Chris Evans Earns Virgin A Record Radio Authority Fine

Virgin Radio has been given a £75,000 fine, the largest ever imposed by the Radio Authority, for breaching impartiality rules in a broadcast during the London Mayoral Elections. The broadcast by Chris Evans went out nationally and locally and therefore could have earned a fine of up to £1m, 5% of revenue gained from advertising and sponsorship. A reminder of impartiality requirements had been circulated by the Authority to all stations just eleven days before the programme aired.

The show in question went out live on 21 March this year, during the run-up to the mayoral elections. Chris Evans expressed his support of candidate Ken Livingstone at two separate points in the show, the first after the 8am news and again an hour later. “This broadcast by Virgin was a flagrant breach of the long-standing rules surrounding political impartiality made worse by the fact that the broadcast took place in the run-up to that most sensitive of political events, an election”, said Richard Hooper, chairman of the Radio Authority.

Evans’ broadcast breached section 90(3) of the Broadcasting Act 1990 which required broadcasters in this case to avoid giving undue prominence to any single candidate. The programme also breached the News and Current Affairs Code, of which Rule 1.4 (d) states “Personal view programmes or features on political matters must not be scheduled at times when UK and European Parliamentary or local government elections are pending.”

Virgin accepted that they had breached the code and made some attempt to amend the situation during the same show the following day. This was recognised during a meeting on 11 May where members of the authority looked at the matter, and led to the fine being moderated to £75,000. This is the fifth time in its seven year history that Virgin radio has had a fine imposed on it.

Radio Authority: 020 7430 2724