When Should a Pornographer Head a Childrens' Charity?

Anyone who regularly reads Private Eye will know of Richard Desmond. He is the publisher of many pornographic titles, who moved into pay-for porn TV, and has acquired ownership of the Star and Express newspapers, and more recently won ownership of Channel 5.

Now you might think that the government would baulk at the idea of a man who is a known pornographer owning one of Britain's "terrestrial" channels, but it seems that Mr. Desmond's choice output in hardcore pornography (once toe-curlingly read out to a cringing Tony Blair) being given the green-light to yet more media ownership is par for the course.

The first link below (Express Watch - coming from a leftist perspective) shows what a cunning-linguist Richard Desmond is, for his stable of papers will often take an anti-immigrant line, and quasi-anti-homosexual line (in that anti-pc, hand-wringing not-all-poofs-are-bad-really way we all know and hate) whilst his stable of porn TV channels will often have multi-racial porn and gay porn (according to Express Watch one channel is called Gay TV).



What his papers seemingly condemn on the one hand in a right-wing populist style, Richard Desmond's pay-to-watch porn channels promote on the other hand (if you'll pardon the masturbatory pun!).

What a strange character for the government to allow to take over a TV Channel, I mean a 'mainstream' channel, not his porno channels. Interestingly (or not) Wikipedia lists his porno channels as "Television X, Red Hot TV and others." (and others - why so shy?).

It is a bizarre publishing figure for a government to allow to run the country's fourth terrestrial TV stable (after the BBC, ITV and Channel 4) is it not?

Mr. Desmond lives in Golders Green (clue 1), does much charitable work for childrens' charity Norwood which raises big money for a certain 'section of the community' (clue 2), and he comes from that same 'section of the community' that has had a hugely disproportionate role in the porn industry (clue 3) both in the UK and worldwide.

Indeed, one must wonder why the publisher of such porno magazines as "Asian Babes, Horny Housewives, The Very Best of Mega Boobs, and S###k Loving Sluts" (he sold them in 2004) and the proprietor of many TV pornographic channels is allowed the presidency of Norwood, a charity that helps Jewish children.

Has the Charity Commission fallen asleep? Has the government?

Are we to believe that the ability to publish pornography in printed and televisual forms and thus raise millions, some of which can then be thrown at political parties or charities, is enough to "buy" placements in the media or charitable worlds?

Food for thought.

Link:
Richard Desmond Loves C##k (for Cash)