VICTIMS' GROUP TO COMPLAIN OVER OMAGH PROGRAMME
Victims' group to complain over Omagh programme
By Dan McGinn
PARTICIPANTS in a live programme broadcast on ITV in the immediate aftermath of the Omagh bomb are to make an official complaint to broadcasting chiefs.
Victims' support group Aftermath International Northern Ireland, which is investigating Carlton Television's Thursday Night Live' programme, today revealed it is to complain to the Independent Television Commission.
Participants in the live discussion programme, hosted by Nicky Campbell, were outraged at their treatment on the show which cut between studio audiences in Omagh and London.
Karen McBride, director of Aftermath International Northern Ireland, said their investigation was compiling evidence on how the programme was planned, what participants were told about the show and what they encountered in the studio.
And she revealed that when their interviews with participants on the programme are completed, a complaint could also be made to the Broadcasting Standards Commission.
"We are not trying to take away from the sensitive handling of the Omagh bombing by most of the media - especially the media in Ulster - with this investigation.
"If anything, we want lessons to be learned from Thursday Night Live's programme which attracted about a 1,000 complaints to the ITV network. "Carlton's programme wanted to make an impact in the aftermath of the Omagh bomb. The only thing was it made the wrong sort of impact."
One of Aftermath International's first meetings was at Stormont this week with the DUP's Oliver Gibson who lost a neice in the bombing.
A spokesman for the programme makers would not comment on Aftermath International's intention to raise complaints about the ITV show with the ITC or the Broadcasting Standards Commission, saying it would only respond in the event of a ruling.
But he revealed Carlton's chief executive was aware of Aftermath International's investigation and had written to all the participants in the programme 'explaining what happened."
By Dan McGinn
PARTICIPANTS in a live programme broadcast on ITV in the immediate aftermath of the Omagh bomb are to make an official complaint to broadcasting chiefs.
Victims' support group Aftermath International Northern Ireland, which is investigating Carlton Television's Thursday Night Live' programme, today revealed it is to complain to the Independent Television Commission.
Participants in the live discussion programme, hosted by Nicky Campbell, were outraged at their treatment on the show which cut between studio audiences in Omagh and London.
Karen McBride, director of Aftermath International Northern Ireland, said their investigation was compiling evidence on how the programme was planned, what participants were told about the show and what they encountered in the studio.
And she revealed that when their interviews with participants on the programme are completed, a complaint could also be made to the Broadcasting Standards Commission.
"We are not trying to take away from the sensitive handling of the Omagh bombing by most of the media - especially the media in Ulster - with this investigation.
"If anything, we want lessons to be learned from Thursday Night Live's programme which attracted about a 1,000 complaints to the ITV network. "Carlton's programme wanted to make an impact in the aftermath of the Omagh bomb. The only thing was it made the wrong sort of impact."
One of Aftermath International's first meetings was at Stormont this week with the DUP's Oliver Gibson who lost a neice in the bombing.
A spokesman for the programme makers would not comment on Aftermath International's intention to raise complaints about the ITV show with the ITC or the Broadcasting Standards Commission, saying it would only respond in the event of a ruling.
But he revealed Carlton's chief executive was aware of Aftermath International's investigation and had written to all the participants in the programme 'explaining what happened."
Further Information
Publisher: BELFAST TELEGRAPH
Ref: BT/0670
Published Date: 29-Sep-98
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