BNP told to cut TV broadcast

Exclusive - By Calum Macdonald | Thursday, 27 May 2004 Source: Daily Record

TELLY bosses last night ordered the BNP to make cuts to a Scottish broadcast amid fears it could scupper a high-profile murder trial.

The extremist right-wing party tried to make political capital from the recent death of a 15-year-old boy in Glasgow.

The BNP had planned to feature it in an election broadcast tonight.

But the BBC and Scottish TV ordered them to edit out the section or the five minute film would not be aired.

Two men are in custody awaiting trial for murder and warrants have been issued for the arrest of two more.

The BNP wanted to use the teenager's death to 'illustrate the failure of multi-culturalism'.

Legal advisers warned that if the details of the case were aired, any later trial could be scuppered. No further details of the allegations can be printed in the Daily Record for the same reasons.

BBC Scotland will show a revised broadcast for Nick Griffin's racists without mention of the murder case at 6.55pm today.

Scottish TV are scheduled to show the European election address at 11pm.

But a decision on whether it will go ahead will not be made until TV executives meet BNP representatives today.

A Scottish TV spokesman said: 'We have a responsibility to ensure anything we broadcast complies with our licence conditions.

'We do have some concerns about the proposed content of the BNP's broadcast and we're discussing these with the BNP.

'A decision will not be made until on the day.' BNP Scottish organiser Kenny Smith said: 'We were asked to take the reference to the murder case out and we agreed to do this.

'As I understand it, Scottish TV have the revised copy and they are showing it.'

The TV technicians' union have said their members have the right to refuse to take part in airing the BNP broadcast.

BECTU are supporting rallies against the BNP broadcast outside BBC buildings in London, Manchester and Cardiff.

But a BBC Scotland spokeswoman said she was unaware of any staff objections.

Royal Mail workers who refused to handle BNP election literature received the backing of both their union and their employers earlier this week.

But Royal Mail said all BNP leaflets will be delivered.