A book at breakfast: Phil Jupitus on his time at 6Music

Phil Jupitus has written up his time as a breakfast show host for a book, Good Morning Nantwich - although for some reason there's a drawing of Amy Lamé on the cover.

It's pretty damning of Lesley Douglas' late-period at the station, and John Plunkett's interview with Jupitus gives a taste:

Asked to present a listener poll of the greatest duets in history, Jupitus lost his rag when an internet campaign meant Fairytale of New York by Kirsty MacColl and the Pogues was kept off the top spot by an obscure tune by Sinead O'Connor and the Chieftains.

"I started whining about this on air and getting crosser and crosser and then my mobile went and it was Lesley Douglas," recalls Jupitus. "She said: 'If you want to destroy 6 Music keep doing what you are doing on air now.' And I went: 'This is not a fucking 6 Music show, this is not what the station is supposed to be about.' I kind of lost it with her and hung up." The pair have not spoken in the three years since.

Jupitus also got it in the neck for not playing Razorlight or Coldplay.

He's more positive about the network now, pointing to Lauren Laverne as an example of how the current 6Music has got the balance right. And the campaign to save the station from closure is seen as a sign of the BBC connecting with audiences.

But Jupitus isn't on air right now:

He also offered his services to a local BBC radio station. "I said the money's not important, I just want to play some music. They weren't interested. I can't get arrested on the radio by the BBC these days."

He's had angry calls with management while on the air, criticised his network with the microphone up, and now feels shunned. Phil Jupitus might just be the new Danny Baker.

Surely someone could give him a show?

Lesley Douglas: Life after Brand

Lesley Douglas has given her first post Radio 2 interview to Music Week. But, naturally, being the voice of the UK music industry MW decides to waste this valuable scoop by putting it behind a paywall, so instead we're relying on the MediaGuardian report:

"The music industry were so supportive, but it is very strange to read about yourself because I don't like courting press and singularly failed in that in the last few weeks. But the support I got from the music industry was amazing," added Douglas.

"It's hard for me to talk about the past, which is why I'd rather talk about the future. It's been a horrible four weeks in many ways but, as I say, the support I got personally was amazing."

Aha. So, instead of anything that might be interesting, we get a lot of stuff about her new job at the lucrative-but-dull Universal TV division. The BBC will be as delighted as the Mail annoyed that she has chosen to keep quiet about the Ross-Brand business that cost her job; it might not be too cynical to believe that she is clearly keeping one eye on a return to the BBC at some point and is keen to help the scars heal more quickly.

Haven't they burned down Broadcasting House yet?

Being over in America, it's a little difficult to believe that this Russell Brand story is actually happening - it's hard to believe two grown-up men could have made the programme they did; hard to believe that anyone let it play out unedited; hard to believe that the reaction has got so far out of hand as to wind up with Lesley Douglas quitting from Radio 2 and 6Music.

For now, though, we seem stuck in the unedifying position of watching the BBC Trust attempting to please the Daily Mail, apparently unaware that the Mail will never be satisfied:

In its report on the "Sachsgate" prank phone calls, the BBC Trust was scathing of the control and compliance procedures in BBC Radio.

"Editorial control and compliance procedures in non-news areas of the BBC's Audio and Music department are inadequate and need to be strengthened," the trust said.

"We have asked the director general [Mark Thompson] to present formal recommendations to strengthen editorial controls and compliance for the trust's consideration.

"Furthermore, we have requested the executive to strengthen immediately the editorial controls around any programme which represents high levels of editorial risk.

"Also in this area, we have asked the executive to assess immediately the editorial controls and compliance procedures in place for all programmes – across television and radio – where the production company is owned and/or managed by the featured performer."

The BBC Trust also asked Thompson to engage his "most senior editorial team" to come up with a "common understanding within the BBC of what is acceptable [for broadcast] and this must reflect widespread public opinion".

Like, I suspect, most of the people who complained, I didn't hear the programme so can't really comment except on the basis of sketchy reports of what may have happened. But it seems to have been a mistake, rather than an outrage; a misjudgment, rather than a mortal, moral offence. Apologies were appropriate, but does anyone - outside of Northcliffe House - really think that this is a proportionate response?

Oh. Paul Gambaccini does, apparently:

But the veteran DJ, publicly voicing a resentment understood to be felt by some in BBC Radio about perceived preferential treatment of Brand, said Douglas had a commitment to the comedian that was "almost obsessive" and had paid for it with her job.

Douglas resigned yesterday over the Sachsgate affair. Brand resigned from his Radio 2 show on Wednesday, seemingly partly in what turned out to be a vain attempt to protect Douglas, his BBC mentor.

"She let him get away with so many outrageous things," Gambaccini told Nicky Campbell on the BBC Radio 5 Live breakfast show today.

"Lesley had a commitment to Russell which was almost obsessive. That is to say she believed that his hire was a good move for Radio 2 and she stood by him thick and thin even while he was alienating almost everyone else in the building."

Gambaccini suggested the infamous episode on Brand's show on October 18 - when obscene pre-recorded messages he and Jonathan Ross left on Andrew Sachs' answerphone were broadcast – was the tip of the iceberg.

"I do believe that if anyone had investigated this matter properly – as now Ofcom and the BBC will do – they will find about a dozen items that will make their hair curl on end. I am not kidding you," he said.

"[Lesley] believed it was part of her job to expand the perimeter of the tent – Radio 2's a big tent – and that Russell was an important symbol. The fact is that he was her pet, and she let him get away with so many outrageous things," Gambaccini added.

Goodness. It's almost classical, isn't it? Oh hang on... it is classical, you say, Gambo?

Gambaccini described Douglas as one of the most loved, respected and admired executives in the radio business. He said her departure was a "tragedy which is Greek in its dimensions".

He said the former Radio 2 controller was like Achilles, a "great warrior brought low by his heel ... Lesley Douglas was brought low by Russell Brand".

Perhaps, out of evil may commeth good - surely all any new controller of the networks keen to stamp their authority on the job has to do is shuffle George Lamb out the way and put someone more fitting into mid-mornings on 6? MediaGuardian has decided that Bob Shennan might be in line for the job - controller, not dj - on the grounds that Channel 4 has closed his radio division so he's available. Who would his Achilles Heel be - Nicky Campbell, do you think?

Douglas lies down with George Lamb

Lesley Douglas has stood up for George Lamb, defending his almost unlistenable 6Music show:

"Developing a new show is always going to take a long time. We have received positive and negative comments about it. I don't think I have ever launched a new show when that has not been the case," she told BBC Radio 4's Feedback programme on Friday.

"I talk to George a lot - he left a message for me last night. I'm going to see him this week about the show. He wants to make it, as do I, the best show it can possibly be but I think it's a pretty good show actually," Douglas said.

"What's happened with George is that he is getting a lot more listener response and interactivity around the show than there was before.

"If you heard George talking about rave and dance there is a passion. It's less intellectual an approach to music but it's still about passion and love of music at its heart."

Less intellectual is one way of describing it - anyone who listens to the "interviews" with the bands who do Hub Sessions have to curl their fingers and toes so tightly to get through the segments they start to resemble stigmatics. Chan Marshall was repeatedly badgered as to if she kissed a co-star "with tongues... with tongues... with tongues" - apparently, this is the sort of thing that Douglas expects to attract more female listeners to the station.

The real problem with Lamb, of course, is that once you realise he's actually Matt Crawford from the Archers, you can't take him seriously at all.