Jo Whiley show used fake caller
Jemima Kiss and Leigh HolmwoodTuesday October 2, 2007
Jo Whiley's Radio 1 show is the latest BBC programme to become embroiled in the broadcasting fakery scandal, after producers admitted that a member of staff posed as an audience member during a phone-in competition.
The incident was not highlighted by the recent internal BBC review that identified a series of editorial blunders, and was omitted from the report handed to the BBC Trust at its last meeting on September 19.
Several members of staff have been disciplined, the BBC said in a statement. "A pre-recorded section of Radio 1's Jo Whiley Show on April 20, 2006 featured a phone competition in which a member of BBC staff posed as a caller from the audience," the BBC said.
"The incident came to light following the recent publication of further editorial breaches. A number of staff members have been disciplined.
"We would like to make clear that Jo Whiley was unaware that the caller was not a genuine member of the public. The BBC Trust's Editorial Standards Committee has been informed of this today."
The Trust confirmed it had received the new report concerning Radio 1.
"The Trust is satisfied that BBC management is taking appropriate action in light of this finding and that the breach raises no new issues which require any change to the director-general's action plan," the Trust said in a statement.
"The Editorial Standards Committee will continue to receive regular reports on progress before the director-general concludes his work and reports to the Trust in January."
A BBC spokeswoman said the incident happened when two hours of Whiley's usual three-hour show had to be pre-recorded, because the presenter was attending the opening by the Queen of the new Broadcasting House.
However, listeners were not informed that part of the show was pre-recorded.
"The show is always live," the spokeswoman said. "This was an exceptional occasion."
The BBC said the fact that the competition was pre-recorded did not mean that Whiley knew the winner was faked, as listeners telephoned Radio 1 all the time and one of them could have been asked to participate in the pre-record.
Whiley will apologise on her show tomorrow for the competition incident, in which the "winner" bagged CDs.
The BBC spokeswoman confirmed that "more than two" staff members had been disciplined, although would not say whether they had been sacked.
It is thought their punishment is stronger than that meted out to other staff involved in previous fakery scandals because they did not come forward during the BBC's trawl for audience deceptions.
"It didn't come to light in the last trawl because no one told us about it," the spokeswoman said. "We take that seriously."
The original investigation had uncovered incidents of fakery on the digital radio stations Asian Network and 6Music and on children's TV show Blue Peter, where staff ignored the results of a web poll to decide the name of the show's new cat.
The programme's editor was later sacked and a new kitten named Cookie - the real name
chosen by viewers - was introduced.
( This article relates to recent BBC scandals regarding phone ins and competitions for example the naming of the Blue Peter cat. I decided to use this article as it is part of an issue which is being looked into within the media and television channels. This also relates to my chosen channel as channel 4 too had a similar incident regarding phone ins during their day time TV show "Richard&Judy".http://media.guardian.co.uk/broadcast/story/0,,2177466,00.html This article corresponds to this topic and charts recent phone in scandals. )
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