BBC boss warns over extremist religious groups
-09/03/05
The BBC’s director-general has warned against the growing power of ìextremistî religious groups who opposed the controversial broadcast of Jerry Springer ñ The Opera.
In a lecture to the FT New Media and Broadcasting Conference, in London, last night and in an article for today’s Times newspaper, Mark Thompson suggests the corporation must stand up for the ìwidest range of ideasî in the face of increased pressure from lobby groups.
Mr Thompson, himself a Christian, said the decision to screen a recording of the hit West End musical, was ìboth right and important.î
Talking about the freedom to screen controversial programmes, he told delegates at the conference: ìI do believe that this openness, along with the wider openness of our whole society, is under threat.
ìThe voices of those who would wish to limit it seem to be getting more strident.
ìSmall pressure groups can use the internet, e-mails and other modern communications tools to give a false impression of size and weight.
He said he believed ìrage and extremismî appeared to be coming closer to the surface.î
A record number of 50,000 complaints were received before and after the programme was screened on BBC2, including protests that the programme was blasphemous.
Thompson suggests though that many of the complaints seemed to have come “from a small number of sources”.
One religious group, Christian Voice, led a campaign against some BBC executives, publishing their home addresses and phone numbers.
In the article in the Times newspaper today, Thompson also repeats an allegation, publicly denied by Christian voice, that threats were made to members of the BBC and their families.
ìI do think the organisers of some of the protests, in particular Christian Voice, should reflect carefully on what happened,î said Mr Thompson.
ìThe volume of protests was something we did take into consideration, because it showed the widespread strength of feeling.
ìBut even if around 50,000 different people really had registered their disquiet, that number has to be considered alongside the 1.8 million who eventually chose to watch Jerry Springer and indeed the 25 million households we serve altogether.î
However, Mr Thompson also admitted the corporation must do more to ìconnectî with Christian viewers.
ìThe BBC is not here to promote a secular worldview as opposed to a religious one, or so-called progressive values over traditional ones, but rather to give voice and space to a full range of perspectives,î he said.
ìIn my view we have plenty more to do to reflect religion positively on our airwaves particularly Christianity where, despite some real advances in recent years, there is still something of a creative deficit.î