THE can of worms opened at the BBC by the Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross distraction is being prodded oh so gently by the corporation’s internal investigation into who approved what, or not, for broadcasting. The overblown row has led to fears of creative self-censorship or worse. But at the heart of it is an issue which has trade union staff members seething with anger and frustration. The culture which allows celebrities such as Ross and Brand to have their shows produced by their own production companies has, according to one insider, created a “reign of terror” under which young, often inexperienced, Beeb producers are serially sacked if they stand up to the “stars”. And those with time to bother wondering why the Radio 2 controller Lesley Douglas had to resign from her vaunted perch while the producer responsible for approving the infamous episode for airing has not even been named will be intrigued by gossip that they are in fact one and the same person. The BBC itself is refusing to confirm or deny claims that it was customary for changes to the Brand show to be approved only by Douglas, who, according presenter Paul Gambaccini in a Radio 5 Live interview, treated Brand like a “pet” to whom her commitment was “almost obsessive”. One producer was seen off after expressing doubts over Brand boasting on air that he was urinating into a cup in the studio. He was replaced by another whose experience ran to making the tea and running errands. Nic Philps, the producer sacked along with Douglas simply because he happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, is rumoured to have a total of two broadcasts to his credit. Helen Ryan, of the broadcasting union BECTU, has criticised the system which allows celebrities to bring in their own production companies and become a law unto themselves while junior BBC staff are at the mercy of big names. “In reality those stars will say we don’t want to work with that person again.” How long will Auntie maintain radio silence on the scandal?
