Inquest Verdict: BBC Reporter Committed Suicide

A coroner has recorded a verdict of suicide in relation to a BBC local reporter that killed himself shortly after accusing bosses of failing to take his reports of sexual harassment seriously.

Coroner Louise Hunt, presiding at the Leamington Spa inquest, heard how Russell Joslin suspected BBC bosses of covering up his allegations against an unnamed female colleague.

Mr Joslin, who was employed as a reporter at BBC Coventry and Warwickshire, was said to be furious that the woman, identified as Colleague A in a BBC report into the tragedy, herself made claims of sexual harassment in the wake of the Jimmy Savile sex scandal.

The BBC's report, written by HR consultant Lesley Granger, included several witness comments critical of Colleague A, including: "Everyone knew that the [person] in question was very difficult to work with, even for people in positions of authority"; "Managers were scared to confront [Colleague A]"; "No-one would challenge her". One can only speculate what expletive was used in place of "[person]" in that first quote.

Colleague A was also accused of "cutting people off the air" if she didn't like what they were saying. Granger suggested that Colleague A's strong and dominating personality may have been the reason Mr Joslin was unwilling to make a formal complaint about her conduct.

The unnamed woman was accused of sending Mr Joslin a series of unpleasant text messages, including one that said: "Do what you have to at the BBC cause you are a loser on 27 grand a year. But don’t ever encroach on me or my talent".

Following the publication of the report the BBC apologised to the Joslin family and admitted their handling of Mr Joslin's complaints "was not good enough".

Mr Joslin died on 22nd October 2012, three days after being admitted to a psychiatric hospital in Warwick for deliberately walking in front of a bus.

In delivering her verdict the coroner said: "He had had a lack of sleep, there was a lack of career progression and he was frustrated with the situation with the colleague.

"I don't think one of those factors can be split out. In my view they were all relevant and interplayed together."

So, there you have it, the BBC culture of workplace bullying is back in the headlines.

I've had to show incredible restraint not to mention the name of Colleague A, particularly as her identity is one of the worst kept secrets in British broadcasting!

TV Licensing: Smashing Creative Output

Our noble colleague TJoK, the BBC's favourite kayaking enthusiast in the whole wide world, has been busy filming his latest TV Licensing blockbuster.

The film features Miss X, who is the disgruntled daughter of a TV Licensing victim. Her mother had the recent misfortune of having to deal with TV Licensing when she cancelled her payment card. Cue TV Licensing threats and innuendo that she must now be a licence fee dodger, instead of someone who has simply decided no longer to subsidise the lavish lifestyles of BBC executives and "talent".

Miss X takes great delight in daubing an old TV set with anti-TV Licensing comments before beating it to a pulp with a variety of heavy objects. It certainly looks like she's having a smashing time.

Some of our favourite stills appear below:

TJoK is seeking unwanted TV sets for his next masterpiece. If you're in the Derby area and have one spare, you can get in touch with him via his YouTube channel. You might also want to cancel your TV licence and adopt one of the perfectly legal alternatives to watching live TV.

TV Licensing Laid Bare: July 2013 Edition Released

An updated version of our free ebook TV Licensing Laid Bare has just been released.

The rewrite was necessary due to recent changes in the law, most notably the repealing of the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1967.

The book begins by identifying the key players in the TV licence system. The emphasis then shifts towards the legal basis of the fee, and clearly explains circumstances in which a TV licence is required. After a short analysis of how the licence fee is spent the book gives detailed information about how the TV licence is enforced. The book concludes with practical words of advice for the thousands of legally licence free people, who are regularly harassed by TV Licensing's correspondence and employees.

The July 2013 edition also includes a new chapter called "TV Licensing Bloopers", which recounts in cringeworthy detail some of TV Licensing's most notable screw-ups.

Please share it with anyone else seeking advice about how to deal with TV Licensing.

The latest version of TV Licensing Laid Bare can be downloaded free from this page.