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Dateline: 5th January, 2005
Cancel Springer, Campaigners Demand The BBC must cancel its proposed screening of Jerry Springer the Opera on BBC2 on Saturday, Mediawatch-UK, a TV pressure group (formerly the National Viewers and Listeners Association, has demanded. The show's "continuous stream of obscene and profane language, as well as the debauched behaviour that characterised Mr Springer's TV shows" will not only push "back boundaries of taste and decency" but will offend viewers' religious sensibilities. John Beyer, mediawatch-uk director, says that by screening this stage production the Corporation is in breach of the Communications Act 2003 as well as its Licence and Agreement with the Government on "generally accepted standards" and its own Producers' Guidelines on language and religious sensibilities, which state that "programme makers dealing with religious themes should be aware of what may cause offence". A BBC statement said: "As a public service broadcaster, it is the BBC's role to broadcast a range of programmes that will appeal to all audiences - with very differing tastes and interests - present in the UK today." Warnings about the language will be given and it will be broadcast "well after the watershed", it added. The programme is due to go out at 10 pm. Update 6th January The BBC has received more than 15,000 complaints about its plan to air the show as a result of a concerted campaign by Christian groups both on and off the Web. In addition Ofcom, the TV watchdog, has received thosands of complaints but it cannot take any action until after the broadcast as it can only respond to and rule on material which has been aired, not on proposed programmes. In opposition, the National Secular Society has said that the BBC should not give in to "religious bullies" and "Viewers have a right to see it. Those who are likely to be offended have a similar right to turn it off." Update 9th January 1.7m people tuned in to watch the show, the BBC said, and it attracted 317 after show calls, more than half of which were supportive, a higher than average number of calls in defence of a programme. The organisation Christian Voice has said it will take out a private prosecution against the BBC for blasphemy. "There will be nothing sacred if we cannot successfully prosecute the BBC," their director Stephen Green said. Please note that all three Archive indices are very long and will therefore take some time to download.
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