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Deborra-Lee Furness, Elmo and the ABC

The ABC says a complaint about problems over a community service ad with Deborra-Lee Furness and Elmo is old news.

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A somewhat curious story appears in the Herald Sun today in which Deborra-Lee Furness slams the ABC for issues over a public service ad on adoption she filmed with Elmo from Sesame Street.

Furness said the ABC had declined to show it and it took three years of campaigning to air it.

She claims Director of Television Kim Dalton had told her he didn’t think it was appropriate to talk to children about adoption.

“If they think it’s a problem, my God, what chance do these kids have of being included and of being understood? It’s ignorance and fear. It’s part of their journey, but it doesn’t define who they are.

“I was hit with every excuse in the book by the ABC,” she said.

“It was me talking to Elmo and he has no political agenda.”

The ABC originally said “the material does not comply with the relevant section of the editorial policies … that it could be perceived to compromise the ABC’s independence”.

However the ABC resolved its issues and aired it during Adoption Awareness Week last November.

Furness’ publicist said it was played 10 timesduring November 2010, five times on ABC1 and five times on ABC2.

Which raises the question of why it has become news now….

In fact some of her quotes were given in March last year.

Probably explains this reply from an ABC spokesperson: “There is no substance to her (Furness’s) comments. We have dealt with the issue before and have no further comment.”

Furness is guest of honour on This is Your Life tomorrow -which may have something to do with why this one has come back into the spotlight.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCuenoAX5oo[/youtube]

Source: news.com.au

2 Responses

  2. With this and the Altiyan Childs story….it is a bit difficult to seperate that fact from the fiction….
    As with most news…albeit newpapers….TV….or online…..

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