B.B.C. replies to criticism over programme

Press, 30 July 1985, Page 10

B.B.C. replies to criticism over programme

NZPA-PA London The British Broadcasting Corporation yesterday hit back at an attack by the Prime Minister, Mrs Thatcher, on its plans to screen an interview with the alleged I.R.A. Chief-of-Staff, Martin McGuinness. The corporation’s head of documentary features, Will Wyatt, said the programme in which the interview featured was “careful, thoughtful and informative” and “not supportive of terrorists.” As the 8.8. C. defended the programme, due to be screened on Wednesday next week, it was disclosed that the Home Secretary, Mr Brittan, was to ask the corporation for details of the production. The programme has angered Mrs Thatcher, who has said terrorists should be starved of the “oxygen of publicity.” She said in Washington last week that she would

“condemn utterly” any broacasting organisation which ran a lengthy profile of someone like Mr McGuinness. The 45-minute documentary, called “At the Edge of Union,” compares and contrasts Mr McGuinness, a Sinn Fein member of the Northern Ireland Assembly, and a leading Loyalist Assembly member, Gregory Campbell. In the programme, Mr McGuinness says he believes there will only be peace in Ireland if the British withdraw. Mr Campbell says he believes that a British withdrawal would result in “horrendous bloodshed,” with the slaughter of thousands of Protestants and Catholics. Mr Wyatt said yesterday that the programme, which took three months to produce, contained “no clandestine filming.”