A fuss over nothing – Classic FM didn’t cave to fundie pressure

Classic FM has been replying to emails protesting about its censoring itself after pressure from Christian Voice. It turn out our first impressions were right – Stephen Green was just kidding himself in the press release where he crowed about his success.

CFM Director Derren Henley explains that the Not the Messiah ad campaign had run its natural course, and Christian Voice’s complaining campaign had nothing to do with it stopping.

We offer our sincere apologies to Derren Henley and Classic FM for jumping the gun on this one.

Here is Henley’s response:

Thank you for your email regarding “Not the Messiah”.

Following an email campaign, a number of incorrect views about Classic FM’s involvement in this event appear to have gathered momentum in the online community and I hope that you will allow me to take this opportunity to correct them:

1. Classic FM broadcast an advertising campaign for this event which ran from last Wednesday until last weekend. The station also ran a competition to win tickets to the event on the station’s website which also ended last weekend. No further advertising activity was booked to run either on-air or online after the weekend.

2. At no point did Classic FM ever intend to broadcast this event on air, nor did it ever enter into any negotiations to broadcast the event on air, so any assertion that any programme content has been withdrawn from broadcast is simply incorrect.

3. Classic FM has never been a financial supporter of this event and nor was it ever the promoter of the live event – and that relationship has in no way changed over the past week.

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to correct these misconceptions. May I also take this opportunity to thank you for taking the trouble to get in touch. I do hope that you continue to enjoy listening to Classic FM’s programmes.

Maybe he is the Messiah. He’s certainly not the naughty boy we thought he was.

(Thanks to Paul in the comments)


2 Responses to “A fuss over nothing – Classic FM didn’t cave to fundie pressure”

  1. Ed Courtenay says:

    So Stephen Green was talking complete bollocks? Plus ça change… Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t lying a sin? Funny how many ‘religious’ people forget this little detail…

  2. Stonyground says:

    I believe that the Freethinker did email Classic FM for confirmation of Green’s claims before running the story and they failed to reply at that time. It is also interesting to note how swiftly such errors are corrected in blogland compared with how stories that turn out to be false are dealt with by the MSM.