Daily Mail in Harrowing Attack on TV Programme…A few viewers complaint about violent scenes in Silent Witness

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27th April 2012. See article from dailymail.co.uk

According to the ever ludicrous Daily Mail: The BBC has been hit with a ‘flood’ of complaints over a ‘harrowing’ sex attack scene in crime drama Silent Witness. Viewers were ‘appalled’ at the ‘graphic’ violence on the BBC1 series this week, contacting the broadcaster in their hundreds to register ‘anger’. As well as a scene in which a murderous prison guard carried out a prolonged sexual assault on a man, apparently using a baton, the programme also featured ‘explicit’ images of a man having his throat cut. Although the show aired after the watershed, a few viewers said the assault was graphic and nasty and went too far. There have been about 500 complaints about two episodes, with the BBC receiving 483 and TV censor Ofcom a further 35. The complaints will be assessed by Ofcom. A large number related to the scenes where prison officer Daniel Kessler was shown attacking a drug dealer in a toilet. Viewers heard the violence being carried out in a closed cubicle and saw blood seep from beneath the door. The man’s half-dressed body was later seen as the prison guard emerged from the cubicle. While the attack was not shown in full, the use of sound, including the maniacal comments of the killer and the screams of the victim, left viewers in little doubt what was happening. A BBC statement said the scene was not an attempt to gratuitously shock the audience but was rooted in character and research and showed the brutality that Kessler was capable of. We don’t feel the content of these episodes would have gone beyond viewers expectations We’re sorry if you [viewers] felt we got it wrong on this occasion.’ Update: BBC Response 29th April 2012. See article from bbc.co.uk We’ve received complaints from some viewers who felt the two part instalment of Silent Witness entitled Redhill was too violent. As programme makers we take our responsibility to the audience extremely seriously and try to make sure we strike the right balance between compelling drama without being unnecessarily graphic. Towards the end of the first episode we had established that DI Bridges and Officer Kessler had previously worked together and that he was the one very much in control. The final scene was not an attempt to gratuitously shock the audience; it was rooted in character and research, showing just what DI Bridges was prepared to do for her colleague for the sake of her family, as well as the brutality that Kessler was capable of. We acknowledge that certain scenes may have been challenging, but we filmed and presented them in such a way as to make sure that although as a viewer the implication was there, it was never actually shown. Silent Witness is now in its 15th series and we believe the general tone and content is widely recognised by its regular audience. It’s fair to say the show is known for tackling challenging stories and exploring adult themes and we don’t feel the content of these episodes would have gone beyond viewer’s expectations. As well as scheduling the series after the 9pm watershed, we made sure the content was widely publicised and gave a warning before both episodes which on Sunday stated: …With scenes some viewers might find upsetting and violent scenes. And Monday: ….With graphic violent scenes and some scenes which some viewers might find upsetting, Silent Witness. We’re sorry if you felt we got it wrong on this occasion.

Strictly Come Dancing…BBC Trust savages appellants whingeing about Robbie Savage taking off Michael Jackson

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Thanks to Nick See article [pdf] from bbc.co.uk

Strictly Come Dancing, BBC One, 29 October 2011 Two people appealed to the BBC Trust against the BBC’s response to complaints regarding a dance routine on the Strictly Come Dancing Halloween special. The appeals were consolidated and considered together across the range of issues raised. The complainants said that a dance routine performed by Robbie Savage to the Michael Jackson song Bad was sexually explicit (particularly in relation to its ending, when the contestant jumped onto the judges’ desk in front of one of the male judges) and was inappropriate for the programme’s audience. The Committee concluded: that the routine in question was not sexually aggressive and would have been viewed more as pantomime behaviour, a caricature of Michael Jackson’s dance routine, and would not have had a harmful effect on children. that, while some viewers may have found elements of the routine tasteless and vulgar, overall the routine did not exceed audience expectations. that the audience would be familiar with the nature of Robbie Savage’s on-screen relationship with the male judge and would take that into consideration as part of the narrative of the show. that the dance routine met generally accepted standards, but that the final hip thrust on the judges’ desk was at the margins of acceptability in a programme appealing to a wide family audience. The complaints were not upheld

Torchwood: Miracle Day…BBC Trust dismisses appeal in support of whinge about gay sex scene in Torchwood

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Thanks to Nick See article [pdf] from bbc.co.uk

Torchwood – Miracle Day, BBC One, 25 August 2011 A complainant said that a sex scene in episode seven of the BBC One drama series Torchwood was inappropriate for its target audience (which the complainant considered to be children under 16 years of age). The complainant said that, although the programme was shown after the watershed, it would attract 13-15 year olds who watch Doctor Who. The complainant also complained about the existence of a link between the Doctor Who and Torchwood websites. The Committee concluded: that the sexual content was appropriately handled taking into account the lead-up to the scene and that the development of the scene gave no doubt as to the ultimate outcome. that the scene itself was not prurient or exploitative and was not sexually explicit. that most viewers are aware of the 9pm watershed and, given the nature of the drama and its scheduling, the scene did not exceed audience expectations. that, given the ultimate outcome of the scene was clear for some time, carers and parents were able to decide to switch off if they wished. that, while specific content advice regarding the sex scene would have been useful, the development of the scene and the established context of the programme meant that viewers would have had sufficient information to decide whether they wished to view the programme. that, taking into account the information provided online about any challenging content, and the scheduling of the series, the Committee did not consider that a link between the Doctor Who and Torchwood websites was of sufficient concern in encouraging children to watch this post-watershed drama. The complaint was not upheld

Wogan Rocked the PC Boat…BBC whinge at Terry Wogan’s insensitive quip about the sinking of the Costa Concordia

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See article from bbc.co.uk

Weekend Wogan Radio 2, 22 January 2011 A listener complained that humorous references to the sinking of the Costa Concordia by Sir Terry Wogan were offensive and insensitive to those affected by the disaster, and called for a broadcast apology. BBC Complaints Adjudication: Resolved The remarks in question (which were made immediately after Rock the Boat had been played as the programme’s opening track, and, later, after a news bulletin which included a report related to the disaster) were inappropriate. However, the programme-makers, in response to the complaint, had acknowledged that the remarks, taken together with the selection of the opening track, represented a major failure, had apologised and had discussed how such mistakes could best be avoided in the future. In the view of the Editorial Complaints Unit, this sufficed to resolve the matter.

Occupying One Side of the Story…BBC upholds complaint against Chris Evans who commented on Occupy St Paul’s

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See article from bbc.co.uk

A listener complained that Chris Evans expressed a one-sided attitude to the protestors outside St Paul’s Cathedral. Outcome: Complaint upheld Chris Evans made critical comments about the protestors on a number of occasions during the programme. The producer reminded him of the requirements of due impartiality while the programme was on air, and he agreed to express no further opinions on the subject. Nevertheless, in the absence of balancing comments, what had already been broadcast was not duly impartial. The Compliance Editor of Radio 2 is conducting a series of briefings with the main presenters and their programme teams which cover issues of impartiality, and the Controller of Radio 2 has been asked to raise impartiality issues in his routine meetings with presenters and their representatives.

Jesus Wept!…BBC tell vicar that religious exclamations are part of everyday language

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See article from telegraph.co.uk

THE BBC has said religious exclamations are part of everyday language and refused to apologise to a vicar who complained about comments made by Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson. Clarkson was filmed shouting Jesus wept while driving a KTM X-bow open top sports car and said: God Almighty while driving a Bentley powered by a Spitfire engine. Graeme Anderson, the vicar of St Mary’s church in Radcliffe-on-Trent in Nottinghamshire accused the BBC of double standards where religion was concerned. He whinged: I found his comments very, very offensive and I think many Christians would also. Related. They belittled, trivialised and cheapened Jesus Christ and Christianity. I was really quite surprised as he is a BBC presenter and it is blasphemous. In a statement, the BBC said: We’re aware that blasphemous language, including the casual or derogatory use of holy names or religious words, can be a source of particular offence to some members of the audience, but judgements about its use are difficult because they depend on tone and context. There is no consensus about words that are acceptable, when, and by whom, as different words cause different degrees of offence to different people. Some of the words and phrases that can cause offence have, whether we like it or not, become part of everyday language and it would be unrealistic for broadcasters to suggest they are not widely used in a range of contexts.

For Our Eyes Only…The Daily Mail does an interesting piece about BBFC censorship of early James Bond films

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See article from dailymail.co.uk See James Bond Films: Detailed BBFC and MPAA cuts from melonfarmers.co.uk by Gavin Salkeld

He may have triumphed over the world’s greatest criminal masterminds, but in his early days James Bond suffered countless defeats at the hands of Britain’s film censors. Producers of the 007 movies had to cut scenes, redub dialogue and rewrite scripts because the British Board of Film Classification objected to some of the spy’s more risque exploits. …Read the full article

Overcautious BBC…BBC Trust explain why the BBC censored the words ‘Free Palestine’ from a rap performance

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See article from indcatholicnews.com

The BBC has admitted it was overcautious in editing the word Palestine from an artist’s performance on Radio 1Xtra and has said it is looking to learn from the way it handled the situation. However the BBC Trust said the final content that was broadcast on the  music programme Charlie Sloth Hip Hop M1X, was not biased and therefore did not breach its editorial guidelines. The Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) has spent eight months trying to find out why the decision was made to censor the lyrics of a freestyle performance by the rapper, Mic Righteous. Appearing on the Charlie Sloth show in February 2011, he sang: I can scream Free Palestine for my beliefs. BBC producers replaced the word Palestine with the sound of breaking glass, and the censored performance was repeated in April on the same show. Amena Saleem, of PSC, said: In its correspondence with us, the BBC said the word Palestine isn’t offensive, but ‘implying that it is not free is the contentious issue, and this is why the edit was made.

Striking Back…BBC issues a response to complaints about Jeremy Clarkson’s strike joke and a nutter MP tries to invoke a parliamentary rebuke

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See article from bbc.co.uk

The BBC has published a response to complaints about Jeremy Clarkson’s jolly gape that strikers should be shot. The BBC said: As has now been widely reported, we had many complaints about a number of Jeremy Clarkson’s comments on the show. The One Show is a live topical programme which often reflects the day’s talking points. Usually we get it right, but on this occasion we feel the item wasn’t perfectly judged. The presenters apologised at the end of the programme to viewers who were offended by his comments and the BBC and Jeremy would like to apologise for any offence caused. Jeremy has said: I didn’t for a moment intend these remarks to be taken seriously — as I believe is clear if they’re seen in context. If the BBC and I have caused any offence, I’m quite happy to apologise for it alongside them. Meanwhile the Labour MP of Kingston Upon Hull East, Karl Turner, has proposed an early day motion whingeing about Clarkson as follows: That this House condemns the disgraceful and disgusting remarks made by Jeremy Clarkson on the BBC; notes that his comments have been criticised by thousands of licence payers, hon. Members and unions; believes that his remarks were inflammatory and have left workers and their children shocked and upset; further believes that high profile TV presenters have influence on their audience and should act with responsibility at all times; calls on the Government to give a full response; and urges the BBC Director General to commence disciplinary proceedings.

Personality Clash…BBC answers criticism that its shortlist for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2011 features only men

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See article from bbc.co.uk

Complaint We received complaints about the lack of women nominated for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2011. BBCresponse We recognise that the all-male line-up has created much debate amongst viewers of the programme, sports-lovers in general and those that champion the cause of Women’s sport in this country. We have had many different points made in the reaction we receive which informs our editorial discussions and we do value it. We have reported all this feedback widely across the BBC and in order to ensure we use the licence fee as efficiently as possible we are sending this response to the issues from our Director of Sport, Barbara Slater to everyone who has contacted us which addresses as many of the detailed points raised by everyone as we are able to: The shortlist comprises some of the finest sports stars on the planet. Everyone is rightly proud of their achievements over the last year, the role they play in inspiring younger generations and the credit they deliver back for the UK. I share the disappointment that the independently determined shortlist does not include any British Sportswomen. There were some worthy female candidates and I should recap how the selection process works. The shortlist of the ten British sports stars is determined by the combined votes of a panel of industry experts based on their assessment of relative sporting achievements during the year. The panel consists of the sport editors of the national newspapers, selected regionals and magazines. These are chosen because of their expertise in the area, their coverage of a wide range of sports throughout the year and the extent of their readership. In total, we received 27 responses from the 35 invitations that were issued this year. The panel included publications such as the Sunday Times, the Daily Mail, the Irish News, the Mirror, the Daily Telegraph, Sport Magazine and the Herald. It is worth noting that most of the publications did include at least one sportswoman in their shortlist. The inclusion of publications such as Nuts and Zoo in the shortlisting panel is for a variety of reasons. These magazines have a dedicated sports section which every week covers a range of sports including Women’s sport and minority sports. They also have a readership profile which reaches younger audiences and helps contribute to a balanced panel which is representative of all the BBC’s audiences. There are very few other widely-read publications that cover such a breadth of sporting news, features and reports on a regular basis. We do not include specialist sporting publications given their potential inherent bias to one particular sport nor do we canvas the views of non-sporting publications. The current system was introduced in 2006 and at least two women have always previously been shortlisted for the main award. Having considered a wide range of alternative mechanisms, we remain convinced that the current system is fair, independent and robust. Previous top 10 candidates included in 2010 Jessica Ennis (3rd) and Amy Williams whilst 2009 saw Jessica Ennis (3rd) and Beth Tweddle. In 2008 Rebecca Adlington (3rd), Nicole Cooke, Christine Ohuruogu and Rebecca Romero all made the Top 10 as did Paula Radcliffe and Christine Ohuruogu in 2007. In 2006 Nicole Cooke, Beth Tweddle and Zara Phillips were nominated with Zara winning the award. This is therefore the first time there has been no female representation since the current system was put in place five years ago. The ultimate winner of the award is determined solely by a public telephone vote during the show itself. We stand by the current voting process but have committed to take on board what has happened this year and we will review the shortlisting process for next year’s show. It is too early to say what, if any changes will be made to the process but please rest assured that we will seek the opinions of people both within and outside of the BBC before deciding on the appropriate methodology for 2012. The current focus on the shortlist for the Sports Personality of the Year Award has shone a bright light on the wider issues surrounding the media coverage and profile of Women’s sport in the UK. As I’m sure you are aware, the BBC is committed to covering a broad range of sports and events and this includes a significant commitment to Women’s sport. The BBC is proud to have followed the achievements of many successful sportswomen through our coverage of events such as the Olympics, the Commonwealth Games, Wimbledon and the Women’s Football World Cup. I trust that I have addressed your questions satisfactorily and made clear the BBC’s commitment to a fair selection process. This year’s shortlist for the main award represents six very different sports and has candidates from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It is disappointing that the independent process did not result in the shortlisting of a female candidate; but we believe it does not detract from the incredible array of British talent that will compete for the 58th Sports Personality of the Year Award. Barbara Slater, Director of Sport