THERE'S something particularly disturbing about the latest scandal involving phone-in competitions at the BBC.
Already lowered in reputation by exposures of fake winners in other programmes, we are now told that the flagship broacaster's Children in Need, Comic Relief and Sports Relief have been guilty of deception.
In total, six new cases have come to li
ght and Director-General, Mark Thompson, has promised a rewie of procedures to ensure it doesn't happen again.
Funny how all these heads of television companies trot out the 'review of procedures' message, which they claim will somehow reassure the public.
Fictitious winners, members of the production team being allowed to win is bad enough but when it touches programmes that are designed to aid those less fortunate in life, it leaves an odour more pungent than otherwise might have been the case.
No heads will roll at the BBC. Why not? Those in charge have been guilty of something quite despicable practice. The trust of the public is paramount and when one discovers that charity programmes have been tainted, it's all the more disgraceful.
Honesty of approach to viewers who have to pay an exorbitant licence fee is paramount and if the BBC can't get it right, then why should the public show any toleration.
More than 16,000 people are now being sent on a training programme focusing on the issues of honesty with audiences.
A better solution is to sack the lot and source the job market for replacements·
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