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| Alex Salmond's RT show breached Ofcom broadcasting rules | Alex Salmond's RT show breached Ofcom broadcasting rules |
| (4 months later) | |
| Alex Salmond’s programme on the Kremlin-backed TV station RT breached broadcasting standards when he read out tweets and emails which appeared to be from members of the public, the UK’s media regulator has ruled. | Alex Salmond’s programme on the Kremlin-backed TV station RT breached broadcasting standards when he read out tweets and emails which appeared to be from members of the public, the UK’s media regulator has ruled. |
| Ofcom said Scotland’s former first minister misled his audience during the first episode of The Alex Salmond Show, because four of the six messages were sent by people connected either to him or the programme. | Ofcom said Scotland’s former first minister misled his audience during the first episode of The Alex Salmond Show, because four of the six messages were sent by people connected either to him or the programme. |
| The regulator concluded that the programme, broadcast last November, was in breach of its code, adding it was “important that the content of current affairs programmes can be relied on by viewers and listeners, as breaches of that trust can result in material harm and offence”. | The regulator concluded that the programme, broadcast last November, was in breach of its code, adding it was “important that the content of current affairs programmes can be relied on by viewers and listeners, as breaches of that trust can result in material harm and offence”. |
| The ruling is the latest enforcement action by Ofcom against RT, formerly known as Russia Today, which has been under increased monitoring by the regulator since the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal in Salisbury. | The ruling is the latest enforcement action by Ofcom against RT, formerly known as Russia Today, which has been under increased monitoring by the regulator since the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal in Salisbury. |
| Salmond’s production company Sláinte Media, which makes the programme for RT, said: “[The ruling could] lower the bar to a level which jeopardises freedom of speech under the European convention on human rights and would call into question the proportionality and fairness of Ofcom’s decision making.” | Salmond’s production company Sláinte Media, which makes the programme for RT, said: “[The ruling could] lower the bar to a level which jeopardises freedom of speech under the European convention on human rights and would call into question the proportionality and fairness of Ofcom’s decision making.” |
| Sláinte also argued that if it was banned from including comments from acquaintances of Salmond on the show then it would exclude “a very substantial section of the population” from having the right to have their views broadcast. | Sláinte also argued that if it was banned from including comments from acquaintances of Salmond on the show then it would exclude “a very substantial section of the population” from having the right to have their views broadcast. |
| Ofcom concluded that one of the questions read out by Salmond was sent by “a freelance makeup [artist] who had been involved in rehearsals for the show”, one was from a camera operator working on the programme and another had been prepared by the series director for a dress rehearsal and was broadcast as a result of an “editing mistake”. | Ofcom concluded that one of the questions read out by Salmond was sent by “a freelance makeup [artist] who had been involved in rehearsals for the show”, one was from a camera operator working on the programme and another had been prepared by the series director for a dress rehearsal and was broadcast as a result of an “editing mistake”. |
| RT said that another question had been sent in by a former business acquaintance of Salmond, who “of his own accord delivered a handwritten letter to Mr Salmond’s office … offering his question for inclusion in the show”. | RT said that another question had been sent in by a former business acquaintance of Salmond, who “of his own accord delivered a handwritten letter to Mr Salmond’s office … offering his question for inclusion in the show”. |
| The Moscow-backed station argued that the audience watching Salmond’s show could not reasonably expect the tweets and emails to be from real viewers, since it was the first episode of the series. RT said the segment was clearly light-hearted in tone and it was “difficult to conceive of any harm and offence that may have been caused”. | The Moscow-backed station argued that the audience watching Salmond’s show could not reasonably expect the tweets and emails to be from real viewers, since it was the first episode of the series. RT said the segment was clearly light-hearted in tone and it was “difficult to conceive of any harm and offence that may have been caused”. |
| RT also mocked suggestions that “the tweets and emails were fake and were the product of an alleged Moscow propaganda machine”, and said if anything caused harm to the public it was inaccurate news reporting about the origin of the tweets and emails, rather than the programme itself. | RT also mocked suggestions that “the tweets and emails were fake and were the product of an alleged Moscow propaganda machine”, and said if anything caused harm to the public it was inaccurate news reporting about the origin of the tweets and emails, rather than the programme itself. |
| But after a lengthy investigation Ofcom concluded that viewers should reasonably expect that questions sent in to the show would originate from members of the public wholly unconnected with the programme. | But after a lengthy investigation Ofcom concluded that viewers should reasonably expect that questions sent in to the show would originate from members of the public wholly unconnected with the programme. |
| “The failure to disclose this information meant that viewers were misled,” the regulator said. “Because viewer trust in this current affairs programme would have been undermined, we considered that this was materially misleading.” | “The failure to disclose this information meant that viewers were misled,” the regulator said. “Because viewer trust in this current affairs programme would have been undermined, we considered that this was materially misleading.” |
| A spokesperson for RT accused Ofcom of orchestrating media coverage of the incident by publishing a preliminary finding earlier this year, allegedly before receiving representations from the channel. | A spokesperson for RT accused Ofcom of orchestrating media coverage of the incident by publishing a preliminary finding earlier this year, allegedly before receiving representations from the channel. |
| “This gives rise to grave concern over the fairness of Ofcom’s process and agenda,” said RT. “The concern is heightened as Ofcom is using powers that exist for protection against serious matters to find in breach this trivial teething problem – a real sledgehammer to crack a nut.” | “This gives rise to grave concern over the fairness of Ofcom’s process and agenda,” said RT. “The concern is heightened as Ofcom is using powers that exist for protection against serious matters to find in breach this trivial teething problem – a real sledgehammer to crack a nut.” |
| Salmond, who lost his Westminster parliamentary seat to the Conservatives at the 2017 general election, continues to present the programme, which recently featured a three-part series on Gibraltar. | Salmond, who lost his Westminster parliamentary seat to the Conservatives at the 2017 general election, continues to present the programme, which recently featured a three-part series on Gibraltar. |
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| Sergei Skripal | |
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