The Fluoride Deception - an interview with US-based journalist Christopher Bryson, the author of a book by the same name - was scheduled to be aired by local television station Channel 9 on Monday, May 26, at 9pm, Fluoride Action Network New Zealand (FANNZ) spokesperson Olive McRae said.
Yesterday, however, Dunedin City Council and Public Health South said they had concerns about potentially unbalanced information in the interview.
Channel 9 is reviewing what it will do with the programme. It may become part of a more comprehensive package that includes a debate between local proponents and opponents of fluoridation.
‘‘I don't think it is fair to suppress information,'' Ms McRae said.
‘‘But it is fine if they [proponents] are just trying to put forward their point of view.
‘‘We've wanted them to come out and debate it.''
FANNZ had offered the interview to several community television stations throughout New Zealand, Ms McRae said.
She understood Dunedin's Channel 9 and Auckland's Family TV Rodney were going to show the programme in the coming week.
In the documentary, Mr Bryson says American research challenging fluoride's safety was either suppressed or not conducted in the first place. Fluoridation is a triumph, not of medical science, but of US government spin, he says.
Mr Bryson has reported science news stories for media outlets including the BBC, Christian Science Monitor and Discovery Channel.
Dunedin City Council communications co-ordinator Rodney Bryant said the city council had not seen the interview but had concerns about whether it was fair and balanced.
‘‘We are not opposed to debate. We encourage debate,'' Mr Bryant said.
‘‘We were concerned about it being broadcast without any counterbalancing view including the received medical opinion on fluoridation.''
If a programme was broadcast which was ‘‘alarmist'' or ‘‘could cause disquiet in the community'' then the city council or Public Health South might ‘‘feel obliged'' to take some action, he said.
Mr Bryant said he asked Channel 9 management to confirm what they were planning regarding the interview.
He said he had since been told the programme would not screen as scheduled, and had been asked whether the council would be willing to be part of a local debate of fluoridation issues.
‘‘When the details are worked out, we'd be happy to see if we can help,'' he said.
Channel 9 production manager Luke Chapman said the station was deciding whether the programme would be aired.
‘‘We are in the process of reviewing it,'' Mr Chapman said.
The interview focused on fluoridation in the United States and if it was to be broadcast in Dunedin
‘‘we would want to include local input involving both sides of the debate''.
Public Health South acting group manager Sharyn Robson said the organisation was made aware of the interview through publicity about the local broadcast sent to it by FAANZ.
‘‘Public Health South has some concerns because the FAANZ network only presents an anti-fluoride view,'' Miss Robson said.
‘‘So we are concerned the interview will only show that side, while major research shows fluoridation to be safe and effective.''
