatics from the Asian community do. But this isn’t simply about censorship. The BNP is using an issue in a very one-sided way to stoke up more tension and paranoia.
The cancelled broadcast was one of five due to be shown on terrestrial television this weekend.
The most high profile BNP broadcast is due to be screened on the BBC at 19:00 BST on Friday.
The broadcasting journalists union BECTU has organised a demonstration outside BBC offices in London, Manchester and Cardiff at 17:00 BST on Friday to protest against the decision to transmit the broadcast.
BECTU assistant general secretary Gerry Morrissey said: “Channel 5’s decision has shown that our protests outside BBC premises today are fully justified.”
“We call on all broadcasters to follow suit, and withdraw the BNP broadcasts scheduled for tonight. There can be no doubt now that they are aimed at stirring up racial tension.”
