[cma-l] Climate Radio replies to CMA debate

[Alan Coote]

Alex, very well put.

Alan
Alan Coote
Managing Director
5 Digital Limited

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From:  "tlr at gairloch.co.uk" <tlr at gairloch.co.uk>
Organization:  Wester Ross Radio Ltd
Date:  Monday, 2 March 2015 10:42
To:  "Resonance104.4fm" <info at resonancefm.com>, "cma-l at commedia.org.uk"
<cma-l at commedia.org.uk>
Subject:  Re: [cma-l] Climate Radio replies to CMA debate

Phil
 
I do hope your programmes get the airing they deserve, but...
 
...to avoid anyone getting the wrong idea, I think it ought to be pointed
out that contrary to your suggestion, the requirements of the law and the
Broadcasting Code's section on due impartiality definitely are not
restricted to news coverage.
 
To be sure there are much stricter requirements on news, in that it the code
requires all news content to have due impartiality, whereas for general
programming it is only mandated for matters of public policy or controversy.
Additionally, the law prohibits radio stations from editorially seeking to
influence the decisions of statutory bodies (except where they directly and
specifically affect the radio station itself).
 
Ofcom's interpretation of the law is set out here:
http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/broadcasting/broadcast-codes/broadcast-code
/impartiality/. As you will see, rules 5.1 to 5.3 do apply to news only, but
the broader rules 5.4 to 5.12 apply to all programming.
 
I guess it comes down to a decision as to whether you consider action
against climate change a matter of political controversy and/or public
policy, but from Ofcom's definition it's hard to see how it could be
anything other than that. From the above document:
 
-----------
Meaning of "matters of political or industrial controversy and matters
relating to current public policy":
Matters of political or industrial controversy are political or industrial
issues on which politicians, industry and/or the media are in debate.
Matters relating to current public policy need not be the subject of debate
but relate to a policy under discussion or already decided by a local,
regional or national government or by bodies mandated by those public bodies
to make policy on their behalf, for example non-governmental organisations,
relevant European institutions, etc.
-------------
 
I guess para 5.9 is the most relevant here:
 
-------------
...presenters of "personal view" or "authored" programmes or items, and
chairs of discussion programmes may express their own views on matters of
political or industrial controversy or matters relating to current public
policy. However, alternative viewpoints must be adequately represented
either in the programme, or in a series of programmes taken as a whole.
Additionally, presenters must not use the advantage of regular appearances
to promote their views in a way that compromises the requirement for due
impartiality
-------------
 
I guess stations could take the view that on the subject of climate change a
fleeting mention of climate change denial is adequate representation of it,
since it seems so utterly refuted by the scientific evidence, but that still
leaves the question of whether a prgramme can support a specific line of
stautory action on a matter of controversy (ie the controversy is over how
it should be tackled, not whether it should be tackled).
 
As I said, personally I applaud the programmes, but I think we all need to
be aware of the decision we are/would be taking in broadcasting them, and be
ready to defend the decisions robustly if challenged.
 
Alex
 
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