I couldn't find the original thread - so had to start another.

From Sky News http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/R...To_Andrew_Sachs

Second Exec Quits Over Lewd Calls

BBC Phone Prank Videos

6:27pm UK, Friday November 07, 2008

A second BBC Radio 2 executive has quit in the wake of lewd phone calls Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross made to a Fawlty Towers actor.

The broadcaster confirmed David Barber, Radio 2 head of specialist music and compliance, resigned over the controversy that sparked more than 40,000 complaints.

Radio 2 boss Lesley Douglas had already stepped down after a show featuring the presenters leaving offensive messages on Andrew Sach's answer phone was aired.

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

News of his resignation followed the BBC announcing it is to apologise for the "grossly offensive" calls.

The apology will be aired on Radio 2, just after 10am on Saturday.

Ross, who has been suspended without pay for three months for the prank, would normally be hosting his weekly show at the time.

Mr Sachs was upset by the calls

The message will be repeated just after 9pm when Brand, who resigned over the incident made on his own Saturday night show, would usually be on the airwaves.

The BBC will say that the messages should never have been recorded or broadcast.

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

BBC apology

During the calls, Brand boasted he had slept with the actor's granddaughter Georgina Baillie.

The Beeb is currently carrying out an inquiry 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".

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

My take on this - the actual perpetrators seem to have suffered a suspension in pay - but as they get ridiculously high salaries anyway, they should still be able to afford that extra bowl of som tam in the morning. Just their tax bills will be lower. The management guys who had oversight on this were either asleep or off to the races when the broadcast was approved. Now two have been sacked (sorry - they resigned). So punishment far harsher than the actual perps.

Georgine Baillie - she of the Victoria's Secrets working clothes - is happy with the publicity.

Andrew Sachs - think back to "Those Were The Days" rather than "Fawlty Towers" really had no part in this - why did the twits pick on him? Why not Tony Booth (daughter Cherie Blair) - would have been funny then. Ooops, sorry, I think he died.

why did the twits pick on him? Why not Tony Booth (daughter Cherie Blair) - would have been funny then. Ooops, sorry, I think he died.

Have you not seen a photo of Cheerie Blair. No one would ever want to .... her, so the 'joke' would be far too unbelievable IMHO.

As I said in another thread, I met her once and that smile with live with me always

Dave

Calls for Jerry Clarksons head today.....................He sort of inferred all Lorry drivers murdered prostitutes.

I always thought Jonathan Ross liked to play some jokes on people, but was under the impression he only did it to those he knew, or at least who he knows would take the joke well. Plus, or so i thought, generally wouldnt push it too far. From what little i know of Russell Brand, he seems to be this novelty that for whatever reason hasnt yet died out. Acts like the naughty boy in the class that some people love because he does all the things they wouldnt dare do. What is it about him? Personally I just find him a pain in the butt.

But anyway, what the heck is funny about leaving obscene messages on an elderly gentleman's answer machine anyway??? I think some people really need to grow up a bit..

Perhaps this is what will make them grow up - not a moment too soon though!

The calls weren't made live on air - they could have been censored or just not broadcast at all. So a sizable chunk of the blame has to lie with the people who decided to air the offensive calls when they could have easily chosen not to. I believe the people in such decision-making positions are now jobless? Brand is also jobless. Ross, who said the line "he f***ed your grand daughter" on the answer-phone of a 70+ year old man has lost over £1,000,000 in axed pay and it's debatable whether he'll be able to return to work at the BBC again. Mind you, he's got millions already so he's pretty well set-up.

I wonder what sort of effect this will have on Ross. Surely he'll have to totally change his style in case he pushed it a bit, which he always does, that's his style. He is talented though so I hope he comes back.

He is talented

Agreed, always liked his more serious stuff too such as Film 2008.

Have always liked Jonathan Ross too. I also realise that the calls were left on an answer machine, not meant for public transmission..but wth! Really! What the hel_l was going through their heads when they thought "i know, lets call up this old actor and be really lewd on his answer machine!"??? The mind boggles!

A call was made to Sachs, 'Can we broadcast?'

Answer 'No'.

And yet they broadcast anyway!!

They both should be sacked for offensive behaviour, but so should the people responsible who put it on 'Air', they were the ones responsible for it going out on Air, it wasn't live.

However, this was directed at younger viewers and it has to be said that there were only two complaints from the actual broadcast, the rest came two weeks later when the Daily Mail took umbrage and I posted on here regarding the insensitivity of it all.

Moss

A call was made to Sachs, 'Can we broadcast?'

Answer 'qué?'.

Typical, being held in a telephone queue, 'your call is important to us'

Yeah right

Moss

I hope he takes them to the courts and strips those smiles of their faces.

The BBC would be stupid to axe Jonathon Ross, he would take his highly popular and successful TV show along with his viewers to Channel 4 and get paid very handsomely for it.

Stupid mistakes happen, it's all been blown out of proportion.

Russell Brand is an idiot, and the novelty has definitely worn off, he can go back on the circuit

Totster

This is what all the fuss is about

totster

Geez...how long were those messages! I had no idea answer phones let you have as long as that. Anyway..the answer machine said they have options at the end of their message..i assume one of those options are that you can ask for your message to be deleted? Well, nvm, was a really dumb thing to do, and its blown up in their faces. I think Ross should have known better really. :/

Pair of talentless idiots (toned down the language)

Brand has no redeeming features at all.

Ross is just fuc_king useless without a script, something he has proved time and time again on many game shows, the only time he has ever approached something like competence is in film reviews, where it is all pre-written and rehearsed (and he didn't have any hand in the writing, he just learned the words) and his speech defect gave it a little bit of 'I'm fallible'

Don't suspend them, sack them both.

Deplorable!

Lesley Douglas, who resigned from her £280,000 position over the affair.

Ms Douglas, 45, who sent a one-word email from her BlackBerry, "Yes", in answer to a question about whether the show should be broadcast, did so despite not having heard it. She did so on the recommendation by email of Dave Barber, Radio 2's head of compliance, who described it as "very funny".

Moss

I find gardening programs offensive, maybe the BBC could suspend those for 3 months too?

(My first post here in ages!)

Don't think it's not appreciated.

The trouble with gardening programs is, like smut, they become repetitive.

(Unlike cooking shows which are the sole remaining hope of responsible and entertaining television).

Don't think it's not appreciated.

The trouble with gardening programs is, like smut, they become repetitive.

(Unlike cooking shows which are the sole remaining hope of responsible and entertaining television).

Not half as repetitive as crab fishing in the Bering Sea. Jeez just how many times do you want to watch a crab pot being thrown in/hauled out of the ocean?

Anyhow, back on topic, it's nice to see the stupidity continues.

Chris Moyles apologises for comments about Poles and prostitutes

Radio 1 DJ Chris Moyles has apologised for his comments which appeared to suggest that Poles made good prostitutes.

Complaints to the BBC over the comments have reached almost 100.

Moyles had told listeners to his Radio 1 show: "I've always found in my experience prostitutes make very good cleaners, and their ironing, brilliant.

"I just find if you're Polish you're just very good at ironing...and prostitutes (they're) very good also at fixing cars".

Poles living in the UK launched a petition demanding an apology for the 'offensive and nasty' comments.

But yesterday Moyles issued a statement in an attempt to defuse the latest row, claiming his words had been misinterpreted.

It read: "I didn't mean to link Polish people and prostitution in the way that has been suggested, but of course I realise that some people have taken it that way and to those people I'm sorry for the unintentional offence."

He should have asked the experts on ThaiVisa before making such outlandish claims about prostitutes.

But it gets better.

The latest controversy comes days after the corporation was forced to apologise after the actor John Barrowman exposed himself live on air on the same radio station.

How can someone expose themselves on a radio show? "Hey folks my kecks are around my ankles and I'm waving my tudger in the general direction of the microphone."

But it gets better.

The latest controversy comes days after the corporation was forced to apologise after the actor John Barrowman exposed himself live on air on the same radio station.

How can someone expose themselves on a radio show? "Hey folks my kecks are around my ankles and I'm waving my tudger in the general direction of the microphone."

Web-cam ...... I used to do it before ours was installed.... I've stopped now.