MAXIMA’AM EXPOSURE
ITV will give Harry & Meghan ‘biggest audience’
OPRAH Winfrey’s interview with Prince Harry and Meghan will get maximum exposure as it is screened on ITV next Monday.
Sky and Channel 4 were understood to have bid more for the chance to show the chat in which the couple tell of their decision to quit The Firm.
But producers Viacom CBS yesterday chose to go with ITV’s offer of under £1million in the belief the channel will pull in the biggest audience.
A source close to negotiations said: “A key aim is for it to do well in the UK and ITV gives it a fair chance of getting the highest ratings of the year so far.”
But a public relations expert has warned the timing of the interview, with Prince Philip, 99, in hospital, and the risk of upsetting the Queen, could reflect badly on the couple.
Mark Borkowski said Harry and Meghan are at risk of a “real reputational mess” if they go ahead with the broadcast in the US on Sunday, in which Oprah has said there will be “nothing off limits”.
He said: “The timing is just horrendous. Anybody who looks at this through the optics of a caring family... it’s very uncomfortable.
“Harry and Meghan are supposed to be a sensitive, caring and empathetic brand. Surely the disruption, particularly to the Queen. But they are going ahead with this juggernaut.”
ITV stands to make millions in advertising revenue from the interview, in which Meghan is believed to say her experiences in Britain were “almost unsurvivable”.
In the US, advertisers are being charged about £150,000 for a 30-second slot in the CBS News special.
The show was extended from its original 90 minutes to allow more ads.
The timing’s horrendous. Harry and Meghan are supposed to be caring MARK BORKOWSKI PUBLIC RELATIONS EXPERT
DARK web gangsters have set up mail-order drug services to flood Scotland with cocaine, speed and ecstasy.
Increasing numbers of potentially deadly packages have been found in the post – including deliveries to remote areas such as Shetland.
Crime experts discovered more than 1300 parcels intercepted through the postal system contained a cocktail of drugs including cocaine, cannabis, benzodiazepines such as temazepam and diazepam, and ecstasy.
Criminologist Dr Ben Matthews, of Edinburgh University, said: “We looked at the geographical spread of about 1300 drugs packages identified being delivered into Scotland in the post from overseas.
“The highest package delivery rates by local authority were, in order: Aberdeen City, Western Isles and Dundee City. We only have records of intercepted drugs, so the actual number of packages sent and received will be larger.
“We found the highest package delivery rates were in the most urbanised local authorities such as Aberdeen City, City of Edinburgh, Dundee, Glasgow,
Stirling, but also some of the most remote like the Western Isles, Shetland and Highland.
“The high rates in Western Isles and Shetland might show digital drugs marketplaces were opening up access to drugs markets in areas where supply was more limited in offline markets.
“The packages identified also very varied in size – from a few grams to multiple kilograms. The larger packages tended to be of lower-class drugs. That indicates most of these packages were low-level, probably personal use but with a small number of packages that were probably related to commercial supply.”
A research team used National Crime Agency (NCA) data which showed 1374 packages were intercepted between April 2011 and January 2016. The packages contained cannabis products, benzodiazepines such as “jellies” and MDMA or ecstasy.
Other drugs discovered included amphetamines, cocaine, GBL, hallucinogens, ketamine, mephedrone, methamphetamine and steroids.
Packages suspected of containing illegal drugs are flagged up by parcel handlers or members of the UK Border Force based on appearance, country of origin and the current intelligence picture of where the commodity is being sourced.
They are X-rayed and suspicious packages are opened for examination. If a possible illegal substance is detected, a sample is tested using a mass spectrometer. If it proves to be an illegal drug, UK Border Force officials notify the NCA.
Dr Matthews added: “Digital drugs markets are hard to research as they are clandestine by nature, so it’s novel to be able to get this glimpse into how these digital drugs markets are used, and particularly to look at where the packages were going.
“Obviously people tend not to advertise this. As far as we know, this is the first time this has been done.”
Sniffer dogs patrolling Scots islands helped police seize £250,000 of drugs last year.
In November, hauls by dogs working with charity handlers and police included £125,363 of narcotics and cash on Shetland, £62,000 of drugs on Orkney and nearly £56,000 worth in the Western Islands.
Police praised their work and said it helped them catch dealers switching to mail-order drugs.
Detective Superintendent Craig Willison said: “Any form of illegal drugs supply is unacceptable and individuals involved clearly have no regard for the damage they are causing to communities.
“We will continue to use all resources at our disposal to target and disrupt this type of criminality. Any information regarding dealers using the postal system to distribute illegal drugs will be thoroughly investigated.”