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Meeting BBC and UTV re election broadcasts

Monday 3rd May 2004

The Socialist Environmental Alliance is to meet BBC and UTV executives on Thursday to discuss coverage of the European election campaign.

At the meeting in Broadcasting House, Belfast, SEA candidate Eamonn McCann will press his objection to plans by the broadcasters to give Party Election Broadcasts (PEBs) only to the four mainstream parties.

"I will be arguing that this is arbitrary, illogical and unfair," said Mr. McCann yesterday. "I will be asking the two broadcasters to think again."

This will be the second meeting between the SEA man and the broadcasters in an effort to thrash out arrangements for PEBs. Following the first meeting, on April 11th, the BBC's Chief Adviser on Editorial Policy, David Jordan, wrote to the SEA saying that the DUP, Sinn Fein, the Ulster Unionists and the SDLP had been allocated three PEBs each, but that the SEA didn't qualify for any.

In a statement yesterday, Eamonn McCann said: "This was based on performance in previous elections. But it represented a change from the way broadcasts had previously been allocated. At the Assembly election, the key factor was the number of seats each party was contesting. If the same criterion applied now, we'd all be treated equally, since, for European purposes, Northern Ireland is a single constituency.

"The proposals presently on the table would mean that the four mainstream parties would beam 12 party political broadcasts to voters between them. Nobody else would get a look-in. This can't be right.

"PEBs amount to election material being delivered to every home in the constituency. The Post Office does this with regard to printed material, and there's no question there of parties being treated differently. I say the say the same should apply here.

"I will also argue on Thursday that the BBC and UTV will not be fulfilling their public service remit if they persist with the proposed arrangements. Part of that remit consists of enabling the public to consider the range of arguments and ideas on offer in the election. That can't be done unless each candidate has a chance to put their policies across.

"I am pleased that the BBC and UTV have agreed to meet with us again. I thank Mr. Jordan for travelling from London a second time to discuss the problem. I am assuming that this means the minds of the broadcasters are not closed, and I am hopeful that we will sort this thing out on Thursday. On our side, we have no wish to have to pursue the issue through other means in the relatively short time before polling day."





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