BBC & UTV ride to the rescue of Stormont parties
24 March 2010
TUV Leader Jim Allister QC has hit out at the bias and discrimination intended by BBC and UTV in their pre-election coverage.
In a statement Mr Allister said:-
“When BBC and UTV embraced discrimination against me in the European election, by restricting me to only one Party Election Broadcast, while others were given three, they promised that future allocations would reflect the outcome of the Euro poll. Now, they have welched on that promise and reverted to discriminatory form against TUV.
“Though TUV commanded 14% popular support, with the SDLP on 16%, UUP on 17% and DUP on 18%, we are to be restricted to 2 PEBs, while other parties get 4. Indeed the Alliance Party, with its 5.5%, is also to get 2 broadcasts. No matter what way one objectively looks at this the conclusion of deliberate discrimination against TUV is unavoidable.
“The bias and discrimination is obvious, so too, I fear, is the reason. The Traditional Unionist message is one both UTV and BBC wish to suppress, no doubt encouraged by their political masters, who recently showed their bile and agenda through fantasy polling on policing and justice.
“Now, to compound their attempts to swing the election in favour of the status quo both BBC and UTV intend to try and exclude TUV from the Leaders’ debate. The debate within Unionism is a key component of this election, yet BBC and UTV have conspired to prevent the party which represents one third of Unionists from having an equal say and confronting in debate those who in the last election promised mandatory coalition was ‘out of the question’ but then gave us terrorists in government.
Giving four party leaders special, extended and prime exposure, while deliberately excluding another, is patently about trying to massage public opinion and suppress dissent from those who dare to reject terrorists in government. And, in particular, it is about giving a wounded DUP the advantage of attacking their critics in their absence and without TUV having a right of reply.
“The DUP may run and the BBC and UTV may conspire to hide them, but at the polls there will be no hiding place from the spectacular betrayal of their past pledges.”
