Galloway found in breach of broadcast rules

[faceless]

Galloway found in breach
radiotoday.co.uk
21st June 2009

Media regulator Ofcom have found talkSPORT’s George Galloway show in breach after he encouraged listeners to attend a demonstration against the Israeli offensive against what it perceived to be Hamas forces based on the Gaza strip.

Galloway, the Respect Party MP has made no attempt to hide his anti-Israel bias and a series of shows aired in November and throughout December last year drew fourteen complaints objecting to the MP’s stance. These complaints included objections to Galloway’s calls for people to attend demonstrations against Israeli’s actions in London and elsewhere.

In its defence, talkSPORT argued, among other points, that the Israeli government’s actions in December 2008/January 2009 were condemned by the majority of the international community and that the situation in Gaza deteriorated to such an extent that it was regarded as a humanitarian crisis. In its view the nature of this subject had a very real bearing on the approach to due impartiality in this case. It also pointed out the nature of the show and the network itself; both built on a passionate exchange of views that are sometimes combative, or emotive and sometimes both.

Making their decision, the media regulator recognized that the issue of Gaza was a “matter of major political controversy” and that Galloway makes no bones about his take on the situation in Gaza, even going so far as to quote the presenter: “I am not impartial on this subject, nor can I be…” Though, Ofcom did also stipulate that on Galloway’s show on 2 January 2009 he said: “You’re welcome whatever your point of view but you’re especially welcome if you disagree with me…”

Finally concluding that, ‘there was an appropriately wide range of significant views aired on the station and on George Galloway during the period to which these complaints related. However, in encouraging listeners to attend demonstrations with details of dates, times and locations, the programme moved away from legitimate debate and started to campaign on a major matter of controversy resulting in a breach of Rule 5.11.’

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12 complaints in a year? He's not trying hard enough!

[faceless]

[luke]

this must have been why he seemed to suddenly stop talking so much about israel/palestine

i don't like the way they keep using the term 'anti-israel' galloway's not against the state of israel, he's not anti israeli - he's against the policies of israel in the territories they illegally occupy. 'anti occupation' would surely be a better term?

[faceless]

yeah, that 'anti-Israel' line caught my eye too. Of course, if you're not with them you're against them...

[faceless]

I've had two comments deleted from that Guardian comment page. Apparently it's unacceptable to say that the IDF are mass murderers. It seems they are scared of upsetting people with the truth.

Just what you want from a newspaper.

[modern]

[luke]

[modern]

I think they may look at me like I'm some alien if I asked for it!

[faceless]

They received four complaints and yet went to the bother of an investigation? Bias is as bias does (or something like that).

[modern]

Whatever happened to free-speech??

[faceless]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8182361.stm

The BBC decided to say 'some' people complained rather than stating that it was just four (at least according to the previous report). This suggests that they realised it was a frivolous and wanted to make it sound more important than it is.

[Brown Sauce]

makes me wonder just how careful George is being @ talksport ..

[faceless]

Watchdog criticises TalkSport over George Galloway contest
Media regulator Ofcom summons talk station for meeting after entries to phone and text competition were missed or ignored
John Plunkett
guardian.co.uk,
26 April 2010

TalkSport has been criticised by media regulator Ofcom after a competition on the talk station's George Galloway show was ruled to have been conducted unfairly. The UTV-owned station has been summoned to a meeting with Ofcom to discuss its compliance policy after a listener complaint revealed problems with the competition to win a copy of Galloway's book, The Fidel Castro Handbook.

Ofcom said it was "concerned" that listener entries to the phone-in and premium rate text message competition had been missed or ignored. The winning entry was read out on air at 12.50am but an Ofcom investigation revealed that several listeners had already phoned in or texted with the correct answer. The prize was later given to a second listener because the winner had won the prize the previous week.

TalkSport said the feature was not intended to be a "formal competition". But Ofcom responded that "broadcast competitions are features in which the audience is invited to enter by any means for the opportunity to win any prize, irrespective of its value".

The regulator said it was "concerned at the apparently casual way in which entries submitted by text message and email were checked". A further five clues and solicits to enter the competition were broadcast by TalkSport "after a winning answer had been submitted", Ofcom added. "Ofcom was particularly concerned about the financial detriment suffered by entrants, the scale of which was unclear," the regulator said.

"In addition, Ofcom was disappointed that TalkSport did not appear to intend providing a refund procedure for reimbursement of those entrants who had been affected. Ofcom found no evidence that TalkSport sought to mislead listeners deliberately. Nevertheless, it appeared to us that there were insufficient procedures in place to ensure the competition's compliance with rule 2.11 [on the conduct of fair competitions].

"We are particularly concerned with TalkSport's view that the promotion and operation of this competition raised no compliance issues. Ofcom is therefore requiring the licensee to attend a meeting to discuss its compliance procedures in relation to the conduct of listener competitions."

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I remember that incident - it was made clear that it wasn't an official competition. I wonder who complained though? Who would enter a competition for a George Galloway book if they're the sort of whinging muppet who'd complain to Ofcom about such a trivial matter?

However it plays out, the only person responsible is the producer for allowing it to be broadcast. It's not as if they've not cut him off in the past...

[modern]

You can bet this was someone with an axe to grind with George. A person who can not stand his views, who just listened in to the show to find one little nit-picking issue, so they could complain to OFCOM about.