Millhouse

In true British tradition, this song is expected to reach number 3 in the UK charts this Sunday due to downloads.

I think the BBC have made the right decision.

Spugsy

By not playing it? It has nothing to do with her, doesn't mention her, is maybe in bad taste but I think it's not right that they aren't playing it.

Autonomy

Why do you think this?

Millhouse

cos it's a shit song

Sandboy

First song I've ever legally downloaded

mikelincs

They aren't playing it in full, but will play part of the track in a sort of news presentation at the required part of the show.

Millhouse

Sandboy

4 seconds, pathetic

When the general public make a tiny protest by buying a 30 second song the BBC censor it and the papers explode with moral outrage

When the chancellor of the exchequer makes an outrageous link between benefits and the murder of six children they put it on the front page

something wrong

Meow

I hadn't realised that the charts had turned into some sort of biased political lesson. Will the BBC be doing this with every other song with a political reference, or perhaps explaining what the latest Justin Beiber wail really means? I assume they think the British public are such morons that they cannot work anything out for themselves and make their own minds up?

OleJanx

It makes you wonder what the BBC would make of a re-release of that Specials classic 'Ghost Town'....

Millhouse

That's the point. It isn't. They are stuck between a rock and a hard place - the song isn't political, it's effectively an attack on a person. If the BBC play it they get slammed, if they don't they will get slammed. So, the four/five seconds seems a good way out (which was my first point about them making a good decision).

The BBC was hardly ever pro-thatcher or pro-right.

Meow

Exactly. There are loads of others too

UB40 - 1 in 10
Tom Robinson - Glad to be gay
The Special AKA - Free Nelson Mandela
US - Sunday Bloody Sunday
OMD - Enola Gay
Elvis Costello - Shipbuilding


That's just off the top of my head, but there must be hundreds.

mikelincs

6 months ago the BBC would have just playd the song, no problems, it's just that it has been downloaded so that it charted as a specific anti-Thatcher comment, in 6 months if it charts again then there will be no problems, also the funeral is still to be held, and, although I'm certainly not a Thatcher supporter in any way, I have to agree with the way the BBC is handling a very delicate situation.

OleJanx

Indeed! 'Belfast Child' by Simple Minds would no doubt cause some head scratching.

Beakersful

We have Rights to Freedom of Speech or Expression with limits. Does this track breach that limit legally? To play 4-5 seconds of it is more than playing none of it, so it kind of suggests it's not illegal to play it in England. Legal, or moral this decision?