Radio 3 producer resigns over Springer opera

Antony Pitts, a senior producer at BBC Radio 3, has resigned after watching the BBC2 broadcast of Jerry Springer The Opera on Saturday, reports MediaGuardian (free registration required). His main concern was that the piece was blasphemous.

His examples of blasphemy included "the ridiculing of the figure of Jesus on the cross, dressed to imply sexual perversion", "the repeated mockery of the wounds of Jesus, linked to acts of crudeness" and "the singing of 'Jerry eleison' as a contemptuous travesty of an act of worship".

The work has been defended by BBC Director General, Mark Thompson, and Director of Televsion, Jana Bennett.