You’re Fired

“Trust is the foundation of the BBC. Audiences are at the heart of everything we do. We take pride in delivering quality. We respect each other. We are honest. We are impartial.”

The BBC Values, from the back of BBC Radio Devon presenter Graham Danton’s electronic entry card into the BBC building.

SUNDAY afternoon radio presenter Graham Danton has been abruptly sacked by the BBC after more than 20 years, leaving his loyal listeners confused at the lack of explanation.

In today’s Western Morning News there’s an article by Mr. Danton in which he reveals more. He begins by quoting Orwell’s “In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.”

He feels his sacking was really because he “Highlighted uncomfortable topics”
“Every presenter has to obey the policy of BBC compliance. In effect, it means no presenter is fully trusted any more.”

Hosting a phone-in programme “two hours of never knowing what topic was coming next while having to play Devil’s Advocate, just me and a young lad who put the calls through to my desk”
“Now ( since Ross and Brand) it’s controlled by a producer… you go on air only if it’s approved by the producer…. some people say they’ll speak about the previous topic, be accepted, then speak their minds about something else……….. Little red warning triangles used to appear on my telephone screen……

“Since last autumn, a few minutes before my programme went on air a senior member of staff would question me as to what I was going to talk about…..by that time I was forbidden to talk about:

• politics
• crime
• immigration
• religion (on a Sunday)
• the EU
• Islam
• health matters
• even cats (would offend cat lovers)

“Since I left school in 1948 I have had eight employers…..the only one I am ashamed to have worked for is the BBC.”

His electronic entry card was deleted within two hours of his dismissal.