Have I Got Abit More News For You

[MS1NGH]

i recieved a reply from the BBC

Thanks for contacting us regarding ‘Have I Got A Bit More News For You’.

We understand you were offended by a comment made on ‘Have I Got A Bit More News For You’ by host Chris Addison, as you felt it was offensive to Sikhs. This episode was a repeat of a show which originally aired in November 2010.

‘Have I Got News For You’ is a topical, satirical comedy quiz programme and we can assure you there was certainly no intention to offend.

In this instance, the comments and satire were directed at the opponents of Nikki Hayley - who is of Sikh origin - who publicly stated “We’ve already got one rag head in the White House. We don’t want another one in the governor’s mansion.”

Chris Addison replied “...it’s towel head, d***head”.

His comments and satire were not directed to Sikhs, but to those who made the offensive comments in the first instance by correcting the use of offensive language by certain people and aiming offensive language at them.

To that end, we’d like to assure you that we’ve registered your concerns on our audience log. This is a daily report of audience feedback that's made available to many BBC staff, including members of the BBC Executive Board, programme makers, channel controllers and other senior managers.

The audience logs are seen as important documents that can help shape decisions about future programming and content.

Thanks again for taking the time to contact us.

Kind Regards

BBC Audience Services

[buddasingh]

Kind Regards

BBC Audience Services

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Nice to meet you "BBC Audience Services". Opinion so strong that the corporate system has the "no one" to sign it. Corporate Cowardice!

Sikhs learn to fight this new corporate "no one" as a service to humanity. Who needs to plunder and pillage and lie to the masses on the streets when you can do it in a/c comfort, via peons, anonymously as shareholders, ceos etc under a nice logo from the comfort of your boardrooms.

[SINGHREET]

TO PAHJIS/PENJIS, I HAVE SENT THE EMAIL REGARDING THE RACIST COMMENTS TO THE BBC, BELOW IS A COPY, I DON'T THINK A PASSIVE STANCE WILL DO FROM THE COMMUNITY. WJKK WJKF

"TOWEL HEAD" COMMENT AND REFERENCE TO "RAG HEAD" COMMENT MADE BY PRESENTER..

I KNOW YOU HAVE RECEIVED COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS MATTER AND I'VE READ YOUR REPLIES POSTED ON THE INTERNET, FRANKLY WHICH ARE MUNDANE AND PASSIVE!

WHETHER OR NOT THE INTENTION WAS A RACIST ONE THE FACT IS YOUR PRESENTER USED THESE WORDS AS IF THEY WERE NORMAL EVERY DAY LANGUAGE, ENCOURAGING A RACIST VIEWER TO LAUGH UNCONTROBALLY AT A RACIST GLORY OF THE COUNTRY WITHOUT CONSIDERATION THAT THESE WORDS MAYBE REPLICATED IN SOCIETY SUCH AS IN SCHOOLS-RACISTS TAUGHTS FOR PUPILS WHO WEAR TURBANS, IN THE STREET- ABUSE BEING GIVEN TO TURBAN WEARERS BY PASSER-BYS, IN PUBLIC SOCIAL PLACES SUCH AS CLUBS & PUBS CAUSING FIGHTS ETC.

BASICALLY BY MAKING THESE WORDS PART OF A SARCASTIC JOKE/JOKE, "USING THEM" HAS CONDONED THEM AS ACCEPTABLE.

AS FOR YOUR PASSIVE STANCE ON THIS ISSUE, I WARN YOU TO PICK UP YOUR PACE TO BRING JUSTICE TO THE ISSUE OR THE SIKH COMMUNITY MAY TAKE THIS MATTER TO A COURT OF LAW FOR USING LANGUAGE THAT ENCOURAGES RACISM IN THE COUNTRY RATHER THAN RID IT OF 'IT'- WHICH PRETTY MUCH AMOUNTS TO "INCITEMENT TO RACIAL HATRED"....

HERE IS A BIT OF EDUCATION FOR YOURSELVES...

THE TURBAN FOR SIKHS STANDS FOR/SIGNIFIES THE RESPECT HONOUR DIGNITY AND IDENTITY (BEING OF THE SIKH RACE) OF THAT BEING IE. THE SELF-RESPECT OF THAT BEING IS BEING WORN ON THEIR HEAD SO IF YOU ARE MOCKING IT, YOU AUTOMATICALLY MOCK A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF A PERSON AND THE PERSON THEMSELF!

[SINGHREET]

RECEIVED RECENTLY....

Thanks for contacting us regarding 'Have I Got a Bit More News for You' broadcast on BBC Two on 9 July.

I understand that you were offended by a comment made on the programme by host Chris Addison, as you felt it was offensive to Sikhs, and potentially racist. I also note you feel we should not have broadcast the comments.

‘Have I Got News For You’ is a topical, satirical comedy quiz programme and we can assure you there was certainly no intention to offend.

In this instance, the comments and satire were directed at the opponents of Nikki Hayley - who is of Sikh origin - who publicly stated “We’ve already got one rag head in the White House. We don’t want another one in the governor’s mansion.”

Chris Addison replied “...it’s towel head, d***head”.

His comments and satire were not directed to Sikhs, but to those who made the offensive comments in the first instance.

However, we do acknowledge your concerns and we’d like to assure you that we’ve registered your complaint on our audience log. This is a daily report of audience feedback that’s circulated to many BBC staff, including members of the BBC Executive Board, channel controllers and other senior managers.

The audience logs are seen as important documents that can help shape decisions about future programming and content.

Thanks again for your feedback.

Kind Regards

Mark Roberts

BBC Complaints

www.bbc.co.uk/complaints