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Headline:

Sachsgate Douglas breaks radio silence

Synopsis:

Former Radio Two controller Lesley Douglas has broken the silence she publicly adopted throughout the Andrew Sachs controversy to reveal exclusively to Music Week why she is joining Universal.

The former BBC Radio 2 controller Lesley Douglas has spoken for the first time of the "horrible" circumstances of her resignation from the station in the wake of the Brand-Ross phone calls row.

Douglas, who will join the music group Universal Music UK next week, said:

"I've always known whatever I did, at whatever point, I wanted to continue working with music really because I love it," Douglas said in an interview with Music Week.

She described the period leading up to her resignation at the end of last month as the "Sachsgate" crisis deepened and its immediate aftermath as "horrible". She said it was "strange to sit back and read your own obit".

"The music industry were so supportive, but it is very strange to read about yourself because I don't like courting press and singularly failed in that in the last few weeks. But the support I got from the music industry was amazing," added Douglas.

"It's hard for me to talk about the past, which is why I'd rather talk about the future. It's been a horrible four weeks in many ways but, as I say, the support I got personally was amazing."

Douglas will have a dual programming and marketing role when she starts her new job at Universal Music UK next Monday.

She will oversee Universal's two-year-old TV division, which has produced ITV music specials featuring Elton John, Girls Aloud and Take That.

"Obviously I've worked quite closely with all the record companies for ages and I've always got along with Universal so [Universal Music Group International chairman and chief executive] Lucian [Grainge] and [Universal UK chairman and chief executive] David [Joseph] just got in touch with me, asked if I wanted to have a chat with them," said Douglas.

"I had a chat with David, thought that it sounded quite interesting, then I went in to see David and Lucian and that's how it happened. It just felt right."

The Universal TV division, Globe Productions, is also looking to expand into comedy and drama.

"It is looking at all of the opportunities. I know that Globe has been around two years and they've been doing documentaries and music specials so there are obvious opportunities," Douglas added.

A BBC Trust investigation into the Sachsgate affair revealed that Douglas approved the controversial segment for broadcast on Brand's late-night Saturday show with a single-word email sent from her BlackBerry: "Yes."

However, Douglas had not listened to the programme before it was broadcast.

Publish date:

1 December 2008

Author:

Paul Williams

Source:

Music Week

Media:

Access Interview