Wednesday, September 05, 2007
PLANET RELIEVED
Inasmuch as it’s been switched off, this cancelled show has achieved its aim:
The BBC has scrapped plans for Planet Relief, a TV special on climate change ...
The decision comes after some senior executives expressed concern that the programme concept might breach impartiality guidelines.
Celebrities such as Ricky Gervais were said to be interested in presenting the show, which would have involved viewers in a mass “switch-off” to save energy.
The likelihood of viewers “switching off” may have influenced the BBC:
Poor ratings in the UK and elsewhere for July’s Live Earth concert fuelled the internal belief that the public do not like being “lectured to” on climate change.
Via Jonathan A., who emails: “I’d certainly be participating in a switch-off. As soon as the programme came on.” A similar development is noted in Australia by Paul Wright:
There are signs of an outbreak of common sense at the ABC, or perhaps they are just sensing a change in the wind.
On the midday ABC radio news Wednesday, in an item on the damage done to Central America by recent hurricanes, the newsreader informed us that “many scientists see a link between global warming and the frequency of hurricanes, but there is as yet no consensus."
Up is down, black is white! Look out for the rain of toads!
Not likely, Paul. Global warmening kills toads.