BBC radio star hauled in over ‘wholly inappropriate’ story during lunchtime show
RADIO star Tam Cowan was hauled in by the BBC after a complaint was made over a "wholly inappropriate" story he told during a live lunchtime show.
The Beeb yesterday upheld the objection after he told a ‘cucumber’ story during the popular football show Off The Ball.
The presenter, 54, was taking part in his weekly programme when he cracked the joke about his shopping list and using the “self-service checkout.”
Following the complaint, the Executive Complaints Unit "noted that Mr Cowan had subsequently taken part in one-to-one equality, diversity and inclusion training".
And this was "sufficient to resolve the issue of complaint".
The full BBC response read: “In our view, the overt sexism and sexual innuendo of the story Mr Cowan told meant it went beyond what would be considered generally acceptable in a programme broadcast at Saturday lunchtime.
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“BBC Sport Scotland works with all of its presenters on areas for development every year and my understanding is that as part of Mr Cowan’s development programme, he has, since the broadcast, taken part in one-to-one Equality, Diversity and Inclusion training.
“That seems to me to be an appropriate course of action and I therefore think it is reasonable to regard your complaint as having been appropriately resolved.”
Cowan and his co-host Stuart Cosgrove have hosted the popular football show on BBC Radio Scotland since 1995.
It comes after the BBC found that Stuart Cosgrove broke broadcast guidelines with comments about Rangers legend Richard Gough.
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Cosgrove, 71, had a discussion with bosses over his comments which were aired in January.
Former Rangers, Everton and Dundee United defender Gough was not involved in the programme when Cosgrove said he was unsure if the Scotland international - who was born in Sweden but raised in South Africa - was "against apartheid".
A listener complaint was upheld by the broadcasters' executive complaints unit and found BBC Scotland had "already acknowledged the breach of standards" and resolved the issue.
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