BBC Trust slams editorial control at Radio 2 (From Hillingdon Times)

BBC Trust slams editorial control at Radio 2

8:54pm Friday 21st November 2008

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A PINNER woman who quit the BBC in the wake of a scandal involving two of its top stars has been criticised in an official report.

Radio producer Lesley Douglas, 45, left her job as Radio 2 Controller after Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand left lewd messages on the answerphone of former Fawlty Towers star Andrew Sachs.

A report released today from the BBC Trust heavily criticised the editorial control executives had over the offending broadcast, an October edition of Russell Brand's radio show where the two stars left messages on Mr Sachs' answerphone about a sexual relationship between Brand and the 78-year-old actor's granddaughter.

In a statement today, Sir Michael Lyons, chairman of the BBC Trust, said: “The Trust is in no doubt that primary responsibility rests with the BBC as publisher and it is the editorial management who are accountable for what the BBC broadcasts.

“The offending parts of the programmes should not have been recorded. Once recorded however, they should never have been broadcast.

“The Russell Brand breaches were all the more serious because of the misjudgements by those responsible for editorial control within the BBC.”

Ms Douglas, of Norman Crescent, Pinner, resigned from her post after the scandal broke, and Brand has since resigned from his job at the corporation.

Ross has been suspended from BBC television and radio for twelve weeks without pay, but it was confirmed today he will return to his job at the end of the suspension with no further action being taken against him.

David Barber, who was in charge of checking Radio 2 content, also resigned following the offensive broadcast, as serious questions were asked about the level of editorial control within the corporation.

The scandal hit the front pages of national newspaper and prompted more than 40,000 people to complain.

The BBC has played an on air apology for the mistakes made and will hope today's report and statement will draw a line under the whole affair.

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