Further to my previous post, I'll leave you to decide whether ASH's heavy-handed attempt to dictate how the BBC should describe Forest succeeded or backfired.
If you didn't read it, a quick recap.
Before agreeing to appear with me on BBC Radio Essex this afternoon, ASH insisted that the BBC must state that Forest is funded by the tobacco industry.
No problem, I told the producer, as long as the BBC also mentioned that ASH is part-funded by the taxpayer.
Following these delicate 'negotiations’ presenter Tony Fisher introduced the start of the programme as follows:
In the first hour of the show we always love to give you a little something to talk about and, cigarette butts, this is always something that comes up.
Why do they always end up on the floor? It's become an issue at Colchester Hospital and it's prompted them to bring in bins and shelters in and around the hospital site.
Well, Simon Clark is from Forest, the smoking lobby, which is funded by the tobacco industry, and I've also got Hazel Cheeseman, director of policy at Action on Smoking and Health, which is funded by charities and the government.
At the end, in case anyone missed it the first time, the same information was repeated pretty much word for word:
Simon Clark, thank you very much indeed, from Forest. That's the smoking lobby who are funded by the tobacco industry, and also Hazel Cheeseman, director of policy at Smoking and Health (sic) which is funded by charities and the government.
Got that? ASH is funded by charities "and the government". Hope that's clear.
You can listen to the full clip here.