BBC U-turn over role for ‘Nazi pug’ man
● Broadcaster axes shows in wake of furious protests
A TV show fronted by a criminal who taught a pug dog to perform a Nazi salute will not be screened by BBC Scotland, it has been announced.
Campaigners branded the move to give Mark Meechan a role in the late-night discussion series on the new channel “absolutely sickening”. Meechan was convicted last year of a “grossly offensive” hate crime.
And following the backlash, BBC Scotland said it would no longer show the episodes he was involved in.
BBC Scotland has performed a dramatic U-turn after facing a backlash over its decision to give a TV role to a criminal who taught a dog to perform a Nazi salute.
Mark Meechan, who was convicted of a “grossly offensive” hate crime last year, was set to co-star in a programme on the broadcaster’s new digital channel.
Campaigners had branded the move to give Meechan a role in the late-night discussion series “absolutely sickening”.
BBC Scotland yesterday announced the change after the decision to include the 31-year-old – who uploaded a video to Youtube showing his girlfriend’s pug dog doing the “Sieg Heil” salute alongside Nazi imagery – caused a storm on social media.
A BBC Scotland spokesperson said last night: “We have been reviewing our new late-night discussion programmes, The Collective, during the edit process. As with all new formats, robust editorial processes apply.
“In this case we have concluded that it’s not appropriate to include Mark Meechan as a contributor. The two programmes in which he featured will not be broadcast as part of any series.”
BBC Scotland was last month criticised for “dumbing down” its new Scottish channel in an attempt to appeal to younger viewers.
Meechan, of Coatbridge, Lanarkshire, also chanted variations of the phrase “Gas the Jews”, repeating them 23 times in a few minutes.
He has boasted to his social
media followers that he was still refusing to pay his £800 fine and continued to protest his innocence.
He was set to feature alongside reality TV personality James English – who admitted assaulting and spitting on a woman in 2015 – and outspoken Glasgow-based dominatrix Megara Furie.
MSPS had also called on the broadcaster to reconsider airing the programmes for fear they may breach its charter.
Jewish campaigners hit out at the corporation for supmiss
porting a man convicted for an anti-semitic hate crime.
Glasgow Friends of Israel member and lawyer Matthew Berlow said he was in disbelief that Meechan, who he believes has made light of the Holocaust, was even considered for a TV role.
He said: “It is absolutely sickening and disgusting.
“Anti-semitism is a very difficult subject but we Jews know what it looks and feels like.
“I know that anti-semitism has become very popular but I don’t think that [Meechan’s
politics] can be described as a ‘view’. The Holocaust is no laughing matter.”
The programme, which will air next month, will see four people with strong opinions take on controversial topics in each episode.
The regular contributors will lead and present the show and debate among themselves in a living room-style set-up, according to one source.
A tweet last week that included Meechan’s social media persona Count Dankula revealed that he, English and
Furie will co-star in the new programme.
At his trial in April last year, Airdrie Sheriff Court heard how Meechan believed the video was “comedy”.
Meechan was found guilty of communicating a “grossly offensive” video and was fined £800.
Following the verdict, he crowd-funded just under £200,000 to finance an appeal on the basis that his video had been a joke.
“We have been reviewing our new late-night discussion programmes … As with all new formats, robust editorial processes apply”
BBC SCOTLAND