Post by Teddy Bear on Jan 6, 2008 18:34:31 GMT
Archers high-sea life may breach BBC rules
Chris Hastings, Arts and Media Editor, Stephanie Plentl and Beth Jones
Last Updated: 12:28am GMT 06/01/2008
A seat at the captain's table, cocktails at sunset and a dip in the onboard pool - it may sound a million miles from life in Ambridge, but these are some of the perks enjoyed by the cast and crew of the BBC radio show, The Archers, on free cruises which appear to breach the corporation's rules.
Senior figures from the Radio 4 soap, including the show's editor, have accepted the offer of free trips around the Mediterranean, North Africa and Norway in exchange for entertaining passengers on Archers-themed cruises.
Fans of the series pay more than £1,400 each to meet their fictional heroes and to learn how a bucket and yoghurt can be used to simulate the sound of a sheep giving birth.
But the free trips for the actors and crew, offered by a luxury cruise company, appear to breach BBC editorial guidelines, which ban employees from accepting gifts and freebies, as well as the exploitation of the corporation's brands and characters by commercial organisations.
The BBC's own editorial guidelines state: "We [the BBC] must not endorse or appear to endorse any other organisation, its products, activities or services." They add: "We will not normally allow the BBC name, logos, titles, channel names, programme titles, formats or characters to be used by commercial advertisers."
Terry Molloy, who plays Mike Tucker, Trevor Harrison (Eddie Grundy), Hedli Niklaus (Kathy Perks) and the show's editor, Vanessa Whitburn, are all scheduled to go on cruises this year.
Carole Boyd, who plays Lynda Snell, Lorraine Coady (Hayley Tucker), Alex Jones (Clive Horrobin) and Felicity Finch (Ruth Archer) have all been on cruises.
The trips are being advertised on the BBC-endorsed Archers Addicts website, which is run by members of the cast, and also upon the website of Fred Olsen Cruises.
In June, representatives of the show will accompany passengers on board the Black Watch for the 15-night Northern Waters tour of Scandinavia.
Passengers will pay from £1,690 for tickets and will have access to the ship's two pools, beauty salon, casino and 150-seat film theatre.
There is also a Mediterranean cruise scheduled for August which takes in Barcelona, Tangier, Gibraltar and Majorca. Tickets for this cost from £1,487 per person.
Themed activities scheduled for 2008 include a session on sound effects overseen by one of the producers. Apart from sheep giving birth, passengers will be shown how to make love on radio with two squeaky chairs and a sheet.
But the highlight of the voyage is undoubtedly No Place Like Gnome, a specially-written episode of the show which will be performed by members of the cast and passengers.
The cast and crew also co-host an onboard cocktail party with the ship's captain and sign autographs.
Hedli Niklaus, who runs the official Archers Addicts website, said: "We are creating Ambridge on a ship in the middle of the Mediterranean. We recreate the magic and it gives people a lot of access to the cast and crew. The cast are always very friendly and it's astounding how friendly the passengers are in return."
The BBC was under pressure last night to identify who had been on the cruises and explain how their participation complied with the rules.
John Beyer, the director of Media-watch UK, the viewers' watchdog, said: "I think the BBC must explain how these cruises comply with the regulations which apply to use of the corporation's brand and the issue of employees accepting gifts. There is a legitimate need for explanation, given the events of recent months."
A BBC spokeswoman said the cruises were licensed by BBC Worldwide and were in keeping with BBC rules.
She accepted that the cast and crew were given free room and board but insisted there was no breach of corporation rules.
She said that many of those employed on The Archers, as either cast or crew, worked on a freelance basis and those who were employed on a full-time basis were expected to continue working for the BBC while on the cruise. This was because the activities on board were designed to promote the show, she explained.
Employees who spent any days on board not taking part in activities, and therefore not working, would have to take time out of their annual leave, she added.
A spokesman for Fred Olsen confirmed that the cast and crew of the programme travelled free, adding that the cruises were enormously popular.
Chris Hastings, Arts and Media Editor, Stephanie Plentl and Beth Jones
Last Updated: 12:28am GMT 06/01/2008
A seat at the captain's table, cocktails at sunset and a dip in the onboard pool - it may sound a million miles from life in Ambridge, but these are some of the perks enjoyed by the cast and crew of the BBC radio show, The Archers, on free cruises which appear to breach the corporation's rules.
Senior figures from the Radio 4 soap, including the show's editor, have accepted the offer of free trips around the Mediterranean, North Africa and Norway in exchange for entertaining passengers on Archers-themed cruises.
Fans of the series pay more than £1,400 each to meet their fictional heroes and to learn how a bucket and yoghurt can be used to simulate the sound of a sheep giving birth.
But the free trips for the actors and crew, offered by a luxury cruise company, appear to breach BBC editorial guidelines, which ban employees from accepting gifts and freebies, as well as the exploitation of the corporation's brands and characters by commercial organisations.
The BBC's own editorial guidelines state: "We [the BBC] must not endorse or appear to endorse any other organisation, its products, activities or services." They add: "We will not normally allow the BBC name, logos, titles, channel names, programme titles, formats or characters to be used by commercial advertisers."
Terry Molloy, who plays Mike Tucker, Trevor Harrison (Eddie Grundy), Hedli Niklaus (Kathy Perks) and the show's editor, Vanessa Whitburn, are all scheduled to go on cruises this year.
Carole Boyd, who plays Lynda Snell, Lorraine Coady (Hayley Tucker), Alex Jones (Clive Horrobin) and Felicity Finch (Ruth Archer) have all been on cruises.
The trips are being advertised on the BBC-endorsed Archers Addicts website, which is run by members of the cast, and also upon the website of Fred Olsen Cruises.
In June, representatives of the show will accompany passengers on board the Black Watch for the 15-night Northern Waters tour of Scandinavia.
Passengers will pay from £1,690 for tickets and will have access to the ship's two pools, beauty salon, casino and 150-seat film theatre.
There is also a Mediterranean cruise scheduled for August which takes in Barcelona, Tangier, Gibraltar and Majorca. Tickets for this cost from £1,487 per person.
Themed activities scheduled for 2008 include a session on sound effects overseen by one of the producers. Apart from sheep giving birth, passengers will be shown how to make love on radio with two squeaky chairs and a sheet.
But the highlight of the voyage is undoubtedly No Place Like Gnome, a specially-written episode of the show which will be performed by members of the cast and passengers.
The cast and crew also co-host an onboard cocktail party with the ship's captain and sign autographs.
Hedli Niklaus, who runs the official Archers Addicts website, said: "We are creating Ambridge on a ship in the middle of the Mediterranean. We recreate the magic and it gives people a lot of access to the cast and crew. The cast are always very friendly and it's astounding how friendly the passengers are in return."
The BBC was under pressure last night to identify who had been on the cruises and explain how their participation complied with the rules.
John Beyer, the director of Media-watch UK, the viewers' watchdog, said: "I think the BBC must explain how these cruises comply with the regulations which apply to use of the corporation's brand and the issue of employees accepting gifts. There is a legitimate need for explanation, given the events of recent months."
A BBC spokeswoman said the cruises were licensed by BBC Worldwide and were in keeping with BBC rules.
She accepted that the cast and crew were given free room and board but insisted there was no breach of corporation rules.
She said that many of those employed on The Archers, as either cast or crew, worked on a freelance basis and those who were employed on a full-time basis were expected to continue working for the BBC while on the cruise. This was because the activities on board were designed to promote the show, she explained.
Employees who spent any days on board not taking part in activities, and therefore not working, would have to take time out of their annual leave, she added.
A spokesman for Fred Olsen confirmed that the cast and crew of the programme travelled free, adding that the cruises were enormously popular.