One of our favourite regular publications - the BBC's quarterly complaints bulletin - is out again.
Among the viewer / listener complaints upheld this time round were those against comments made by Radio 2 presenter Sarah Kennedy who was openly critical of Tony Blair on health, transport and Iraq issues (not difficult, of course) and who suggested it would be better if Saddam Hussein were to commit suicide rather than face trial. "The comment, made during the review of the morning papers, was an inappropriate expression of a personal view on a topic of controversy," the report says. "The head of programmes, Radio 2, discussed the finding with Sarah Kennedy and reminded her of the principles which apply to the treatment of controversial topics. The programme team was instructed to be alert to potentially controversial stories in advance of transmission."
Elsewhere Dominic Wood, the Dom of Dick And Dom In Da Bungalow, was censured for wearing a t shirt with the phrase "Morning Wood" written on it. The report reckons: "The phrase was a double entendre which appeared to have been intentional. Though its sexual sense was highly unlikely to have been apparent to the programme's target audience of children between the ages of eight and 12, it was not in keeping with the standards which parent and careers are entitled to expect BBC children's programmes to observe." Quite right too - and why is that show so popular?
A complaint was also upheld against Mr Bill Oddie, just because he said, during an episode of BBC2's Britain Goes Wild show, that he would vote against Ken Livingstone in the London mayoral elections because of hostile comments he made about pigeons. The BBC does not exist, it seems, to speak out in support of pigeons.
The report also admitted the BBC made mistakes during its coverage of Royal Ascot when the presenters made "insensitive comments about transvestite racegoers", and also apologised for an edition of the breakfast show on BBC Radio WM when a listener's text message was read out describing Sir Cliff Richard as a "nauseous, self obsessed poof".