BBC self censoring Frozen Planet for the American market?

Remember back in 2007, when it turned out the Dutch broadcaster which put out David Attenborough’s Life of Mammals had removed all traces of evolution from the series? That at least had been done behind the BBC’s back, without their or Attenborough’s consent. Not so for Attenborough’s latest series, Frozen Planet, where the BBC allegedly has started to self censor by selling it abroad without the episode on climate change:

British viewers will see seven episodes, the last of which deals with global warming and the threat to the natural world posed by man.

However, viewers in other countries, including the United States, will only see six episodes.

The environmental programme has been relegated by the BBC to an “optional extra” alongside a behind-the-scenes documentary which foreign networks can ignore.

[…]

Over 30 networks across the world have bought the series but a third of them have rejected the choice of the additional two episodes, including the one on climate change.

[…]

Viewers in the United States, where climate change sceptics are particularly strong group, will not see the full episode.

Instead, the BBC said that Discovery, which shows the series in the US, had a “scheduling issue so only had slots for six episodes”, so “elements” of the climate change episode would be incorporated into their final show, with editorial assistance from the Corporation.

Shocking though not surprising to see such cowardice from the BBC. Money is again more important than truth.

No Comments

Post a Comment