CAMPO DE GIBRALTAR
The programme on air pollution in the Campo de Gibraltar that we announced on Monday (two items down) was supposed to be broadcast on Monday was substituted by an old one after the state-owned television station received a phone call from CEPSA, the company that owns the refinery that is considered to be the main pollutant (photo). A report on periodismohumano, an 'alternative media', gives the full story, which we have translated/summarized below. There is definitely something very smelly goping on. See for yourself:>
The subject has run into problems before. Two years ago, Mercedes Milá, who is considered a tough reporter at the best of times, had a programme suspended after ten days of trailers and announcements on Telecinco. At the time the programme was due to be shown, a sign went up announcing 'technical problems' and a repeat of a series was shown instead. It was shown about six weeks later, after Milá had expressed herself very vehemently. If you click here (http://www.diariode.telecinco.es/dn_98.htm), you will get a written report on the programme but all related links come up with a little window saying "Service not available."
On another occasion a programme on Canal Sur, owned and run by the Junta de Andalucía, called Life in Real Time, shot a similar programme. It took three and a half months to show it "because the Junta refused to take part," according to Raquel Ñeco, of the environmental group Verdemar.
For his part, Juaan Antonio Carrasco of local environmental organization Agaden puts it like this: "Since there is a movement against pollution here, something very, very significant must be going on, when local media try to publish anything against these companies. The media lives from its advertising revenue, the companies buy advertising. CEPSA is the 'mother business' and all the smaller ones depend on them in one way or another. But Carrasco remains surprised by the 'Repor censorship case' and asks how it is possible for a private company to "have so much power over a public television station that does not even carry advertising?"
Editorial note: One cannot help wondering about the participation of a particular pressure group, or 'platform' as these are called in Spanish, that is somewhat peculiar in its intent. Called 'Initiative for the projection of a positive image of the Campo de Gibraltar', the platform consists of the following:
The programme on air pollution in the Campo de Gibraltar that we announced on Monday (two items down) was supposed to be broadcast on Monday was substituted by an old one after the state-owned television station received a phone call from CEPSA, the company that owns the refinery that is considered to be the main pollutant (photo). A report on periodismohumano, an 'alternative media', gives the full story, which we have translated/summarized below. There is definitely something very smelly goping on. See for yourself:>
TVE SUSPENDS BROADCAST OF 'SOMETHING SMELLS BAD' AFTER CEPSA PHONE CALL
From periodismohumano (translation/summary)
The programme reports on the serious health problems in the Bay of Algeciras caused by the industrial estate where the company operates
We spoke with CEPSA, with the programme's reporters and with TVE
The directorship of TVE's News last Monday cancelled a report titled 'Something Smells Bad' after receiving a call from CEPSA. The programme deals with the health problems of residents in and around the Bay of Algeciras as the result of the industrial/chemical estate in the area, the largest in Spain and where CEPSA is the main operator. It was replaced by an old report (on Santiago de Compostela) without public notification, either before or after, of the change in programming.
The reporterin charge of the report, Montserrat Cuni, confirmed that "on Friday evening there was a call from CEPSA to the news management and on Monday, four hours before it was due to be shown, we received a communication that it was cancelled." The programme's director, Gemma Soriano, told us that at 8pm on Monday her bosses told her "the programme was suspended because it had to include interviews with someone from CEPSA." In fact, the show did include "interviews with representatives of the area's business community's collective, which includes the petrol company.
The Campo de Gibraltar's industrial estate is one the largest in Spain and the concentration of gas emmissions and waste dumping has alerted not only the environmentalists. The Atlas of Mortality in Spain, created by the Pompeu Fabra University and which the government has given little importance, states that people in the area have a 40% chance of dying of cancer. Last week, the European Parliament requested Spain carry out an epidemiological report to find out the causes. (See CP item here.)
CEPSA has confirmed that there was a call to the television station. The company's Director of Communications and Institutional Relations, Luis Calderón, heard that there was to be a report on residents' complaints about the industrial estate "and I was concerned that no-one had been in touch with us, so I called TVE" -he prefers not to name anyone- "to offer our cooperation so as to improve the information," says Calderón. "I told them that if they wanted to broadcast that evening, I would not be able to help", he continues, offering to 'manage interviews' with "people of the company or the Junta de Andalucía." And "that is when TVE decided to stop the broadcast, to improve it."
Periodismohumano called TVE to try to contact those responsible for the decision but they only came up with a spokesperson, who said that "transmission was delayed because the news directors decided the report was not finished and needed improvement." No further questions were allowed. However, sources within the programme have said that none of the reports made by Repor had ever been cancelled until now despite the fact that the programme frequently deals with social aspects that, almost by definition, would include items with which not everyone would agree.
Both the reporter and the director of the programme, agree that CEPSA was never mentioned specifically. Asked whether the incident was an intromission in their work and whether CEPSA could influence the journalistic process of a report that was already closed and ready for transmission, Gemma Soriano said, "I prefer not to offer an opinion, I obey orderss from the news directors." The reporter, Montserrat Cuni, said, "It hurts me, my company but above all it hurts the people, the residents, who always have problems when it comes to telling their story."
The subject has run into problems before. Two years ago, Mercedes Milá, who is considered a tough reporter at the best of times, had a programme suspended after ten days of trailers and announcements on Telecinco. At the time the programme was due to be shown, a sign went up announcing 'technical problems' and a repeat of a series was shown instead. It was shown about six weeks later, after Milá had expressed herself very vehemently. If you click here (http://www.diariode.telecinco.es/dn_98.htm), you will get a written report on the programme but all related links come up with a little window saying "Service not available."
On another occasion a programme on Canal Sur, owned and run by the Junta de Andalucía, called Life in Real Time, shot a similar programme. It took three and a half months to show it "because the Junta refused to take part," according to Raquel Ñeco, of the environmental group Verdemar.
For his part, Juaan Antonio Carrasco of local environmental organization Agaden puts it like this: "Since there is a movement against pollution here, something very, very significant must be going on, when local media try to publish anything against these companies. The media lives from its advertising revenue, the companies buy advertising. CEPSA is the 'mother business' and all the smaller ones depend on them in one way or another. But Carrasco remains surprised by the 'Repor censorship case' and asks how it is possible for a private company to "have so much power over a public television station that does not even carry advertising?"
Editorial note: One cannot help wondering about the participation of a particular pressure group, or 'platform' as these are called in Spanish, that is somewhat peculiar in its intent. Called 'Initiative for the projection of a positive image of the Campo de Gibraltar', the platform consists of the following:
- Business Federation of the Campo de GibraltarThe 'most representative unions UGT - CCOO
- Chamber of Commerce of the Campo de Gibraltar
- Bay of Algeciras Port Authority
- Directors of regional media
- Press Association of the Campo de Gibraltar
- Association of Large Industries of the Campo de Gibraltar (including CEPSA, Repsol, Acerinox, Endesa and E.on, among others)
- Vice-Rectorate of the Bahía de Algeciras Campus (associated with the University of Cádiz)
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