Channel Four Documentray Found To Be A Fraud

Channel Four admitted yesterday that a documentary which it broadcast in September 1997, about male prostitutes, was, in parts, a fake. The broadcaster announced that it is imposing an indefinite ban on the producer of the programme, Maire Devine, after footage in the documentary was found to be fake. Allegations about the documentary were intially made on Radio 5 Live’s Parris On TV programme.

Too Much Too Young: Chickens documented Glasgow rent boys, and allegations that parts of the programme were fake were found to be true after an investigation by Channel 4.

The discovery comes after an incident over the Carlton documentary, The Connection, which was found to be fake late last year (see Newsline). Carlton was fined £2 million by the Independent Television Commission (ITC) for breaching its programme code (see ITC Fines Carlton £2 million For Fake Drugs Documentary).

Tim Gardam, Channel Four’s director of programmes commented: “Our procedures are robust but no procedures are proof against deliberate and organised deception. The way in which the scenes were set up is an unacceptable breach of trust with the audience and C4. The overwhelming majority of our documentary producers have the utmost integrity and go about their business with scrupulous care and honesty. C4 owes it to its viewers to go to them and ensure its programmes can be trusted.”

The ITC has been kept informed of the progress of Channel Four’s investigation, and is still gathering information. Once this is complete, the watchdog will determine what the next steps will be.

Channel 4: 0171 396 4444 ITC: 0171 255 3000