The wording of a radio advert asking Christians whether they feel marginalised – which was banned from being aired on a Christian radio station – has been published in a national newspaper.
The full page spread in The Daily Telegraph was printed the day after the Court of Appeal upheld a ban on the radio advert which was intended for broadcast on Premier Christian Radio three years ago.
The full page advert in The Telegraph stated: “Premier Christian Radio believes this is a bad day for democracy and a very bad day for everyone’s Freedom of Speech.”
Banned
“Christians have been banned from giving their opinion. You could be next”, the broadcaster declared in the newspaper advert.
It quotes in print the full 30 second banned radio advert which was due to be aired at the time of the last general election.
The original radio advert would have said: “We are CCP. Surveys have shown that over 60% of active Christians consider that Christians are being increasingly marginalised in the work place.
“We are concerned to get the most accurate data to inform the public debate. We will use this data to help make a fairer society. Please visit CCPmagazines.co.uk and report your experiences.”
Political
But the Radio Advertising Clearance Centre stopped it from being broadcast, claiming that it was “directed to a political end”.
The Master of the Rolls, Lord Dyson, said in his decision that the advert was “directed to the political end of making a fairer society”, which is against broadcasting law.
Peter Kerridge, CEO of Premier Christian Radio, says there is no good reason for the Court of Appeal to have upheld the ban.
Freedom
He said: “This would suggest that any radio advertisement calling for data to inform public debate to help a fairer society would also be banned.”
He added: “The public interest cannot be best served by preventing people from gaining information and we believe that such a ban represents an attack on freedom of speech for everyone.”