Channel4 cleared of breaching code

24 October, 2011

Channel4 cleared of breaching code

The documentary has received 118 complaints, according to Ofcom British television Channel4 was not in breach of broadcasting code in showing documentary "Sri Lanka Killing Fields", media watchdog Ofcom has ruled. The documentary that showed graphic images of alleged war crimes in Sri Lanka during the last stages of the war against the Tamil Tigers received 118 complaints, the Ofcom said in its ruling. The controversial documentary attracted criticism and protests from the Sri Lanka government as well as Sinhala diaspora groups. The watchdog has conducted an inquiry into whether the programme breached impartiality, offensiveness and the broadcast of misleading material. 'Short of standards' Ofcom which has ruled out Channel4’s argument that the code dealing with impartiality does not apply to the documentary has, however, ruled that the British channel "preserved due impartiality." Some Sri Lankans accused the Channel4 of being biased and not covering alleged crimes by the LTTE “We also concluded that the audience was not materially misled through the way in which the material was presented,” the Ofcom said in its ruling. The watchdog has also concluded that the documentary was not in breach of the code with regard to offensive material. “Channel4 has a unique public service remit to provide programming that is challenging, diverse and likely to provoke debate,” it said. “The images included in this programme, whilst brutal and shocking, would not have exceeded the expectations of the audience for this Channel 4 documentary scheduled well after the watershed with very clear warnings about the nature of the content.” There was no immediate response to the ruling from the Sri Lanka government which has previously accused the channel of being “short of the standards and fairness."