Romanian broadcaster fined over fake Mr Methane clip

The Romanian TV station which broadcast doctored footage of British variety act Mr Methane farting along to the national anthem has been fined just over £2,000 for the incident.

The current affairs show Stirea Zile, ‘Headline’, last week aired footage of the entertainer – real name Paul Oldfield – performing his party piece on Britain’s Got Talent in 2009.

On the ITV talent show, Mr Methane broke wind to the Blue Danube, but the footage that made it to air was a YouTube fake in which he performed to the Romanian national anthem.

Presenter Gabriela Vranceanu Firea Pandele asked guests including former prime minister Adrian Nastase why the government were silent while their nation was being subject to such humiliation from foreigners.

After the broadcast, the president’s office and the Foreign Ministry complained to watchdogs at the National Audiovisual Council, which today handed down the 10,000 lei fine. The regulators said broadcaster Antenna 3 did not take enough care to ensure to verify the video was authentic before airing it.

The Romanian embassy in London also alerted the National Audiovisual Council to the fakery after receiving a complaint from 44-year-old Oldfield.

He complained to diplomats: ‘I was used to make a political statement…. The fake transmission enraged Romanian citizens and caused them see me as an object of hate when in fact I had not done anything and I was not involved in any way.’

Separately, Talkback Thames, which makes Britain’s Got Talent for ITV, said they had not licensed the Romanian broadcaster to use any clip from the show.

Published: 13 Oct 2011