£125,000 fine for radio host's racist comments
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A radio station has been fined £125,000 after a presenter made racist comments and joked about the death of the Iraq hostage Ken Bigley. It is the largest penalty imposed so far on a British radio station.
Listeners to Piccadilly Radio's Key 103, the commercial service based in Manchester, complained that comments, made by James Stannage, a presenter on late-night phone-ins, were offensive, racist, and incited racial hatred.
The broadcast watchdog Ofcom said the material was some of the most offensive it had heard. "In particular, the presenter's continual focus on race and religion, as forms of abuse, caused grave concern," it said.
Stannage was sacked this year over the comments, made in October and November last year. Piccadilly Radio said the broadcasts were "totally unacceptable". The jokes and comments about Mr Bigley were made two days after his death was confirmed.
Stannage made "highly abusive comments concerning Muslims and used a mock Asian accent", abusing callers' religion and mocking Islamic traditions. Stannage also criticised the TV personality Sharon Osbourne over her religion.
Piccadilly Radio, part of the Emap Radio Group, had been fined before because of comments made by Stannage. In May last year, it got into trouble because of his jokes in the aftermath of the death of Chinese cockle-pickers in Morecambe Bay.
Ofcom said Piccadilly's failures to put in place more robust controls "were particularly serious" and there had been a "number of similar and serious issues with the same presenter on previous occasions".
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments