BBC forced to amend own apology

Published on Saturday 8 November 2008 19:16

THE BBC was forced to change the wording of an apology broadcast on Radio 2 yesterday after Fawlty Towers actor Andrew Sachs complained.

The under-fire broadcaster planned to run on two occasions an apology for a "grossly offensive" phone call made by Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross on the station.

But the corportation was forced to amend its own apology after Sachs complained the original version did not mention the distress caused to his wife and family.

The first version of the apology was aired just after 10am when Ross, who has been suspended without pay for three months for the prank, would normally be hosting his weekly show.

Richard Allinson has stepped in to fill the Radio 2 Saturday morning slot.

The BBC apologised to licence fee payers and said the phone call to the veteran actor's answering machine should never have been recorded or broadcast.

Ross and Brand left messages claiming Brand had slept with Sachs's granddaughter, Georgina Baillie.

The apology stated: "On 18 October, the BBC broadcast an exchange between Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross on the Russell Brand show on Radio 2.

"This concerned the actor Andrew Sachs and his granddaughter, Georgina Baillie.

"Some of this exchange was left on the voicemail of Mr Sachs.

"The conversation was grossly offensive and an unacceptable intrusion into the private lives of both Mr Sachs and Ms Baillie.

"It was a serious breach of editorial standards, and should never have been recorded or broadcast.

"The BBC would like to apologise unreservedly to Mr Sachs, Ms Baillie and to our audiences as licence fee payers."

But Sachs contacted the BBC to say the apology should also be directed to his wife and family.

The second on-air apology was amended and broadcast just after 9pm, when Brand, who resigned as a result of the fallout from the broadcast made on his own Saturday night show, would usually be on the airwaves.

In addition to the statement listeners heard in the morning, the second instalment said: "The BBC would like to apologise unreservedly to Mr and Mrs Sachs, Ms Baillie and their family, and to our audiences as licence fee payers."

A BBC spokesman said: "Mr Sachs asked us to specifically include mention of his wife and family in the second broadcast apology at 9.03 pm (the time at which the Russell Brand Show was broadcast) and we were happy to do this."

On Friday it was disclosed a second BBC Radio 2 executive has resigned in the wake of the controversy, which sparked more than 40,000 complaints.

Radio 2 boss Lesley Douglas quit on Thursday October 30 and that was followed by the resignation of David Barber, the Radio 2 head of specialist music and compliance.

A BBC spokeswoman said: "We can confirm that David Barber has resigned from the BBC."

It is thought Barber's job would have involved checking that content complied with BBC guidelines.

The BBC has not identified the person responsible for approving the broadcast which went out on October 18.

An internal inquiry is currently being carried out into the events which led to the call being broadcast.

This week, Baillie, 23, called for Brand and Ross to be reinstated, saying the resignation and three-month suspension without pay was "out of proportion".