Midwest Radio censors ‘Rossport 5’ advertisement

AFRI, Action From Ireland
 
 Press Announcement: 14-05-09
 Afri, 134 Phibsborough Road, Dublin 7, Ireland.
 Tel: +353 (0)1 882 7563/7581 Fax: +353 (0)1 882 7576
 e-mail: [email protected]  web: www.afri.ie <http://www.afri.ie>
 
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Midwest Radio censors ‘Rossport 5’ advertisement
 
Midwest radio has refused to run an advertisement that included the term ‘Rossport 5’, describing the name as ‘politically inciting’. The 15 second advertisement, the exact same text of which is being run by RTE, is promoting an Afri fundraising event on Sunday 17th May in aid of the Rossport community.
 
The event features a number of high profile artists including Christy Moore, Booker Prize winner Anne Enright, Dermot Healy, and Vincent McGrath and Willie Corduff of the ‘Rossport 5’, who were imprisoned for 94 days in 2005 for their opposition to the Shell-led Corrib Gas project. Midwest Radio apparently believes that even to mention the name of the Rossport group, a name regularly used even by opponents of the group, is unacceptable.
 
Afri described the decision by Midwest Radio as a blatant act of censorship and questioned the station’s impartiality vis-a-vis the Corrib Gas conflict. “Would an advertisement paid for by Shell and referring to Shell’s claimed environmental record, for example, be considered to be ‘politically inciting’ and pulled from the schedule?”, asked Afri co-ordinator Joe Murray.
 
 As part of the May 17th event, Mr Corduff will tell the story of his being beaten up in the Shell compound in Glengad and hospitalised while he was taking part in a peaceful protest last month.  “This is another worrying insight into the media which, with very rare exceptions, has also refused to report the beating up of Willie Corduff by sinister forces in the Shell compound in Glengad” said Afri Chairperson, Andy Storey. 
 
 Further information from Afri 01 8827563  Joe Murray 086 3946893 or Andy Storey 0876543872 
 
 ENDS
 
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 MID WEST RADIO
 Midwest Radio 96.1fm | Clare St, Ballyhaunis, Co. Mayo, Ireland
 Tel: +00353 (0) 818 300055 | Fax: +00353 (0) 9496 30285 | Email:
 [email protected]

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 BACKGROUND INFO AND VIDEOS
 
 Goldman International Prize: info + video on Willie Corduff
 
 http://www.goldmanprize.org/node/605

 Willie Corduff on BBC World: + video
 
 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/hardtalk/6960111.stm

 Willie Corduff on Late Late show
 
 http://www.rte.ie/tv/latelate/20050930.html

 Independent background report on Corrib gas
 
 http://www.publicinquiry.ie/reports.php#ld197

 Attack on campaigner coverage to date:
 
 http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/0424/1224245293902.html 

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