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EastEnders
Complaints
The BBC has reportedly received hundreds of complaints from
viewers about the current EastEnders storyline involving Lucas Johnson.
The Sun newspaper claimed that most of the complaints are from people who
believe the plot is offensive to Christians.
Over the past few months, the Bible-obsessed preacher has murdered his
wife's ex-husband and left his own ex-wife to die. In harrowing scenes last
Thursday, he apparently strangled his current wife Denise.
In a statement, the BBC said: "Lucas is certainly not intended to be
representative of Christians. He is a very damaged and dangerous individual
who has created a twisted version of the Christian 'faith' in his mind to
hide behind and to convince himself that his actions are acceptable.
"As the story unfolds, we will see other characters questioning Lucas's
claim to be a Christian.
"As Lucas has become increasingly unhinged, his obsession and reliance on
the Bible and the scriptures has become increasingly frantic and desperate.
This represents this character's emotional breakdown, and it is very clear
that this is absolutely not normal behaviour."
July
13
2010 - waveguide.co.uk
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Five HD Is
Launched
Five HD is available from today via Sky's digital platform
and also on Virgin Media's cable network.
Timeshifted channels Fiver and Five USA are also available
from today for the first time on Virgin Media.
Five director of strategy Charles Constable said: "We broadcast so many high
quality series shot in HD, such as Don't Stop Believing and our lineup of
great US dramas, so our schedule is really suited to fantastic picture
quality. Five HD is a great addition to our channel portfolio."
July
13
2010 - waveguide.co.uk
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BBC Breakfast
In Salford
The BBC is considering moving its flagship Breakfast show to
Salford, it has been revealed.
A spokesman said the corporation was "considering a range of options",
adding that no final decision had yet been made.
The daily show is fronted by Bill Turnbull, Sian Williams, Susanna Reid and
Charlie Stayt.
The BBC has already announced that several other departments will move to
its new northern base in Salford.
These include sport, children's, parts of Radio 5 live and learning.
The BBC's media correspondent Torin Douglas said: "It's not been decided
yet, but if BBC Breakfast were to move to Salford, viewers could really
start to notice that the BBC was making more of its programmes in the North
- just as listeners may when Radio 5 Live moves.
"Breakfast runs for three hours a day on BBC One - and the
Salford Quays waterfront and new buildings could provide a highly visible
backdrop for the programme."
The programme is currently broadcast from the BBC's Television Centre in
west London and runs for three hours on a week day and on Sundays and four
hours on a Saturday.8.
About 2,500 jobs from five departments are moving to Salford Quays in 2011
from their current London home.
July
13
2010 - waveguide.co.uk
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Summer
Wine Star Disappointed
Last Of The Summer Wine star Tom Owen has criticised the BBC
for not filming a specially-written farewell episode of the axed show.
The comedy, the world’s longest-running sitcom, comes to an end this summer
on BBC One.
But Owen, who plays Compo’s long-lost son, hit out at the broadcaster for
not filming a unique farewell show, saying the cast only heard that the
comedy would be axed after they had shot the final six episodes.
He told TV Times: “We were all very sad but it has to end some time. The
only thing I think we all feel is that the BBC could have at least done us
the courtesy of finishing the series off properly, with a specially-written
final episode.
“It hasn’t been done and I think that’s a little bit off, to say the least.”
Owen, 61, who was brought into the show 11 years ago when his father, Bill
Owen, died, said he understood why the comedy had been such a success for
the past 37 years.
“It’s brilliantly written and there’s no smut in it. The whole family could
watch it, regardless of age. It also has a feelgood factor as it’s set in
the Yorkshire countryside, has a great cast and excellent direction.
“Basically you’ve got a formula for a huge show and it’s proven its worth
over the years.”
The BBC is planning to celebrate the end of Last Of The Summer Wine with
special editions of Countryfile and Songs Of Praise which will come from
Holmfirth, the village in Yorkshire where the comedy has been filmed since
its inception in 1973.
The sitcom, about people in the autumn of their years and created by Roy
Clarke, has clocked up more than 30 series as well as several Christmas
specials.
July
13
2010 - waveguide.co.uk
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Radio
Presenter Loses Case
Former TalkSport presenter Jon Gaunt today lost his high
court freedom of expression challenge against media regulator Ofcom.
His interview with Redbrige councillor Michael Stark about
the local authority's decision to ban smokers from becoming foster parents –
for which he later apologised – drew 53 complaints from listeners.
Stark said the welfare of young children should outweigh the needs of foster
families. But Gaunt, who was in care as a child, accused him of being a
"Nazi", a "health Nazi" and an "ignorant pig", arguing that the chance of
finding a foster home would be lost under the new policy.
The presenter, who now fronts SunTalk, the Sun's online radio show, was
sacked by TalkSport over the November 2008 interview before Ofcom's ruling
in May last year.
Gaunt took legal action against Ofcom claiming its decision breached Article
10 of the European Convention on Human Rights and was an unlawful
interference with his freedom of expression.
However, today at the high court in London Sir Anthony May and Mr Justice
Blair dismissed his judicial review proceedings.
May said Ofcom was justified in its conclusion. "The broadcast was
undoubtedly highly offensive to Mr Stark and was well capable of offending
the broadcast audience. The essential point is that the offensive and
abusive nature of the broadcast was gratuitous, having no factual content or
justification," he said.
Gaunt was refused permission to appeal. However, he can renew his
application directly to the court of appeal, which Gaunt said after the
ruling that he planned to do.
Blair accepted that the discussion on Gaunt's show was "political and
controversial" and "the person interviewed was an elected politician who
would expect to receive and tolerate a rough ride".
"It was therefore an interview where the claimant's freedom of expression
should be accorded a high degree of protection and that was capable of
extending to offensive expression," he said.
But he added that freedom of expression "may not however extend to
gratuitous offensive insult or abuse, nor, we think, to repeated abusive
shouting which serves to express no real content".
Blair accepted that the use of the word "Nazi" is capable of being "highly
insulting" but that on this occasion: "It was not, in the context, a
description of Mr Stark's wider political or ideological position."
However, he added that "the tone of interview degenerated from that point".
Moreover, Gaunt's conduct of it "became increasingly abusive, hectoring and
out of control".
The use of the expression "ignorant pig" had "no contextual justification at
all and was said with such venom as to constitute gratuitous offensive
opinion abuse", Blair ruled.
That was "well capable of offending the broadcast audience" and Ofcom's
decision was therefore justified.
The regulator pointed out that Gaunt was sacked by TalkSport owner UTV
before it made its ruling.
The Ofcom's chief executive, Ed Richards, said: "We were perfectly happy for
this case to be taken to court to review the way in which how we interpret
our statutory duties.
"We are very pleased that the high court has recognised that we came to the
right decision in this case. This is a thorough endorsement of our judgment
in what was a difficult case.
"Parliament has given Ofcom the duty of applying generally accepted
standards to television and radio services, which we always aim to do in a
way that respects the important principles of freedom of expression whilst
at the same time protecting audiences from unjustified offensive and harmful
material."
Gaunt's legal team will appeal the decision within a fortnight. He said he
is prepared to take his legal battle to the European court of human rights
in Strasbourg if necessary.
"I think I won some significant victories today. My style of broadcasting
has been legitimised as political speech and therefore has the highest level
of protection under the Human Rights Act. It's bonkers that Ofcom stated
over and over again that it was 'Nazi' that was the problem but the court
disagreed and seemed to believe that 'ignorant pig' was more offensive,"
Gaunt said after the high court ruling.
"I invite anyone to listen to the tape and make their own judgment but in my
opinion it clearly illustrates that I used that term completely in context
after councillor Stark clearly insulted me and the kids who are still in
care in this country."
July
13
2010 - waveguide.co.uk
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Bruce
Forsyth Money For Old Rope
Presenting television game shows is "money for old rope",
according to Bruce Forsyth.
The 82-year-old entertainer was a primetime fixture
throughout the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s with shows including Play Your Cards
Right, The Generation Game and Bruce's Price Is Right.
However, he admitted: "I regret doing so many game shows, but I started when
I met [my wife] Wilnelia, and we love spending time together. You can do a
series in two weeks then take as much time off as you like. Money for old
rope. People don't understand I can be the laziest person in the world."
Forsyth also told the Radio Times that he had been passed
over for a knighthood because the powers that be regard him as a "buffoon".
For several years, fans of the Strictly Come Dancing host have campaigned
for him to be knighted. A petition on the Number 10 website has nearly 5,000
signatories, while 25,000 people have joined the “Give Bruce Forsyth A
Knighthood” group on Facebook.
“There’s been so much hype that it started to worry me,” he said of the
fans’ campaign. “This is not a popularity contest, but go back as far as you
like and comedic people are thought of as buffoons you don’t take seriously.
“If they realised how much harder it is to get a laugh than, say, a straight
line in a play, or sing a pop song, they might reconsider, but it’s a tricky
business.”
On the subject of earnings, Forsyth said he opposed the idea of publishing
BBC presenters’ salaries. He took a pay cut from £650,000 to £550,000 last
year. “If they want me to this year I will, but I’ve never thought about it.
The BBC won’t disclose individual salaries. The last thing you want is
people being competitive about them.”
Forsyth has yet to sign up to a new series of Strictly and negotiations with
BBC bosses are ongoing. However, referring to another presenter who left the
corporation last month in a flurry of headlines, Forsyth said: “I have a
couple more meetings but it’s going well. I’m not doing a Christine Bleakley.”
July
13
2010 - waveguide.co.uk
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