The BBC have come under more and fresh criticism this week after bosses cleared Sandi Toksvig of wrongfully using the c-word during a live broadcast.
The British Public service broadcaster received ONE formal complaint from a listener after the openly-gay presenter said "the Conservatives have put the n in cuts" during an episode of The News Quiz in October 2010.
The incident was broadcast at 6.30pm and the next day at 12.30pm.
But yesterday the programme was cleared by Paul Mayhew Archer, then commissioning editor of Radio 4 Comedy.
He said: “If my job was simply not to risk offending any listeners I could have cut it instantly. But that is not my job. My job here was to balance the offence it might cause some listeners against the delight it might give other listeners.
"For good or ill, the word does not seem to have quite the shock value it did. I am not saying this is a good thing. I am simply saying that I think attitudes shift.”
He also claimed that the daytime transmission would “delight” much of the show’s audience, adding that listeners would “love it”.
But now MPs are asking broadcasting regulators Ofcom to investigate the BBC and their code of conduct.
The Telegraph newspaper report that John Whittingdale, chairman of the Commons culture, media and sport select committee, said: “That word is way out in front in terms of people finding it offensive, and I think to broadcast it on radio at 6.30pm is inappropriate.
"Even though they did it by implication, nobody was left in any doubt about what was meant."
However gay rights campaigner Jason Shaw hit back “John ‘rent a quote’ Whittingdale puts the W into T AT and P at the star of ratt and is a foolish idiot. It was a humorous point that was made, it may not have been the height of sophistication, yet it was within keeping with the tone of the show, the language that is usually used and the current news value.”
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