[Media-watch] DJ wants Greenpeace members shot compaint to BBC

[Sigi D]

Dear Media Watch Friends,
I complained in Match 2004 about a BBC London local
radio presenter, who said in a phone in programme that
two peaceful Greenpeace protestors who climbed up Big
Ben in London should have been shot. The presenter 
also insulted our  police (I am active as
neighbourhood watch co-ordinator, and I know many of
my local PCs - they are really great and wonderful
people!). 
My complaint was only partly upheld (police) but I am
currently appealing against Frazer Steel's decision.
Thus my appeal will go further. I will hear about
their decision in October. Five people plus one
independent will listen to the BBC  presenter's tapes.
I am so happy about this because people in charge
might not know what is going on on local radio - and
what some people say. The hatred, the racism, the
narrow-mindedness.
I remember screaming at my radio at the time. And I
was so, so shocked, too. 
I copy my original complaint, Frazer Steel's reply,
and my appeal into this email.
And by the way - not many people complain  - from
April to June 2004 only 402 complaints - mostly about
bad language it seems (check out the bulletin 
bbc.co.uk/info )
All the best, and please, don't shout at your poor
radio, WRITE in.
XX
Sigi
22rd March, 2004


Head of Programme Complaints 
Frazer Steel
Broadcasting House
London S1AA 1AA

Dear Sir,
22nd March 2004: Jon Gaunt suggested to shoot
Greenpeace protesters

I would like to express my gravest concerns about
comments made by your presenter Jon Gaunt about two
peaceful Greenpeace protesters who climbed up Big Ben
on the 20th of March, 2004.
Gaunt suggested in a phone-in discussion with a
policeman about security that these peaceful
protesters should have been shot (about 11.25 hours).

I cannot believe that you employ someone who suggests
on air to commit acts of violence against peaceful
protesters.

Gaunt also insulted our police with comments about
their intelligence. I am involved in a Neighbourhood
Watch Group and often meet our police on local
community level. These are outstanding men and women
who are doing a very hard job in difficult times. We
don’t need presenters like Gaunt to insult them.
I tried to catch the travel news - and was confronted
with hatred and calls to violence instead.

We live in a climate of fear - and BBC presenter
actually suggests to shoot first, and to ask questions
later?
I am shocked about this incredibly irresponsible
behaviour. We need cool-headed men and women who are
willing to communicate on our airwaves in
multicultural and diverse London, and not people like
Gaunt, who stir up hatred and aggression.

• Will you please inform me what steps you will take
against this presenter who called for acts of violence
against peaceful protesters? 
• Could you also tell me whether Jon Gaunt’s view
represents the BBC’s view in relation to handling
peaceful protests?
I expect your reply with interest.
Yours faithfully,
Dr Sieglinde Dlabal
copy of letter  to: Greenpeace

Frazer Steels reply:
Date: 23 June 04 
Jon Gaunt BBC London 22 March 2004
Further to our letter of 4 May, we have now listened
to a recording and taken up your points with the
programme makers responsible. I am sorry this has
taken longer then we lead you to expect; because of a
combination of circumstances, I am afraid we have
something of a backlog at the moment. 

I am sorry you found some of the discussion in this
programme unacceptable. Overall, I believe Jon Gaunt
was raising a legitimate topic for debate. his main
point was that unknown intruders had been allowed to
enter a sensitive area of national importance at a
time of heightened international tension. He asked
callers what action they felt the police should have
taken. to promote discussion, he put forward his own
view - that the intruders should have been warned to
come down and, if they ignored the warnings, they
should have been shot. Clearly this view is at one
extreme of the debate, but it appeared he was not
alone in criticising police handling of the incident,
and throughout the programme callers expressed a range
of opinions, including direct challenges to his
comments.

I do not think that his approach on this occasion
would have exceeded the expectations either of callers
or of regular listeners to the programme, who would be
likely to be familiar with this well established
presenter’s robust and forthright manner. 
He made clear his {sic} was not expressing the views
of the BBC and that he was talking about a specific
incident rather than making a generalised comment on
how peaceful protesters should be dealt with.  I do
not believe,  therefore, that he can be held to have
conducted the phone-in as a whole in an irresponsible
manner, as you suggest. 

However, I am concerned about one part of it - the
exchange with the police officer calling from Bromley.
Here, it seemed to us that Jon Gaunt allowed his
personal view to override the need to give opponents a
fair hearing and adequate opportunity for response. I
believe the tone of the exchange. together with the
personal nature of some of the presenter’s comments
and the way the call was ended, took this part of the
programme beyond what was acceptable even in a
vigorous exchange of views such as this. I am,
therefore, upholding this aspect of your complaint. 

thank you for raising your concerns with me. You may
wish to know that a summary of your complaint and my
finding will be published in a forthcoming edition of
the BBC Programme Complaints Bulletin. I will make
sure you are sent a copy. 
Yours sincerely 
Frazer Steel, Head of Programme Complaints....
....
My appeal to Poppy Hughes, dated 15 August 2004
Dear Poppy Hughes
Ref TB/11343a


Herewith I wish  to appeal against a decision by
Frazer Steel dated 23 June 2004, who only partly
upheld my complaint.

I complained about Jon Gaunt, presenter on BBC London
Live.

1) He suggested in a phone in programme  (22 March
2004 about 11.25 hours) that two peaceful Greenpeace
protesters who climbed up Big Ben should have been
shot. - This part of my complaint was rejected.

2) John Gaunt also insulted our police with comments
about their intelligence. - This part of my complaint
was upheld.

But I feel so strongly about what Mr Gaunt said that I
want to appeal against Frazer Steel’s decision to not
to uphold the first part of my complaint.

Please note that I didn’t see any transcript of the
programme.
I write from memory. 

I  want to take this occasion to describe in more
detail why I am so upset about Mr Gaunt’s remarks.

I regard the first and the second part of my complaint
as intertwined: Mr Gaunt insulted the police and
questioned their mental abilities. He taunted and
interrupted a policeman who had called in to explain
the incident from a police point of view.

My own perspective is that it could have been a
potentially very dangerous situation for the
demonstrators. I am glad the police became aware the
protesters were from Greenpeace. Thank God, nobody was
trigger happy. The police response to a security
breach was fairly cool and level-headed- 
but a BBC presenter put down skills and abilities of
the police.

We live in a climate of fear, said Wole Soyinka (BBC
Reith Lectures).

There is always a news story or programme about
possible chemical and biological attacks on the Tube,
or possible bomb attacks by muslim extremists.

In this climate of fear a London radio presenter
suggests - live on air - to commit acts of violence
against peaceful protesters:  “shoot first, ask
questions later” because these peaceful protesters
might have been - terrorists.

What did I feel when I heard this?
I felt shocked, and terrified.
A presenter on BBC  suggests that two peaceful people
should be shot.

One doesn’t even need a reason to shoot two human
beings - except a possible vague potential of danger.
As I said - we live in a climate of fear.
Frazer Steel says  the regular listener knows Mr
Gaunt’s   “robust and forthright manner”.
I would describe Mr Gaunt’s manner as rude and
bullying. 
He shouted at people, didn’t listen to their points of
view, and simply cut off a callers with whom he didn’t
agree. 

This  style simply doesn't allow another opinion.
And Mr Gaunt’s own opinion doesn't change because he
doesn't listen to other people.

More and more people in London are afraid of possible
backlashes from the Iraq war.

Gaunt’s aggressive taunts might have confirmed fears:
he portrayed our police is useless; and promoted
violence, which ignores human and democratic rights.

To suggest that someone should be shot only because
one suspects, or is afraid that this person might be a
potential terrorist, is an absolute outrage. 

The comment might have been made to spice up the
programme.

But it confirms and perpetuates the climate of fear
which might become stronger than our will to defend 
democratic and human rights.

This is why  I feel  John Gaunt’s “shoot first,  ask
questions later”, is grossly irresponsible.
I stopped listening to Gaunt a long time ago. So did
probably many people who don’t agree with him.
I heard his comments while I tried to catch the travel
news.

I didn’t call the radio on the day in March because of
Mr Gaunt’s insulting and bullying manner. 

A hesitant voice with a foreign accent might have been
suffocated by Gaunt’s “robust and forthright” style.

- What if there is a bomb attack in London by an
extreme muslim group, which leaves many people dead? 

What if Mr Gaunt decides then to say “shoot first, ask
questions later” to his audience?
And what if his audience takes him seriously?

These are the reasons why I feel that Jon Gaunt’s
comments to shoot first and ask questions later are
utterly irresponsible.

I appeal against Frazer Steels decision.

Yours sincerely





	
	
		
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