Alarm Bells Ring over Christian Radio Station

The Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association (GALHA) has expressed its concern about a homophobic Christian broadcasting organisation which is attempting to establish a national radio station.

United Christian Broadcasters is taking the Government to the European Court of Human Rights over the 1990 Broadcasting Act which permits only the BBC to broadcast religious material nationally.

United Christian Broadcasters is reported to have cited as “typical of listeners’ letters” one from “a homosexual with AIDS [who] is no longer homosexual and is now HIV-negative”.

GALHA spokesperson George Broadhead said: “Both these claims are highly questionable and illustrate how anti-gay propaganda is already being used by UCB to further its interests. We are very concerned that policy and programming at UCB is following that of US evangelical Christian broadcasting which incites disapproval of homosexuality to increase donations.

GALHA has written to Chris Smith, the Minister of Culture, Media and Sport, to express its concern and ask what safeguards might be introduced to prevent United Christian Broadcasters from using anti-gay rhetoric should it be successful in its appeal to the European Court of Human Rights. The letter points out that lesbians and gays are not protected from incitement to hatred as racial minorities are.