October 2008 Archive
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RNW October comment -White spaces, white noise! Argues in favour of using the unused parts of broadcast spectrum for wireless Internet as being in the wider public interest albeit proceeding with caution and regulating to as to not to cause interference to broadcast signals.
2008-10-31: BBC Director General Mark Thompson has revealed that BBC Radio 2's former controller Lesley Douglas, was aware before they were aired of the controversial calls left by Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross on the answer phone of actor Andrew Sachs to the effect that Brand had, as Ross crudely put it, "fucked your granddaughter", and later broadcast in a recorded edition of the Russell Brand Show
In an interview on the Jeremy Vine Show on BBC Radio 2, Vine noted that Douglas had not actually heard the comments although the producer directly involved had, and Thompson responded that the BBC was still "looking in detail and talking to some of the people involved but I think it's fair to say Lesley was aware of the key parts of the content of the programme.
Douglas has been defended by a number of people including Radio 2 host Chris Evans who described her as "The best boss I've ever head" and Dame Liz Forgan, former Managing Director, BBC Network Radio, who told BBC Radio 4, "She has probably brought more fun, and happiness and pleasure to millions of licence payers than many other people in the BBC. I do not see how the licence payers can possible be served by her resignation. I think the BBC has lost its wits."
However another Radio 2 host Paul Gambaccini said that when it was announced that Douglas had hired Brand he had warned her about the danger.
"In this profession, we never disparage a colleague. It's an unwritten rule," he said, "but when this hire was announced I sent an e-mail of protest to her, the only one I've ever sent in my entire career. I knew this would end in tears because it could only end in tears. When you pick up a time bomb, one day it will explode because that's what time bombs do.
Brand had resigned before Douglas did so and Ross has been suspended for 12 weeks without pay although it appears that the BBC will still have to pay his production company Hot Sauce, which employs around thirty people to make his "Friday Night with Jonathan Ross" TV show and Radio 2 show. In addition BBC Resources, the BBC's commercial wing, will lose around GBP 550,000 (USD 865,000) in cancelled studio costs.
Ross has also pulled out of presenting this year's British Comedy Awards on ITV in December (for which he was reported to have been due to be paid GBP 100,000 (USD 160,000) because of the row.
In all the BBC received around 35,000 protests about the show following the extensive publicity given to it, leading to a Facebook group supporting Ross and Brand to attempt to top that number. As of Friday night more than 15,000 people had joined the group.
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2008-10-31: The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has agreed a USD 85,000 Consent Decree with Beasley Broadcast Group to settle various alleged indecent, profane or obscene broadcasts on its Florida stations WQAM-AM, Miami, and WRXK-FM, Bonita Springs.
The decree relates to multiple allegations of violations of FCC indecency rules that led to investigations and the issuing of a USD 55,000 Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture (NAL) in November 2004 relating to September 9 & 10, 2003 editions of the "Scott Ferrall Show" (See RNW Nov 24, 2004). In the first broadcast the host - who was dropped by the station in November 2003 - was involved in a heated exchange with an angry male caller that according to the complaint involved the host saying the caller would re raped and sodomized in prison, that while he was in jail Ferrall would "stuff his package into the caller's wife's mouth", would "do her daily" and then get his girlfriend to do her.
In the second broadcast the FCC said there was graphic and explicit description of child molestation that although coached in terms of innuendo were "nonetheless sufficient to render the material actionably indecent because the sexual import of those terms was 'unmistakable.'"
As part of the settlement the FCC drops the NAL and also dismisses other complaints relating to WQAM's airing of advertisements for internet gambling websites, its broadcast of discussions concerning wagering or betting, and its conduct of an internet contest and all informal objections to the station's licence (Including objections from Miami attorney and indecency crusader John B. Thompson. Earlier this month the FCC had denied his call for reconsideration of its Enforcement Bureau's rejection of his complaint against Beasley Broadcast Group that alleged that the broadcaster had had engaged in improper conduct by retaliating against him for filing indecency complaints - See RNW Licence News Oct 26 )
Beasley on its part is to conduct training for relevant staff at the stations concerning indecent broadcasts. In addition if in future either station receives an NAL or any document proposing a forfeiture or non-renewal or revocation of licence related to obscene or indecent broadcasts it agrees that all the staff responsible for the airing of the material or decision to air it are to be suspended and an immediate investigation undertaken.
These employees will then have to undergo remedial training on the relevant regulations and satisfy management that they understand them before being allowed to resume their duties and broadcasts by on-air staff involved will be subjected to a time delay to allow a programme monitor, who is to be assigned to them, to prevent the "broadcast of material that is actionably obscene, indecent, and/or profane."
The decree requirements are to run for three years.
Previous Beasley:
Previous FCC:
2008-10-31: Writing in the Chicago Sun-Times, Bruce DuMont, Chairman of the US National Radio Hall of Fame, has commented on the controversy surrounding the selection of Focus on the Family, founded by psychologist Dr. James Dobson for the Hall's 2008 inductees..
Dobson recorded his first radio program calling for a return to conservative, Christian values (RNW comment: It might be more accurate to describe them as largely pre-Christian since the balance seems old-Testament rather than Sermon on the Mount in tenor) in 1978 and now hosts an internationally syndicated show that is heard on over 4,000 stations worldwide.
The decision has been opposed by LBGT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender/transsexual) organizations because of Dobson's attacks on homosexuals and earlier this month dumpdobson.com placed a full-page advert in the paper calling for the decision to be rescinded, describing Dobson's comments as examples of bigotry, intolerance and hatred and accusing him of being "flagrantly dishonest", saying that he "repeatedly has been caught lying and deliberately spreading misinformation about gay and lesbian people."
On Thursday this week the paper carried an Op-Ed by Wayne Besen, the executive director of "Truth Wins Out " that said the Museum of Broadcast Communications (which organizes the National Radio Hall of Fame) would be "making a regrettable mistake if it follows through on its plan to induct Focus on the Family's James Dobson into its Radio Hall of Fame on Nov. 8" and saying that "To LGBT people, Dobson is a dangerous demagogue who has repeatedly dehumanized our very existence. He has lied about our lives, distorted science to back his falsehoods and peddled destructive stereotypes. Dobson has lobbied to pass anti-gay laws, divided families in the name of family values and said that allowing gay people to marry will 'end the earth.'"
He comments on Dobson's record of misrepresentation and then says, "Given this dubious record, it is astounding that the Museum of Broadcast Communications would elect to honour Dobson. MBC's Director, Bruce Dumont, defends this amoral decision by saying that the views and actions of the 2008 inductees were not taken under consideration. This is a cop out. If Dobson had insulted another minority in the same way, he never would have been nominated in the first place."
In his Op-Ed, DuMont writes that "To better understand the controversy, people need to better understand the nomination and induction process of the Hall of Fame."
He then notes that since 1992, the steering committee of the Hall of Fame in Chicago has nominated individuals and programs for induction based on published criteria of on-air tenure and broadcast accomplishment and says that this year instead of the traditional practice of mailing nominations "to dues-paying members of the museum and hundreds of established leaders of the radio industry for voting and the actual induction" the committee recommended a change to an online voting process."
"..anyone who chose to vote online could have done so, and there was plenty of time to vote. The public online voting period opened on May 1 and ended July 15," writes DuMont.
"Since voting began in 1992, the steering committee has never taken a nominee's political or religious views into consideration," says DuMont. "Radio is an industry predicated on free speech -- Dr. James Dobson of Focus on the Family and Howard Stern (who were nominated in the same category) do not see the world the same way."
He goes on to say that the first indications if displeasure with the nomination came from Besen only six days before voting ended and comments on e-mail subsequently received but adds that "for the integrity of the process, the results for 2008 will stand, with protests noted."
DuMont says he personally "always treated the gay and lesbian community and its leaders fairly and objectively" and concludes, "I am fully aware of the pain Focus on the Family has caused in the gay community; I have also read and heard about how the Focus on the Family broadcasts have helped people over the past three decades. But the Radio Hall of Fame induction is not about political or religious philosophy -- or my personal opinion."
RNW comment: Much as Dobson may be all that DumpDobson have alleged, in the ultimate analysis we think that once the nomination was made the Museum could only honourably have carried on with the voting process it had set up. Equally if the nomination was made on the basis of publicly available criteria, it would have been an abdication of any concern for free speech to have barred Dobson. After all Time named as its "Man of the Year" such figures as Adolf Hitler (1938); Joseph Stalin (1939 and 1942); and the Ayatollah Khomeini (1979), all of whom in terms of the criteria applied deserved the appellation and all of whom in our view somewhat out-rank Dobson in terms of dubious influence or worse.
Previous DuMont:
Previous Museum of Broadcast Communications:
Chicago Sun-Times - dumpdobson.com advert (Jpeg):
Chicago Sun-Times - Bese Op-Ed:
Chicago Sun-Times - DuMont Op-Ed:
2008-10-30: In latest North American results Astral Media has reported its 12th consecutive year of growth with fiscal year revenues up 35% to CAD 865.4 million (USD 720.6 million) - up 43% for the fourth quarter to CAD 229.9 million (USD 191.4 million) and CBS Corporation has reported third quarter revenues up 3% to USD 3.38 billion within which TV revenues were up 2% to USD 2.08 billion but radio was down 12% to USD 392.5 million- Same station radio revenues were down 11% for the third quarter; outdoor was down 1% to USD 549.3 million and publishing was up 5% to USD 225 million : the revenue growth was driven by domestic cable syndication sale of CSI: New York, and the acquisition of CNET Networks, partially offset by lower advertising revenues, and CBS also noted an increase in interactive revenues from USD 35.9 million to USD 14.7 million.
AT Astral net earnings from continuing operations for Fiscal 2008 increased by 19% to CAD 150.5 million (USD 125.3 million - to CAD 2.67 per basic share) and for the quarter they were up 29% to CAD 40.8 million (USD 34.0 million -CAD 0.65 per basic share).
President and CEO Ian Greenberg commented, "This marks a 12th consecutive year of profitable growth for Astral Media. This unique track record in our industry speaks directly to our strong and stable management team, disciplined financial and operational practices and to the dedication of more than 2,800 employees.''
In divisional terms TV revenues for the year were up 5% to CAD 497 million (USD 413.8 million with EBITDA up 5% to CAD 179.5 million (USD 149.5 million) and radio revenues - boosted by the acquisition of Standard Radio went up 156% to CAD 296.3 million (USD 246.7 million) with EBITDA up 171% to CAD 111.1 million (USD 92.5 million). For the final quarter TV EBITDA was down from CAD 42.9 million to CAD 41.8 million (From USD 35.7 million to USD 34.8 million) and for radio final quarter EBITDA rose from CAD 11.4 million to CAD 37.2 million (From USD 9.5 million to USD 31.0 million).
At CBS, which has recently fired a number of radio staff, Executive Chairman Sumner Redstone commented," In the current economy, every company must keep a firm eye on costs and manage each business with distinction. Leslie and his team are doing just that, and I'm confident that they will continue to position CBS for success now and in the future."
President and CEO Leslie Moonves added, "Our strategy is to grow our businesses for the long term by creating the best possible content, while keeping our commitment to providing very attractive dividends that offer value to our shareholders."
"We are confident," he added, "that this will produce value and stability in today's marketplace and solid growth as the economy begins to improve. Our strong year-to-date free cash flow of $1.4 billion enables us to strategically invest in our businesses and is more than sufficient to pay our dividend. At the same time, we believe that in good times and bad, remaining leaders in the content we produce is all-important."
CBS's bottom line was hit by an interim impairment test carried out on its existing goodwill and intangible assets for all reporting units during the third quarter of 2008: This resulted in a pre-tax non-cash impairment charge of USD 14.12 billion taking it to a net loss from continuing operations for the quarter of USD 12.46 billion compared to a positive USD 340.2 million a year earlier (from a positive 48 cents per diluted share to a loss of USD 18.58).
Revenues for the first nine months of the year were up 1% to 10.42 billion but the impairment charge took its net earnings from USD 957.7 million a year earlier to a loss of USD 11.81 billion ( from USD 1.30 per diluted share to a loss of USD 17.64 per diluted share).
CBS commented that as previously announced, the continued economic slowdown in the United States has adversely affected advertising revenues across the Company's businesses, primarily at the local level, and the effects of the current financial crisis are likely to cause further declines in advertising spending.
As a result, it said, the Company expects full year OIBDA and operating income to decline mid-teens from the prior year. The Company's 2008 business outlook excludes impairment and restructuring charges, stock-based compensation expense, and the impact of the acquisition of CNET and divestitures.
In divisional terms radio revenues for the nine months were down 10% to USD 1.172 billion and TV was up 1% to UD 6.786 billion whilst outdoor was up 5% to USD 1.644 billion and publishing was down 5% to USD 612.6 million.
Radio operating income was down 19% for the final quarter to USD 1309.6 million and down 20% for the nine months to USD 396.3 million whilst TV operating income was down 17% for the quarter to USD 368.6 million and down 5% for the nine months to USD 1.245 billion.
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Previous CBS:
2008-10-30: Lesley Douglas, Controller, BBC Radio 2, 6 Music and Popular Music, has now resigned and the corporation has suspended Jonathan Ross for 12 weeks without pay in the wake of the row over crude remarks left by Ross and Russell Brand, who resigned yesterday (See RNW Oct 29), on the answer phone of actor Andrew Sachs.
In her resignation letter Douglas, who hired both Brand and Ross, said to BBC Director-General Mark Thompson, "The last week has been a painful one for the BBC and particularly for BBC Radio 2. It is with enormous regret that I have decided to resign as Controller of BBC Radio 2, BBC 6 Music and of Popular Music. This is my decision alone."
She continued, "Over the 23 years of my career at the BBC I have enjoyed a deep love and respect for both the audience and the BBC. The events of the last two weeks happened on my watch. I believe it is right that I take responsibility for what has happened. It is a matter of the greatest possible sadness to me that a programme on my network has been the cause of such a controversy. I would like to take this opportunity to offer my personal apology to Andrew Sachs and his family and to the audience for what has happened."
She ended by writing, "It has been a huge privilege to have been entrusted with the leadership of the UK's most popular radio station, which is so intensely loved by the audience. I have also had the tremendous pleasure of launching BBC 6 Music and more recently of leading popular music output across the BBC.I know I leave BBC Radio 2 and 6 Music in the hands of a dedicated and passionate team of incredibly talented presenters and production staff. I am enormously proud of what we have achieved together."
Thompson in accepting the resignation said he did so with "real sadness" and continued, "There is no doubt that my sadness today will be shared both across the BBC and the wider music industry."
He then went on to praise Douglas, writing, "You have been an outstanding Head of Programmes and then Controller of Radio 2 over the past eight years. You have presided over a creative transformation of the Network, and have rightly been recognised by the industry for your massive contribution to UK radio."
"Your decision to take responsibility for what has happened," continued Thompson, "is an illustration of the integrity and commitment which has characterised your leadership at BBC Radio 2 and BBC 6 Music. Over the past 23 years, you have been a devoted servant of the BBC, and your absence will be felt by your many colleagues and friends at the BBC. I am sure you will continue to make an outstanding contribution to radio and popular music in the UK."
Thompson had earlier reported to a meeting of the BBC Trust Editorial Standards Committee over the Russell Brand Show broadcast of October 18 that sparked the row and in a news release the BBC said he "made it clear that there had been a serious breach of editorial compliance that allowed grossly offensive material to be broadcast, which should never have happened. He also reiterated his regret that any suffering had been caused to Andrew Sachs, his granddaughter and family as a result and expressed regret that the broadcast had caused serious public offence."
It added that Tim Davie, Director of BBC Audio & Music, reported on the known facts behind the making of the programme, its content and what had occurred during the editorial supervision and compliance of the broadcast.
After announcing Ross's suspension Thompson continued, "The ultimate editorial responsibility for BBC programmes lies with producers and editorial managers. The consequences of errors of judgement are therefore more serious for managers. Nonetheless, Jonathan Ross's contribution to this edition of the Russell Brand show was utterly unacceptable and cannot be allowed to go uncensured or without sanction. A 12-week suspension is an exceptional step, but I believe it is a proportionate response to Jonathan's role in this unhappy affair."
He said of Ross's response to the incident that the broadcaster had "already made a comprehensive and unreserved personal apology to Andrew Sachs and his grand-daughter" and continued, "I believe that he fully understands the seriousness of what has happened. I have made very clear to him the central importance of the clause in his contract about not bringing the BBC into disrepute. We agree that nothing like this must ever happen again and that tight discipline will be required for the future."
The statement said that the Trust had approved an urgent comprehensive review of compliance procedures across all radio output in the Audio & Music division to be carried out immediately by the Deputy Director-General, with recommendations for action to be delivered to the BBC Trust by December and that with immediate effect, the Director of BBC Audio & Music will ensure that all programmes are re-assessed for editorial risk and all those identified as representing a high risk have additional and strong oversight.
Special sessions says the BBC will be held over the next six weeks, led by the Director-General and Deputy Director-General, to highlight to all senior editorial leaders and compliance staff across the BBC the serious editorial and compliance failures identified in this case, and the lessons to be learnt to prevent it happening again and the BBC management's Editorial Standards Board will lead a study into where the appropriate boundaries of taste and standards should lie across all BBC output.
The BBC Trust in its statement from chairman Sir Michael Lyons said, it was "dismayed both that the offensive comments broadcast on the Russell Brand Show on 18 October fell so far short of audiences' legitimate expectations, and by the deplorable intrusion in to the privacy of Mr Sachs and his granddaughter. The transmission of these comments via a BBC Radio programme represents an abuse of the privilege given to the BBC to broadcast to its audiences. On behalf of the BBC, the Trust offers a full and unreserved apology to Andrew Sachs, Georgina Baillie and the rest of his family. The Trust extends this apology to licence fee payers as a whole."
It ordered the BBC to "issue an on-air apology to licence fee payers on BBC Radio 2 for the serious and deliberate breaches of the BBC Editorial Guidelines on Offence and Privacy" and also required the Director-General to write personally to Andrew Sachs and Georgina Baillie to apologise on behalf of the Corporation.
Of the actual airing of the comments it said, "Editorial control and compliance procedures in non-news areas of the BBC's Audio and Music department are inadequate and need to be strengthened. We have asked the Director-General to present formal recommendations to strengthen editorial controls and compliance for the Trust's consideration at our December meeting. Once approved, the Trust will independently validate the effectiveness of these measures after they are implemented. Furthermore, we have requested the Executive to strengthen immediately the editorial controls around any programme which represents high levels of editorial risk. Also in this area, we have asked the Executive to assess immediately the editorial controls and compliance procedures in place for all programmes - across television and radio - where the production company is owned and/or managed by the featured performer (The Russell Brand Show was produced by his own company)".
Douglas's role will be covered on an interim basis by Radio 2's of programmes, Lewis Carnie, who was on holiday when the broadcast was given the go-ahead.
Douglas joined the BBC as a production assistant in a research department after studying English as Manchester University. She moved in 1985 to the David Jacobs show, and then became a producer in the Music and Promotions department before being promoted to Editor, Radio 2 Presentation and Planning in 1993, Managing Editor, BBC Radio 2 in 1997, and Head of Programmes in 2000.
In that role she worked Jim Moir, her predecessor as Radio 2 Controller, to modernize the station, which is the UK's most popular.
In October 2003 she was named as successor to Moir, who was to stand down at the end of the year (See RNW Oct 11, 2003) taking up her new role on Jan 5, 2004.
Amongst the controversial broadcasting names she hired for Radio 2 were Ross (whose Saturday BBC Radio 2 show was launched in 1999) and Brand (hired at 6 Music in April 2006 - in November that year she decided to move him from BBC 6 Music to the Saturday night Radio 2 show that led to her resignation -See RNW Nov 3, 2006- he had by then been fired by MTV for dressing up as Osama bin Laden after the World Trade Centre attacks) and Chris Evans, who she hired for the weekday drive time slot in March 2006 -See RNW Mar 3, 2006).
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2008-10-30: UK media regulator Ofcom in its latest bulletin upholds one radio standards complaint and considered another resolved through action already taken by the broadcaster. It also upheld five TV standards complaints and posted details of a TV Fairness and Privacy complaint not upheld.
The numbers compare with no radio and six TV standards complaints upheld in the previous bulletin.
The radio complaint upheld was against GCap Media and the one considered resolved involved GMG Radio.
In the GCap case the presenters on the BRMB Breakfast show had trailed an "Aldi taste test that compared Aldi products to other brands and was run as the final feature in the programme.
Init one of the two regular show hosts blind tasted various products and her colleague introduced the results after which the two talked about the results and also the prices charged for its own-brand products amongst other things and a listener complained that they "constantly talked up the value of Aldi stores, against all competition…"
GMG told Ofcom there was no "commercial arrangement" with the store concerning the feature and said it not consider that Aldi products were being promoted in the feature, as "they were not chosen as the favourites on each occasion" and "were not particularly favoured above other products."
It also said the references to Aldi and its products were editorially justified in the context of the breakfast show's ongoing topical discussions concerning the credit crunch and rising prices - in particular, low cost supermarkets, ways to beat price rises and cutting petrol and energy costs.
It added that, as one of the breakfast show's presenters was "perceived by listeners as being wealthy and somewhat flashy", he had decided to try shopping at a low price supermarket. Having done so, he decided to ask his co-presenter to carry out a 'taste test', comparing Aldi's own groceries with other brand products, to show that "unbranded, low cost products can be of equal quality to their branded rivals, and as such listeners could save money without compromising on quality."
GCap said other supermarket chains' products could have been used in the test but Aldi was chosen, as "it is perceived to be a particularly 'low cost' supermarket."
Ofcom in its ruling said in this case, there was clearly editorial justification for the feature, which was presented in the context of cost-cutting in the current economic climate but in this case "the manner in which Aldi's products, and in particular, the Aldi brand overall, were featured in this item went beyond what was editorially justified in the circumstances."
It also considered that the feature not only positively endorsed Aldi and its products but also encouraged listeners to shop at Aldi and had breached its codes.
In that GMG case its Century Northwest ran a competition for tickets to a local event I which a brief song excerpt was played with a word removed. Listeners were invited to send a premium-rated text message containing the missing word, by using a text short code. On this occasion the missing word was 'love' but GMG also used he word on all station short codes for its online dating service.
It had contacted Ofcom that the presenter had not been aware of the issue and that some texts would because of the system not have been entered for the competition. In all 230 entries had been wrongly excluded and all those were notified by text and phone of the error and offered refunds -of those contacted 26 responded, 13 asked for refunds, two for the charge to go to the station's charity and the others said they did not require refunds. In addition an apology was broadcast on the same show the following day including the information that those excluded would be contacted about refunds. Ofcom considered the action taken resolved the matter.
In addition to the above it also listed without details 295 TV complaints against 156 items and 26 radio complaints against 26 items that it did not uphold or were considered out of its remit: This compares with 330 TV complaints against 153 items and 27 radio complaints against 27 items that it did not uphold or were considered out of its remit in the previous bulletin.
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2008-10-30: Spanish Broadcasting System (SBS) has announced that it, like Radio One (See RNW Oct 23), has fallen below NASDAQ listing requirements but is getting a reprieve because the market has opted to suspend enforcement of its minimum bid price rules until January 20 next year because of current extraordinary market conditions.
SBS stock had fallen below the minimum dollar required for 30 days and the company now has until February 17 next year to regain compliance.
SBS also announced that it has entered into an agreement with BC Media Funding Company II, LLC to pay off a USD 18.5 million non-interest bearing promissory note that was due January 2. It added that it had paid USD 18.35 million, having received a discount of USD 150,000 for early payment.
SBS shares closed Thursday at 24 cents having ranged between 16 cents and USD 2.59 over the past year. They were last above a dollar at closing on July 8 this year when the price was USD 1.04
Previous SBS:
2008-10-30: This week there was only one radio-related story that both got worldwide runs and actually led most of the British national newspapers for at least a day and several days for some.
This was the row over the crude phone calls left by Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross on the answer phone of actor Andrew Sachs who played the Spanish waiter Manuel in the Fawlty Towers TV sitcom.
The story hasn't ended yet - current indications are that the incident will lead to yet further attacks on the Corporation - but the direct fallout has already led to the resignation of Brand and the BBC Radio 2 controller Lesley Douglas plus the suspension for 12 weeks without pay of Ross, who has a 3- year GBP 18 million (USD 28 million) contract for his BBC radio and TV shows.
The incident touched a chord - and a generational divide - in the UK with most people finding it offensive to leave a call on a 78-year-old's phone about "fucking his granddaughter" but with the BBC Radio 4 speech channel audience (generally older, more serious and better educated and informed) overwhelmingly condemnatory and the BBC Radio 1 pop channel audience (generally younger) defending Brand by a 2-1 majority of those who made postings.
From the many papers that have run comments we have opted to concentrate on those in the UK Guardian as it is generally left-leaning and also through its Media Guardian carries more media news than other UK national newspapers.
It would therefore be expected to be more inclined to defend the broadcasters than many rivals and certainly more so than the Mail group, which brought the matter to national attention through a lead in the Mail on Sunday and the tabloid newspapers whose interest followed the usual route of trying to get exclusives (The Sun succeeded with the granddaughter involved) about sex and scandal rather than considering any serious implications for governing a national broadcaster.
To our surprise the comments in the paper were overwhelmingly against the broadcasters with many calling for more severe action.
But not all: From today we start with a posting to the paper under the topic, "Has the BBC taken the right action over the Brand-Ross phone prank affair" that was fairly vehemently opposed to the BBC action.
In it "Thismakesmemad" commented, "I wish the BBC could have grown a pair and given the finger to all the sad, sad b*****ds that complained as a result of what was really a pathetic Daily Hate campaign against the institution and its presenters. The joyless, soulless, self-appointed moral police that read that vile excuse for a newspaper are no doubt smirking with glee tonight."
Others felt the matter had overblown with a posting from Chris Porrit saying, "Who cares? This is all a storm in a tea cup. No one died. None of this matters. A lot of people talking about nothing at all. What a bloody waste."
Then there was the factor of the large pay packets involved: A response to the Porrit post contrasted the broadcasters pay with that of many licence payers- "Yeah. £16K a DAY, what care, agricultural and many other workers earn a year, paid to a toss like Ross from public funds. Chuck the swine out on his ear. He ain't worth it by a long shot. Let him go sit at home and wank off to his favourite Maggie Thatcher picture. [The latter a reference to Ross on his TV chat show asking Conservative Party leader David Cameron if he had masturbated to pictures of Thatcher]."
And from a post assessing the effectiveness of the BBC action in stopping the row from continuing, "The DG should resign. If he hasn't the stomach to fire Ross then he should go instead of firing underlings - don't believe the hype that Lesley Douglas fell on her own sword without a push. Ross' 'punishment' means nothing. If the BBC really wanted to draw the line on all this then it has failed miserably. This will rumble on and on."
The postings on this topic were different in tone from responses on the same day to the paper's "Organ Grinder" column that was headed, "BBC finally gets it right on the Brand-Ross phone prank row" and that began by commenting , "A 12-week suspension for Jonathan Ross feels, oddly, about right. Suspension without pay actually claws back some of the BBC licence fee money the nation is constantly asked to be outraged about paying him."
After other comment it went on to praise Douglas: "However, it's as if, since Gavyn Davies and Greg Dyke had to leave over a row with Alastair Campbell, all sense of proportion has been lost and any incident must be accompanied by at least one resignation to have any impact whatsoever. And Douglas, genuinely a very talented executive who has run a largely successful station - the most listened to in the UK - has resigned to protect her programming teams."
And then after more on Douglas and the earlier resignation of BBC1 Controller Peter Fincham, "On this evidence, being a successful network controller is a far riskier business than, say, a more senior executive responsible for the channels. Douglas will doubtless do very well and earn buckets of cash elsewhere but she has been robbed of a station she cherished, as head of programmes and then controller, for eight years. She will be greatly missed."
Others were less supportive with one comment saying, "…However admirable Lesley Douglas's decision to resign may be, she sat at the top of a compliance system which was obviously broken. In the dodgy phone call row on 6 Music, a deputy head did roll while the man who oversaw it was allowed to resign with dignity intact. The fault line went all the way to the top."
The post then continued, "This whole episode sums up the absolute lack of self-awareness at the top of the BBC. For Mark Thompson and Lesley Douglas's complacency, handing own goals to the BBC's enemies at the Mail, puts at risk the futures of 20,000 people who work for the BBC - many of whom will have to go on another bloody course in self-flagellation because of this."
After all the flak the BBC has taken, we felt we should mention an equally tasteless broadcast in the US that roused very little comment. It came from Chicago WLS-AM morning host Don Wade whose sense of humour went adrift with a segment on his show in which he imagined how Barack Obama's allegedly adoring press corps would cover it if the senator murdered his grandmother.
CBS2 in its report notes that even his co-host and wife Roma objected to Wade's comment in which it reports "Wade claimed reporters would let Obama get away with anything, even if they were shown videotape of the senator suffocating his own grandmother."
Its report notes an e-mail it received saying that Wade "crossed the line this morning describing an insensitive and coded hate scenario where Obama goes to Hawaii and murders his grandmother. It was appalling, disturbing, ugly and over the top."
A talkingpointsmemo blog headed, "Republicans Are Sick: Radio Host Fantasizes Obama Murdering His Own Grandmother" was rather more critical, beginning," We've seen and heard some pretty ugly stories recently from the Republican ranks, but just when you think the stories can't get any uglier, they get uglier" and noting that Wade's comments "coincided with Obama's actual visit to the bedside of his ailing grandmother in Hawaii, which Wade ghoulishly turned into a fantasy murder scene captured on video."
It continues, " 'The video clearly shows Grandmother greeting Barack Obama coming through the door...,' Wade described with obvious relish, '...Barack Obama comes over, sits down beside the grandmother, and places a pillow over her face and holds the pillow over her face until she struggles no more.'"
The blog notes that the Obama campaign declined to comment on Wade's remarks (RNW comment: Like Andrew Sachs it would appear that the victims in this case have more class than all the broadcasters involved joined together!) but thereafter responses to it were very much party-line partisan although one made a fair point, commenting, "So because Don Wade is a lunatic with a talk show (perhaps not for much longer) and a number of attendees at McCain/Palin rallies are lunatics, republicans are sick?
"Chuck Hagel is not sick, Richard Luger is not sick, and millions of other folks who identify with the Republican Party are not sick, but are reasonable, responsible people.
"So why doesn't your headline read "Don Wade is Sick"?
"Don Wade is Caucasian, so all Caucasians must be sick. And all those who might subscribe to Don Wade's religion are sick.
"Get the point?"
RNW response: Indeed we do but as others pointed out in response, the comments being made were in a context and not to be taken literally.
One response made an equally valid point about some of those concerned - it could apply just as well in its essential meaning to some of Brand and Ross's defenders- "This Republican ghoul was on the air trying to whip up the Republican base with a hate-filled sociopath Republican yarn about the next President of the United States murdering his terminally-ill grandmother, during a time of his grief-filled last visit to her, and what bothers you about the report of this act of unimaginable cruelty is the syntax of the headline."
Returning to the BBC row and comments posted to the Daily Mail -almost universally of condemnation, we end with a comment opposing the straight condemnation and calls for dismissals - or maybe just poking the Mail readers in their eyes: "Just like Churchill's radio addresses during the war this was a momentous piece of broadcasting that uplifted our souls during challenging times. However, Ross and Brand seem to have the edge over WC as their hilarious routine was entirely improvised. The podcast alone is worth double my licence fee although I'll never forget where I was when I first heard the live broadcast. This week's show goes even further by cocking a snook at the faux moral outrage -edgy and physically funny.
On then to listening suggestions, and in line with the story we suggest as a first call in listening a dip into the BBC Radio 4 regular news and current affairs shows (Today, World at One, PM, and World Tonight) along with Radio Five Live from the start of the week to see how the BBC's own coverage of the row developed.
From BBC Radio 2 we can no longer suggest Brand or Ross this weekend (or last - those shows have been removed from the site) but from its other programming we note Monday's fourth and final instalment of "Choo Choo Ch'Boogie... ...The Louis Jordan Story"; Tuesday's "Bruce and Sammy" in which Bruce Forsyth gives personal stories and recollections of his friend, Sammy Davis Jr. and the following "The Blagger's Guide to Country."; Friday's (19:00 GMT ) second part of the six part "The Judy Garland Trail"; and Saturday's "The Fourth, The Fifth... ...The Minor Fall" in which Elbow's Guy Garvey examines the Leonard Cohen classic Hallelujah by talking to the artists who have covered it over the 25 years since it was first recorded.
From BBC Radio 3 we suggest last Sunday's "Drama on 3" - "Caligari"; last Saturday's "The Wire" - "Nowt to Look at", the tale of Annie, a rose-obsessed, disfigured recluse, a spoilt boy and a shy girl and next Saturday's "The Wire" - "49 Donkeys Hanged", a surreal, dark play about a farmer who hangs donkeys from tree branches on his land.
We also suggest the regular weekday "The Essay", that this week features "Night Walks, Episode 2" - with locations being a Tasmanian beach; North Manhattan; Saltcoats, near Glasgow; the big boulevards of Paris; and the City of London and the Night Waves slot on Friday and Sunday for programmes in which Matthew Sweet presents Free Thinking 2008 debates, interviews, dramas and lectures.
From BBC Radio 4 we opt for last Saturday's "Archive Hour"- "Potteries Fascists" in which Gerry Northam charts the rise and fall of Oswald Mosley and explores how and why the British Union of Fascists flourished on Mosley's home ground in the Potteries and "The Divine Spark of Music" -in which Composer James MacMillan delivers the Sandford St Martin Lecture.
During the week se suggest the Afternoon Readings - this week a series of Welsh stories; Tuesday's "File on 4" on the situation in Georgia, with Tim Whewhell reassessing the origins of the recent conflict with Russia and "Money on the Brain" in which Financial Times journalist Tim Harford investigates the academic field of neuroeconomics, which works to understand why people make economic decisions.; and Friday's "News Quiz".
RNW Note: We regret delay in posting our weekly look at print comment on radio that had been prepared largely on the basis of comment about the row over crude remarks made by Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross and left on actor Andrew Sachs answer phone - prepared when complaints were building rapidly but before the BBC Director General broke his holiday and suspended the duo. Brand later resigned but Ross is so far hanging on.
Today was the first we can recall when a radio-related story led five British national newspapers - The Daily Express (THE JOKE IS ON US -referring to fact Ross is still being paid) ; Guardian (BRAND QUITS ROSS HANGS ON AS BBC TRIES TO CONTAIN FIRESTORM); Independent (MANUEL'S REVENGE); Daily Mail's (THE DAY OF RECKONING); Daily Star (WOSSY AXED BRAND QUITS); Sun (BRAND YELLED 'QUE' IN BED" (Sachs played a Spanish waiter in the classic sitcom Fawlty Towers); and Telegraph ("BBC FIGHTS TO SAVE ROSS AS BRAND RESIGNS - a shared lead).
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CBS2, Chicago re Wade comments:
Daily Mail - comments re Brand and Ross:
Talkingpointsblog re Wade comments:
UK Guardian - Has the BBC taken the right action…?
UK Guardian - Organ Grinder re Brand and Ross:
2008-10-29: Following a statement by BBC Director General Mark Thompson suspending both Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross because of crude remarks they left on the answer phone of actor Andrew Sachs and later broadcast on Brand's BBC Radio 2 show, the former has now resigned from his Radio 2 show.
In the calls Ross said that Brand had "fucked" Sachs granddaughter Georgina Baillie and then left further messages. Baillie in today's Sun newspaper admitted she slept with Brand three times but called for the duo to be fired along with BBC Radio 2 executives who had allowed the pre-recorded comments to be aired.
Baillie asked of the calls to her 78-years-old grandfather, "What's funny about humiliating a lovely old man who has never harmed anyone in his life? My grandfather is really upset and says he wants the whole situation to end. It has been awful for him" and added of Brand and Ross, in relation to comments that the Sun says they had made in which the duo suggested they should make it up to Sachs by sneaking into his house at night and groping him intimately in his bed "They are beyond contempt. They must be the only people on earth sick enough to think that breaking into an old man's house and sexually abusing him might be funny."
The Sun tabloid newspaper had led today on its "exclusive" interview with Baillie - one of five British newspapers to lead with reports on the row - the others were the Daily Mail, whose sister paper the Mail on Sunday first gave the calls national prominence with a lead last weekend, the Daily Mirror, The Daily Telegraph and Sun sister paper The Times. Other papers carried prominent reports.
Reporting on Brand's decision online under the heading, "Crude Russell quits show" the Sun carried a fairly straight report including Brand's statement that read, "I have apologised to Andrew Sachs for the rude messages I left on Oct 18th and he has graciously accepted."As I only do the radio show to make people laugh I've decided that given the subsequent coverage I will stop doing the show. I've loved working for the BBC and am very proud of the shows myself, Matt Morgan (the English comedian), Nic Philps (the producer of Brand's radio show), Mr Gee (who provided the "summing up" poem at the end of the shows") and Noel Gallagher (of Oasis) have made and I apologise to all of them for damaging their careers - except Noel, whose band are doing quite well."
He also said of his "joke, "I got a bit caught up in the moment and forgot that at the core of the rude comments and silly songs were the real feelings of a beloved and brilliant comic actor and a very sweet and big hearted young woman. "Apologies are also owed to the loyal listeners of the show who enjoyed its' shambolic spirit and anarchy and will be upset that it cannot continue" and concluded, "I take complete responsibility and offer nothing but love and contrition and I hope that now Jonathan and the BBC will endure less forensic wrath." He ended the statement with the phrase "Hare Krishna", which he had repeatedly uttered outside his home yesterday when dodging comment to journalists.
The BBC has received nearly 30,000 complaints so far about the comments and in his earlier statement announcing the suspension of Brand and Ross its Director General Mark Thompson, who had been on holiday when the row broke, began with a personal apology.
"I would like to add my own personal and unreserved apology to Andrew Sachs, his family and to licence fee payers for the completely unacceptable broadcast on BBC Radio 2," read the statement. "BBC audiences accept that, in comedy, performers attempt to push the line of taste. However, this is not a marginal case. It is clear from the views expressed by the public that this broadcast has caused severe offence and I share that view. Since Sunday, I have been in regular contact with the senior executives I tasked with handling this issue. The investigation that I instructed Tim Davie to conduct is nearing completion, and I am returning to London to review the findings and, in the coming days, announce what action we will take."
He then concluded, "In the meantime, I have decided that it is not appropriate for either Russell Brand or Jonathan Ross to continue broadcasting on the BBC until I have seen the full report of the actions of all concerned. This gross lapse of taste by the performers and the production team has angered licence payers. I am determined that we satisfy them that any lessons will be learnt and appropriate action taken. I have been asked to report to the Trust's Editorial Standards Committee before the end of this week and will discuss with the Trust the findings of the report and the actions I propose."
The statement must put into question the future of Nic Philps, the 25-years-old producer of Brand's show (the show is made by Brand's own company), and also Lesley Douglas, Controller BBC Popular Music, Radio 2 & 6-Music. The airing was reported to have been allowed by a "senior" BBC executive but no name has yet emerged as to who this may have been.
Ross, who has a much larger contract with the BBC - worth some GBP 6 million (USD 9.4 million) a year compared to around GBP 200,000 (USD 330,000) for Brand - has not offered to resign but did issue a statement through his solicitors saying that he had not previously made a public apology - he had written privately to Sachs apologising - as he intended to make one on his BBC 1 TV chat show "Friday Night with Jonathan Ross", which was to have been recorded tonight but was then cancelled because of the suspension. He added that his comments were "a stupid error of judgment on my part and I offer a full apology."
Sachs, who had not called for dismissals, said of Brand's decision to quit: "I respect his decision. I hope he moves forward, I really hope he does" and told The Sun he "would not be reporting the matter to police, adding: "I am not going to take it anywhere. I'm not out for revenge." His granddaughter, however, had said she was "thrilled" by the suspension.
Brand, who still has a UK Channel 4 TV Show - "Russell Brand's Ponderland" - which next airs at 22:35 GMT tomorrow night - and writes a Saturday sports column for the UK Guardian newspaper has been told by both they will continue to employ him. He was reported to be preparing to fly to the US for work reasons.
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2008-10-29: Greater Media has announced that its CEO Peter Smyth has been named chairman of its board to succeed John Bordes who died suddenly in September (See RNW Sep 26).
The other members of the board are all members of the family of co-founder Peter Bordes and Peter Bordes, Jr. commented of the appointment in a news release, "On behalf of the family, we are thrilled and honoured to have Peter as our chairman and CEO. He brings years of leadership and dedication not only to our company but to the industry, which holds him in the highest esteem. His enduring commitment to Greater Media carries on a tradition of excellence set forth by my father and upheld by my uncle."
Smyth responded, "I am honoured to be entrusted with this new responsibility," said Smyth. "But even more important, especially in these turbulent economic times, is that the Bordes family remains firmly committed to its investment in Greater Media's radio stations and is enthusiastic about the future of the company and the industry."
In other US radio management moves, James Donahoe has resigned as President and CEO of New Jersey-based Millennium Radio Group although he is to remain with the company until the end of the year
Donahue had been in his post since the company was founded in 2002 and is being replaced by William Saurer, a former company VP.
In a release Donohue commented that over the past six years the company, which has 12 stations in New Jersey, had "solidified our position as the largest media outlet in New Jersey delivering high-quality local programming to the 8.7 million people who call New Jersey home" and added, "Millennium has enjoyed exceptional financial success, doubling its operating profit during a period that proved challenging for broadcast media. Bill Saurer joins an extremely dedicated and professional staff, and I welcome him back to Millennium in his new leadership role."
Saurer commented, "I'm thrilled to be back working with [COO] Andy Santoro and the Millennium staff. I'd like to thank Jim Donahoe for helping to build Millennium and wish him well in his future pursuits."
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2008-10-29: Liquidator Begbies Traynor has sold five of Laser Broadcasting's nine local radio stations to property developer John Roberts according to business sale.com.
Roberts, who owns Exeter-based South West Radio Ltd, has bought Laser Broadcasting South West Ltd, which owned Bath FM, Brunel FM, 3TR in Warminster, QuayWest in Bridgewater and QuayWest in Minehead leaving four stations Sunshine 106.2FM, Sunshine Gold and Sunshine Radio 954, based in the West Midlands and Monmouthshire and Fresh Radio in the Yorkshire Dales still for sale.
Roberts is a former Bath resident and his son Paul told ThisisBath, "We are very excited about Bath FM. On a personal level we have great ties and history with the city, but from a business point of view we really believe that the station can continue to be a vital part of the local community."
He added, "We have some excellent skills already situated in the station and are working closely with the staff to help them out of the tough period that they have experienced recently under the previous arrangement. We aim to continue and improve on what works so well with Bath FM, maintaining quality local radio with the only truly local radio station in the city."
Both publications note that Bristol-based broadcast development company Triple Media Communications, which managed Bath FM during the collapse of Laser, has said that despite the purchase by Roberts it is still interested in buying Bath FM on a stand-alone basis.
Its CEO Gary Cottier-Jansen said it would will launch a digital radio service for Bath in the next six months, even if it is not able to acquire Bath FM but said of the Roberts deal, "We were unwilling to buy a large group of loss-making radio stations" adding, "We could have turned Bath FM around into a profitable sustainable business primarily because there is a huge amount of interest from advertisers and listeners."
In other UK radio business news The Scotsman reports that UTV has now put up for sale its loss-making Edinburgh station Talk107. The station was launched in February 2006 as the UK's first commercial talk-only radio station outside London but despite hiring big-name presenters failed to bring in the ratings.
The paper quoted a UTV spokesman as saying, "We are looking to sell the business as a going concern. There were 15 applications for the original licence in 2004, so it is obviously popular and we are hopeful of finding a buyer."
It adds that earlier this year UTV was reporting losses of GBP 600,000 ( USD 980,00) for the station which in recent ratings had a listenership of 228,000 hours a week, down from 300,000 in July.
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2008-10-29: New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo may target Arbitron executives over recent stock sales according to a Wall Street Journal blog that says he would use a 1921 New York law, the Martin Act, in any action.
The law, says the paper, spells out a broad definition of securities fraud and can be used to pursue civil and criminal penalties, and it adds that Cuomo is investigating Arbitron to see if executives improperly sold stock ahead of news that hurt the company's share price.
Cuomo was already targeting Arbitron over its introduction of Portable People Meter ratings and the company slapped him in the face over his action by bringing forward their introduction earlier this month (See RNW Oct 6).
The WSJ says that Cuomo's office is looking at whether the executives continued to issue positive statements about the system and sold stock before announcing that the company would push back the introduction of the PPM in several big cities: It quoted Cuomo spokesman Alex Detrick as saying in a prepared statement. "The review is in its early stages and any allegations of insider trading should be taken as only that - just allegations. It remains to be seen where the facts will lead."
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2008-10-28: The BBC is coming under increasing pressure to take action against broadcasters Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross following the crude remarks they left on actor Andrew Sachs' answer phone and broadcast, including a comment by Ross that Brand had "fucked" the actor's granddaughter followed by further calls from the duo.
UK media regulator Ofcom has now confirmed that it is to launch an investigation into the calls and the BBC says that the number of complaints received had more than doubled from 4,700 this morning to more than 10,000 by early evening.
It added that the BBC Trust, which oversees the corporation, was waiting for a report that had been requested by its editorial standards committee from BBC management "before commenting further" and also referring to being able to avoid "prejudice to any complaints it might receive in due course." The Trust is to consider the matter at its regular meeting on Nov 20, due to be attended by Director-general Mark Thompson.
British prime Minister Gordon Brown and opposition leader David Cameron have also become involved in the row with Brown telling journalists following a meeting with French president Nicolas Sarkozy in Paris, "This is clearly inappropriate and unacceptable behaviour, as is now widely recognised" and adding, "Ofcom have said they will investigate the matter and it is for the BBC, the BBC Trust and Ofcom to take any appropriate action."
Cameron had earlier said the BBC should release details of how the urged the BBC to reveal how the pre-recorded programme was allowed to go on air and know who was responsible to approving it. (RNW note: The direct line of responsibility would be the producer of Brand's show, Nic Philps, but a senior executive is said to have clear this particular broadcast).
Senior BBC management had steered clear of making comments until today but the Corporation's director of audio and music Tim Davie in an interview on the Radio 4 PM programme (around 17 minutes into the stream) said the corporation did "offer an unreserved apology…we do realize that this was an unacceptable broadcast. I think that we recognise and totally understand the reaction to this" but when pressed about action said he had asked "personally for an investigation" but "clearly in this instance we need to find out the facts and calmly look into what happened."
Asked if heads would roll, he said, "It's too early to jump to exactly the actions we can take on this."
Around 42 minutes into the programme it carried a report on reactions, starting off with the few comments it had received in defence of Brand - the introduction said that in more than 99% of cases of comments it had received there was "something akin to outrage and disgust" but that responses to BBC Radio 1 ran two-to-one in favour of Brand with the most common line in his defence being that it was funny.
It then carried a few of the comments it had received defending the duo before moving on to critical comments, one of which put part of the blame on Sachs and his agent, asking if the actor and his agent had been unaware of the nature of the Brand show [RNW comment: We suspect Sachs was indeed unaware and that the same applied to many others with the result that most of those who have found the comments offensive would only have become aware of them when they gained publicity and were aired again on UK radio and TV bulletins.)
The incident is continuing to get attention from many British newspapers and also politicians: John Whittingdale, chairman of the UK Parliament's Culture, Media, and Sport Select Committee, told BBC Radio Five Live that the incident raised "far more serious questions about the controls in place to stop this kind of thing happening and the BBC needs to look at that to ensure it can't occur."
He added, "This was a programme that was pre-recorded and was listened to and we're told that editorial staff had decided that it was suitable for broadcast. That does seem to be utterly extraordinary - I cannot see how the controls could've broken down so badly and this is something the BBC needs to look into."
He then went on to comment on the large amounts paid to the broadcasters, saying, "The BBC needs to think about whether they want to go on spending this amount of money on individuals who are repeatedly found to be in breach of what are universally held as the acceptable standards of broadcasting. (RNW Note: Ross is reputed to be paid around GBP 6 million - USD 9.4 million - a year by the BBC for his radio and TV work with Brand getting around GBP 200,000 - USD 330,000 - a year for his radio show)."
In the Daily Mail, whose Sunday sister paper splashed the story at the weekend, he was quoted as further commenting, "Particularly in the case of Jonathan Ross, there have been a whole series of incidents where he has breached the rules and I think the BBC need to think about whether they wish to be in this market still. And if they do wish to continue to produce programmes of this kind they do need to put in place stronger controls, particularly for stars who command such huge amounts of licence fee payers' money
Others went further including mediawatch-uk, the pressure group which campaigns for "decency and accountability" in the media: It called for Brand and Ross to be removed from broadcasting while the BBC investigated the incident.
Yet others are calling for the duo to be sacked including former shadow home secretary David Davies, the Conservative MP for Monmouth and Paul Farrelly, Labour MP for Newcastle-under-Lyme.
Davies told the Daily Mail that the pair should be sacked immediately, adding, "In no other organisation, paid for by the taxpayer or otherwise, would you be able to get away with behaving like this. These two men are paid millions - from our pockets - and they think it is entertaining to call up a pensioner and shout lewd, disgusting things about his granddaughter down the phone. I do not understand how anyone can claim it is funny or entertaining to do that to an elderly man."
Farrelly told the paper, 'Russell Brand should be sacked and the BBC's editorial standards team should be hauled over the coals as well. How could this have been given the green light to go out on air?'
Sachs told the paper he had received "' a very contrite letter from Jonathan Ross making no excuses for his behaviour" and went on, "I haven't heard from Russell Brand directly.'
'They apologise to me and they say how awful for Mr Sachs, but nobody has offered any apology to my grand-daughter. I replied to Jonathan Ross and suggested that is where he should direct his attentions."
He added, "The real focus should be on the harm they have done to her" but said he had not spoken to his granddaughter, who is working abroad, since the row, and of the allegations that she had slept with Brand said, "'It's not for me to know these things but, of course, I would be horrified."
He did not join in the calls for dismissal, saying, "That's up to some people, I don't want any kind of revenge."
RNW note: Most BBC radio news and current affairs programmes including the Radio 4 Today, World at One, PM, and World TOnight programmes have carried reports on the row.
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2008-10-28: Mexican Radio Group Grupo Radio Centro, S.A.B. de C.V. has reported third quarter revenues this year up 15.1% on a year earlier to MXN 201.892 million (USD 15.15 million), mainly put down to increased advertising revenues, helped says the company by offering attractive sales packages and an increase in its sales force. For the first nine months revenues are up 11.1% to MXN 503.763 million (USD 37.81 million).
Expenses were also up but by less and operating income was up 23.2% for the quarter to MXN 76.477 million (USD 5.74 million) for the quarter and up for the nine months to MXN 142.479 million (USD 10.69 million) : Net income before taxes was up 27.1% for the quarter to MXN 60.235 million (USD 4.52 million) with net income up 31.4% to MXN 42.822 million (USD 3.21 million) whilst for the nine months operating income rose 40.3% to MXN 101.530 million (USD 24.11 million) with net income up 51.3% to MXN 60.072 million (USD 25.70 million).
2008-10-28: International satellite radio operator WorldSpace has announced that it has received a delisting notice from the NASDAQ stock market and that it expects that its stock will cease to be listed at the opening of business on Oct. 30, 2008.
NASDAQ has the discretion concerning listing of companies that have filed for bankruptcy protection as WorldSpace did earlier this month (See RNW Oct 17) and it additionally noted that the Company's market value of listed securities for 10 consecutive trading days had fallen been below the minimum USD 50,000,000 requirement for continued inclusion.
WorldSpace says it does not intent to appeal the delisting.
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2008-10-27: Arbitron says a ruling by the United States District Court, Southern District of New York rejecting its attempt to block a lawsuit over its Personal People Meter (PPM) ratings methodology does not "impact" its tight to publish PPM "audience estimates in New York."
In the ruling U.S. District Judge Denise Cote said the lawsuit by NY Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's office raised "important state interests" and allowed it to go ahead.
Arbitron had launched its action to obtain a restraining order and preliminary injunction against the Cuomo action on Oct 6 (See RNW Oct 6) but then faced similar action from the New Jersey State Attorney General's office: Like New York New Jersey is alleging fraud and deceptive practices by Arbitron (See RNW Oct 10) and Arbitron sought a similar restraining order and injunction against New Jersey.
In its statement Arbitron said, "Today's ruling does not impact Arbitron's right to publish our Portable People Meter audience estimates in New York. We asked the federal court to protect our right to provide the radio industry with the up-to-date PPM audience estimates it needs. Following our efforts, the New York Attorney General chose not to seek a temporary restraining order adversely impacting our right to produce PPM estimates."
It then added, "Now that Arbitron has commercialized the PPM service in New York and other key markets, we look forward to defending our interests. Broadcasters, agencies, and advertisers need continual PPM audience estimates if radio is to remain competitive in an increasingly complex and crowded media marketplace."
RNW comment: Although in strict linguistic terms the Arbitron statement is correct, the ruling surely does potentially impact on the company as opposed to its right to publish PPM figures.
It would equally be strictly true that its right to publish would not be impacted were a court to fine it a billion dollars each time it published the figures but the company would certainly be "impacted" and it may yet be "impacted", albeit not to the extent we have just dreamed up, by court rulings on the suits by New York and New Jersey.
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2008-10-27: Interep, which on Friday was granted an emergency motion to move from Chapter 11 Bankruptcy to Chapter 7, allowing it to liquidate (See RNW Oct 24), will have at least another week of operations following a decision by Federal bankruptcy trustee Kenneth Silverman to keep the company operating for at least this week as he evaluates the options available to maximize its value.
Interep had been unable to finance a re-organization plan that had been agreed by the court in May and over recent years lost a number of major clients to Clear Channel-owned rival Katz including Citadel (See RNW Mar 31), Emmis (See RNW Oct 2, 2007), Cumulus (See RNW Dec 9, 2006 and May 25, 2005) and Radio One Inc. (See RNW Sep 7, 2005).
Its most important remaining client was CBS Radio with others listed on its site including Beasley Broadcast Group, Entercom, and Spanish Broadcasting System.
They and its other clients, mainly in medium and smaller markets, although some own major market stations, either have to move to Katz or make their own arrangements and Silverman will have to move fairly speedily to re-assure them and keep Interep staff -albeit unless Katz picks up some of them up along with Interep clients there are not that many options for them in the current economic climate - if he is to raise any significant amounts for the company as its assets are mainly in the contracts and its people - it did note in its petition to move to Chapter 7 that there could be some money in subletting some of its property leases.
CBS Radio may also have been affected directly by the Interep move: It made a filing with the bankruptcy court saying that it had learned that payments for its airtime bought through Interep and which are supposed to have been held in trust under its contract, may have been used by Interep without it consent. CBS sought an order that Interep abide by the contract terms and provide an immediate accounting of CBS's funds.
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2008-10-27: The BBC, which has now received more than 550 complaints following the Mail on Sunday story about lewd comments recorded on actor Andrew Sachs' answer phone by Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross and broadcast in the former's show (See RNW Oct 26) has now belatedly apologized to the actor. It has also launched a review of the procedures that allowed the pre-recorded show to make it to air with the comments included.
In a statement the BBC said, "We have received a letter of a complaint from Mr Sachs' agent and would like to sincerely apologizeto Mr Sachs for the offence caused. We recognize that some of the content broadcast was unacceptable and offensive. We are reviewing how this came about and are responding to Mr Sachs personally. We also apologizeto listeners for any offence caused."
RNW comment: It would in our view be most unjust were production staff involved in clearing this broadcast, deserving of censure though they are in our view, were to end up as scapegoats whilst the much more highly paid broadcasters - the Brand show is produced by his own company - escape action that in terms of their take-home remuneration is less serious. If staff are to be fired or pushed into resignation, the duo should also be dropped (we're certain they'll gain other work but equally certain the pay would be much less) or should lesser action such as suspension be taken against the production staff equivalent action (in terms of financial impact as a percentage of pay or in terms of duration as in suspension of their programmes for the same period as suspension as staff) should follow.
We would also, since the broadcast was made a week ago, expect any action to go up as a very minimum to the level of Lesley Douglas, Controller BBC Popular Music, Radio 2 & 6-Music (Unless, of course, she has been off ill and thus not doing her job for an unavoidable reason.).
RNW update: This story was prominent on BBC radio news bulletins today and when we last checked the number of complaints were around 1,600. Virtually nobody in the comments we heard or reports and blogs we checked was defending Brand or Ross (The UK Media Guardian blog runs to five pages of comments, nearly all critical and many more so of Ross than Brand; and the BBC Radio 4 World Tonight carries a news report - some 5 mins in on the show - supplemented by a feature (link is to item audio) towads the end of it featuring former BBC Panorama editor Steve Hewlett and Larry Johnson. president of North American radio for Paragon Media Strategies discussing this incident and US "shock jocks." As for BBC Radio 2, the row isn't listed in the top five messageboards topics on the site.
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2008-10-26: Last week saw Australia for once with the most important regulatory posting - a proposal by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) to amend the original specifications for digital radio, which is to launch next year, primarily to allow a maximum ERP of 50 kW as opposed to the 12.5 kW originally proposed (See RNW Oct 25).
The ACMA also found that two community radio stations had breached their licence conditions by broadcasting adverts.
In Victoria it found that Ballarat community radio station 3BBB, Ballarat, breached conditions of its licence that prohibit broadcasting of advertisements and the broadcasting of sponsorship announcements that run in excess of five minutes per hour.
The station it said had also failed to include tags in relation to two pre-recorded announcements for financial sponsors broadcast in April this year and in addition it found two instances where comments made by presenters live on-air were advertisements.
It noted that this is the second breach of the advertising prohibition this year but added that the earlier investigation had not been completed at the time the broadcasts that led to the latest complaint were aired so there was no opportunity for 3BBB to demonstrate that measures implemented following the first breach had taken effect.
It therefore opted to take no further action in relation to this latest finding but warned that future breaches could attract sanctions.
In New South Wales it found that Port Stephens community radio 2PSR has breached the same regulation and had also failed to tag four announcements in June and July this year. It notes that in response to its investigation the station implemented a number of administrative procedures to ensure compliance with licence conditions and said that in the light of these and because this was the first breach of the conditions by 2PSR it was to take no further action.
In Canada, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) is to make public aggregate financial data for various groups that it has listed in a public notice covering large broadcasting distribution undertakings (BDUs), multi-system operators (MSOs) and over-the-air (OTA) television and radio ownership groups.
Under its current policy the annual return information from these organizations - which includes such radio operators as Astral Media Inc.; Canadian Broadcasting Corporation/Societé Radio-Canada; Corus Entertainment Inc.; CTVglobemedia Inc.; Newcap Inc.; and Rogers Communications Inc. - is treated as confidential.
The agency says its policy was established at a time when the broadcast environment was characterized by a larger number of smaller, locally based owners such that disclosure might prejudice a smaller undertaking's ability to compete and contribute positively to the broadcasting system but that nowadays increased consolidation in the broadcasting industry has resulted in a relatively small number of large multi-station ownership groups, most of whom also control a significant number of pay and specialty services.
It therefore requested comments from a number of industry parties on the potential impact of disclosing the annual returns for large OTA television and radio ownership groups in aggregate form and notes that none were in favour. It subsequently discussion at the Diversity of Voices Proceeding posted a public notice calling for comments from the public on its plans to disclose aggregated information from large ownership groups of financial summaries for OTA broadcasters; overall contributions to Canadian content development by radio; and Canadian programming expenditure data subdivided by program category for OTA television.
The Commission in the notice rejects the arguments against the change, commenting that it is now convinced, based on the comments received at the proceedings on the Diversity of Voices and the BDU regulatory frameworks, that the public disclosure of the aggregate financial data of both large BDUs and/or MSOs and large OTA television and radio broadcasters by ownership group would serve the public interest and would be valuable for parties interested in submitting comments to the various Commission hearings and proceedings.
As far as OTA broadcasting is concerned it says it will disclose information on the returns down to and including profit before interest and taxes (PBIT) - aggregated separately where a group has both radio and TV interests and by English and French language services - of large OTA television and radio broadcasting ownership groups, including the CBC and Société Radio-Canada./
It will however treat as confidential returns where disclosure of a group's aggregate annual return would result in the disclosure of the financial results of an individual OTA television or radio undertaking or any portion of the annual return that would lead to the disclosure of a licensee's aggregated net income or loss, such as information below PBIT or detailed information on shareholders' equity.
The CRTC says it will also continue its current practice of releasing aggregated industry statistics for both television and radio on a regional and national basis.
The companies concerned, which have been listed, will have to file their aggregated annual return forms with the Commission each year by 30 November beginning this year.
The CRTC also posted a number of radio licensing decisions including the following (In order of province)
British Columbia:
*Denied application by Russ Wagg, on behalf of a corporation to be incorporated for a 50 watts English-language easy listening music format low-power commercial FM on Quadra Island, although its studio and transmitter would be in Campbell River.
Concerns had been expressed the potential economic impact of the proposed station on existing stations in the Campbell River market and the station was opposed in interventions by the Bute Inlet Development Corporation (BIDC), the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) and Vista Radio Ltd. (Vista).
The CAB said the station's signal, whilst covering the Campbell River radio market, would barely reach Quadra Island and also expressed a concern relating to the applicant "potentially using low-power radio as an opportunity to enter the broadcasting system 'through the back door,' with few regulatory obligations carried by private radio commercial radio operators.".
The CRTC agreed with the concerns about the impact on existing stations and "back-door" entry into the market and refused the application.
*Approved application by Vista Radio Ltd. to relocate the transmitter of CHNV-FM, Nelson, increase its antenna height and increase its power from 84 watts to 1,100 watts.
New Brunswick:
*Approved application by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation to change the frequency of its transmitter CBZW-FM Woodstock from 91.9 MHz to 95.3 MHz: The change was requested to reduce the possibility of interference with its French-language FM transmitter CBAF-FM-21, Bon Accord, which will operate at 91.7 MHz when in operation.
Ontario:
*Approval of application by Bluewater Community Radio to relocate the transmitter of English-language Type B community station CFBW-FM, Hanover, and increase its antenna height.
*Approval as part of an intra-corporate reorganization the acquisition by Northwoods Broadcasting Limited from Fawcett Broadcasting Limited - a wholly-owned subsidiary - of the assets of CFOB-FM, Fort Frances; CJRL-FM, Kenora; CKDR-FM, Dryden; CKDR-2-FM, Sioux Lookout and its transmitters CKDR-1, Ignace, CKDR-3, Hudson and CKDR-6, Atikokan ; as well as CKDR-5-FM, Red Lake, and its transmitter CKDR-4, Ear Falls. The effective control of the stations will not be changed by the re-organization that will be completed through the wind-up of the assets of Fawcett into Northwoods.
There were no radio decisions from Ireland or the UK, albeit we now expect many complaints to Ofcom concerning the lewd messages broadcast on the Russell Brand show earlier this month (See below) but in the US the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) was involved in a number of enforcement actions including (in reducing amount order) the following radio related penalties or proposed penalties:
*Denied Petition for Reconsideration filed by Christian Voice of Central Ohio, Inc., licensee of formerly non-commercial educational station WCVZ-FM, South Zanesville, Ohio, of a May 9, 2008, Forfeiture Order in which the Enforcement Bureau (imposed a USD 9,000 forfeiture against Christian Voice for its wilful and repeated broadcast of advertisements.
Christian Voice had argued that the Bureau committed legal error by misapplying applicable precedent in reaching its legal conclusions but, says the agency, appears to concede that it violated our underwriting rules, but argues that the forfeiture imposed is not commensurate with past enforcement actions for similar violations.
Rejecting the application the FFC said no new evidence had been presented and Christian Voice had merely re-iterated its previous arguments: It re-confirmed the penalty.
*Denied Petition for Reconsideration filed by Brahmin Broadcasting Corporation licensee of station KRAE-AM, Cheyenne, Wyoming, of USD 4,200 forfeiture for failure to enclose the KRAE antenna tower within an effective locked fence or other enclosure.
The FCC had already reduced the penalty from USD 7,000 initially proposed to USD 5,600 on the basis of efforts made to remedy the fault prior to the FCC inspection and then further reduced it to USD 4,200 on the basis of a history of compliance.
Brahmin had requested reconsideration because the Brahmin employee responsible for the KRAE tower site underwent surgery around the same time that the KRAE fence fell into disrepair but the FCC dismissed this argument and confirmed the USD 4,200 penalty.
*Issued USD 3,000 forfeiture each to Luis A. Meija and MSG Radio, Inc. for failure to provide required information on their application for the assignment of license of station WIAC-FM, San Juan, Puerto Rico. The two parties had applied for approval of the sale of the station licence, call sign, books, and records plus goodwill by Meija to MSG for USD 4 million in August last year but in their filing said they had not submitted copies of all agreements for the sale of the Station, which would reflect a complete and final understanding between the licensee and assignee: Excluded was a schedule regarding "excluded assets" that the parties said contained "proprietary information not germane to Commission consideration of the application.
The FCC had then received a permission to deny the application on the basis that the parties in their purchase agreement had included an Asset Purchase Agreement (the "Bestov-Madifide APA") between Bestov Broadcasting Inc. of Puerto Rico ("Bestov" - which is wholly owned by Meija) and Madifide, Inc. ("Madifide"); and an undated Shared Services Agreement (the "MSG-Madifide SSA") between MSG and Madifide.
Madifide, said the petitioners, could not acquire an attributable interest in the station as it already owned the maximum number of stations allowable in the Puerto Rico Arbitron Market.
The FCC then asked the parties for further details receiving copies of the APA - under which Bestov proposed to sell Madifide tangible and intangible assets associated with the leases for the studio, office, and transmitter facilities needed to operate the Station for a total price of USD 12.5 million; the SSA- in which Madifide would provide MSG with access to the station's studio and tower. However, the MSG-Madifide SSA excluded the sharing of other services including accounting, programming and sales; and also a non-finalized, non-executed Option Agreement under which MSG would extend to Madifide a two-year irrevocable option to purchase the Station license when qualified to do so under FCC rules and policies.
The FCC on the basis of these documents held that the APA and SSA should have been supplied with the application and issued a Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture to each party in the sum of USD 3,000O it dismissed the arguments filed in response to this and confirmed the full penalties.
The Commission has also denied an application by Florida-based attorney John B. Thompson for review of the Enforcement Bureau's earlier rejection (See RNW Jun 7, 2007) of his complaint against Beasley Broadcast Group that alleged that the broadcaster had had engaged in improper conduct by retaliating against him for filing indecency complaints with the Commission against some of Beasley's radio stations.
Rejecting Thompson's application the FCC said he had still has failed to present any evidence to substantiate his claims that Beasley engaged in improper conduct against him in retaliation for the filing of indecency complaints.
In various radio licensing decisions the FCC:
*Announced that it was ready to grant a further Construction Permit related to its FM Auction 62: The permit in question is for a station n Talent, Oregon.
*Denied a petition from Community Religious Broadcasting, Inc. (CRB) seeking reconsideration of dismissal of an application for a new non-commercial educational FM in Bemidji, Minnesota.
CRB had filed an application to construct the station in February 2000 and this remained pending during an NCE licensing freeze the commission imposed in April that year. A new filing window was opened in October 2007 and organizations with pending proposals had to electronically amend their applications to include comparative information and specifically told that failure to do this would lead to "its dismissal with prejudice" of the application. CRB failed to amend its application by the close of the NCE filing window and its application as therefore dismissed.
CRB requested reconsideration and asked the FCC to accept its late-filed amendment filed on November 28, 2007, and reinstate its application, an action it said would not affect other parties or give it a comparative points advantage over any other applicant but the FCC said CRB had failed to provide any compelling explanation for its neglect to amend its application. It dismissed the petition.
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2008-10-26: A row has blown up over obscene phone calls made by BBC Radio 2 hosts Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross on Brand's show a week ago in which the pair left messages on the answer phone of 78-years-old actor Andrew Sachs relating to claims that Brand had sex with his granddaughter Georgina.
The BBC (which presumably employs staff unable to listen to the audio of this week's show - link is to MP3 of Brand "apology" yesterday , which is still online, or understand dictionary definitions) carries a story on its web site saying Brand had apologised for the stunt.
In fact Brand around seven minutes into his show yesterday said, "…I'd like to take this opportunity to issue a personal Russell Brand apology to Andrew Sachs, the great comic actor who played Manuel for a message that Jonathan and I left on his answer phone but it was quite funny. But sometimes you mustn't swear on someone's ans