Justin Pearce
A RADIO advertisement for the Mail & Guardian has been disallowed by the SABC on the grounds that it might offend the religious sensibilities of listeners.
The advertisement, devised by the ad agency Network, features background music of an angelic choir, and a voiceover that begins: “On the first day his gaze fell on the headline news and weekend guide. On the second day, he forsook work and indulged in sport …” It ends: “And on the seventh day he saw that what he had read was good … and sallied forth to buy the next
Hans van Greunen senior manager of copy co-ordination at the SABC, said the SABC avoided broadcasting any advertisements which might offend the religious sensibilities of listeners.
“There are sensitive people out there,” he explained. “We pick up hassle, so we stay as far away from the subject as possible.”
The decisions are made by the SABC’s copy co-ordination committee, which comprises four SABC staffers: Van Greunen, executive manager of copy co-ordination Raymond Shenk, and “two ladies”, Esme Pretorius and Janine de Klerk.
Network was informed by the SABC that the M&G ad was “sensitive material — almost blasphemous” and “would not be flighted under any circumstances”.
Van Greunen said the committee always consults the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) guidelines on what is acceptable since “we don’t want to take only our personal feelings into account”.
Veronica King of Network said the agency did not submit its advertisements to the ASA, since the ASA only advises on such matters and leaves the final decision to the broadcaster.
Dennis Swart at the ASA, after listening to a tape of the M&G ad, said if Network had submitted the ad to the ASA, the ASA would probably have warned the agency that the content was potentially offensive.
A previous advertisement, featuring a soundtrack of sacred cows being braaied, was broadcast on the SABC despite the potential offence to adherents of the Hindu faith.
“We decided to take a chance with the cows ad,” Van Greunen said. “We don’t want to be too prescriptive and tell people what to do.”
M&G marketing manager Caroline Creasy commented that it was “ridiculous for the SABC to be oversensitive to Christians but not to any other religion, especially under the new Constitution which guarantees religious
“The ad is light hearted,” Creasy pointed out. “It is not blasphemous at all.”