NBC TV undecided about Madonna mock crucifixion

LOS ANGELES, Sep 20 (Reuters) The NBC television network is still making up its mind about whether it will allow pop star Madonna to stage a mock crucifixion on its airwaves as part of her upcoming prime-time concert special.

The 48-year-old entertainer has made the crucifixion stunt, in which she performs while suspended on a giant cross wearing a crown of thorns, a centerpiece of her global ''Confessions'' tour.

Her stage act drew storms of protest from the Roman Catholic Church and Russian Orthodox Church during recent performances in Rome and Moscow, with church leaders condemning the mock crucifixion as blasphemy.

But executives at NBC, owned by the General Electric Co will wait for makers of her concert special to submit the production for review before deciding whether to allow the mock crucifixion to air.

''We're awaiting the delivery of it, and once we've seen it in its entirety, we'll make a decision,'' an NBC spokeswoman told Reuters tomorrow. The program is slated to air in November, but no specific date has been set.

Madonna's manager, Guy Oseary, had no comment on the issue, according to an assistant in his office.

In July, when the network first unveiled plans for the Madonna concert special, NBC Entertainment President Kevin Reilly gave mixed signals about how much artistic freedom Madonna would be given. The mock crucifixion was known then to be a central part of her stage act.

''She's not revising her act,'' he told a gathering of TV critics at the time. ''We've discussed what content will be in and what is out, and we've come to a healthy place that represents her show but is appropriate for television.'' He later added: ''She's going to do her show, and we'll decide which numbers are in the special and which are not. And that's whole numbers. We're not going to make piece-meal edits.'' REUTERS PDM HS1001