The Accusations
At 8:30 on the morning of September 22nd, 1998, James attended a meeting with Karen Hannah, the Managing Editor of the station, and two members of staff. At the time BBC GMR was taking part in a three-week promotional exercise which involved an exhibition stand touring shopping precincts in the Greater Manchester area where the public could meet presenters and obtain information and promotional material. James had asked Karen Hannah to organise the meeting on the previous Friday, so that an assessment could be made of the progress of the exercise at the end of its first week.
The other people present were a senior producer and a freelance who was employed to spend the day at each site, handing out the promotional material and showing people round the stand. James had visited several of the venues and felt that a progress report and exchange of information would be useful.
A number of measures were agreed and the meeting broke up.
At 10:00 a Presenters' Meeting took place. James chaired the meeting, since Karen Hannah was spending the morning with the HRLP, Martin Brooks, prior to their trip to Birmingham the following day when James's appointment to the breakfast show would be confirmed by the Head of BBC Local Radio.
Amongst the items discussed was that day's earlier meeting. James passed on the main points, and made an observation about the promotional sites, one which would feature greatly later that afternoon.
James then presented his afternoon show. The major news story of the day was a poster campaign by the Commission for Racial Equality which was causing great debate. Critics said the campaign was offensive to black people, whilst the CRE claimed that the posters' strong imagery was intended to address complacency.
James held a pre-arranged discussion with Ahmed Ali of the Tameside Racial Equality Council, who was defending the CRE's approach. James asked him whether he would approve of the use of the sort of much stronger racist language which is in common use, for example "nigger".
Mr. Ali said he would not, because he felt the word to be too offensive. The conversation continued for some time, with Mr. Ali taking a full part.
At the end, James apologised to anyone who might have been offended by the word "nigger". He then made a reference to the euphemistic version of the word which appears in the film "Blazing Saddles", and also pointed out that there are radio stations in the USA at which presenters earn a living by deliberately broadcasting inflamatory racist remarks.
At 4:00, at the end of the show, James left the station to visit the Promotional Exhibition, which happened to be at the Manchester Arndale Centre that day. He was aware as he left that a colleague was taking a copy of the conversation with Ahmed Ali from the logging tape on which all material broadcast by the station is recorded, as required by law.
On returning to the station sometime after 5pm, James was called into Karen Hannah's office. She expressed unhappiness about the lunchtime phone-in.
She and James agreed to discuss the matter the following day prior to her trip to Birmingham.
James then went to do some more work before keeping a 6:30 appointment.
As he was preparing to leave, he was again called into Karen Hannah's office, where the HRLP, Martin Brooks (right) was present. The reason for Mr. Brooks's presence was not explained.
James was told by Karen Hannah that she had received complaints about his "gratuitous use of racist language, on-and off-air". Ms Hannah said to him, "What is your defence?"
The source of the complaints was not disclosed. James replied that he had not used the expression gratuitously but as part of a reasoned discussion. Ms Hannah replied that that was not good enough.
She then asked him to explain his "racist language off-air". When James asked for further explanation, Ms Hannah said that, during the Presenters' Meeting that morning, he had used the word "darkie".
Astounded by the tone of the meeting, the nature of the accusations, and Ms Hannah's agitated state, James replied that he could not remember doing so, but was sure that any such use must have been in an ironic or illustrative context.
Ms Hannah again dismissed James's explanation, shaking her head angrily.
By now, James was outraged at Ms Hannah's conduct, and told her and Martin Brooks forcefully that he was not prepared to tolerate having such accusations levelled against him with no regard for his well-known attitude to racial matters and his reputation as a responsible and experienced broadcaster.
Throughout these exchanges, Martin Brooks did not speak.
James left the building, late for his 6:30 appointment and furious at the treatment to which he had been subjected.
