Brand in radio rip-off scandal
Another fake BBC phone-in
Russell Brand’s radio show is at the centre of the latest scandal about fake phone-in competitions.The comic ran a competition on his 6 Music show in April 2006, even though it had been pre-recorded. A member of production staff posed as the winner.
Callers who took part, even though they had no chance of winning, are now being offered compensation. It was only Brand’s second show for the station. Another case involving Jo Whiley’s Radio 1 show was also revealed today, as part of the BBC’s policy of investigation old problems as part of an ongoing clean-up operation.
Listeners had been invited to telephone and text ‘when in reality there was no opportunity to participate’, according to the BBC.
In a statement, BBC management said: ‘Neither of the two new cases revealed any new types of failing editorial practice which have not already been captured by the action plan, and both predate the commencement of the action plan.
