With his usual impecible timing and attempt at popularism that will cost him very little, Michael Howard has stepped in to criticise the BBC at the eleventh hour. If he had said something earlier this week I would have applauded it- hey I might even have thought of voting for a man willing to stand up for his principles but now when it seems too late, I cant help but feel he is simply thinking of the 45,000 calls and letters (they don’t mention emails) the vast majority of them I would assume being negative that the BBC has received on the matter.
Michael Howard said:
“You can choose to go to the theatre, you can decide that you want to pay a sum of money to go to see something. That is where you go to see freedom of expression.”
Speaking on BBC Radio Four’s Any Questions? he added: “Public service television, I believe, has another duty and that is to exercise a degree of caution which is not there for the theatre to exercise.
“I ask the question about the motives of the BBC in putting this on.
But, it seems despite the fact that the most complained about program last year didnt even get 1% of the number the BBC reports on this, the BBC isnt listening.
It would seem it is too late and that the campaign to get them to cancell the show has failed.
More has emerged about the content of this shocking show bizzarrely the EA report I linked to earlier didnt see fit to tell us that there are in this show “scenes showing Jesus in a nappy admitting he is “a bit gay”.” Can you imagine that? I would be looking out for lightning stikes if I was anywhere near the BBC studios tonight. (That was a joke by the way!)
What gets me so mad is that my licesne fee pays for that.
And before you say, “where’s your sense of humour?” I have one question and only one- would they dare do this to Muhammed? No, I ask you then WHY not? It is because we have sat by and done nothing as smut is portrayed on our screens. It is because Christians do not stand up and say “enough!” Events have shown in US politics what can happen when a sleeping army is awoken. Well the thousands who have like me have never complained before are going to be watching more closely than ever.
I suspect that the BBC do not realise the power of what they have unleashed. The blogosphere and email between them clearly have played a roll in the mass movement of unrest. If there is a movement to call for heads over this, if blogs take on the BBC on this and other issues this could get very interesting.
The decision to broadcast Jerry Springer – The Opera has sparked a record 7,361 complaints to TV watchdogs and protesters have burned symbolic TV licences over the issue.
O and for the record a very charming man from Offcom gave me a call yesterday and explained how they were powerless to act on complaints received before the event but that “if” they received any complaints after transmission they would surely look into it.
You know what to do. The second the thing begins to air here is the link http://www.ofcom.org.uk/contact_ofcom/tv_radio/
Somehow I think the power of the blog in this matter has only just begun…….
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