BBC rejects Springer complaints

The BBC Governors’ Programme Complaints Committee has decided not to uphold complaints made against JS:TO.

The full report is available on the BBC website.

The decision was made by a majority of 4 to 1, and can be summarised as follows:

– the offence – particularly the offence to religious beliefs – caused to sizeable numbers of people should not be underestimated or taken lightly

– reasonable and comprehensive attempts were made to minimise offence through appropriate scheduling, clear warnings, and the use of other programmes prior to the broadcast to set the piece in context

– the BBC is committed to freedom of expression, and has a duty to innovate, to reflect new and challenging ideas, and to make available to its audiences work of outstanding artistic significance

– in all the circumstances, the outstanding artistic significance of the programme outweighed the offence which it caused to some viewers and so the broadcasting of the programme was justified.

The only member of the Committee to disagree with the decision not to uphold complaints was Angela Sarkis, a former Vice-President of the African Caribbean Evangelical Alliance.

Stephen Green has called it “a black day for British broadcasting”.


11 Responses to “BBC rejects Springer complaints”

  1. Dr Christopher Shell says:

    Good on ya Angela. At least there are some caring people still left.

  2. tom p says:

    you don’t appear to say why her decision is good ‘dr’ shell. isn’t that what you’re always chiding others for?

  3. Dr Christopher Shell says:

    Tom, I guess that if you and others had not been duped by the drip-drip effect of normalising, you wouldnt need to ask.

  4. Bloggerheads says:

    Jerry Springer: sticking a fork in it

    Guardian – BBC rejects Springer complaints: BBC governors rejected a record 63,000 complaints from viewers over the decision to broadcast Jerry Springer – The Opera yesterday, prompting renewed criticism from offended Christian and “decency” campaign…

  5. tom p says:

    You’re constantly asking others to back up assertions, I merely felt this was ripe for some reciprocation.

    So, she disagreed wioth a telly programme. How does that make her caring?

  6. Christopher Shell says:

    She wants our society to offer good and wholesome things so that people grow up in a positive atmosphere. It aint rocket science. :o)
    ‘Two men looked through prison bars; one saw mud [i.e. what ppl mean when they speak of ‘the gutter’], the other saw stars.’ Angela sees stars.

  7. Stuart says:

    Thank you for the useful link to Angela Sarkis’s CV on the BBC site. I have noted every organisation with which she has a link and will make sure that no business with which I am involved ever touches them with a bargepole again. We will take our business and our charitable donations elsewhere.

    As a concerned parent it staggers me that anyone so bigoted could ever be allowed to make public policies which impact on children or other impressionable people.

  8. Christopher Shell says:

    She’s dreadful isnt she! She sells drugs to kids on street corners. She is always trying to promote policies which undermine the stability of the family. No wonder crime is escalating.

  9. stuart says:

    As evangelical codswallop kills more people than heroin, yes.

    As most families will have at least one gay member, and people like Sarkis are one of the principle causes of teenage suicide, yes.

  10. Christopher Shell says:

    May we share the benefit of your statistical research? ;oD

  11. […] arkis, the only member of the BBC Governors Programme Complaints Committee to vote against supporting the decision to show Jerry Springer: The Opera, last night accused her fellow governors of nai […]