Radio Authority Raps Emap Over Death Sweepstake
The Radio Authority has upheld complaints against Emap’s Manchester-based Key 103 station after it invited listeners to participate in a sweepstake to predict the time of death of notorious Moors murderer Myra Hindley.
The Authority received three complaints over the competition, which was felt to be in bad taste and immoral. The complainants said they had no sympathy for Hindley but were aware of the strong emotion her crimes evoked locally and believed the station had been irresponsible to broadcast the item.
The sweepstake, which was part of an afternoon show, followed news that Myra Hindley had received her last rites and the presenter asked listeners to guess the hour in which she would die. The station received numerous callers predicting the time of her death, although some requested that the £500 prize money be given to charity.
The presenter said he was relatively new to Manchester and had not fully appreciated how much she was hated by the people in the area. He also claimed they had only received a couple of phone calls and one email to complain about the feature.
In a statement to the radio authority, the station defended the feature, claiming: “We believe that we have captured something of the mood of the audience, providing our listeners with the opportunity to express their often very impassioned views about Miss Hindley, her partner Ian Brady and the crimes they committed.”
However, the Radio Authority concluded that the item was in bad taste, stating: “We believe the depth of feeling within the area against her was a perfectly legitimate topic for the station to explore, but it could have been handled more responsibly and sensitively to reflect the revulsion felt in a less sensationalist manner.”
The demonisation of Hindley in the tabloid media, such as the News Of The World’s ‘exclusive’ that she had died and ‘gone straight to Hell’ has also provoked widespread criticism for inciting the ugly spectacle of public hatred.
Radio Authority: 020 7430 2724 www.radioauthority.org.uk
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