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The Long Man of Wilmington

Government response to Long Man petition

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Cursuswalker C
Cursuswalker Oct 17, 2007 08:59:00

http://www.number-10.gov.uk/output/Page13287.asp

The Government understands your concerns. However, whether or not to broadcast this programme is a matter for ITV. Under our broadcasting arrangements, responsibility for what is broadcast on television and radio rests with the broadcasters and the organisations which regulate broadcasting - the Office of Communications (Ofcom)(new window), the Governors of the BBC and the Welsh Fourth Channel Authority (S4C). They are independent of the Government and responsible for safeguarding the public interest in broadcasting. The regulatory bodies set out the rules and guidance with which broadcasters must comply.

Within this framework, it is the broadcasters' job to make judgements about what individual programmes should contain and the time at which they are broadcast. It is a long-standing principle that the Government does not interfere in programme matters, either on arrangements for scheduling or on content.

Neither the Government nor the regulators "pre-censor" programmes. Ofcom could not take a view about the acceptability of a programme on the basis of speculation, but only once it had been broadcast. It remains important to retain this principle even in sensitive cases and therefore Ofcom will act only if the programme as ultimately broadcast breaches their regulatory code. Among other things they would take into account any public reaction at the time.

If the programme as ultimately broadcast is offensive it is important that those offended make their views known to the broadcaster in question and Ofcom.
http://www.number-10.gov.uk/output/Page13287.asp

W wysefool
wysefool Oct 18, 2007 07:56:22
Replying to Cursuswalker

Hiya CW,

Guess i feel for the white horse at uffington as passionately as you do for the long man. Mucking around with hill figures/ancient monuments for the purpose of TV entertainment/protest has always seemed to me...... well, like an easy option. These pieces of our heritage are so iconic and instantly recognisable, that they offer a 'quick fix solution' to the programme makers. How they get permission amazes me and the delicate nature of these areas is all too often overlooked.

I don't think many people understand that to some other fellow members of the community we call Britain, these places have a very very special meaning. The general public don't recognise any heathen type belief system as anything other than 'a bit wacky'. (these are the people who probably don't have any belief system at all!). I think someone's beliefs should be respected, and i would treat a druid with the same religious tolerance as a christian or muslim. Getting the general public to recognise that some of these places are as relevant to us peeps as the temples and churches of other beliefs, seems to be an uphill struggle ('scuse the pun). But so be it.

It is better to fight, than not, and i'm just glad that there are peeps like yourself who take the time and spend the energy to fight these things and bring it to the attention of a wider audience. If not, then it all get trampled on and will never be there for future generations to marvel at. Keep protesting, Keep going and keep off the chalk hill figures....

WF x

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