Reporter faces sack over crash 'quip'

Exclusive by Brian Lashley

August 24, 2008

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A BBC football commentator is facing the sack after making an `inappropriate remark' about the Spanish air disaster during a match.

Radio Manchester's Chris Price was doing a live update from the Bradford versus Rochdale match when he said Dale `were making more holes in the Bradford defence than in a Spanish aircraft'.

Outraged listeners complained to the BBC, which has now been forced to issue an apology.

Freelance journalist Price, 25, from Rochdale, said he was trying to add some colour to his report and be a bit different, but made a `horrible mistake'. One former BBC commentator described him as `unprofessional and stupid'.

At least 153 people were killed when a Spanair plane crashed at Barajas International airport in Madrid last week.

A spokeswoman for the BBC said: "This was an inappropriate remark and we would like to apologise to our listeners for any offence caused."

Price, who also works behind the bar at the Comedy Club, said he only had a split second to put the report together.

Price said: "I honestly thought I was being descriptive.

"It wasn't meant to be funny; it was just a descriptive phrase.

"If people are offended by what I said, then of course I apologise but I never intended to offend anyone

"From the reaction there has been, if I could take it back then I would."

Mike Brookes, media officer for Rochdale Football Club, said: "I did that job for the BBC for the best part of 15 years and you have to try and be a bit quirky.

"But there is being different and then there is crass stupidity. It was unprofessional and stupid."

Price worked for the BBC covering football and rugby for about a year. He has also done voiceovers for Channel M, a subsidiary of the Guardian Media Group, owners of the Manchester Evening News.

brian.lashley@men-news.co.uk

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PW, Manchester (25/08/2008 at 07:48)

It wouldn't be funny in private company, so how could he think it would be in a broadcast? Typical of today's non-professionalsm.

Mark, South Manchester (25/08/2008 at 10:35)

Sadly this guy only seems regretful about the "reaction" to his remark - doesn't he?
So typical of the sneeringly arrogant BBC!!

I wish I didn't have to listen to BBC Radio Manchester Sport - but since the demise of the "legendary" Piccadilly Sport some years back, I now have no alternative. When it comes to local Talk/Sport/News radio - OFCOM has provided us with no choice and has let this city down.

Tezza, Tyldesley (25/08/2008 at 12:20)

Who cares it was a bit of a joke

Brad (25/08/2008 at 15:24)

This so called 'reporter' should be sacked...I'd like to know if he has NCTJ or BECU professional qualifications to do the job...but I'm sure the BBC only employ properly qualified staff...

Edna Of Hyde, Hyde (25/08/2008 at 17:42)

The Spanish government should serve an extradition order for this Chris Price to our government. The mans a disgrace and the only thing he should be commenting on is the taste of his paella whilst rotting in a Spanish jail. Radio Manchester has got rid of some excellent presenters to accommodate the likes of him. Is it any wonder its audience figures have plummeted since rebranding from GMR.

Connor Barrett (25/08/2008 at 19:33)

That's just so careless, people died in that crash, doesn't this reporter know the severety of his remarks. I'd be happy to see him get sacked

Bean B4, manchester (26/08/2008 at 09:16)

Ok, it was foolish and not all amusing or particularly witty but does he deserve to be sacked? No, of course not.

MPs gravy train, UK (26/08/2008 at 09:21)

It was a stupid remark. Just as the one is from Edna from Hyde below. She'll be calling for him to be hanged next.

PW, Manchester (26/08/2008 at 10:08)

A lot of the victims may never be identified. I'm finding it very hard to have a belly laugh over this weak 'joke'.

A Manc and blue (26/08/2008 at 13:00)

So everyone is now do-goooders. How many of you have received sick text messages on any subject but passed them on. Come on be honest

midway, West Germany (26/08/2008 at 13:51)

Don't all fly in rage at the this poor Fellah!

Grief Tourist (26/08/2008 at 14:17)

You wouldn't be defending him if anyone you knew had been in the disaster. Just cos you don't like PC does it mean anything goes? In the past a respectful period of time would pass before people started telling jokes about disasters, it seems to get shorter and shorter. The guy should be shown the door the insensitive clown.

Paul Home (26/08/2008 at 16:11)

I know Chris and he is a hard working, ambitious, intelligent and sensitive man. He has lost the career he loved because of a stupid, inappropriate careless metaphor.

He was foolish at best but losing his job is punishment enough without the Daily Mail readers and liberals wanting him to be hanged or left to rot in a Spanish gaol.

We have all said things we perhaps should not have said - unfortunatley Chris and people like him are paid not to say such things.

Good luck Chris.

Barney Gumball (26/08/2008 at 16:41)

The 'Curse of Ratner' strikes again...

journo, at my computer (26/08/2008 at 18:32)

Chris has made an error of judgement. Its about time people get off his back. He is an excellent journalist who made a momentory error of judgement. He has apologised and I think it should be left at that. Chin up Chris.

Mark,Radcliffe. (26/08/2008 at 19:18)

Dear Journo...I dont think Rodney Marsh has been forgiven,and re-employed,by Sky Sports for his insensitive joke in January 2005...This person should be treated similarly by those who employed him..As a freelancer he can always be employed writing under a psuedonym,but should never be employed in the live-commentary field.

WeeeeMan, Salford (26/08/2008 at 23:35)

Yes Chris made an inappropriate comment that could have potentially caused some people to be upset but I personally feel he shouldn't have been sacked from it.

I don't personally follow Rochdale so don't know what their defence is like but from the comment (and the score) I'm guessing it wasn't great and so the statement was indeed descriptive.

Comedians and presenters often walk this fine line and whilst I appreciate that the comment/timing could have been taken as disrespectful I would have expected a strong talking to rather than dismissal, as it clearly wasn't meant to cause offense.

Good luck to Chris in whatever he does in the future and remember to think about what you say a little more carefully in the future

Luis, Spain (27/08/2008 at 10:05)

I'm Spanish. There is a link of this news to many Spanish newspapers. You have to be a massive moron to say something like that whilst commentating during a match. Try to imagine a foreign "journalist" joking about a rail crash or a plane crash that happened in UK while commenting on TV, less than a week after the disaster. There is no excuse, if you don't know what is appropriate and what is offensive then you shouldn't work in media.

Once again (27/08/2008 at 11:07)

Very bad choice of words. But he used a poor descriptive comment while comentating not really somethin you should lose your lively hood over.

He appologised and after the reponse pretty sure he won't be doing it again.

Edna Of Hyde, Hyde (27/08/2008 at 13:49)

Luis Spain. Do you know if the Spanish government have served any extradition order for this Chris Price to our government. I think he should be made to answer for this disgusting remark to the Spanish people.

Jomov (27/08/2008 at 14:33)

I don't know who is worse, Edna or Lisa Moore.

They could be related.

Luis Martin (27/08/2008 at 14:44)

Well I don't know this journalist but I'm sure that is really sorry about what he said. He can't be such a bad person He sould be given another chance of course.(Although it was a very inappropriate comment)

mcarmen voces (27/08/2008 at 16:24)

I feel sorry for this journalist. His stupid and inappropiate comment only prove and his lack of sensibility about the victims and their families, and of course, his huge ignorance about Spain and his infrastructures.
Regards,

Charlotte (27/08/2008 at 16:31)

It was obviously a case of mouth functioning before brain, we've all done it and although I dont know of this journalist, I'm pretty sure he's extremely sorry for that remark. Whenever something tragic happens like this air crash, its only a matter of days before there are hundreds of jokes going round, we've all read them, laughed at them and expressed our horror about them, but we dont seriously believe there is anything funny about a disaster.

Cibeles, Madrid (27/08/2008 at 19:12)

No jokes about the crash going round here, Madrid or Spain, at all.

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