# Both the BBC and SKY broadcast in Israel – is this the reason for their appalling decision not to broadcast the DEC appeal? - Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2009/01/27/both-bbc-and-sky-broadcast-israel-reason-their-appalling-decision-not-broadcast-dec-appeal/ - Published: 2009-01-27T18:50:11+00:00 - Author: John Baguley Far from being impartial it looks suspiciously like both the BBC and SKY have knuckled under to commercial considerations as they are reported by the Guardian to have had trouble in the past in Israel with threats to expel their journalists. The BBC is far richer than Sky and would be in a much better position to take a stand. http://www.dec.org.uk/ The impartiality excuse makes absolutely no sense and has brought that august institution into disrepute. Throughout today the BBC officials have squirmed on air under questioning by their own journalists and failed to offer a robust defence of their prevention of the airing of this humanitarian appeal. Will they be shamed into changing their minds? ## Advertisement [⌊Posthub advert. You create the campaign. We'll handle the postal journey. Get started at post-hub.co.uk.⌉](https://fundraising.co.uk/ads/posthub-20261007-300x250/) It is sad to see that after the prevention of journalists reporting the devastation of Gaza we enter an age of self-imposed gagging and for an appeal to help those suffering! [⌊Let Gaza Live!⌉](http://www.flickr.com/photos/jennvaca/3175085773) John Baguley www.internationalfundrsaisingconsultancy.com * **[Looking for free expert fundraising advice, but can’t make it to First Friday in London just go online…](https://fundraising.co.uk/2009/02/05/looking-free-expert-fundraising-advice-cant-make-it-first-friday-london-just-go-online/)**( 5 February 2009) * **[A single child dies…](https://fundraising.co.uk/2009/02/28/single-child-dies/)**( 28 February 2009) * **[Why are people cancelling direct debits in this recession?](https://fundraising.co.uk/2009/03/30/why-are-people-cancelling-direct-debits-recession/)**( 30 March 2009) ## Comments ### By: ianmacquillin - Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2009/01/27/both-bbc-and-sky-broadcast-israel-reason-their-appalling-decision-not-broadcast-dec-appeal/#comment-3510 - Published: 2009-01-29T10:26:10+00:00 The DEC appeal has got far more coverage and more people are talking about it than if the BBC had simply broadcast it without any fuss. I’d like to see an analysis of this appeal – such as call volumes/hits to website following coverage on news programmes about the ban and whether this is higher than following a straight appeal broadcast; and of, course, how average donations compare to previous appeals. It will be interesting to see whether BBC’s and SKY’s non-airing of the appeal has actually uplifted the response. ### By: admin - Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2009/01/27/both-bbc-and-sky-broadcast-israel-reason-their-appalling-decision-not-broadcast-dec-appeal/#comment-3511 - Published: 2009-01-29T22:47:57+00:00 I too would like to see such an analysis. I would hope the DEC would share this in due course, given the unusual nature of this appeal’s launch ie. a launch but not TV and radio appeal for the first four days. Without knowing the stats, I’d take a guess that the appeal has been hampered by the lack of TV appeal. Four days on and the total was just £600,000. I think (but don’t know) that other similar DEC appeals have raised more in that time. My assumption is therefore that the extensive publicity has not been converted into donations, unless you can claim that the extensive publicity has been the only reason people have given, in the absence of the traditional TV appeal. The DEC are on record though as saying that the near doubling overnight of income following the eventual broadcasting of the appeal on some channels (not BBC and Sky) was down to the impact of the TV broadcast appeal. DEC appeals usually last for two weeks, according to their website, although donations are accepted for a further nine months. The two-week figure is presumably based on the likelihood of the crisis remaining newsworthy. I wonder if this appeal will run for the full two weeks after the TV broadcast, or for the two weeks after the appeal was launched. If the former, then by the DEC’s own definition, it will be running beyond the likely newsworthiness of the appeal.