Poland's state TV network has given in to demands by the Roman Catholic church and promised not to re-employ a 'death metal' rock star on its most popular music talent show.
"In connection with press reports about Adam Darski's behaviour during a recent Warsaw club concert ... his provocative behaviour showed a lack of respect for religious convictions, as well as for the sick and handicapped," Polish TV's president, Juliusz Braun, said on 13 October 2011.
The statement was issued after reports that Darski, whose stage name is Nergal, had appeared as a priest and pretended to cure a handicapped person during a Warsaw concert by his band, Behemoth.
Braun told Poland's Catholic information agency, KAI, that he understood the feelings of Christians who had signed letters of protest against the star, and now believed it had been a "mistaken decision" to employ Darski, who would not be appearing in future shows.
Poland has one of Europe's most active 'death metal' rock scenes, with such groups as Damnation and Decapitated claiming international popularity.
When it was announced Darski would appear on Voice of Poland, several church leaders and Catholic organisations threatened to withold their licence fees. Darski's concert stunts have included tearing up a Bible and describing the Roman Catholic church as a "criminal sect."
Poland's Media Ethics Council and highest-circulation daily, Gazeta Wyborcza, defended Darski's right to appear on the programme, which was given clearance by Poland's State Radio and TV Council.
However, a TV spokeswoman, Joanna Stempien-Rogalinska, told Gazeta Wyborcza on 13 October the programme's average Saturday evening audience rating of 2.5 million had been judged "unsatisfactory," adding that Braun had agreed to dismiss the rock star after a meeting with Fr Boleslaw Karcz, chair of Poland's Catholic Journalists Association.