DURING the Northern Ireland troubles the BBC refused to broadcast the voices of Republican politicians while allowing normal coverage of their Unionist opponents. No worries then about impartiality. Again during the miners’ strike of 1984 a BBC cameraman filmed the police attacking a peaceful picket and the miners’ response throwing stones. The sequence was reversed in the news broadcast to give the impression that the police were merely responding to an attack by miners. Presumably that also did not offend its rule of impartiality. There have been many examples over the years of the Corporation’s servility to big business, the establishment and of course to government. Their shameful capitulation to government bullying over the David Kelly affair, for example, marked an all time low for the reputation that they are so keen to defend.

It is utter nonsense for the BBC to suggest that broadcasting a humanitarian appeal on behalf of universally respected aid agencies like the Red Cross and Oxfam could damage their so-called reputation. In fact their refusal to run the DEC appeal for Gaza, suggests quite the opposite. It would appear that the BBC is opposed to showing any compassion to the suffering of the Palestinian people for fear of offending the Israeli government and their lobbyists around the world, perhaps even in the BBC itself.

R W BANISTER

Adwalton Close

Freshbrook

Swindon