BBC and PSNI bosses are at war - over Talkback presenter David Dunseith,
The People can reveal today (Sunday).
Police chiefs are demanding an apology from the Radio Ulster presenter
after he asked a senior police officer 'unauthorised' questions.
Now the police are boycotting Northern Ireland's most popular radio show
until the BBC says 'sorry'.
In an incredible move, the PSNI is insisting that senior officers must be
given a run-down of likely questions before they appear on radio or TV
programmes.
The bust-up at Talkback erupted after Acting Assistant Chief Constable
Judith Gillespie appeared on the programme on January 8.
She had been invited to discuss the growing number of attacks on elderly
people across Northern Ireland.
Dunseith's 'crime' was to ask her about the latest police figures on
drink-driving as well as what police were doing about the growing menace of
kids driving scooters on public roads and footpaths.
Gillespie could be heard on air objecting to the questions being asked,
before she answered them.
A senior police source revealed to The People: "No other senior members of
the PSNI will be appearing on Talkback until we receive an apology from Mr
Dunseith and his team.
"Judith Gillespie agreed to the interview on January 8 because police are
concerned about crime against the elderly.
"It was unfair of the BBC presenter to then ask questions out of the blue
about subjects that had not been agreed.
"There have been discussions with the BBC about future interviews."
Another PSNI source said: "Judith (Gillespie) was furious after the
broadcast. She had been briefed about crime against the elderly but not
about the drink-driving statistics or other subjects.
"There's no way we would ask for questions in advance from any media
organisation, but we believe there should be agreement beforehand over the
subject areas a journalist plans to cover."
Battling BBC boss Kathleen Carragher, however, has refused to apologise to
the cops.
And Dunseith himself has warned that he will quit his award-winning show if
he is forced to give in to police demands.
A top BBC source told The People: "The day the BBC gives in to such demands
will be the day the BBC ceases to exist as a credible organisation.
"What is particularly galling about this row is that the questions David
put to this police officer about scooters and drink-driving were so
innocuous and so tame.
"He wasn't asking for chapter and verse, just how she (Gillespie) felt
about the fact that so many people were still willing to drink and drive on
our roads.
"In fact David deliberately asked straightforward questions so that she
wouldn't feel caught out.
"If the PSNI wants to boycott Talkback and other programmes because of red
tape then so be it.
"They will have to try to get their message about how they are tackling
crime out through other outlets."
Another senior member of BBC staff told us: "I think Dunseith, like any
good journalist, would walk away from his job rather than give in to
demands from the PSNI or anyone else for that matter."
The People has learned that the National Union of Journalists is set to
become involved in the row.
The PSNI has written to the BBC demanding new guidelines on all future
interviews.
Asked to comment on the row a BBC spokeswoman would only say: "We do not
comment on guests or interviews carried out here."
A PSNI spokesman said: "The police service works hard to have a
professional relationship with all media outlets."
