YLE reverses decision: documentary on Muhammad cartoons to be shown

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The Finnish Broadcasting Company (YLE) has reversed its previous decision not to air a Danish documentary on the international upheaval provoked by the publication of cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad in a Danish newspaper early last year.
      The film, Bloody Cartoons by director Karsten Kjær is to be shown on YLE TV2 on Tuesday, October 16th at 11:00 PM. The film is part of the international Why Democracy? project.
      When he heard about YLE's initial decision, Kjær accused YLE of censorship, and compared the case with the practice of Finnish self-censorship at the time that Finland was a neighbour of the Soviet Union.
      The reason given by YLE not to air the documentary was that the topic was seen to have been worn out. It was also noted that the time slot for documentaries on TV2 is limited.
     
"I didn't want the wrong conclusions to be drawn from not showing the film", said Iikka Vehkalahti, producer of the YLE Documentary Project, explaining the turnaround.
      Bloody Cartoons was aired in Denmark on Sunday.
      "Here it raised extensive debate, and the assessments were positive", says Mette Heide, international producer of the Why Democracy? project.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Danish director angered at YLE decision to shelve documentary (10.10.2007)

Helsingin Sanomat