Is advertising Happy Christmas illegal on radio and tv in Ireland?

Tipsy Mac

Just noticed this year that there have been no adverts on TV or radio in Ireland from any companies wishing their customers a Happy Christmas, is this illegal to do in Ireland now? I remember advertising cribs for sale was deemed illegal.

I've noticed UTV do carry such adverts wishing customers a Happy Christmas but they would fall under UK broadcasting rules

Run_to_da_hills

Christmas has now officially a pagan feast for the heathen.

Steve

Tipsy Mac wrote: »

I remember advertising cribs for sale was deemed illegal.

What??? :eek:
You're kidding!

Biggins

Well if its daft RTE - I wouldn't put it past them!

Remember the adverts where famous stars were clicking their fingers every second and saying that for every click, a child dies in Africa of starvation?
- RTE banned that advert because... the idiots said it was political! (I kid you not).

RTE at its farcical worst.

Tipsy Mac

SteveC wrote: »

What??? :eek:
You're kidding!

Sadly yes
http://www.independent.ie/national-news/row-erupts-after-radio-ban-on-christmas-advert-1564568.html

mikemac

It'll be Happy Holidays soon like the USA.
You can't offend anyone with that

pablomakaveli

mikemac wrote: »

It'll be Happy Holidays soon like the USA.
You can't offend anyone with that

I don't know. It might offend people who don't get to take holidays.

It'll probably be something like "Happy Multicultural Interfaith Winter Celebration".

ciano1

Seasons greetings from all at easons?

Terry

mikemac wrote: »

It'll be Happy Holidays soon like the USA.
You can't offend anyone with that

It offends me.

I'm not Christian, but I don't like seeing people's beliefs being sanitised in order to protect the sensitivities of a bored D4 housewife.

Elmo

RTÉ have never shown ads on Christmas Day. All commercial stations have advertising on Christmas Day. I don't know about TG4, I think they also do not show ads.

RTÉ do not show ads during programming on RTE TWO THE DEN for programming for the under5s. However this is also not a Regulation or Law.

Elmo

Biggins wrote: »

Remember the adverts where famous stars were clicking their fingers every second and saying that for every click, a child dies in Africa of starvation?
- RTE banned that advert because... the idiots said it was political! (I kid you not).

Please provide a source for this, I don't think this to be the case. Also RTÉ tend not to ban ads, that is the job of the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI) and the Broadcasting Complaints Commission (BCC).

Steve

Tipsy Mac wrote: »

Sadly yes
http://www.independent.ie/national-news/row-erupts-after-radio-ban-on-christmas-advert-1564568.html

That's just wrong.
I'm not religious at all but that's taking censorship too far.
What will be next? No advertising of Easter eggs??
:rolleyes:

Elmo

SteveC wrote: »

That's just wrong.
I'm not religious at all but that's taking censorship too far.
What will be next? No advertising of Easter eggs??
:rolleyes:

Easter Eggs aren't religous! They are safe. However if a Priest was to start advertising Easter Eggs then their might be a problem.

JC 2K3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73vcbde8Cb8

Biggins

Elmo wrote: »

Please provide a source for this, I don't think this to be the case. Also RTÉ tend not to ban ads, that is the job of the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI) and the Broadcasting Complaints Commission (BCC).

I remember reading this in an Irish paper that RTE banned it following a similar British action.

...banned the ads, deciding that the ads were "wholly or mainly political" in nature, since they aimed to "achieve important changes".

Till I find more sources in case you think I'd made it up, here is one full source alone confirming also, the British action of banning it for stupid "political reasons" besides RTE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Make_Poverty_History

The video in question:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fya4-s3F-oc

Steve

Elmo wrote: »

Easter Eggs aren't religous! They are safe. However if a Priest was to start advertising Easter Eggs then their might be a problem.

From the article that was linked to (excerpts):

The commission banned the advert because they considered that it was using advertising towards religious ends which is forbidden by legislation.

...
This is the third time that a Veritas ad has been banned by the commission.
Last Christmas it vetoed an ad that mentioned the word crib. Earlier this year a second one was banned because it advertised the sale of First Holy Communion gifts and described them as 'spiritual'.

I'm reading that to mean that it's forbidden to use a 'religious' event to promote your goods. Cribs use Christmas, Easter eggs use Easter etc. is it not the same thing?
I doesn't seem to matter who is doing the advertising.

I'm not saying I know anything about this, I just think it's an odd law to have in a predominantly Christian country.

Elmo

SteveC wrote: »

From the article that was linked to (excerpts):

I'm reading that to mean that it's forbidden to use a 'religious' event to promote your goods. Cribs use Christmas, Easter eggs use Easter etc. is it not the same thing?
I doesn't seem to matter who is doing the advertising.

I'm not saying I know anything about this, I just think it's an odd law to have in a predominantly Christian country.

Firstly may I say I don't particularly agree with the law.

But.

It is not forbidden to advertise a religous goods, it is forbidden for religous organisations (of any domination) to promote their goods on television. So if you are a retailer of Cribs or Easter Eggs but you do not have a religious connection then you are allowed to advertise these products.

Vertias is a religous organisation.

As for a predominantly Christian Country should the BCI/BCC ban advertising of non-christian goods e.g. Cosher (sp) meats, Jahabie (sp) etc.

Also this is kind of of the topic and I just want to repeat the answer to the OP. No, it is not illegal to have advertising on Irish TV or Radio on Christmas Day. I assume that RTE do not advertise on Christmas day as it was probably cheaper not to advertise when the started to broadcast, I assume it is just a tradition on RTE for Christmas.

Elmo

Sorry read the question wrong.

But the answer remains the same.

However, Ironically you are allowed to Say happy christmas to your customers as long as you are not repesenting a Christian Organisation. I wonder if other religous non-christian organisations could pay for an ad stating Happy Christmas?

Steve

A bit of a search turned up this. It seems to be what's relevent to this thread.

Radio and Television Act, 1988
10.—
(3) No advertisement shall be broadcast which is directed towards any religious or political end or which has any relation to an industrial dispute.

Link.

Broadcasting Act, 2001
65.—Nothing in section 20(4) of the Act of 1960 or section 10(3) of the Act of 1988 (including either of those sections as applied by this Act) shall be construed as preventing the broadcasting of a notice of the fact—

(a) that a particular religious newspaper, magazine or periodical is available for sale or supply, or
(b) that any event or ceremony associated with any particular religion will take place,

if the contents of the notice do not address the issue of the merits or otherwise of adhering to any religious faith or belief or of becoming a member of any religion or religious organisation.

Link

I'm still unsure of how that can be construed to mean that advertising cribs or literature is illegal - unless the caveat of promoting the religion itself was in the particular advertisement.

So to answer the OP's question, it's probably not illegal for 'Happy Christmas' advertisements as long as that's all they are.
i.e. provided the ad isn't "Happy Christmas, Catholics are better than Muslims" or something, regardless of whether it was the local hardware store or the local priest placing the ad.

Elmo

SteveC wrote: »

So to answer the OP's question, it's probably not illegal for 'Happy Christmas' advertisements as long as that's all they are.
i.e. provided the ad isn't "Happy Christmas, Catholics are better than Muslims" or something, regardless of whether it was the local hardware store or the local priest placing the ad.

"Christmas is a time for hope" possibly couldn't be broadcast if coming from any of the Christian churches.

First Holy Communion gifts and described them as 'spiritual'.

This seems to be the case for the banning of this ad.



I don't think anyone could broadcast "Catholics are better than Muslims".

shaner

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

Christmas has now officially a pagan feast for the heathen.

Again...

Kernel32

I don't know all the ins and outs of the laws but it probably all relates to how RTE is funded. RTE is partially funded through public money in the form of a license fee. Therefore RTE is not a private entity but is funded through tax payers money. Any organization or company that accepts public money in this way can he held to different regulations than a company that is entirely privately funded. Based on that premise it makes total sense to me that RTE would not be allowed to promote one religion over another as the collection of the license fee does not distinguish in any way what the religion is of those who pay it. This of course leads to all sorts of disputes about what constitutes the promotion of a religion versus the advertisement of something religious for sale.

towel401

mikemac wrote: »

It'll be Happy Holidays soon like the USA.
You can't offend anyone with that

what about people who work in power stations or other people who have to work on christmas day?

Elmo

Kernel32 wrote: »

I don't know all the ins and outs of the laws but it probably all relates to how RTE is funded. RTE is partially funded through public money in the form of a license fee. Therefore RTE is not a private entity but is funded through tax payers money. Any organization or company that accepts public money in this way can he held to different regulations than a company that is entirely privately funded. Based on that premise it makes total sense to me that RTE would not be allowed to promote one religion over another as the collection of the license fee does not distinguish in any way what the religion is of those who pay it. This of course leads to all sorts of disputes about what constitutes the promotion of a religion versus the advertisement of something religious for sale.

The BCI set out the same advertising rules for the Public Service Broadcasters (RTE, TG4) and Private Broadcasters (TV3, Setanta and Communicorp Radio). The only difference between them is the number of ads per hour. Often RTÉ get criticized because of rules out side of their hands.

I wonder if those physic live ads come under the same laws. The word "dream" is mentioned and the have a picture of someone becoming an astronaut, this is also false advertising.

Kernel32

mikemac wrote: »

I wasn't referring to that at all
I just posted that many Americans say "Happy Holidays" as they fear "Happy Christmas" will offend some people.

I'm not sure if your comment is based on personal experience or something you heard somewhere. Happy Holidays is commonly used by businesses in an effort to not offend anyone for one simple reason, money.

In my experience of having lived in America for many years is that private individuals have no problem saying Merry Christmas to each other and even to cashiers or sales people in a business. You will often have a Merry Christmas in return from them but they won't say it first for the first reason I mentioned.

Where you see PC gone mad, I see capitalism.

Elmo

Kernel32 wrote: »

Where you see PC gone mad, I see capitalism.

Capitalism! That makes it so much better! Political Correctness = Diplomacy at a Business level?!

Oh! Well! Happy Christmas to everyone on Boards. I assume your all Christian Capitalist

Tha Gopher

<3BeingIN6th wrote: »

It offends me.

I'm not Christian, but I don't like seeing people's beliefs being sanitised in order to protect the sensitivities of a bored D4 housewife.

LOL Millitant athiests really crack me up

Offensive my arse, the muslims in my local kebab shop were wishing everyone merry christmas when I was there C Eve, and when I worked a call centre I often got it from non christian customers.


Surely happy holidays is offensive to any poor sod who is down on funds and decided to work every day of the Christmas period?

Elmo

Tha Gopher wrote: »

Surely happy holidays is offensive to any poor sod who is down on funds and decided to work every day of the Christmas period?

I hate Happy Holidays sure everyday is some celebration, when should we say Happy Holidays? St. Patrick's Day just so we don't forget the Irish?

faceman

SteveC wrote: »

A bit of a search turned up this. It seems to be what's relevent to this thread.
Link.
Link

I'm still unsure of how that can be construed to mean that advertising cribs or literature is illegal - unless the caveat of promoting the religion itself was in the particular advertisement.

So to answer the OP's question, it's probably not illegal for 'Happy Christmas' advertisements as long as that's all they are.
i.e. provided the ad isn't "Happy Christmas, Catholics are better than Muslims" or something, regardless of whether it was the local hardware store or the local priest placing the ad.

Its not illegal to advertise cribs on the telly, it is forbidden however for a religious organisation to do it. E.g. Veritas.

*Roisin*

You definitely hear Merry Christmas ads on radio. They go along the lines of "Mr. Blah Blah, your local TD, wishes all his constituents a merry Christmas and a happy new year." I heard them on the midwest stations driving back up after Christmas. I remember because I'd never heard them before and was thinking that it was a lovely thought...until they played 3 ad's back to back, all from different TD's, all with the exact same text!

HoorayForPeePee

<3BeingIN6th wrote: »

It offends me.

I'm not Christian, but I don't like seeing people's beliefs being sanitised in order to protect the sensitivities of a bored D4 housewife.

Nicely put.

There are people out there who go through life looking for things to get indignant about. Truth be told, they should have been born a hundred years ago, then they would know the true meaning of hardship.

These things go in cycles anyway-the UK is already seeing a backlash against the rampant PCism over there over the last decade or two.