BBC 'soft' on council, claims star

August 28, 2008

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TV and radio presenter Terry Christian was instructed to ‘go gentle’ on guests from Manchester city council by managers at the BBC, he told a tribunal.

The 45-year-old ‘shock jock’ is taking legal action against the corporation after losing his slot on BBC Radio Manchester.

He told a hearing he was controlled by BBC management to such an extent they gave him scripts telling him how to approach interviewees.

The tribunal heard that he earned a minimum of £90,000 a year for presenting BBC Radio Manchester’s three-hour breakfast show.

Mr Christian claimed he was handed sets of instructions that told him ‘go gentle’ with some guests on the show and be ‘harder’ on others.

Using guests from Manchester City Council as an example, he said: “I was told to go softer with those and not to give them too hard a time or they wouldn’t talk to Radio Manchester again.”

Mr Christian, who shot to national fame in the 1980s as presenter of Channel 4’s The Word’, is claiming unfair dismissal against the BBC.

He was invited to become the station’s breakfast show host in April 2006 but was moved to the afternoon ‘drive time’ slot. His contract was not renewed when it ended last April.

The BBC denies that he was a full-time employee, saying he was a self-employed freelance. It said the ‘scripts’ he described were aide memoirs.

The hearing in Manchester was to determine whether Mr Christian was legally classed as an employee of the BBC.

Judge Murray Creed reserved judgement and a decision will be announced later. The outcome will determine whether a full hearing on the issue of unfair dismissal will then go ahead.

John Ryan, managing editor of BBC Radio Manchester, said Mr Christian had been given a two-year ‘freelance contact’, in which he would earn a minimum of £90,000 a year.

He said it gave the presenter was chosen because of his ‘intelligence, strength of character and personality’ and was given ‘significant freedom’ .

Mr Christian's contract said the BBC had ‘first call’ on his freelance services, added Mr Ryan. But he said Mr Christian had no entitlement to a paid holiday and no BBC pension.

Kevin Jaquiss, for Mr Christian, said there was a ‘wage-work bargain’ between the presenter and the BBC.

Mr Christian told how the invitation to become the breakfast show presenter at BBC Radio Manchester had seemed an ‘exciting opportunity’.

He added: “As I had a young family to provide for, I felt it would offer me job security.”

A BBC spokeswoman denied after the hearing that any of its presenters had been asked to ‘go gentle’ on guests.

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Barney Gumball (28/08/2008 at 13:39)

Terry... do you not think the BBC got rid of you because your show was rubbish and hardly anybody listened to it...?

Ace Shakepseare, manchester (28/08/2008 at 13:44)

This has been going on for years that is why we cannot get away from the licence fees? Its a government run propaganda machine.Paid for by us the public.its time to dismantle this old fashioned propaganda machine that is outdated.

wahablue (28/08/2008 at 13:46)

After all the spite and hatred he generated prior to the United v City game,I for one am glad he got the DCM (Don't come Monday).Bring back James H.

Guten Tag (28/08/2008 at 13:51)

I didn't know he was on BBC Radio Manchester. Was it any good?

A Manc and blue (28/08/2008 at 13:56)

I actually thought he show was quite good. He would ask questions the do-gooders would not

mick the red fireman, middleton (28/08/2008 at 13:58)

Bring him back Saturday afternoon football slot not the same he has gone, certainly woke the bitters up.

Tameside Blue, Tameside (28/08/2008 at 14:03)

I agree with the first comment

They probably got rid of him because he is obnoxious, boring and, excuse me while I change the channel, Christains on the radio again

Biggest turnoff in broadcasting history. Go and stack shelves at Tesco or something. Broadcasting aint for you Christian.

£ 90k a year ??? Wouldn't pay him 9 bob a year

I'm not a number (28/08/2008 at 14:12)

Good riddance to bad rubbish! At least on the radio you are spared the sight of his rediculous facial contortions that facilitate his exaggerated, cartoon northern accent! He is the personification of a superficial media slime ball.

MsD, Manchester (28/08/2008 at 14:19)

It shouldn't matter whether we like Terry Christian or not - why should he go soft on guests from MCC ? They should be grilled and often - they waste our money !

ebble, manchester (28/08/2008 at 14:27)

£90,000 of public money to hire a presenter for a show hardly anyone listens to?

Time to scrap the licence fee.

amale, Eccles (28/08/2008 at 14:30)

I've no idea why Christian is complaining about being given a script because the dozen people who regularly listened to GMR knew he never stuck to it. The show was a series of opportunities Christian to prove his recall of useless information was better than anyone else's. Someone must have mistaken this for intelligence. The audience didn't and went elsehwere in droves. Is the judge aware of the phrase; "architect of one's own downfall"?

poc (28/08/2008 at 14:31)

"why should he go soft on guests from MCC ? They should be grilled and often - they waste our money!"

As do the BBC... 90k minimum? I don't care how good/bad he is, how can the BBC afford to offer that to a LOCAL radio show host for 3 hours work a day?

amale, Eccles (28/08/2008 at 14:37)

Despite the implication in the headline he didn't go soft on Manchester City council. If anything he got even more pointlessly angry with them when they fined him for stubbing out a cigarette on the pavement. Anyone who heard the tripe served up as a breakfast show knows the real reason he lost his job is because the show was rubbish.

Mark, South Manchester (28/08/2008 at 14:47)

BBC Radio Manchester is consistently one of the worst performing local BBC radio stations in the country. Considering it's effectively the only Talk/Sport station in Manchester, its listening figures (3.5 to 5.5%) are abysmal compared to say BBC Radio Merseyside (14+%). So who did they think could turn the station around - yes unbelievably Mr Terry Christian!! John Ryan should resign.

It seems BBC Radio Manchester doesn't exist to serve the people of Manchester - it serves to provide a select band of white, middle-class, middle-aged cronies from Cheshire with jobs. (None of their daytime presenters are Black or Asian - what utter hypocrites.)

Why won't the MEN write about and condemn this "underperforming" local public service - that we're all forced to pay for?? Or is the Manchester media world just too chummy & protective?

David Griffiths (28/08/2008 at 14:52)

I knew national radio presenters were on big money but didn't realize local ones were.BBC needs to cut the number of radio stations and tv channels it has, and reduce the licence fee.

Colonel Blitherer, Stockport (28/08/2008 at 14:54)

£90,000 a year would pay the salaies of 3 highly intelligent research scientists. I cannot believe the beeb could not get a very good presenter for half that sum. How many people want to listen to a coarse aggressive person anyway?

Donna. Harpurhey (28/08/2008 at 15:25)

The judge only needs to listen to BBC Radio Manchester's Allan Beswick show when he interviews councilors Leese, Karney & co for confirmation of Terry Christians statement that they go soft on Manchester City councilors. Is it any wonder Beswick can afford to dine in the same restaurants as Leese, Karney & co and even have the nerve to tell listeners when he has met them in one when presenters are earning this sort of cash. I thought Christian was rubbish as well but have you listened to the puerile rubbish that come out of the breakfast show now with Eamonn O'Neal & Dianne Oxberry who replaced him ?
I find BBC Radio Manchester's biased coverage of this congestion tax all day & ever day disgusting, particularly as the BBC have most to gain with the proposed extension of the Metro to Media City. A fat lot of use that will be to us in Metroless north Manchester.
How can we have fair unbiased coverage & interviews of the congestion tax with these revelations by Terry Christian.

Chris, Irlam (28/08/2008 at 15:27)

BBC soft on the council - same as the MEN are!

When is the last time the MEN criticised MCC over anything?

thehorse (28/08/2008 at 16:12)

NEVER TUNED IN TO RADIO MANCHESTER SINCE FRED FIELDER AND CO WERE REPLACED BY THE PRESENT RUBBISH

mufc who else (28/08/2008 at 16:16)

Waha james h is already back like stannage is you numpty,know your stuff.

Bean B4, manchester (28/08/2008 at 16:30)

The entire station is rubbish! May I recommend Oldham Community Radio - still rubbish but the presenters have amusing accents!

Mark,Radcliffe. (28/08/2008 at 16:33)

Is this more proof of a Totalitarian state generated betwixt Princess Street,Lloyd Street and the voice of the Government.Mr Christian has every right to give any interviewee a "hard time"..Methinks Robin Day v Sir Alan Knott,Paxman and anyone that dared to venture...If MCC do not wish to partake in such an event involving transparency,then why should Mr. Christian be the fall-guy ?

Sparky was the best ever (28/08/2008 at 17:02)

More proof that the unbiased BBC, is in fact a left wing media tool, choosing to be harsh on Conservatives and anyone else that doesn't comply to the views of the politically correct luvvies.

Inez (28/08/2008 at 17:12)

I worked at Radio Manchester when Terry was around and I never heard anyone tell presenters to "go gentle" on any guests. It is however a producer's role to advise the presenter on the tone to take with an interviewee or suggest questions he/she might ask. If Terry objected to that - he's working in the wrong job.

Terry has sued before - Im sure he will again - its incompetent BBC management who should be in the dock for paying 90K a year for his services in the first place.

That's a grand for every listener lost in the last 2 years!

MsD, Manchester (28/08/2008 at 17:30)

poc - I'm in full agreement with you about the BBC also wasting our money but this story isn't about Christian's salary. It's about how he is censored by being told how to treat certain guests who should be grilled. What's the point of an interview otherwise ?

Let's face it, none us us would turn down that salary either for waffling for a couple of hours.

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