Disasters Emergency Committee a total of £107 million. On 22 January 2009, the BBC declined a request from the DEC to screen an appeal to raise money to aid relief efforts for victims of conflict in the Gaza Strip. This decision was the object of considerable controversy within the BBC as it is the only time the BBC is known to have refused such a request from the DEC; the 2009 Gaza appeal in question was screened by Channel 4 and ITV and raised £8.3m. Since then, the BBC has broadcast other DEC aid appeals for people in Gaza, without similar controversy. The
To Shatter the Sky To Shatter the Sky To Shatter the Sky, subtitled "Bomber Airfield at War", is a book and also BBC Television programme of the same name by the military historian, author and screenwriter Bruce Barrymore Halpenny. The book was already being worked on when the author was approached by the BBC to produce a related theme for a history programme, hence the programme and book sharing the same name. The programme was aired on BBC 1 in late 1983 and the book launched in early 1984. The book () tells of the day-to-day activities on bomber stations between 1939 and 1945,