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Dateline: 30th March, 2005 BBC Rejects Springer Complaints The Programme Complaints committee of the BBC Board of Governors has rejected the complaints made about the BBC2 screening of Jerry Springer the Opera. The committee voted by 4 to 1 that the show's "artistic significance" outweighed the offence caused. They also noted that attempts were made to minimise offence by proper scheduling, frequent advance warnings of the nature of the programme and the use of other programmes to put the screening in context. Of the 63,000 complaints received, the committee decided that they should not consider the 55,000 which were made in advance because the complainants had not seen the programme. One member of the committee, prominent Christian Angela Sarkis disagreed with the final conclusion. She accepted that the BBC had taken steps to minimise offence but felt that the "artistic significance" did not outweigh the offence. Protesting groups have expressed concern at the decision. Christian Voice director Stephen Green said he was "very disappointed" and that "They have just exonerated the producers for putting on the most blasphemous thing ever to be shown on the BBC." The Christian Institute reaffirmed its belief that the BBC had broken its charter and the Evangelical Alliance said, "They have just exonerated the producers for putting on the most blasphemous thing ever to be shown on the BBC." The Church of England also expressed disappointment but the National Secular Society welcomed the decision, saying, "The BBC decided to show Jerry Springer - The Opera not because it wanted to offend people but because it adjudged it to have artistic merit."
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