Ofcom rules Alex Salmond's Kremlin-backed TV show misled audience

Alex Salmond's chat show on a Kremlin-backed TV channel misled the audience when he read out messages that appeared to come from viewers but were sent in by production staff, the broadcasting regulator has ruled. 

Ofcom discovered that four of the six tweets the former First Minister read out in the debut show were sent by people connected directly or indirectly to the programme's production, or to Mr Salmond personally.

Its investigation found that the programme's failure to disclose the source of the messages meant the audience were "materially" misled by the show, which was broadcast by RT, formerly known as Russia Today.

Slainte Media, Mr Salmond's production company, attacked the "extraordinary ruling" as being "out of all proportion to his very minor matter."

It argued that viewers could not have expected him to read out live messages in the first episode of pre-recorded programme and accused Ofcom of finding a breach different from the complaint that triggered its investigation.

But Ofcom noted the former SNP leader's introduction to the segment, where he refered to it being a "really important part of the show" because it was when the programme heard from "you."

Holyrood's opposition parties seized on the ruling as further evidence that the show was Russian propaganda and argued it inflicted more damage to Mr Salmond's political legacy.

The ruling is the latest enforcement action by Ofcom against RT, which has faced increased scrutiny following the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal in Salisbury.

An Ofcom spokeswoman said: "We found this programme broke our rules by misleading its audience.

"A series of messages were presented on-air as having come from viewers. In fact, most of them were from production staff linked to the programme."

Speaking to camera during last November's show, Mr Salmond told the audience that the programme had received "an avalanche of tweets and emails" even before the first episode.

He said the first tweet was from Ella Loren asking him why he had chosen RT to broadcast his show.

However, TV Novosti, which holds RT's broadcasting licence, admitted to Ofcom that the sender was a freelance make-up girl involved in the programme's rehearsals.

Mr Salmond said his second message was from Adam Roberts asking what Slainte means, but this was from a freelance cameraman and an acquaintance of one of the producers' technicians.

A third message asking if he would stop Brexit if he was Prime Minister came from an acquaintance of Mr Salmond in a letter to his office.

The fifth question asking when Donald Trump would appear on the programme was prepared by Luisa St John, the series director, for the episode's dress rehearsal and included in the final broadcast thanks to an "editing mistake."

Ofcom rejected TV Novosti's argument that it was "obvious" that the selection of tweets and emails was to “illustrate” how the viewer response segment would work in the future.

Slainte Media said it was "pleased" the regulator had rejected "the basis" of the complaint that triggered by the inquiry and had accepted the messages were "not invented."

A spokesman said: "Thus it seems extraordinary that, having dismissed the basis of the only complaint which they actually received Ofcom then finds a different reason for an 'in breach' finding, even if it is one which carries no sanction."

But Rachael Hamilton, the Scottish Tories' Shadow Culture Minister, said: "It’s no surprise to see Alex Salmond’s Russian propaganda show carpeted for something it did almost before it had even begun.

“The longer Mr Salmond continues to front this RT programme, the more damage he does to his legacy as First Minister.”