[ SHOWGSD-L ] PDE program on BBCAmerica

From: "pmick12" <pmick12@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <Showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 10 Dec 2009 17:07:03 -0500
from the Kennel Club in England came this news:

Important Press release 09-Dec- 2009

The Kennel Club became involved in the programme 'Pedigree Dogs Exposed'
because it wanted to have an open and honest discussion about the health
issues of some pedigree dog breeds and what can and is being done to ensure
that all dogs have the opportunity to live healthy, happy lives. It was
precisely because the programme makers originally said that its message was
*"intended to be a hopeful one showing how science and breeders can combine
to preserve our purebreds for the future"* that the Kennel Club was at the
outset keen to take part.

After the programme was broadcast the Kennel Club was obliged to lodge a
complaint to Ofcom because it believed it had been treated unfairly, and
because its views - formed on the basis of many years of experience in
tackling the issue of improving dog health under the guidance of its
scientific advisors - were not adequately conveyed.

Ofcom upheld parts of the Kennel Club's complaint about unfair treatment, by
saying that it was not given a timely and appropriate opportunity to respond
to certain damaging allegations included in the programme. These included
the implication that the Kennel Club covered up the nature of an operation
carried out on a Crufts Best in Show winner.

Ofcom also found that contributions to the programme made by Professor Jeff
Sampson, the Kennel Club's senior scientific advisor and spokesman, did not
fairly represent his views. It admitted that the material and extracts
actually used in the programme did not fully or fairly reflect his
considered responses in the lengthy interviews he gave to the programme
makers.

Chairman of the Kennel Club, Ronnie Irving, said: "The Kennel Club is
pleased that Ofcom has confirmed that Professor Sampson was not fairly
represented in the programme. Professor Sampson is our senior representative
and spokesman on the health and genetic issues affecting dogs. It is
therefore surprising that Ofcom doesn't also conclude, on this occasion,
that the Kennel Club itself was therefore unfairly represented. Ofcom has
actually changed its mind on this point since its provisional decision.

"The damaging effect of this unfair editing was to distort our views and to
fail to show viewers the seriousness with which we take the issue of dog
health and the investment we make in this area.

"We are pleased with the finding in respect of the Crufts Best in Show
winner. We are committed to ensuring that the show ring is used as a force
for good, to encourage and reward the breeding of healthy, happy dogs and we
took this allegation - and the fact that we were not given the appropriate
opportunity to respond to it - very seriously.

"We have previously indicated our concerns over the lengthy time it has
taken to resolve our complaint and over Ofcom's last minute acceptance of
further submissions by the BBC. We do have serious misgivings about the
conduct of our complaint and on the obvious change of mind which took place
between Ofcom's decision in its provisional finding, and the decision that
it finally published.

"This process has taken a significant amount of time and the Kennel Club now
wants to move forward, continuing to work with breed experts, our scientific
advisors and the veterinary profession, to ensure that all dogs are given
the opportunity to lead the healthy, happy lives that they deserve."


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[ SHOWGSD-L ] PDE program on BBCAmerica

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