In late 2007 , Thompson 's directorship at the BBC was criticised . Sir Richard Eyre , former artistic director of the National Theatre , accused the BBC under Thompson 's leadership of failing to produce programmes " that inspired viewers to visit galleries , museums or theatres " . He was also criticised by Tony Palmer , a multi-award-winning filmmaker . Of the BBC , Palmer stated that it " has a worldwide reputation which it has abrogated and that 's shameful . In the end , the buck stops with Mark Thompson . He is a catastrophe . " He was criticised by religious groups in relation to the broadcast of '' Jerry Springer : The Opera '' , with a private prosecution brought against the BBC for blasphemy . David Pannick QC appeared and won the case . The High Court ruled that the cult musical was not blasphemous , and Pannick stated that Judge Tubbs had " acted within her powers and made the only decision she could lawfully have made ; while religious beliefs were integral to British society , so is freedom of expression , especially to matters of social and moral importance . " A number of commentators have suggested that Thompson has a pro-Israeli editorial stance , particularly since he supported the controversial decision by the BBC not to broadcast the DEC Gaza appeal in January 2009 . Complaints to the BBC about the decision , numbering nearly 16,000 , were directed to a statement by Thompson . In May 2011 , Thompson ordered the lyrics ' free Palestine ' in a rap on BBC Radio 1Xtra to be censored . During a meeting of the British Parliament 's Culture and Media Committee in June 2012 , Thompson also issued an apology for not devoting more coverage to the murders of an Israeli settler family in the West Bank , saying the " network got it wrong " – despite the fact that the incident occurred on the same day as the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
Mark Thompson (media executive)