Ofcom rejects complaints over BBC broadcast of Jerry Springer - The Opera

by Jennifer Whitehead, Brand Republic 09-May-05, 14:45

LONDON - Ofcom has ruled that the BBC was not in breach of broadcasting regulations when it showed the controversial West End show 'Jerry Springer - The Opera' earlier this year, which resulted in almost 9,000 complaints.

The regulator described the level of complaints about the programme as unprecedented, with 7,941 people contacting it before transmission, and 8,860 after it was broadcast.

The majority of complaints were from people who were angry that the BBC planned to go ahead with the show despite knowing that it would upset a large number of people, which it succeeded in doing.

Religious aspects of the show also upset some viewers, who particularly highlighted the use of swear words alongside references to God and Jesus. The programme also featured Eve putting her hand under Jesus's loincloth, a suggestion that Jesus was gay and the re-enactment of the crucifixion.

Ofcom said it acknowledged that a large number of people were deeply offended by the transmission. It said that in its ruling on the broadcast, it was aware of the need to apply the standards set out in the code, along with the need to guarantee an appropriate level of freedom of expression.

However, in responding to the most controversial elements on the programme the media watchdog said that it did not see the sequences as accurate depictions of religious figures, but products of fictional character's dream.

In its ruling, Ofcom said: "The images that caused the most offence were part of a 'dream' sequence serving as a metaphor for the fictional Jerry Springer and his chat show.

"In Ofcom's view, these were not meant to be faithful or accurate depictions of religious figures, but a product of the lead character's imagination. Even as he lay dying, the fictional Jerry Springer still saw his life through the lens of his confessional show."

It found that because most of the show was broadcast after the watershed, it was not in breach of regulations on use of language.

Complaints were also not upheld because the BBC made clear warnings about the content of the programme and because Ofcom deemed 'Jerry Springer- The Opera' to be a caricature of modern television and not a gratuitous attack on Christianity.

Ofcom said it could not rule on complaints that the BBC had committed the offence of blasphemy because that was a criminal matter and should be dealt with by the courts.

An earlier investigation by the BBC board of governors found that the corporation was right to broadcast 'Jerry Springer: The Opera', ruling that the programme did not breach the corporation's editorial standards, codes or guidelines.

Pic: BBC/Dan Goldsmith

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