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BBC local radio presenter loses job over racist song broadcast

By | Published on Monday 12 May 2014

David Lowe

A presenter on BBC Radio Devon, David Lowe, has lost his job after he last month inadvertently played a version of ‘The Sun Has Got His Hat On’ featuring a racist word. Although later offered his job back, Lowe said that due to health problems exacerbated by the stress of the incident, he would stay off the air.

The 1932 recording of the song by Ambrose And His Orchestra features a line generally omitted from later versions, saying: “He’s been tanning niggers out in Timbuktu, now he’s coming back to do the same to you”. Lowe said that he had not realised that the line featured in the song, and that playing it was “an innocent mistake”.

The presenter told BBC News: “I offered to apologise or to fall on my sword. Unfortunately the BBC decided on the latter option. I don’t have any quarrels with any of my colleagues. It’s the system of political correctness which has turned this into a rather badly handled affair. I think we’re all too ready to bow to political correctness. One feels one is following a verbal tightrope, even in casual conversation. I made a silly mistake, my first error in more than 30 years of broadcasting. I am deeply embarrassed by it”.

A spokesperson for the BBC said that it felt the matter had been handled badly, and had offered Lowe his job back, but he had declined. They said: “We have offered David Lowe the opportunity to continue presenting his ‘Singers And Swingers’ show, and we would be happy to have him back on air. We accept that the conversation with David about the mistake could have been handled better, but if he chooses not to continue then we would like to thank him for his time presenting on the station and wish him well for the future”.

Explaining his decision, Lowe said that a medical condition which causes tremors in his limbs had become worse due to the stress of the incident and its fallout: “It was a magnanimous decision of the BBC to offer my job back and if not for the impact this has had on my health I would have accepted, but my health comes first”.



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