BBC in hot seat as anti-Thatcher song climbs chart

LONDON - The Associated Press

A woman wears a t-shirt with the slogan 'The Witch is Dead' during an anti-Thatcher 'gathering' in Trafalgar Square in central London on April 8, 2013. Former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher, the "Iron Lady" who shaped a generation of British politics, died following a stroke on April 8, 2013 at the age of 87, her spokesman said. AFP PHOTO/LEON NEAL

The BBC has been put in an awkward spot, as the "Wizard of Oz" song "Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead" zooms up the music charts in a protest against Margaret Thatcher.

Opponents of the late British prime minister have tried to buy as many versions of the song as possible to protest her divisive policies.

The BBC usually broadcasts the best-selling hits on its official music chart show, but some lawmakers from Thatcher's Conservative Party had urged the state-funded broadcaster to drop the song from its countdown. Others warned that such a move would be censoring dissent.

In a compromise, the BBC says it will broadcast only part of the song along with a news item explaining why it was a hit this week.