THE Australian Christian Lobby has complained to the media regulator about the involvement of Channel Seven's Sunrise program in a campaign for same-sex marriage.
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The breakfast news program has joined with campaigners Australian Marriage Equality and GetUp! and marie claire magazine to collect signatures for a petition to legalise same-sex marriage and will broadcast today from pro-gay marriage events in Melbourne and Sydney.
The Christian Lobby has told the Australian Communications and Media Authority that Sunrise's involvement in the ''I do'' campaign is a breach of the Commercial Television Industry Code of Practice, which requires news to be presented impartially.
The partnership with GetUp! and associated advertising on its website ''compromise Sunrise's role as a current affairs program and move it to the realm of overt activism'' the complaint says.
The Christian Lobby has also urged its members to contact the program's sponsors.
Seven's director of news and public affairs, Peter Meakin, said Sunrise, would include all sides of the debate, including the views of the Christian Lobby.
''I admit that we're being a bit provocative in this, but there's no attempt to intimidate the audience into one particular viewpoint,'' Mr Meakin said.
''I think it's less than desirable when people try to stifle debate on an important issue,'' he said.
