Racist Kilroy axed by BBC - Irish radio & TV should axe similar bigots here

international | rights, freedoms and repression | news report Friday January 09, 2004 17:22 by Media Watcher

BBC scrap Kilroy show after anti-Arab rant

The BBC has axed Richard Kilroy-Silk's controversial morning chat show follow an anti-Arab diatribe he published in a leading British newspaper.

BBC Takes Kilroy Off After Anti-Arab Rant
Robert Kilroy-Silk's BBC1 daily talk show has been taken off the air by the Corporation after the TV host penned an "anti-Arab rant" in a national newspaper column.The BBC said it "strongly disassociated" itself from the the star's comments.Writing in the Sunday Express at the weekend, the ex-Labour MP described Arabs as "suicide bombers, limb amputators and women repressors".

Under the headline, We Owe Arabs Nothing, he continued: "Apart from oil - which was discovered, is produced and is paid for by the West - what do they contribute?

"Can you think of anything? Anything really useful?... No, nor can I..."

A statement the Corporation said: "The BBC strongly disassociates itself from the views expressed in an article by Robert Kilroy-Silk in the Sunday Express.

"We stress that these comments do not reflect the views of the BBC."

It added: "The BBC is taking the Kilroy programme off air immediately while we investigate this matter fully."

The Muslim Council of Britain described the prose as an "anti-Arab rant".

Kilroy also has a show on BBC Radio 5 Live.

Speculation has already mounted that this could be axed if he is found to have breached rules on presenters writing newspaper columns, brought in after the Andrew Gilligan affair.

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Comment

There are plenty of Kilroy types on the Irish media, both print and broadcasting. They are on RTE and the commercial stations. Some are well known (especially in Cork and Dublin). Isn't it time RTE and the BCI did something about them?