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BBC Radio Presenter
Fired
A BBC radio presenter was sacked after making "completely
unacceptable" comments about Asian taxi drivers, the Corporation said today.
Sam Mason, 40, asked a Bristol cab firm not to send an Asian driver to pick
up her daughter because "a guy with a turban on is going to freak her out."
The phone operator recorded the conversation and passed a copy of it to The
Sun.
Mother of one Mason called the cab firm off-air as she played
a song on her BBC Radio Bristol afternoon show, the paper claimed.
The transcript of the conversation is...
Mason: "I know this sounds really racist, but I'm not being - please, don't
send anyone like, you know what I mean. An English person would be great, a
female would be better."
Operator: "We would class that as being racist. We can't penalise the Asian
drivers and just send an English one."
Mason: "You've managed it before."
Operator: "Right, OK. I don't agree with it personally."
Mason: "It's not your 14-year-old girl who's, you know, is it?"
Operator:
"Yes, but that's racist to say you don't want an Asian driver."
Mason: "If it were me I wouldn't care if it had two heads, but it's my
little girl we are talking about."
After asking the woman on the phone to pass the call on to a supervisor, she
finally adds: "I work at the BBC. I'm far from racist and that uneducated
woman has no right to call me one.
"I don't want her to turn up with a guy with a turban on, it's going to
freak her out. She's not used to Asians.
"She's not racist - her godparents are black."
Today, the BBC confirmed it had fired Mason, but would not say which taxi
firm made the complaint.
A spokesman said: "Although Sam Mason's remarks were not made on-air, her
comments were completely unacceptable and, for that reason, she has been
informed that she will no longer be working for the BBC with immediate
effect."
17:47
November
11 2008 - waveguide.co.uk
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Virgin Media Job Cuts
Cable group Virgin Media has said it plans to cut 2,200 jobs
by 2012, as part of a group-wide overhaul.
Virgin Media said the changes were "critical" to ensuring it was positioned
to compete effectively.
The group said it would not start cutting jobs until the fourth quarter of
next year. 05.
The latest redundancies are part of Virgin Media's planned cost savings of
up to £120m over the next four years.
"These changes are critical to ensuring Virgin Media is positioned to
compete effectively and deliver on our customers' changing expectations,"
said chief executive Neil Berkett.
"We recognise that this brings with it significant uncertainty for our
people and the communities where they work," he said.
The group added it would look to avoid redundancies and offer staff
alternative roles where possible.
Virgin Media has 76 offices across the UK, with major bases including sites
in London, Edinburgh, Nottingham and Sheffield.
15:58
November
11 2008 - waveguide.co.uk
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Live At The
Apollo Replaces Ross
Live At The Apollo is to replace Jonathan Ross' BBC One chat
show until the presenter's suspension ends in January.
The first episode, hosted by Michael McIntyre, will be recorded next week at
London's Hammersmith Apollo and broadcast the following week.
Ross was suspended from the BBC for 12 weeks, following lewd phone calls he
made on Russell Brand's Radio 2 show.
This is the fourth series of Live at the Apollo, which was previously shown
on Monday nights.
11:41
November
11 2008 - waveguide.co.uk
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MPs Slam BBC
Over Foul Language
MPs have slammed broadcasters for foul and offensive
language.
Culture Secretary Andy Burnham said at times a line "has
clearly been crossed".
His comments came as the BBC was rapped over a radio feature in which words
were bleeped out to make them sound as if they had been offensive.
Broadcasting watchdog Ofcom criticised Radio 1's Scott Mills show, which
airs at a time when children are listening.
During the feature the sounds of the beginning and end of the words remained
audible, giving the false impression that the bleep was masking a swear
word.
Ofcom criticised the corporation for believing it was "perfectly acceptable"
to offend some of its audience.
The broadcasting watchdog also criticised BBC One sitcom After You've Gone
for a scene in which Jimmy, a character played by Nicholas Lyndhurst, took
an overdose of painkillers.
The usually uptight father of two was seen waking up in a mellow and relaxed
mood, in a scene broadcast in the early evening when children were watching.
Speaking in the Commons, Mr Burnham said the level of swearing on television
made people uncomfortable.
He was responding to Labour former minister Denis MacShane who singled out
celebrity chef Jamie Oliver for his liberal use of the F-word.
07:30
November
11 2008 - waveguide.co.uk
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