Brass Eye Row Continues

The row surrounding Channel 4’s controversial satire programme Brass Eye continued today as the broadsheet newspapers weighed in with opinion on satire, taste and the role of the government and regulators in policing the media.

The Independent Television Commission (ITC) has confirmed that it has already processed around 700 complaints about the show, which aired on Thursday and Friday last week, relating to taste, decency and the use of children in the programme.

Yesterday Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell suggested that as TV’s watchdog the ITC should have more rapid response capabilities to deal with issues such as this (see More Power For ITC?), but, speaking to the BBC, she nevertheless insisted: “I’ve made it clear that programme content and regulatory issues which have arisen through this are a matter for [the ITC and Channel 4] and not government”.

The ITC, which has defended its actions throughout, has issued a statement saying that chairman Sir Robin Biggam had reassured Jowell that “The ITC is, and will be fulfilling all of its obligations in relation to the complaints about [the programme].”

Channel Four: 020 7396 4444 www.channel4.com DCMS: 020 7211 6200 www.culture.gov.uk ITC: 020 7306 7743 www.itc.org.uk

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